Why Many Women Won't Pull the Lever for Palin

As is typical for the recent (circa 1999 and on) iteration of the republican party where up is down, black is white, and right is wrong, the selection of a woman for vice presidential nominee has the potential to do the exact opposite in serving the interest of women, not to mention the country we love.

How many times will we be fooled by a party that panders to and parades the "values" that attract good, fair minded people, only to serve narrow, status quo interests once in office? Remember Bush running on a platform of compassionate conservatism? Toward whom has compassion been directed during the run of this administration? Do you recall campaign missives about a transparent government and bringing dignity and integrity back to the white house? This administration will go down as the most opaque and secretive in America's history and it will be decades before we truly understand all that was hidden from its citizens and the damage done. And integrity? Read Scott McClellan's book. But don't buy it and line his complicit pockets. Get it at the library. Suffice it to say Valerie Plame, lying our way into a war, Alberto Gonzales and the firing of good and just justice department attorneys as a few examples.

Now, during this election, we are being told that we can make history and take a stand against sexism by voting the McCain Palin ticket. But the vetting that has been done by the people, primarily because John McCain wouldn't, has turned up clear facts about Ms. Palin's archaic, extremely conservative, fundamentalist beliefs. Once in office (heaven forbid), these beliefs WILL COLOR EVERYTHING SHE DOES IN THAT OFFICE. And, as we all know, she will (heaven forbid again) be one melanoma away from being the leader of the free world. And in this regard, let me utter the three most frightening words: Supreme Court Appointments.

Frank Rich, on this past Sunday's (September 14) New York Times opinion page said it best: "before our eyes, McCain is turning over the keys to his administration to ideologies and a running mate to Bush's right", and he of course was referring to Sarah Palin. It's actually a great piece. Take time to read it, as well as the front page article about Ms. Palin in the same edition. It details objectively what she would truly bring to women's rights instead of what you are being told by the McCain campaign to lull you into pulling the lever for exactly the opposite of your own best interest.