Anna Quindlin just doesn't get it. Or perhaps I should say, she doesn't get it because she's built some assumptions on faulty premises, and those can only lead to problems. For those who do not know who she is, Anna Quindlin is a columnist for Newsweek magazine. Recently she wrote an article concerning John McCain's pick for Vice Presidential candidate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Here is an excerpt:
"Her political ascendancy is a direct result of the women's movement, which has changed the world utterly for women of all persuasions. It is therefore notable that Palin has found her home in a party, and in a wing of that party, that for many years has reviled, repelled and sought to roll back the very changes that led her to the Alaska Statehouse."
Now, by 'wing of that party' Ms. Quindlin is referencing the religious, conservative wing of the Republican party. The article's premise is that conservatives do not want strong women in leadership positions, and so John McCain's choice of Governer Palin of Alaska to be his running mate for the White House is a cynical, sexist choice.
But as a member of that 'wing,' I know firsthand that strong women are not reviled or unnaccepted, and are, in fact, made into icons if they are conservative. Certainly conservatives loved Margaret Thatcher as British PM during the 1980s, and also greatly admired ambassador to the UN Jean Kirkpatrick. Certainly Condoleezza Rice is well respected in conservative circles, and she has certainly had some power, as both the head of the National Security Agency and currently as Secretary of State.
Conservatives are not afraid of women in leadership positions. What they do have a distaste for is women who have gotten where they are based on their gender alone. They also dislike liberals in power in general, whether they be male, or female. Conservatives can sneer at the name Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton, and in the same minute's time fall over themselves praising Sarah Palin and other conservative women.
For conservatives to embrace a woman for vice president, or any other position of leadership or power, is not something with which we should be surprised. When women make it to the top by their own efforts and not through a feminist version of affirmative action, then conservatives trip over themselves to welcome them, and follow them. It is not a gender thing, it's a political ideology combined with a sense of self-determination. I say bring on the strong women! And so do most conservatives. Just ask Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Senator from Texas! (doesn't get much more conservative than Texas!)
1 comment:
Not being a member of "that" wing of The Party,I think it's important to keep in mind that Palin appeals to a broad spectrum both within the Republican party and without. Despite not necessarily agreeing with all the socially conservative views Palin holds, she nonetheless has a record based on reform, high ethical standards and just plain old good sense in governing from what I've seen. Forget the fact that she's a female, she's down to earth, she's driven and she knows how to get things done. Sarah Palin, from all we've seen and heard thus far, maintains her "Socon" roots, but not with the venom of a zealot and she recognizes the need to work with those not necessarily of the same political persuasions. The bottom line is that she's effective and she'll be good for Washington.
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