Just because she's a woman, doesn't mean...

You're probably becoming overwhelmed with politics at this point - even those of us who are slightly obsessed are starting to look a little weary. On the NBC newscast tonight, Brian Williams said "And there is other news tonight, besides politics..." The political season is gearing up and it's only going to get more intense from here!

This political season reminds me of the semester my roommates and I watched a soap opera in college. We watched every day, because it seemed like so much was happening and we would miss something if we stopped paying attention - even for a minute. Yet, about six weeks in, we started to realize that not much had actually happened in terms of a story line. Everyday in this election seems like so much is happening, but in reality, how much as really happened?

There was one breakthrough last week - the nomination of Sarah Palin as the Republican candidate for Vice President. After going through stages of shock, disbelief, and finally anger, it has taken me the week since the announcement to really get my head around this nomination.

First, do the Repubs really think that Palin is going to bring in disgruntled Hillary voters? As a Hillary Supporter / Obama Voter, I will acknowledge that there are many women and men upset that Hillary was not the nominee, and with good reason. That being said, I think those that are siding with McCain to make themselves feel better are much fewer than the media would have you believe. Also - do the Repubs really think women are that stupid? This just keeps coming up... from Samantha Bee on the Daily Show, to Ben Smith at TAPPED. Just because Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton share a chromosome does not mean that their policies are similar, their achievements are anywhere close to similar, or that women are stupid enough to fall for this condescending choice.

And what about Sarah Palin's policies? ABC News reported on Palin's speech with a story you might expect to see on the Daily Show - blasting Palin for all of the inaccuracies in her acceptance speech. Sarah Palin was the governor of a state with a smaller population than Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the mayor of a small town in Alaska, where she tried to ban books at the library. She was against the Bridge to Nowhere - after she found out that Alaska would have to foot some of the bill. And where did the earmarked money for the Bridge go after the plans fell apart? Into Alaska's pocket. Palin used a line-item veto to decrease funding for a home for teenage mothers in Alaska just last year - teen pregnancy is ok if it's her daughter, but if you aren't as well off as the Palins, tough luck.

Sarah Palin is not a woman's choice for Vice President, and certainly not this woman's choice for VP. Sure, having a female Vice President would make history, and I absolutely support women rising in politics, regardless of their party. A woman in the White House would be great... but not a woman who hasn't done anything to deserve being there!