Marlo Thomas | 08/29/2008 3:54 pm

Marlo Thomas: They Don't Understand Women

I am aghast at the cynicism of this choice. As if Hillary’s voters will go for any woman. Hillary’s constituency (myself being one of them who has now moved to Obama) is not going to vote for a woman who is against choice, against stem cell research and thinks creationism should be taught in schools. They may have chosen a woman but they don’t understand women.

Read more about: John McCain, News, Politics, Sarah Palin

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Gee Frenchy Can’t you get anymore negative adjectives in those 3 sentences? You are amazing.

By Frannie Em on 08/31/2008 4:00 pm

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Suzanne, I just ran across this in Media Matters and don’t know where to plant it, but I’m sure the wow readers and the ladies above would like to discuss this: http://mediamatters.org/items/200809040008?lid=572228&rid=13850893 Have you ever heard of this clown??

By Diana T on 09/05/2008 12:08 am

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I have no problem with McCain selecting a woman, purely from a strategic standpoint of balancing the ticket. But, if it was to lure Hillary supporters, it’s contemptible.

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 3:59 pm

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I have a problem with it James. Sure strategy is always a PART of the VP choice, but never should be the entire reason for the pick. Whether the strategy here is to get women’s votes or to get the right wing fundamentalist vote (which is really what he’s getting here), to choose someone who is not qualified to take over if McCain can’t finish out his term is not only cynical it shows a selfish lack of concern for the well being of this country. If he wanted to pander, could he not have found an anti-choice woman candidate who at least had some background that would make us feel she could take over if need be? Apparently the woman pool of the GOP is quite slim.

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 4:13 pm

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DeB’, if McCain was indeed pandering to Hillary supporters by picking Palin, then I agree. But if he simply wanted a conservative running mate, then I don’t take issue with that from a strategy standpoint. However, it certainly does look like pandering on the surface, doesn’t it? And, like I said, if that’s the case, then it’s a backhanded slap at the intelligence of Hillary supporters everywhere. I don’t know what Palin’s qualifications are beyond dog-sledding (sorry for the cheap shot, couldn’t resist), but it was a very strange pick. I’m sure a lot of Republicans are dumb-founded by it. Mitt Romney had the business acumen to balance McCain’s admitted lack of economic knowledge, in a time when the economy/fuel prices is the number-one concern in America. It just makes McCain look like an extension of the Two-Bush administration, rather than positioning him more toward the center of the political scale.

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 4:26 pm

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If McCain was not merely pandering then he would have chosen a VP with better credentials who could pull in the ultra-conservatives. He had better choices than this, but they weren’t women. McCain has surrounded himself with neocons, lobbyists, Rove and now an unqualified window dressing to pander to women and the ultra-conservatives. It shows him for what he really is. Sad way for the guy to go out.

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 5:03 pm

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For a while, McCain painted himself as almost a centrist, but lately he’s been really try to draw the conservative vote, and the Palin pick just confirms that. From a strategy standpoint, if McCain wanted to select a woman running mate, he would’ve been better served tabbing a woman with moderate views and more experience. There’s little chance many Hillary Clinton supporters will cross over and vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, because it’s too far to the right. Picking a woman would’ve been viewed as an insulting swipe at the intelligence of Hillary backers regardless, but this choice of Palin was over the top. McCain can kiss the moderate vote goodbye now, and end the charade.

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 5:16 pm

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I agree. For every right wing conservative vote he gets with this he will lose any moderate Republican who was hanging on to the hope that McCain wasn’t as conservative as his voting record and stated views these past 4 years indicate. Same for the Independents.

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 5:38 pm

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DeB’…that’s the key mistake right there…losing the independent and undecided voters by tipping the ticket way too far to the right. This will cost McCain the election, in all likelihood. Moderate voters outnumber conservatives, and conservatives were largely already on board with McCain before his selection of Palin as his sidekick. McCain needed to appease moderates to win the election.

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 5:51 pm

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check out dailykos.com and their opinion of the pick

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 5:58 pm

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Yeah, DeB’, even the Republicans’ big names don’t know her: “No one knows anything about her,” complained one GOP strategist, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified. “I don’t know anyone who has even met her.”

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 6:10 pm

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The weekly Democratic radio address, with Hillary this weekend: http://multimedia.boston.com/pub/m/20798664/democratic_radio_address_8_3…

By James the Game on 08/31/2008 3:07 am

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It’s total condescension.

By Linda LL on 08/29/2008 4:43 pm

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Pride cometh before the fall - literally.

By James the Game on 08/29/2008 4:52 pm

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I agree that this pick is insulting to women. And Palin’s speech today, trotting out the legacies of Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton not only insults both women, but also is rather funny considering both women are Progressive Democrats who are endorsing Obama.

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 4:10 pm