Sexism

Isn't it funny how Democrats, the great fighters for women's rights, are questioning whether it's appropriate for Sarah Palin to be working when she has five kids?

Many liberals are belittling the choice, suggesting that as a mother of five children — including an infant with Down syndrome — she has neither the time nor the experience to become vice president... Change and reform are getting top billing by Republicans, a mantra that had all but belonged to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Sarah Palin, meanwhile, doesn't like the idea of using charges of sexism as a shield.



But use it they must, as it hits Democrats so delightfully where they sit. Andrew Romano quotes McCain adviser Carly Fiorina on his Newsweek blog:

I am appalled by the Obama campaign’s attempts to belittle Gov. Sarah Palin’s experience. The facts are that Sarah Palin has made more executive decisions as a mayor and governor than Barack Obama has made in his life. Because of Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin.”

As Rudy said on all the morning shows today:

...I am really upset….Where are these feminist groups? I mean she is being asked questions like 'Can you be a vice president and a mother? But what about Barack Obama -- can you be a president and a father? Or John McCain? I was never asked that question, or George Bush or Al Gore. All these men have run, most of them had families -- some of them had young children -- none of them were ever asked 'Can you be a father and can you be president or vice president?'"

Barack has tried to tread carefully around the Palin issue, knowing first hand how delicate the feelings of women voters can be. 

Obama and running mate Joe Biden issued a joint statement calling the choice "yet another encouraging sign that old barriers are falling in our politics." 

The old barriers aren't coming down, however. Just as Barack, through his relationship with Reverend Wright, has revealed the role Democrats play in partnering with the race baiting industry, sexism by Democrats is now also in clear public display, as they now support the old barriers in order to try to stop Sarah Palin.

But Sarah: Johnny Hardly Knew Ye

Since when did knowing the VP in advance of her selection become important? Liberals are all a twitter.

John McCain first met Palin in February of this year and had a telephone conversation with her. That is the full extent of his familiarity with Palin until he spent time with her last week. That's how seriously he is taking the presidency of the United States. It's simply unbelievable recklessness. It's Bush-level recklessness.

That's Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic. Here's Andrea Mitchell hitting the same storyline on Hardball.


Funny, I recall that FDR met Truman for the first time after his selection, likewise George Bush with Dan Quayle - and meeting Dan Quayle only makes you like him more - and Kennedy knew LBJ enough to hate him before his selection. Where does this intimacy expectation come from?

It's not nice to fool Mother News.

Bad News for Barack

For those who question what Barack stands for, one need look no further than his esteemed collection of supporters. Let's add a new one to the list, which already includes:

Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Robert Reich, Ted Kennedy, Tom Hanks, NARAL, John Edwards, Jane Fonda, The Teamsters and Steel Workers unions, Moveon.org, John Kerry, Michael Moore, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Reggae Singer Cocoa Tea, and Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef, just to name a few.

Now, we can happily announce the addition of Phil Spector - the poster boy for celebrity mental illness.

Today The Times' eagle-eyed Harriet Ryan spotted Phil Spector, the famous rock entrepreneur and infamous date, showing up for a court hearing in Los Angeles wearing a very obvious "Barack Obama Rocks" pin.