Quote of the Day (September 26, 2010)

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Rusty Weiss at NewsBusters:

"Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals have been debuting their new show in short clips on the Versus network... the Versus website is promoting a video clip in which the NFL stars are asked, 'Would you rather see Sarah Palin in the White House or in Playboy?'... Bear in mind that this isn't just boorish conversation amongst a locker room full of 'the guys', it's a television interview asking if a prominent female politician is Playboy material. Fortunately, the Bengals will be taking part in an upcoming league-wide training program on proper conduct in the workplace. Of course, the Bengals and 'proper conduct' have never really been synonymous."

- JP

Anna Belle Pfau: Christine O’Donnell & Today’s Delaware Primary

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What members of Christine O'Donnell's own political party have been doing to smear her in the Delaware GOP primary for the U.S. Senate is nothing new. It's the same old sexism that we've seen in attacks on Sarah Palin, argues Anna Belle Pfau at The New Agenda:

Delaware has never elected a female senator. The state is among seven of the original thirteen states that have never been represented in the Senate by a woman. Delaware may get its first real shot at correcting this oversight should polls bear out in the primary between Christine O’Donnell and Mike Castle today. O’Donnell, the Tea Party favorite, is slated to beat Republican party favorite and 30-year office-holder, Mike Castle. O’Donnell is among a slew of Republican candidates endorsed by Sarah Palin this election season, and Palin’s recent endorsement has breathed life into what was once thought to be a predictable race among Republicans in a traditionally blue state. The seat was once was held by Vice President Joe Biden.

O’Donnell and Castle have been at the center of a nasty campaign that has grown increasingly sexist in recent weeks. I started paying attention to this race a couple of weeks ago after I saw some fishy rhetoric being thrown around in an online spat between Mark Levin and Jim Geraghty...

[...]

Right after that Sarah Palin endorsed O’Donnell, and I knew the sexist rhetoric would ratchet up. It was only a matter of time...

[...]

O’Donnell is portrayed as crazy, greedy, and disloyal. These act as dog whistles to the profoundly, if latently, sexist culture so common in the mid-Atlantic and New England. It’s a slightly different kind of sexism than exists in the South, Midwest and Western states (in case anyone thought I was picking on the East Coast).

O’Donnell has also been excoriated for being unemployed and poor, and for losing her house. And yet, given the economy and the demographics of her time and place, these are unsurprising facts. Many people have lost homes; many people, especially women, are poor or have trouble climbing the ladder of success with so many barriers in their paths. She has occasionally misspoken on the campaign trail, which has been used to paint her as a liar and thus unreliable. Many of us remember some of these same tactics being used against Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin in 2008.

[...]

I’m not a Delaware voter, and I don’t agree with some of O’Donnell’s politics, but I do defend her right to take a chance getting elected without being targeted because of her gender.

O’Donnell’s candidacy has seen a 17 point surge in support over the last month, with over 60% of Delaware’s registered Republicans supporting her. She may very well win today, and that may carry with it an important lesson in and of itself. Perhaps we can’t eradicate sexism right now, today, but we may be able to find strategies to win in spite of the presence of sexism in the media and on the campaign trail. As Sarah Palin has demonstrated so well this election season, working together and supporting women is one way to do that.

Read this opinion piece in its entirety here.

- JP

Shades of SC: Sexism rears its ugly head in GA GOP governor race

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Evidently there wasn't enough sexism to go around in the South Carolina GOP race for governor, so now it's rearing its ugly head in the same contest in neighboring Georgia. Craig Howie reports at Top of the Ticket:

You’ve doubtless heard of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." But a storm surrounding the use of the phrase “real women” has roiled the GOP gubernatorial race in Georgia ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Karen Handel, who this week saw her stock – and her poll numbers – soar with an endorsement from Sarah Palin, has handbagged one of her rivals, Nathan Deal, with accusations of sexism related to his campaign slogan.

The unlikely saga began when Deal, who uses the slogan “Deal. Real.” in almost all his campaign literature, wrote that “real women” support his campaign. As opposed to, say, Handel and a certain Mama Grizzly.

Of course, “real” is a pejorative term at the best of times and takes on a whole new meaning when applied to women in general (or indeed housewives).

[...]

Palin, endorsing the only woman in either party’s primary field, noted that Handel was “pro-life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude and a record for fighting for ethics in government.”

Handel replayed her endorsement from the former governor of Alaska on more than 300,000 robocalls placed to likely voters, which likely resulted in her reversing polling positions with Oxendine, the previous front-runner. Handel also has secured the endorsement of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

[...]

President Obama faced charges of sexism in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election with his now infamous “lipstick on a pig” comment that many considered a jibe at Palin, John McCain’s running mate. That sexism charge failed to be a game changer for the McCain campaign, but this one could yet gain traction.

For real.

Read Howie's unedited post at Top of the Ticket.

- JP

Cubachi: Palin, sexism, and “mama grizzlies

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A debate on Twitter over the significance of Sarah Palin’s “Mama Grizzlies” ad inspired a Cubachi blog post titled “Palin, sexism, and “mama grizzlies.” Here are some excerpts:

For me, the ad was indicative that Palin is interested in running for president. Second, I thought what Palin tried to convey in that ad is that all women, young and old, white or black, rich or poor, are the future of politics in America. She personally knows, as a female, that the women’s movement is not about liberal policies and abortion. It is about women getting a fair shake and independence, while caring for their children and their country.

Let’s think about this for a moment. The democrat party has taken the women’s vote for granted. They expect women to side with them and vote democrat down the line. For the most part, the majority of women have voted for democrats. But are the democrats really for independent women or are they for dependent constituencies? I think with this last election, women are realizing that the democrat party is not ideal.

Independent women feel that they have been disenfranchised by both parties.

[...]

Instead of concentrating on winning elections and defeating the left, we have some people in the GOP, either in the establishment republican media or inside the beltway “endorse” Palin to be an RNC chair because she is “not well versed in policy.” Her only attributes are to bring excitement to the GOP and raise money. Basically clerical work. Now isn’t that sexist? Way to cajole women to the party, republicans.

[...]

I know I’ve heard that Mitt knows how to raise money and support candidates ideal for Washington. Well if he is such a genius, why is it that no one in the establishment GOP called for him to be RNC Chair? Because he’s not as great as described perhaps? Or is it because Palin is a threat to his candidacy? I say yes to both...

Read the rest of Jennifer's post here.

- JP

"Don Juan" Williams: Palin only successful because she's attractive

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Misogynist liberal "Don Juan" Williams, in an appearance on "Hannity," claimed that Sarah Palin is only successful because og her good looks. Lachlan Markay got the catch for NewsBusters:

Liberals who simply cannot understand why Sarah Palin is so popular often attribute her success to her looks. The excuse conveniently allows them to sidestep any discussion of the issues she raises, and allows them to maintain a feeling of intellectual superiority to Palin and her supporters.

Fox News contributor Juan Williams, also a reporter for NPR and the Washington Post, was at a complete loss when Sean Hannity told him last night that he would rather Palin be president than Barack Obama. "Your libido is getting in the way of your thinking," Williams told Hannity.

Hannity and another guest, S.E. Cupp, noted the utter sexism in Williams' remarks. But don't expect to see a press release from the National Organization for Women or any other feminist group. Palin doesn't serve the liberal agenda, so she's fair game for claims that she'd be nowhere without her looks.

[...]

Her appeal to the American people infuriates the left, and they need some way of dismissing her without addressing the issues.

Juan, you sexist ol' dawg!

- JP

A former liberal on the sexist attacks on Sarah Palin

Excerpts from a Robin of Berkeley op-ed at American Thinker:

Like most feminists, it was a no brainer to become a Democrat. Liberal men, not conservatives, were the ones devoted to women's issues. They marched at my side in support of abortion rights. They were enthusiastic about women succeeding in the workplace.

As time went on, I had many experiences that should have made me rethink my certainty.

[...]

What finally woke me up were the utterances of bitch, witch, and monster toward Hillary Clinton and her supporters early last year. I was shocked into reality: the trash talk wasn't coming from conservatives but from male and female liberals.

I finally beheld what my eyes had refused to see: that leftists are Mr. and Ms. Misogyny. Both the males and the females don't care a whit about women.

[...]

Then along came Sarah, and the attacks became particularly heinous. And I realized something even more chilling about the Left. Leftists not only sacrifice and disrespect women.

It's far worse than that: many are perpetrators.

The Left's behavior towards Palin is not politics as usual. By their laser focus on her body and her sexuality, leftists are defiling her.

They are wilding her. And they do this with the full knowledge and complicity of the White House.

We've seen lost of instances ourselves. Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman snickering as the former likened Sarah Palin to a mail-order bride. The Newsweek cover and even worse inside that issue of the magazine. David Frum. Andrew Sullivan. Letterman. Bernhard. Maher. And these are just a few examples. There is much more of it. And it gets even worse on scores of look-alike nutroots blogs run by radical leftists.

These lowlifes must be held accountable. They've been getting away with it for far too long.

Before the link to Robin's full opinion piece, please be advised that it is raw and not family-friendly. But it should be read by every warrior in Sarah's army. Know the enemies, even if that knowledge churns your stomach. Such knowledge is essential to defeating them.

The full article is here.

- JP

Quote of the Day (October 20, 2009)

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Suzanne Terrell:

"I am neither a Sarah Palin apologist, nor a defender, but the fact this woman rose from Mayor of a small town to Governor of her state in less than a decade and against a well-connected political machine, speaks volumes of her political wits. But, wait — I just remembered — those smarts are discounted because of her looks and child bearing abilities."

- JP

Quote of the Day (August 3, 2009)

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Democrat strategist Kirsten Powers:

"I'm no fan of the former governor of Alaska, but as a life-long feminist I can't ignore the endless stream of sexism directed at her... In reality, being a 'hot' female politician is more likely to result in accusations that you're a bimbo than public acceptance. If Palin didn't have other qualities -- like charisma and an ability to connect with the average American -- she'd never have risen as far as she has."

- JP

Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 6

This is the sixth in a series in which TX4P recommends some of the best writing which chronicles the liberation of Sarah Palin from the ball and chain of the Alaska governors office to her new role as a leading American conservative coalition builder.

Amy Siskind is a 42-year-old mother of two from Westchester, NY. Like many others who supported Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, she believes that sexism in her party cost Clinton, to whom they remain fiercely loyal, the nomination. In August of last year, she co-founded The New Agenda, a non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing about systemic change in our society's institutions. She has often spoken out in defense of Gov. Sarah Palin, as she does here in her latest Daily Beast column, "Sit Down and Shut Up":

If a woman gets too much power, she becomes a threat and she must either be silenced, discredited or simply disappear.

[...]

So is it any surprise that a brave woman from Alaska might decide to take a road less traveled? Why not? The fraternity of leadership couldn't quite get her to be silent or disappear, so it tried the next best thing: discredit her. Better yet, while discrediting her, let's go after her children—that will work like a charm.

But Sarah Palin, perhaps unwittingly, found a way to short circuit this whole diminution and demolition process. She decided that she didn't want to be in the fraternity after all. She would rather charter her own sorority and set up her own rules.

Robin of Berkeley is a self-described "recovering liberal" in Berkeley who crossed over from the dark side to the light. She is a regular contributor at American Thinker, where her latest is titled "Sarah Palin vs. the Marquis de Sade":

Let's call them by their true name. When an actress calls for gang raping Palin, she's a sadist. When people torch Palin's church with children inside, they are sadists. When bloggers call her a c___t and scorn her disabled son, they are being sadists.

[...]

A society gone mad, a "return to the primitive," as Ayn Rand described it forty years ago when she witnessed the growing power of the Left. Adults who have the impulse control of two year olds marching around, unhinged and uncontrolled, like Lord of the Flies. Teens beating up each other and teachers and uploading the video on YouTube.

Good people like Palin and Carrie Prejean being victimized in a manner so malicious that the intent is nothing short of destroying them. And the Powers that Be which could stop the growing brutality at any time by calling off the dogs, calling for order, won't do so because it serves their needs. After all, it's what Saul Alinsky preached: control the masses by keeping them agitated and paranoid.

Clearly Nebulous is the name of the next author's blog, and since we don't know her, we assume it's also the internet handle of this married mother of seven who took up blogging to "find a little lucidity." She seems crystal clear in "The Only Big Loser in Palin Resignation":

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post had an op-ed back in May of 2008 that discussed a study of why so few women run for office in America. The main reason seemed to be that women recoiled from "dirty politics" and were reluctant to jump into the ring.

So what do Marcus and her ilk proceed to do? Attempt to tear down Sarah Palin every chance they got.

[...]

Thanks to the incessant attacks of the Democratic party, the media, the late-night comics, and the liberals in LA-LA Land, the governing bodies of this nation may continue to have a dearth of the contributions that women could be making to the hallowed halls of our legislatures. And the vicious lefties will have no one to blame but themselves.

But not if Sarah Palin, myself, and every other brave female soul out there have our say... despite them all.

This next post, while not directly related to Gov. Palin's resignation, was one we couldn't leave out of this collection of writings by the ladies.

Darleen Click blogs at her own Darleen's Place and also contributes at Protein Wisdom, where we found "Woman professor arrested for child endangerment: BLAME PALIN!!":

Bridget Kevan got... arrested for dropping her kids and friends (two 12 y/os, and an 8, 7 and 3 y/o) at the mall and returned to her home for a rest... But none of the above will quite prepare you for Judith Warner’s diatribe in blaming Professor Kevan’s plight on Sarah Palin... The real Palin is everything Judith should applaud save for one thing — she’s a conservative... While Judith was pounding out another blog post for her NYTimes Friday deadline, Sarah was running a state.

Judith would have you believe that using the word "elite" in a disparaging tone is synonymous with being anti-education.

Judith has a lot to learn.

Other posts in this series:

Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 1
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 2
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 3
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 4
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 5

- JP

Sarah Palin Calls for Uprising against Creepy Dave

From ABC News:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called on the public to rise up in opposition over David Letterman's "degrading" jokes about her daughter this week. In a Friday morning television interview on NBC's "Today" show, Gov. Palin said the late-night comedian's remarks are a "sad commentary on where we are as a culture, as a society, to chuckle and laugh through comments such as he had made the other night, I think is quite unfortunate."

That uprising was well underway even before the governor called for it. On the web, sites such as Hillbuzz, Conservatives for Palin, RedState.com, FRee Republic and Texas for Sarah Palin calls had being going out to contact Creepy Dave's sponsors, boycott their goods and services and take a stand for sisters, daughters, neices and graddaughters against the kind of abuse of young girls shamelessly exhibited by David Lecherman and his ilk. The goal is to force the CBS late night talk host to apologize, as the governor said:

"He doesn't have to apologize to me. I would like to see him apologize to young women across the country for contributing to that thread that is throughout our culture that makes it sound like it's ok to talk about young girls that way."

- JP