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.

Dems Tread Lightly

Will Sarah Palin be a tough opponent to hit?

John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate presents the Obama-Biden campaign with an unwelcome and unexpected challenge: How do you go after a 44-year-old mother of five without once alienating the female voters you’ve just spent the last week trying to win back?

The answer so far: Not very well.

It only took a few minutes for the Obama campaign to screw it up.

Minutes after the McCain campaign confirmed that Palin would be the Republican’s VP pick, Obama spokesman Bill Burton dismissed the Alaska governor as a lightweight.

McCain, he said, had put "the former mayor of a town of 9,000, with zero foreign policy experience, a heartbeat away from the presidency." Almost immediately, the campaign seemed to reconsider its tough-guy approach.

Imagine that? All of a sudden, Democrats think a president needs to have foreign policy experience?

Almost immediately, the campaign seemed to reconsider its tough-guy approach.

In a statement distributed by the campaign, Barack Obama and Joe Biden said Palin’s selection was “yet another encouraging sign that old barriers are falling in our politics. While we obviously have differences over how best to lead this country forward, Gov. Palin is an admirable person and will add a compelling new voice to this campaign.”

Barack, already in trouble with women, had best tread lightly.

Many of Clinton’s supporters continue to believe that sexism played a large role in her defeat.

“I would say to the Democrats, regarding sexism, ‘Tag, you’re it,'” said Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway. “Everyone likes to say you are sexist if you don’t vote for Hillary Clinton, but what about all the women who are not going to vote for Sarah Palin?”