If Having A Gorgeous VP Is Wrong, I Don’t Wanna Be Right
By Jordan GAll day I’ve had those immortal words from Wayne’s World going through my head, “If she were a president, she’d be Baberaham Lincoln.”
I’m excited about the Palin pick for all the reasons everyone else is; John McCain consolidating his base while reaching out to disaffected Hillary supporters and young women who identify with Palin, taking away Obama’s monopoly on the “change” theme and giving people who aren’t comfortable with Obama but feel guilty about not voting for “history” an out, bla bla bla, I’m even boring myself here.
Let’s focus on what really matters here, folks. Gov. Palin is a knockout and I am thrilled about it. Seriously, do you realize what a collective near death experience we just had as a country, narrowly averting having had to stare at this woman, or these two for the next four years? You can say it, America. You’re relieved. We all are.
But I digress. At the risk of getting myself in trouble, it would appear that Palin’s trying to tone down the hotness with the nerdy glasses and the French Twist, am I right? Why is that?
While every woman I’ve talked to today loves the intersection between beauty and confidence that Palin represents, we all know that there are women out there who are going to resent an attractive woman in public life. It’s just the way it is.
As a result, Palin must walk the tight rope between being pretty enough that men in swing states are going to like that she’s a babe packing heat, while not being so pretty that she alienates a certain subset of women.
So what do you think? Does she have to tone it down? Will she? Are we going to see a Palin makeover ASAP as has already been suggested?
Palin’s in uncharted waters here. Buckle up kids; it’s going to be a wild 67 days.
August 29th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Top three things I heard from my (college-aged male) friends today:
She shoots guns?
She has five kids?
She’s hot!
If that’s any indication of a wider feeling, I think McCain just locked up the beer-swilling NASCAR demographic. And that’s not even mentioning the talented politician and tough reformer she seems to be. Good, good pick.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
If the glasses and French twist look is sufficient to keep that certain subset of women in the fold, she should rock it the whole campaign.
Besides, we all like the nerdy babe look. I just hope they make Tina Fey Secretary of State.
August 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
This was a brilliant choice by McCain and I look forward to seeing them in the White House. Here’s something else she brings which is surprisingly unique; her husband has a job. I mean a real job where stuff gets done, the kind of job I respect and have scrupulously avoided since i was in my twenties. That has to bring in voters.
August 30th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I’d have preferred Micheal Palin,but a good choice never the less
August 30th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I think Governor Palin is a giant step forward in reclaiming conservative feminism. Feminism has historically been defined as a liberal perspective, thus excluding all of us who are women and care about women’s issues from the debate. I am a pro-life, pro-family, pro-women-in-government, pro-gun, pro-home education, conservative woman who has a legitimate place in the discourse of feminist discussion. You go, Girl!
August 30th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
As to Jordan’s question, much as we may dislike it, appearance does have a direct connection to identity. How confident are we? How open are we to others? Can we embrace our femininity, and be embraced for it, as a source of strength equal to a man and his masculinity without having to compete directly on a masculine playing field? These are questions working and family women have to ask themselves every day, and I would love to have my future daughters grow up with a public example of someone who can be unapologetically feminine while kicking ass and taking names.
However, since this is also turning into a feminism debate, I’d just like to point out that feminism is about giving women choices they haven’t had in the past - whether it’s to stay home with the kids, or go to work.
That said, Palin is anti-choice. I’d vouch for her feminism if she were against abortion personally, but allowed for the ideological possibility. But the mere fact that she is trying to dictate others’ choices in a less-than-ideal world (because in an ideal world, abortion wouldn’t be necessary), loses my support.
Incidentally, I’m pro-gun for recreational purposes, and for the military, but not for individual self-defense, the main reason being that the original purpose was to protect the people from a tyrannical government, not gang bangers. Never mind that owning a gun does not necessarily protect one from gun violence.
August 30th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Abortion itself is anti-choice. You are forcing your own choice on a child. And if abortion would not be necessary in an ideal world, then this world is ideal, because abortion is never truly necessary.
August 30th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Um, except to save the life of the mother.
August 30th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I love Sarah Palin’s low maintenance look. I’m tired of looking at expensive, time-consuming blond highlights. The glasses look good too. I remember a book that I think was called Dress for Succes or something like that and it said that glasses gave a woman’s face more authority.
August 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Anything but Hillary’s pantsuits and butch haircut. It’s gonna be kinda hard to make Palin unattractive, but this would do it.