Monday 6 July 2009

Pro-Palin feminists?

The US blogosphere is a marvelous, bizarre and iconoclastic place.

While wandering around, I found a blogsite that I would have embraced to my bosom on the strength of this awesome Blogging for Choice post.

Unfortunately, that was not the first post that I read at Reclusive Leftist; the one that took me there was Feminists and the mystery of Sarah Palin.

And ... well, it's more than a mystery to me as to why this blogger is so blindly enamoured of Palin. It appears to be some form of post-traumatic syndrome. Reclusive Leftist was a staunch supporter of Hilary Clinton for President and when the latter lost the nomination for the US presidential campaign, the former lost part of her ability for rational thinking.

Sarah Palin appeared to her as though the Governor had descended from heaven pure, powerful and perfect in her potential to rally her feminist followers. Uh, what?

Think back to the reactions to Sarah Palin’s speech at the convention. Remember the gal at Jezebel whose head throbbed with hate blood as she listened to Palin speak? ... What the hell is that? I cannot figure it out. I look and look, and it’s like trying to see someone else’s hallucination. No matter how hard I squint, I can’t see whatever it is they’re looking at. What is so horrifying?

My own reaction to Palin’s convention speech was the polar opposite. I can honestly say that, aside from Nixon’s resignation speech, Sarah Palin’s address at the convention is the only Republican speech I have ever enjoyed. Or even been much interested in. I don’t agree with Republicans on politics — not by a long shot — but as a person, I found Palin charming in a Harry Truman, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Erin Brockovich kind of way. How could you not? Especially after the goons had spent the previous weekend in a misogyny fest of lurid speculation and grotesque sexual insults about her and her family. I was proud of her for her courage, as well as for her personal accomplishments as a working-class regular person who went into politics and succeeded.

Yes, I was gob-smacked. There's also a lot of rightwing Republican-style unvarnished Obama-hate going on there and I have no idea whether that developed as an antidote for the drubbing his supporters gave Hilary.

So I left a comment. It hasn't been approved and posted yet and many others have. Just in case it never shows up, here it is. I tried to make it humorous, playing up one aspect of Reclusive Leftist that seems a tad touchy.

So, how would you explain those non-heterosexual (I wasn't sure if the L-word is allowed in the comments) feminists who are suspicious about Palin?

1) They're certainly not trying to please their men or "currying" to their guys.

2) Most have not had abortions to regret; those who do have children wouldn't certainly begrudge her fertility or the handiness of a sperm donor.

3) Those who wear lipstick, regardless of whether they're pit bulls or not, would feel kinship with her. And those who don't might think she's hot.

4) They might get a little queasy about the evangelical christian stuff. Unless they're celibate, and then it's a moot point.

5) They probably like her tomboyishness and interest in sports.

6) They might wonder whether her acceptance of homosexuality is limited to her one closest gay friend or extends to all.

7) The rape kit. Now that could give them pause.

While some might assume that non-heterosexual women are less likely to be sexually assaulted, in fact there are men who think that forcibly subjecting (L-word) women to sexual acts is great sport.

To my knowledge, this has not been debunked.

Reclusive Leftist provides a link to a Slate item that goes into an arcane discussion about insurance coverage that seems to imply that it wasn't Sarah's fault that the rape kit had to be billed to victims, the insurance companies were somehow to blame. It doesn't address the issue at the state level, though it may have simply been yet another thing that Palin micro-managed incompentently and let fall between the cracks.

I also told Reclusive Leftist that in my opinion Palin had the worst traits of Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney combined, and that it was unacceptable that she should be above scrutiny or criticism because she was a woman.

8 comments:

Dr. Prole said...

Well I learned something today. I guess that because I don't support the uterus as opposed to the best mind for the job, I'm not a feminist! Oh plus I'm an elitist (even though I make next to no money, rent my home, have a 13yr old car, and have only 2 years of college). The fact that I think Sarah Palin is not very smart (hardworking, shrewd and manipulative, yes) and having her anywhere near the F'ING PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA would have been an unmitigated disaster means I'm not a feminist, either. Because she left the town she was mayor of in millions of dollars in debt and still the meth capital of Alaska while not finishing her elected term, and while she was governor of the state people were having to decide between heating oil and food last winter, because she LIED about her energy plan and expertise, and oh yah now she hasn't even the guts to finish her elected term as governor, I'm a jealous misogynist. That she would have made the US a complete laughing stock in the foreign policy department apparently means nothing. For chrissake the woman can't even speak in complete, coherent sentences. Because I want a leader who does makes me some kind of Ivy League aristocratic woman hater? Because I support the party whose base isn't a bunch of fringe lunatic violent headcases, that makes me....something. I don't know. But apparently not a feminist! That I was offended at her using her good looks with all that winky, flirty crap to gain support, guess what, not a feminist! Because Palin would appoint a Supreme Court justice who is just as regressive as she is in religion and policy apparently doesn't mean shit, as long as you support the sisterhood!

What a bunch of academic fucking bullshit. Count me out of feminism if it means support the pussy at all costs instead of the brain. Seriously.

godoggo said...

Thank you. I happened upon that post via memeorandum yesterday, and found this one in google. You seem to be about the only person to have commented on it who was not an approving right-winger. An earlier post on the same subject had the comments overflowing with the vows of "feminists" to vote McCain. Creepy as hell.

Mandos said...

Ah yes! You've met my old friend Dr. Socks. Suffice it to say that she was once upon a time, quite sane, and still sometimes she has moments of lucidity. But something that happened even before the primary campaign threw her for a loop, caused her to kick out her entire previous commentariat (yours truly included), and when the primaries swung around she was full on weird. Oh, well.

I'd be surprised if she publishes your comment especially if she knows you're associated in any way with teh Supreme High Avatar of the Patriarchy (myself).

deBeauxOs said...

Well Mandos, if Dr Socks is as weird as her girl-crush Sarah, she'll probably turn pro as well.

Thank you Hunter Thompson for your gonzo legacy. Serious weirdness is so much more entertaining when viewed through the lens you've left us.

Mandos said...

Oh, it looks like she's going to post some choice comments from that long thread in their own xtra-speshul threads. This might be interesting...

deBeauxOs said...

Yes, I saw one today. The "choice" comments will no doubt be selected according to their affinity with Reluctant Leftist's views.

Gunner Sykes said...

I doubt you will publish this, but comparing the level of rhetoric on this site with the level of rhetoric on Dr. Socks' site is like comparing Dick and Jane to War and Peace.

Eeeewwww Dr. Socks is icky!!

Nothing more fun than observing unintentional self-parody.

deBeauxOs said...

And you're the one doing the comparing, I noticed.

Somehow I doubt that you've actually read War and Peace, but it's a nice rhetorical touch.

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