Dear Editor,
Any public speaker would envy Sarah Palin’s oratory skills, and yes, she’s gutsy and strong, but that’s as far as it goes…
The gnashing of modern sensibilities that came out of her mouth in her vice presidential acceptance speech destroyed any possibility of McCain/Palin gaining the modern feminist women’s vote. Here’s why:
Anti-choice (even for rape and incest / supports abstinence-only contraception policies)
Anti-environment (skeptical of human responsibility for global warming / wanted to take polar bears off endangered species list)
Education (opposed funding for state preschool program in Alaska / supports creationism in schools)
Fiscal “conservatism” (in 2003, as outgoing Mayor, saddled Wasilla, AK, pop. 7,084, with $19 million in long-term debt)
Flip-flopping (supported “Bridge to Nowhere” and called that term offensive to Alaskans / then, on the national level, retracted support and used the term when it was politically advantageous to do so)
Not gay-friendly (despite Republican protestations, vetoing a bill non-supportive of gay rights is not being gay-friendly when the only reason for not signing it is that it would be in direct violation of the Alaska Supreme Court)
Supported censorship in the Wasilla library (responded to some constituents’ requests to have certain books removed, but the city librarian refused, and Palin sought her firing for lacking “full support” of the mayor)
This 12/29/06 article from the Anchorage Daily News gives an account of her not-so-gay friendly position, http://dwb.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/8525563p-8419318c.html.
This 10/23/06 article from the Anchorage Daily News gives insight into how the locals perceive Sarah Palin, and it’s not always favorable, http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/story/8334949p-8231037c.html.
This 9/2/08 article in Time magazine gives explanation of the library incident and Palin’s “rough record”, http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html.
I do not underestimate “Sarah Barracuda” (her nickname from high school basketball) and neither should anyone else. This campaign will be hard-fought and hard-won (by the Democrats, I hope!). That’s my reasoning for informing the electorate of some of the policy positions that Palin would not present in her speeches, the ones that present her in an unflattering, opportunistic and ruthless way. Beware the barracuda!!!
Sincerely,
Michele M. Dupey
Former President
Hudson County NOW
Student, Rutgers University
Master in Library &Information Science