I'm irritated as hell by the selection of this woman, and I can't quite figure out why.

[LittleClarkie]

Allow me to vent a bit, and please jump in to slap me down if I need it, or confirm my irritation.

I've been hearing all day about how she believes in God. I believe in God, but there are those, like this woman no doubt, who would consider me a second hand Christian because I don't believe everything they do. It seems like her Christianity is oddly on display. She sent out letters about her newest child, writing it as if she were God himself, esplaining how gifted and blessed they were by this special child. Even as a Christian, I find that weird. I don't know why exactly, but I do. Speaking for God seems sorta presumptuous, to say the least.

And using this newest child to show how very pro-life she is also bugs me for some reason. It shouldn't be any of my business how she wants to raise her family, but does it strike anyone else as odd that the mother of a special needs baby who talks about what a gift that child is and about the challenge of having such a child, and who belongs to a party that emphasizes family values, is running for a job that will likely not give her much time with this gift of a child?

I've heard it said that she's commented that this is the sort of child that others would probably abort. So her choice of having this child is used politically, and as a way to put down others who might make a different choice. How fair is that though, considering her resources. Would more women consider giving birth to a special needs child if they knew they had the resources and the support that this woman will likely have?

And as a Republican, I assume she'd be against funding the kind of social programs that would give struggling families who the support they would need to care for such a child.

I guess I also resent hearing how Christian she is, and how pro-life she is, and how her selection shows that the Republicans are so much more into breaking the glass ceiling that the Dems.

Shit man, I wasn't going to vote for Hillary based on her vagina, and I'm not voting for McCain just because his VP choice has one. I'm not voting for people's sex, I'm voting for the person.

Why all of this has me in such a mood I don't understand. I feel like crying.

Fuck.

[TwilightZone]

1. I can tell you why it irritates me - it's a complete mockery of our political system.

John McCain just selected the only member of a presidential party ticket EVER that is *less* experienced than the worst president in American history.

[vaberella]

7. It's more than that. He's trying to manipulate votes. And what's worse...

Palin is playing the role of the TROPHY candidate and loving it. She's accepted her role as nothing more than a gender power politics ploy toy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6808980

[Cosmocat]

24. ALL of it, and then some ... IRRESPONSIBLE

irresponsible as HECK ...

The average age of death for a man is 72. John McCain turned 72 today, when he put Palin on the ticket with him.

IF they end up somehow "winning" the election, she will be one heartbeat away from being POTUS.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, the most powerful person in the world, a person whose finger controls the largest nuclear arsonel on the planet, the most important person in relation pretty much all major matters on the planet.

BLINDLY driven by his ego.

[Jackeens]

18. The Republicans deserve credit today

As our economies crumble over here in Europe they've given us something to laugh about - a moose-burger munching gun-toting hockey Mom will take over the running of the US of A if McCain, who will be 80 if he makes it to the end of two terms, is incapacitated. Now, THAT'S funny. Thanks John.

[nancyr]

21. You said it.

It's an insult to the entire process. It sort of cheapens the whole thing.

[sandnsea]

2. It was a cynical political choice

Which is the antithesis of everything Obama spoke of last night. She is the poster child for everything we've been fighting the last 8 years. The hypocrisy, the ignorance, the selfishness, all of it. You bet she's damned annoying. But if we want to beat her, I still think we better focus on her neocon ideology and Bush cheerleading. Remember, she's one of the 20% who still thinks Bush is doing a good job.

[LittleClarkie]

9. They're going to hold her up as being this saint of a woman

everything they want: pro-life, a Christian who wears it on her sleeve, and seemingly conservative as hell. They're gleeful that we can't say anything about her inexperience because of the perceived inexperience of Obama. One would think that would cut both ways, but eh.

[vaberella]

3. I cried already. This pick insults my intelligence. You can read my post on the topic below.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6808980

[SmokingJacket]

4. I feel like the whole PUMA thing was a choreographed segue.

I'm in the same mood. I can't stand Palin. I don't care what sex she is.

[kestrel91316]

5. Because she is COMPLETELY unqualified and was picked

solely because she has a uterus and hates the others who have uteruses?

[Raine]

6. She's a joke and makes

Quayle look qualified.

[MadrasT]

8. It irritates me because it makes absolutely no sense

I can't get past the feeling that they are up to something really devious behind the scenes.

[LittleClarkie]

13. Conservative women on the radio this morning were bouncing up and own in their chairs

saying that NOW they were excited to vote for McCain. She seems to be winning with conservative women.

[spooky3]

23. and as I posted elsewhere I think THAT, not that she's a woman, is the

reason why he picked her.

He had dozens of Republican women he could have chosen.

He chose a fundie to whip up the RW fundie base into a frenzy.

[yardwork]

26. They weren't ever going to vote for Obama anyway.

They're so stupid all they care about is pro-life pro-life pro-life and they don't even fucking know what it means. They don't give a damn about Iraq or anything else.

[RagAss]

20. BINGO !!!!!

McNutbag '08

[Left Is Write]

10. Using her child as a political pawn is bad enough...

but the way it's being positioned also makes her sound like a self-aggrandizing holy anointed one chosen by God himself as being worthy of raising such a child.

It's a slap in the face to those who would, did, or would have to make the choice not to continue such a pregnancy, or those who are struggling to raise special needs children without the privileges Gov Palin has, or those who don't have the rosy view of the "challenges" of raising their children that Gov Palin does. (I'm not saying such parents don't love and value their children, but for some parents it will be much more difficult than it will be for Sarah Palin.)

[LittleClarkie]

15. That's it. And I've tried to vocalize that and ended up sounding petty in my own ears

Like nobody gets what I'm trying to say. I ended up going all red in the face and feeling stupid when Iw as talking to a freeper coworker. God I hate it when that guy wants to talk politics. He likes to launch zingers and then stand back with a big grin on his face like he just won. He refers to abortion clinics as death camps. That's how far to the right he is.

[CitizenPatriot]

11. i feel same way

i think it is the LIE of it all.

It's overwhelming. Many of my female friends are very enraged right now.

A woman who takes orders from her husband is being sold as breaking the glass ceiling. for doing what? getting aked to run as vp? geraldine f already did that. she is stealing the work of a real fighter like Hillary, who stood on her own 2 feet, and stood for policies she believed in (not as bills's puppet). So at the same time you are told this is a glass ceiling breaking moment, you find out this woman doesn't give a crap about women's issues. she doesn't represent anything we care about as dems. you wouldn't have voted for her either way. she has no experience. she is corrupt and already under investigation for bush like crimes. she is in bed with oil.

and you are supposed to congratulate the republcian party for breaking a glass ceiling? they didn't, first of all...and second, it is such a lie. she isn't a woman -- she is a republican puppet, like condi, like laura bush, like all of them.

Think back on last night, and relive the glory of that moment, if you can.

we mustn't let them run the day like this.

[LittleClarkie]

17. Ah, and Condi was black AND a woman.

They felt so smug about that one.

But the fact that they notice her color and her sex and think it matters is the antithesis of what they think they've accomplished with such a choice. I'm not voting for skin color or a vagina. I'm voting for a person.

[CitizenPatriot]

19. you said it.

a person. they treat women, black people, etc as TOKENS, not people.

it makes me so angry...

and yes, you nailed it with the smug comment. they are so damn ignorant and then smug to boot.

[childslibrarian]

12. Feel the pain

Yep, I feel like you do.

[CJCRANE]

14. The Dem convention was pitch perfect.

Four days of some of the most accomplished politicians and orators on display.

And then McCain/Palin appear and seem to have written their speeches on the back of an envelope.

[FLyellowdog]

16. I'm bothered as well.

After being on such a high last night,I suddenly felt really down today when McCain named Palin as VP choice. This is so phony. She should be ashamed of herself for being used in this manner. History has shown us that the republicans will do and say anything to win and at any cost. This choice clearly exploits females just for the perceived votes this woman may bring, and worse than that, it exploits a child's disabilities for nothing more than political purposes. What a low point in our country's election process.

[AlCzervik]

22. i know why i'm annoyed and it's just this simple, imo McCain's campaign thinks

thay can pass off Palin as a sustitute for HRC, Palin spoke directly to HRC's supporters this morning and Palin will never be Clinton.

[yardwork]

25. I'm irritated as hell and I know why!

1. Sarah Palin believes in killing wolves with machine guns from helicopters. She covered up scientific evidence that polar bears are endangered and lied about it. She poses on the bodies of dead animals. She "doesn't believe" in global warming and she's willing to lie about it to make sure that she keeps earning those donations from big Oil (who employ her husband by the way).

2. We women are supposed to fall all over ourselves rushing to vote for Sarah Palin because she's a woman. This is the most cynical selection since Clarence Thomas and the most pandering since Harriet Miers.

3. Sarah Palin has never run a major campaign in her life. She got the governorship of Alaska because the other guy was so corrupt anybody was a better choice. Before that she was mayor of a small town in a remote part of the most sparsely populated state in the union. And according to people who lived there, she trashed the place.

4. Despite her utter lack of credentials, Sarah Palin had the nerve to compare herself to Hillary Clinton today. After Clinton ran a grueling campaign for the nomination and almost won it, this nobody dares to say she'll go where Hillary failed? Because she got picked at the last minute to be a VP candidate? That's not just arrogant, that's stupid and arrogant.

5. Sarah Palin doesn't believe that women have the right to decide what's best for their own bodies, even if they've been raped by their fathers, but she's perfectly happy to have a large staff care for her own children, including her special-needs infant. And Sarah Palin will make sure that about half of the American public don't get the health care she and her children get for free.

6. P.S. Sarah Palin has a lousy record on gay rights, too.

What's not to be irritated about? Oh, and anybody who tells me "not to go there" about her personal life choices when she's ready to take all mine away can just kiss my lesbian ass. I'm talking to you, trolls.

[Raine]

31. GREAT points

you summed it up perfectly, I TOTALLY agree! :thumbsup:

[yardwork]

34. Let's get it out there!

[and-justice-for-all]

27. Knee jerk reaction to the DNC...nt

[Arkansas Granny]

28. It's like they're trying to do the old bait and switch routine and we aren't

supposed to notice that the model they are offering us has fewer features than the model we wanted to start with.

[dailykoff]

29. Well, she's every inch the trophy veep, in this case, a fundie trophy.

Maybe that's what's so irritating, because you know she's as easy for the neocons to manipulate as play-doh.

[noel711]

30. C'mon over for a hug... and a drink..

I'm totally with you.. but my crying was worn out after that convention.

This is a slap in the face of all women,
of all feminists,
but most especially, in the face of Hillary Clinton.
If I were her, I'd be enraged.

That the desperate repubiklans would embarrass themselves,
and our country during this critical time.
To put the name of a know-nothing in the arena is shameful.

To play the card that says: "She has more experience than Obama.."
is almost a crime.

But this is especially humiliating to all of us who are true feminists,
those of us who want to move into the future,
and those of us who are trying desperately the heal the rift in the party.

They are either stupid and heartless (because they are using Palin,
and however this transpires, it will paint women badly)..
or their are heartless and brilliant.

But there's no good end to this.

[LittleClarkie]

32. Thanks, to you and to everyone in the thread

I feel better now, and not so alone. Living in Freeperville will do that to a person.

[leftyclimber]

33. Because it was so transparent it hurt.

Republicans think that women vote for candidates based on what's between their legs, not what's between their ears.

This whole thing is giving me a raging headache. I don't know what I'm going to do if those evil people get elected.

[liberaldem4ever]

35. It shows her to be a absolute phony

I believe in God too, but I've never thought he was talking to me and telling me to advise the masses to do what I say. I call that delusions of grandeur.

And God bless her special needs child, but if someone ELSE who feels like they are not capable of raising a child properly who is maybe very severely disabled than hers, who is she to tell them that they have no choice in whether or not they keep that child and raise it for the rest of their lives. To me, that is so very wrong. We have freedoms in this country, no thanks to people like Palin.

I was so very happy and thrilled after Obama's speech last night, and today just feels like something terrible happened. I cannot stand the thought of someone who stands for everything I despise becoming VP.

She bothers me personally a lot more than the other VP choices, for some reason. Maybe one thing is because of the wolves and Polar bears. God, I despise Sarah Palin. Sorry for the rant-I am so pissed off and grossed out at the same time.

[LittleClarkie]

36. I ranted. It feels good to watch someone else do it.

Fundies make my teeth itch.