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Kathleen Parker is one of America's most popular opinion columnists, addressing the country's mental health through her views on current national ...
Read more about Kathleen Parker.
Kathleen Parker is one of America's most popular opinion columnists, addressing the country's mental health through her views on current national ...
Read more about Kathleen Parker.
The Palin Problem
Kathleen Parker
To express reservations about her qualifications to be vice president
-- and possibly president -- is to risk being labeled anti-woman.
Or, as I am guilty of charging her early critics, supporting only a certain kind of woman.
Some of the passionately feminist critics of Palin who attacked her personally deserved some of the backlash they received. But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a hockey mom with lipstick -- what a difference a financial crisis makes -- and a more complicated picture has emerged.
As we've seen and heard more from John McCain's running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.
Yes, she recently met and turned several heads of state as the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York. She was gracious, charming and disarming. Men swooned. Pakistan's president wanted to hug her. (Perhaps Osama bin Laden is dying to meet her?)
And, yes, she has common sense, something we value. And she's had executive experience as a mayor and a governor, though of relatively small constituencies (about 6,000 and 680,000, respectively).
Finally, Palin's narrative is fun, inspiring and all-American in that frontier way we seem to admire. When Palin first emerged as John McCain's running mate, I confess I was delighted. She was the antithesis and nemesis of the hirsute, Birkenstock-wearing sisterhood -- a refreshing feminist of a different order who personified the modern successful working mother.
Palin didn't make a mess cracking the glass ceiling. She simply glided through it.
It was fun while it lasted.
Palin's recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.
No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I've been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I've also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.
Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there's not much content there. Here's but one example of many from her interview with Hannity:
"Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we're talking about today. And that's something that John McCain, too, his track record, proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this."
When Couric pointed to polls showing that the financial crisis had boosted Obama's numbers, Palin blustered wordily: "I'm not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who's more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who's actually done it?"
If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself.
If Palin were a man, we'd all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she's a woman -- and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket -- we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.
What to do?
McCain can't repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP's unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.
Only Palin can save McCain, her party and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.
Do it for your country.
========
Kathleen Parker's e-mail address is kparker@kparker.com
(c) 2008, Washington Post Writers Group
This news arrived on: 09/26/2008
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Posted Comments:
10-02-2008 02:18
Sunshine49 wrote:
To snookie
When will you stop with the bulls**t? Obama's increase on "income tax" won't hit the average person but it will hit small businesses that have not incorporated and file under personal income tax. Also, his capital gains tax increase will hit all retirees that have invested in their retirement. He also plans an increase in social security tax. Now, logic says that as soon as you increase taxes on businesses -- prices on everything will go up. Who will that hit? The middle class who are already suffering from inflation. When taxes go up on big business -- more jobs will leave the country. More unemployment, etc. We are talking Depression here! But, Obama is talking about giving $1,000 checks to 40% of the people who don't pay taxes through this (Marxist) redistribution of wealth plan. His plan will only throw this country into a Depression and hurt everybody. It may sound good but it's not feasible. Big government needs to get it's hands out of our pockets! Now, that would work!
09-30-2008 07:38
JAN wrote:
PALIN
Your comment about Palin is bias, you do not like her, She is a breath of fresh air. We need someone like her in Washington,she cannot be controled, Obama is a carpet bagger, no better that the baggers that came out of nowwhere after the Civil war. You want change, and everyone of the donkeys, that is what you will have in your pocket if Obama wins, God help us all, we will be reading the Koran, and our heads will be wrapped in towels, You must be a libral donkey
09-30-2008 02:42
snookie wrote:
Palin
Give me a break- Palin know NOTHING about foreign policy or the economy- She has to be tutored and I have to admit she delivers a prescripted speech exceptionally- but none of this is because of her knowledge- Obama is intelligent and is very up on foreign policy and the economy and other crucial issues- Palin is a big joke!!! I would trust Obama over McCain or Palin any day- All McCain has done from the get go is lie and they are teaching Palin to do the same- We have had 8 yrs of secrecy and lies already and I am fed up to my ears with it already- McCain twists everything Obama say like the tax issue- Obama has said time and again that he will only raise taxes on anyone making over $250,000- a yr- and McCain keeps repeating that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class- That is an out and out lie- McCain just can't seem to get it- Enough of the lies already!!!
09-30-2008 00:59
Sunshine49 wrote:
Palin for VP
I wonder if McCain had picked Romney, Huckabee or even Ron Paul for VP, what you would be saying about them. It really doesn't matter who he picked because all these negative comments about Palin are really jabs at the Republican party and McCain for the purpose of getting Obama elected. I said it weeks ago and I will say it again -- Obama's promises are worthless now because the economy can't handle it. History will repeat itself. We were in a deep recession after the crash of 1929. As soon as the Democrats took control, they upped the taxes and started a lot of New Deal programs that threw us into the Depression. Now, the Dems want to "bail out" Wall Street and the Republicans want to "loan" the money and let Wall Street bail itself out like "free" markets are supposed to do. Before you start screaming that what I wrote is all lies -- read up on history
09-29-2008 21:02
sassy wrote:
Palin Vs Obama
You say palin is not ready and a no body.What about Obama who most of us never heard of and has very little nolage of what he can and can't do.What your saying is a no-body like Obama can and will make a good Presadent.BUT a new commer to be a VP can't do a good job.Give Palin some credit she cleaned up the coruption and out of control spending in Alaska,there is no reason to say she can't do a lot of good in Washington.Today was a good day for the American Tax payers as Palosi and her cohorts got there bill throwen back at them.
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