Why Women Hate Sarah Palin

[susanbanks44]

Some polls are suggesting that after gaining an initial bump, McCain's campaign is being hobbled by Sarah Palin's vice-presidential candidacy. The voters who are deserting her fastest, some of whom are even calling on her to withdraw, are mostly women.

Ah, women, the consistently, tragically underestimated constituency. What the Democrats learned during the primaries and the Republicans might now be finding out the hard way, I learned at my very academic, well-regarded all-girls high school: that is never to discount the ability of women to open a robust, committed, well-thought-out vat of hatred for another girl.

Women are weapons-grade haters. Hillary Clinton knows it. Palin knows it too. When women get their hate on, they don't just dislike, or find disfavor with, or sort of not really appreciate. They loathe — deeply, richly, sustainingly. I do not say this to disparage my gender; women also love in more or less the same way.

When men disagree, the steps to resolution are reasonably clear and unsophisticated. Acts of physical violence are visited upon one another's person or property, and the whole thing blows over. Women? Nu-unh. We savor the discord. We draw it out. We share our contempt with our friends, like a useful stock tip, or really good salsa. And then we all go hate together: a mutually encouraging group activity for when the book group gets quiet.


More:

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1846832,00.html

[Jade Fox]

1. So we dislike Palin because of irrational chick stuff?

And instead we will just vote in "some guy"?

I'll tell you why women dislike Palin: Many women have worked for years to get ahead and be taken seriously in the work world. Palin flashes her beauty queen smile while using her family as props, and suddenly she's next in line to be the most powerful person in the world.

[mamameow]

16. what women really dislike

sarah is a bimbo! she may not go after your man but she sure gives that image. steal you blind, money and love! she sucks up to the men while other women do the work. who in the world thought of her as a vp, needs to be fired, banned from any campaign. cindy should be worried about sarah and the old man!!!

[SharonAnn]

36. Oh, I think she would go after my man, if she wanted him.

[shanti]

35. ugh, that nauseates me

when she trots out the prop baby. :(

[chupacabranation]

37. I don't think we particularly hate her. Our views just aren't padded by sexual attraction

Or a sense of protectiveness

[TxBlue]

45. Thank you for a concise explanation nt

[eridani]

51. Yep. Shake your tits in the boss's face

Get promoted over older and far more competent women.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

64. If you've NOT seen that happen in the workplace you must be blind*.

I have even seen a man let go to make room for a beautiful woman
the boss wanted to hustle. When the job ended he moved her to
company headquarters in Texas and set her up in an apartment around
the corner from where he lived with his wife and kids.
It would not be much of a stretch to call it a form of economic slavery
as the county where she was hired was/is one of the most impoverished
in the nation.

*("you've/you" refers to any reader)

[eridani]

76. Hadn't thought of the impact of this crap on non-alpha males

You raise a good point--it doesn't just affect older women.

[Scout]

71. recommend this post! n/t

[CTyankee]

72. Here's the thing. While we do get irate over her flashy flirting

we also understand that she is a pawn herself of powerful men. Does she know it? I think so, if only very deep down.

What is so unnerving about this whole thing is that it is played out so dishonestly. So I really don't know what or who makes me angrier, her or the men manipulating her...

[FLAprogressive]

2. My mom hates her....

And she's a (registered) Republican (albeit pro-choice/pro-gay rights/voting for Obama).

[CBHagman]

3. The author of that article has some issues of his own.

Women are weapons-grade haters.

I don't know what to make of someone who stuffs a comment like that into an article. It smacks too much of the female-is-deadlier-than-the-male mind-set that has been around for many a year.

And McNew offers this drivel that makes women sound like Mean Girls -- ooh, they don't like women who are pretty or confident. Bollocks.

The problem with Sarah Palin is that she isn't qualified for the position she's seeking, and she's also snotty and shallow. In short, it's the George W. Bush experience all over again, except with an even shorter resume, if that's even possible.

I've read many a blog that was more substantive than McNew's article.

[tabasco]

7. I know what to make of it.

The author is a fucking idiot.

[spelldmilk]

18. Ummmm, i am a woman

and I do think women are 'deadlier' than men. I think we are more powerful, that's why there are so many restrictions for/on us. I'm working on research into the female characters of English Elizabethan plays, investigating the specific ways in which the female characters are embodiments of the subversive elements in the society, trying to see if Only women characters could fully represent those elements. (If so why, If not, why not…blah blah blah blah…)
I have always thought that women were stronger than men. I am the eldest of 4, and watched my Ma during her pregnancies. I was 12 when I read Freud and learned about "penis envy," and I always thought that was a joke. Women hold life within their skin, and then deliver it, and every time I see a pregnant woman, I am amazed. I think it is something that we have been coerced into devaluing, precisely because it is so remarkable and powerful.
I would luuuuuv it if someone considered me a "weapons-grade hater." What are the chances they would fuck with me? They'd be too scared of me to piss me off, that would be beautiful. Ya know, it would be a power like the "Penance Stare" in the "Ghost Rider" movie.
That said, I don't hate Palin for the reasons the author cites. I loathe her because I think she is the very worst that any American could be, regardless of gender. She literally makes my skin crawl when I listen to her for more than a minute. While Luscombe uses the three petty reasons to "hate" Palin, excluding her politics is just dumb. Her political positions come from not blinking. They are thoughtless and adolescent, much like the OP itself, which just comes across as really silly ironic hipster fluff. But, hey, it's Time.
I wait patiently for a strong woman candidate for President, but she's not going to emerge until she is able to recognize and believe that she is capable of leading on her own terms.
I think that is Obama's strength. He believes in himself, he has a sense of history, and while he understands the game, he bends the rules to his terms.
Blah blahblah blah…
So what's everyone drinking for the debate? Me? Whisky. Hopefully I won't remember anything tomorrow.

[marions ghost]

47. Welcome to DU spelldmilk

Keep talkin...g

:hi:

Yes we need a woman candidate for Pres/VP who's authentic and knows what real leadership is. She's out there.

S. Palin is certainly an insult to the cause.

[alarimer]

27. I think Sarah Palin is the Mean Girl.

And that's one of the many reasons I hate her so much.

[SayitAintSo]

31. Oh you are so right... Mean Girl ... needs to be the new Palin sound bite

[misanthrope]

39. My wife says the same**nm

**

[crispini]

29. The author is a woman.

Unless "Belinda" is a man's name these days.

[CBHagman]

41. Oops, looked at the wrong line.

:blush:

You're right.

I still don't buy her assumptions, though.

[intheflow]

74. "Women are weapons-grade haters."

Oh, you think she means women hate other women more than the men who designed the nuclear weapons that "weapons-grade" refers to? I honestly don't get the whole "women hate women" bullshit. I don't think women hate other women nearly as much as men hate men. And I really don't think either men or women hate their own sex as much as these black-and-white blanket statements assert.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Speaking as a woman...putting up an ex-beauty queen for VP with nearly non-existent accomplishments,

beyond getting herself elected and motherhood, is a recipe for female backlash.

[Hepburn]

6. Bingo and ditto....

...like I said one time to a male pal of mine about other women: "There are 'them' and there are 'us' and there are fewer of 'us' than there are of 'them'." Sarah is one of "them" ~~ like the original pattern for one of "them." :puke:

[SoCalDem]

9. and because she "prostituted" herself, KNOWING she was unqualified

but because she's "cute & perky", she thought she could "move up" on the merits of what she got from her parents' dip in the gene pool..

WEe all know a sarah.. she's the "girlfriend" who would steal your boyfriend in a heartbeat, if she thought it would "teach you a lesson" for some slight you made toward her..she doesn;t actually WANT your boyfriend, but she does it because she can..to punish you..

she's the one who coyly uses her sexuality, and then feigns innocence..

she's the one who moves up the ladder because of what she looks like, instead of what she knows..and every time she speaks, we all know how true that is..

she's the mom who pops out kids and then dumps them on family member or each other, to raise them..

she sells out her own child's confidences, and exposes her to international scrutiny, to further her own "career"..

That's sarah

[TwilightGardener]

15. Yep--she's primarily an actress, always looking for her next role, IMO.

Smart enough to display sufficient surface knowledge to get by when she needs to, uses her looks and flirting and acting skills the rest of the time. The fact that she tried out for Miss Alaska and desperately wanted to be a TV star (under the guise of "sportscaster") tells me she's an attention-addicted fame-seeker more than anything else. Too bad she chose politics as her vehicle after the TV news biz didn't pan out.

[Kind of Blue]

49. she's the "girlfriend" who would steal your boyfriend in a heartbeat, if she thought it would "teach

you a lesson" for some slight you made toward her..."

OMG! I had a "bestfriend" try to steal a boyfriend to make sure that he really loved me, she said. You see, it was for my own good.
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[napi21]

5. I don't necessarily agree with that analysis, but I can tell you why I hate her!

well...hate is a pretty strong word. I'd use something like "I;m repelled by her". She signifies to me everything that I fought against in the perception of women! Whimpy, easily hurt feelings, don't pick on me, I'm special, I don't have to be as smart as a man 'cause I'm a woman!

I've fought my whole career to be equally qualified to anyone, and in the beginning, I had to be BETTER than any men to even get recognition. For this pansy to come into the national spotlight and PLAY qualified when she's obviously NOT is very offensive to me!!!!!

I give a lot of credit to Hillary. She NEVER pulled any of this sh*t!

[1Hippiechick]

8. Absolutely! And if you haven't seen it, you GOTTA see that friggin' talent competition when she ran

for Ms. Alaska! She was introduced as an "accomplished flutist with 10 years of training." Her performance was a JOKE, and she playe a beginner's piece, imo. So, my question was: WHOSE flute had she been playing for 10 years?!?

WHAT a BIMBO!!!

[susanbanks44]

10. LOL

And since you are from NC can you please explain the voter registration deadline? I have heard that it ends on October 10th, but Obama and Biden said in a video that voters could be registered at the polls. Please help me out!

[CBHagman]

22. I'm not from North Carolina...

...but here's the link to the Board of Elections:

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/items.aspx?id=1&s=1

On edit: Note this.

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=23

The deadline to register to vote in this State is 25 days before the day of the election. Forms that are received by the county board of elections office or postmarked by the deadline are accepted as valid applications for the upcoming election. Also, agency and DMV voter registration transactions that are completed by the deadline are accepted as valid for the upcoming election. Applicants will be notified by the county board of elections of their precinct and polling place assignments.

[1Hippiechick]

42. For anyone interested in the rules and regs in NC, this is an AWESOME site:

http://www.democracy-nc.org/index.shtml


New Website Answers Questions About Voting in North Carolina
http://www.democracy-nc.org/whatsnew/2008/ECpr.doc

"Now You Can Register & Vote on the Same Day"
http://www.democracy-nc.org/improving/SDRbkslp.pdf

"You've Been Locked Up - Don't Be Locked Out!"
http://www.democracy-nc.org/nc/Ex-Fel.pdf

"NC Voters Bill of Rights" (this is an AWEsome document that we are going to print out in 4 x 5 sheets for ppl to take to the polls with them)
http://www.democracy-nc.org/whatsnew/2007/BillofRights.pdf



"Voter Registration in NC" (a 58-slide presentation, chock-full of information)
http://www.democracy-nc.org/improving/2008/VRGuide.pdf

[Myrina]

21. AMEN!

:applause: :applause:

[young_at_heart]

40. A good mother would have her baby in bed---not out in front of the audience

She repels me on so many different levels, but her poor mothering abilities is right up there.

[bamacrat]

11. Because she is one of the most anti-women politicians ever..

and she is a woman. She says shes glad her daughter made the right decision to keep the baby. But really she didnt have a choice and if Palin had her way no women would. Not giving a woman the right to choose makes it so that ultimatey a man has the power to control women.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Clueless men think that we'll automatically identify with another woman OR

automatically swoon over a handsome male candidate.

Remember when the Republicanites put forward Dan Quayle, on the theory that his "Robert Redford" (Robert Redford? Not even close) looks would be irresistible to women voters?

Or I can recall when the admittedly handsome John Kitzhaber won the governorship of Oregon over Denny Smith, who was so stupid that even the Republicanites noticed. After the election, I overheard two angry old guys fume that Kitzhaber had won only because "the women were all charmed by him." (Yeah, we like functioning BRAINS.)

[SmokingJacket]

13. I hate people who've gotten where they are based on looks and charm

but who are idiots.

I don't think that's a woman thing.

I've really bonded over my mother-in-law over our Palin-disgust, though she used to support Bush... she is probably offended by different things than I am, but it all works out the same.

[AlCzervik]

14. I hate him, he's just presumptuous and off base.

[Batgirl]

17. So, female disapproval of Palin as a vice presidential candidate is some kind of "mean girl" thing?

My feelings about Palin don't begin to approach what could be described as a "robust, committed, well-thought-out vat of hatred."
In my book, you have to earn that kind of hatred -- like Bush.

Until she achieves national power and can put the finishing touches on Republican efforts to flush this country down the crapper, she's just another dim bulb, rightwing, fundie-ass-kissing, authoritarian idiot. That only merits extreme disgust.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

19. Why women hate her? Easy!

[dana_b]

43. because she looked good at 18??

I'll bet there a lot of women here who looked just as good. I'll bet there are a lot of women here who look just as good as she does now. It's not the looks- it's the condescending attitude as well as the lack of knowledge and experience.

[Vektor]

54. Average then, average now.

Totally ordinary looking, without a brain cell to her name.

What's to hate? I pity her.

[Raine]

20. Yeah I hate her but I hate her because she's

the very WORST kind of woman. Palin is the kind who uses the ladder other women have built, she climbs up it then she kicks that ladder to the ground so other women can't use it. :mad: :grr:

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. !!!

:thumbsup:

[Sabriel]

24. I don't hate her "because she's beautiful"

I despise her because of her anti-women, anti-LGBTQ practices.

Pretty is as pretty does...and she's fugly.

[AnnieBW]

30. Inside and out

I'm a firm believer in people's personalities projecting outside of themselves. Since I'm a fat chick, I have to be. :D Palin strikes me as a mean, uptight bitch.

[Sabriel]

25. I don't hate her "because she's beautiful"

I despise her because of her anti-women, anti-LGBTQ practices.

Pretty is as pretty does...and she's fugly.

[crispini]

26. I hate her because she's an annoying beeyotch.

And they're right, I'm a-gonna get my hate on.

[AnnieBW]

28. Charging for Rape Kits may have something do to with it

Seriously. Word is getting out about that. No matter what a woman's politics are, they pretty much all agree on two things: chocolate, and compassion for women who are raped.

[oldcoot]

66. I agree

Consider the large number of women who have been raped, nearly raped, or know someone who was raped, you would think that this explanation would be fairly obvious.

[earth mom]

32. I can't stand Palin-she's an airhead and an annoying beeyotch.

:puke:

[UpInArms]

33. nu-cu-lar - she's gwb in a dress

and she talks through her nose and she's stupid and didn't know the meaning of "achilles heal" so she just started talking and no one even called her on her being too stupid to breathe.

[rosesaylavee]

34. And this article is not misogynist why?

I think labeling how and why any group of humans does or thinks a certain is faulty logic and highly indicative of prejudicial biased or otherwise WRONG thinking.

I don't hate this woman. In fact, I was surprised that I found her somewhat likeable tonight. She is not a leader that I could ever admire or follow. She is not smart, compassionate, clever or ethical.

Being a woman and having experienced life as a woman does not make anti-Palin. It is my own humanity and love of this country that makes me anti-Palin.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

44. Special thanks to susanbanks44 for...

making possible the outstanding responses #34 (rosesaylavee) and
#18 (spelldmilk), they provide a degree of reason for hope.

That said, from a man's perspective, I'm still betting Sarah could be or once was
wild in the sack and some, certainly not all, would feel threatened by that.

[XemaSab]

53. The last sentence of your post

is possibly part of the hate.

Men see her and they think with their dicks.

Who she is as a person is meaningless to a lot of men, and she knows that and exploits it.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

60. Unsure about the hate part but...

precede "Men" with 'most, if not all' then you and Sarah
will both be spot on IMO.
Also, IMO, had she been raised an atheist she would likely be
a far better person!

[asteroid2003QQ47]

65. 9:20AM, 3 cups of coffee, edit refused, no longer unsure. n/t

[rosesaylavee]

70. WTF?

Do you think that way about male candidates too? Do you think that that is what drives people to support a candidate - whether or not they are wild in the sack?

Ridiculous post.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

73. I am sorry to have caused you distress, it was the exact opposite...

of my intentions. If I were so inclined I likely would "think that way about male
candidates too." Wouldn't that be normal behavior? I can't imagine it meaning I would vote
for anyone, male or female, on that basis though.

Do I "think that that is what drives people to support a candidate...?" No, I know for a fact that is what drives many, certainly not all, men to support a candidate. A great many men, including my employer at the time, were quite enamoured of Sen. Olympia Snowe early in her career.

Also I should perhaps clarify that some of what I stated in this thread was tongue in cheek.

I hope I have given you cause to reconsider your "Rediculous post" assessment.

[rosesaylavee]

75. Ok. I take back what I said and of course will reconsider

I didn't catch the tongue in cheek aspect at all. Please accept my apologies.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

77. I accept and thank you. :-) n/t

[riverdeep]

38. Yeah, that Stalin was such an easygoing guy.

Didn't hold a grudge or anything.

This is the epitome of pop psychology. Bad pop psychology at that. The ones that were attracted to her at first didn't know anything about her except that she was a woman. Even though the campaign would like no one to know anything about her to this day, stuff has leaked out. The first and foremost is, she is deeply unqualified. Women, like men, saw that and responded appropriately.

[TxBlue]

46. Just hit the ignored button on stupid comments

Really offensive comments by a certain male on this thread.

Just clicked ignore for first time on du

Bless his heart, he sounds just like rush oxycontin limbaugh

[marions ghost]

48. speaking of Sarahs

While Tina Fey does an amazing charicature, I'd also like to see Sarah Silverman as Palin.

She's got that narcissist princess thing goin' on, dontcha know. More twisted.

[Hekate]

50. Meh. This is just a TIME mag essayist being snarky. It's a job requirement over there.

I don't like Sarah Palin because she is George W. Bush in lip gloss and a short skirt. The more I know about her, the more apparent that becomes. Like a rock. Only dumber.

Actually, she's probably not all that dumb. Just ignorant. Arrogant. Sarcastic. A supporter of far-right Republican policies. A theocrat who wants more power than Dick Cheney.

I had three friends over tonight for dinner and debate watch, after which we rather glumly worked on our sample ballots, which include a full dozen state propositions. We're retired from professions, ages about 60 to 70. We are uniformly appalled at Sarah Palin's lack of substantive knowledge and the breathtaking scope of her ambition.

We don't "hate" her -- but she sure scares the bejaysus out of us.

Hekate

[eridani]

52. Lots of people of both sexes--

--find terminally perky to be utterly revolting.

[XemaSab]

55. I've been saying this for months

Men assuming that women will like and vote for other women... is not how the world works.

Tonight I was watching CNN and I was struck by how undecided women liked Biden's answers better, and consistently were much harsher on Palin's answers.

For myself, Palin reminds me of women I've worked with where I never understood how the boss put up with their shit at all... the screamy drama queen, or the deeply, deeply incompetent department head. And yes, once the vat of hate is opened, it's bottomless.

[cali]

56. who are the morons that voted for this piece of nonsense?

more proof that too many don't read what they rec.

[Waiting For Everyman]

57. She is just a nasty, mean, grasping, premeditated liar.

That doesn't fly with me. There's nothing to like there. She's 100% self-opportunist.

And her so-called "cuteness" is just like Uriah Heap's "humility" - fake, wheedling, just to get close enough to rob and ruthlessly dominate.

[DailyGrind51]

58. Opposition to Roe v. Wade for starters, no woman with any intelligence,

believes that merely having a woman, ANY woman, on the ticket is sufficient reason to support that ticket. Those who do, deserve the eternal scorn of their daughters and grand daughters.

[Phillycat]

59. This article is sexist bullshit.

I'm very surprised at Time for running it. I'm also surprised anyone would bother to post it on DU.

[magdalena]

61. I can't believe Time is publishing such blatant sexist trash.

[e-mail] is the email for LTTE if anyone is interested.

[ShortnFiery]

62. With respect, environment plays a large role. I don't hold grudges like many MEN and WOMEN.

The "unfairness" of certain women rising up the career ladder can be comparable to other civil rights struggle.

Palin is not much different than "the main house negro" due to her fawning over the powers that be.

We all know the women in the office who used "sexual politics" in order to succeed. Usually they marry the boss and retire, but some "rise above" without the knowledge and skill to effectively function.

My best friend was washed out of Airborne School because she was "too ugly."

No shit! I despise women who use their looks to inappropriately push ahead of many other qualified women.

[demmiblue]

63. Mind-numbingly stupid article

[Fire1]

67. I don't know about anybody else, I'm just allergic to STUPID!

[Beausoir]

68. Ridiculously sexist article.

[darkism]

69. Probably because Sarah Palin hates women? n/t