Head on over to Forbes.com and read this article by Ann Marlowe. Go ahead, I'll wait. It just gives me an opportunity to build up a good head of steam.
I suppose Marlowe would characterize me as one of the angst-ridden elite women she refers to in her piece. I am childless, though not necessarily by choice. I've got a passport, and I haven't been afraid to use it. I have a graduate degree and am (vaguely) working toward a doctorate. I dabble in the garden, however ineffectually. So, since I seem to fit so perfectly into Marlowe's elite mold, I'm going to take the liberty of responding to her simplistic and not terribly thoughtful analysis of how we elite women think with regard to Sarah Palin. Although it's true I'm not yet a "certified member" of the elite, you'll forgive me this presumption I'm sure; last I heard, my certification was in the mail.
Marlowe's main argument seems to be that "elite women" are so perversely opposed to the idea of Governor Sarah Palin as Vice President Sarah Palin because (I can hardly even type this) she makes us feel inadequate. What with her obvious fecundity and her boundless ambition, Marlowe argues that Palin leaves the rest of us feeling as if we've wasted our lives in useless pursuits like volunteering and going to college. Faced with the stark reality of our privately pointless existence, Marlowe thinks that we elite women see in Palin's public purpose an echo of where our lives could have gone if we'd only tried a little harder and done a little more. She's the girl in math class who ruined the curve for the rest of us, and we resent her for it.
Marlowe comes to this conclusion about how elite women think by analyzing our angst-ridden cry, "If Sarah Palin is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, so am I!" Which, I suppose is all well and good. Or it would be. If she hadn't COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT. We elite women aren't upset because we feel we have every right to be in Palin's shoes. We're upset because we know we that we have no right to fill her shoes. Nor, for that matter, does she. Sarah Palin is no more qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presideny than your average elite woman, this one included. The best politicians combine a passion for public service and a set of lofty policy ideals with a willingness to compromise and an understanding of how government works by and for the people. They bring a wealth of leadership experience - political or otherwise - to bear on the issue of government. And, hopefully, they get things done. Your average elite woman (or is that an oxymoron, Ms. Marlowe?) may have some of these, but she doesn't have all. Knowing her strengths and weaknesses, she suspects that political life is not the best use of her talents.
Sarah Palin has no such sense of introspection. Nor, incidentally, has she been able to demonstrate a single one of the qualities listed above. Instead of a passion for public service, she's demonstrated a zeal for personal enrichment. Lofty policy ideals were shoved aside in favor of craven political pandering. Palin had no need for an understanding of government; while mayor of Wasilla she paid a city manager to understand government for her. And what about that experience issue?
Despite Marlowe's claims, Palin isn't all that different from your average elite woman - she didn't spend a lot of time in meetings talking about school bond issues and off ramps either. As governor, she spent the majority of her time being paid state per diem not to go to work, all while governing a state with a population smaller than that of Louisville, Kentucky. I'd tend toward the snide if Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson ran for president, and he's got twenty years experience. Yet I'm supposed to feel warm and fuzzy about Sarah Palin? Please.
But experience is just the tip of the elite anger iceberg. The real reason we elite women can't stand Sarah Palin can be found in her every snide wink and subtle innuendo. Every time she wrinkles her nose at East coast elites, every time she attempts to capitalize on financial worries to further divide this country along economic lines, every time she stages a rally where hate speech is not only tolerated but seemingly courted - those are the real reasons we can't stand Sarah Palin. Because Sarah Palin so clearly hates us. But not just us. Sarah Palin clearly can't stand the thought of an America that is truly a United States. And since a united America seems clearly to favor Obama, Sarah Palin seems content to see a divided America vote McCain.
A thousand thanks to Anthony for pointing this piece out to me (despite the uncomfortable spike to my blood pressure from reading it).
Marlowe comes to this conclusion about how elite women think by analyzing our angst-ridden cry, "If Sarah Palin is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, so am I!" Which, I suppose is all well and good. Or it would be. If she hadn't COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT. We elite women aren't upset because we feel we have every right to be in Palin's shoes. We're upset because we know we that we have no right to fill her shoes. Nor, for that matter, does she. Sarah Palin is no more qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presideny than your average elite woman, this one included. The best politicians combine a passion for public service and a set of lofty policy ideals with a willingness to compromise and an understanding of how government works by and for the people. They bring a wealth of leadership experience - political or otherwise - to bear on the issue of government. And, hopefully, they get things done. Your average elite woman (or is that an oxymoron, Ms. Marlowe?) may have some of these, but she doesn't have all. Knowing her strengths and weaknesses, she suspects that political life is not the best use of her talents.
Sarah Palin has no such sense of introspection. Nor, incidentally, has she been able to demonstrate a single one of the qualities listed above. Instead of a passion for public service, she's demonstrated a zeal for personal enrichment. Lofty policy ideals were shoved aside in favor of craven political pandering. Palin had no need for an understanding of government; while mayor of Wasilla she paid a city manager to understand government for her. And what about that experience issue?
Despite Marlowe's claims, Palin isn't all that different from your average elite woman - she didn't spend a lot of time in meetings talking about school bond issues and off ramps either. As governor, she spent the majority of her time being paid state per diem not to go to work, all while governing a state with a population smaller than that of Louisville, Kentucky. I'd tend toward the snide if Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson ran for president, and he's got twenty years experience. Yet I'm supposed to feel warm and fuzzy about Sarah Palin? Please.
But experience is just the tip of the elite anger iceberg. The real reason we elite women can't stand Sarah Palin can be found in her every snide wink and subtle innuendo. Every time she wrinkles her nose at East coast elites, every time she attempts to capitalize on financial worries to further divide this country along economic lines, every time she stages a rally where hate speech is not only tolerated but seemingly courted - those are the real reasons we can't stand Sarah Palin. Because Sarah Palin so clearly hates us. But not just us. Sarah Palin clearly can't stand the thought of an America that is truly a United States. And since a united America seems clearly to favor Obama, Sarah Palin seems content to see a divided America vote McCain.
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