Gloria Steinem says Gov. Palin is the wrong woman for the job

Every now and then a story appears that we know will generate a lot of comments. Little did we think that it would be today in the wake of Gov. Sarah Palin's big speech in Minnesota. Actually, yes, we did think that there would be a huge variety of opinions. But who would have thought that Gloria Steinem would be so against the first woman (possibly) in the executive branch?

From Ms. Steinem's piece in today's opinion section:

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.

Feel free to read the whole piece, and if you'd like to chime in with your opinion, use the comments below.

Earlier comments were posted on this message board. While the message board is now closed, we encourage you to read the comments and weigh in here at good old Comments Blog. Thanks!

-- Tony Pierce

Photos: Associated Press

Comments

[Dan]

Steinem thinks her opinions represent most women. Why does this assumption pervert everything we read or hear about women? It is simply not true. It has been proven in numerous polls but since it is not what the media wants to present, it is covered up by the mantra of lies.

[Glenn]

Funny how these libs always want change until its their 40-year Washington insider against one of our outsiders. They're all about change, only when it's convenient and involves a guy by the name of Marx.

[BN]

America's body-politic: 1/3 are right wing and anti-progressive in their ideas (irrespective of race and gender or party), 1/3 are politically oblivious, easy to ignore or to manipulate, and less than 1/3 enjoy some understanding of our politics, history, track record, global role and the massive stakes. Less than half of that enjoy the degree of understanding that would make America great. Look at the NYT map of red and blue states if you disagree. In this ratio, half are women. Whether they see themselves as Clintonites, Palinites, Steinemites, right or left, the ratio applies to them as much as to the men. Republicans are only exploiting the cheap identity politics Americans have learned in which you support a woman, a black, a Jew, a Texan simply because of shared race and gender or geography, not because of genuinely shared values/visions. Palin can masquerade as a "feminist" because Americans still don't know or care for that term. Palin is a product of our failure as a nation (and feminists) to really get beyond identity politics and actually stand for something meaningful to our fraught future. How I wish we deserved Obama instead.

[Kate]

What a bunch of dribble....

[RogerCfromSD]

Steinem's relevance, if she ever had any, is long past over. She has just undercut anything she ever stood for.

With this anti-Palin opinion piece, she reveals her supreme hypocrisy: only LIBERAL women who are accomplished mothers are to be celebrated.

Steinem denigrates all others. ESPECIALLY, Conservative women.

Who's the real sexist, now?

[pacificaharry]

So let me get this straight, in order to further the cause of "women", you have to think a certain way? Is that really furthering the cause of females across the board? What about women who think like Palin, and not SteinHAM? They don't count? Also, like most libs, SteinHAM confuses personal policy and governmental policy. The question is, do you want govt to make policies based on ones personal beliefs or based on whats good for the nation as a whole? I am pro choice, but that doesn't make me automatically believe the govt should be in the business of financing abortions. I support stem cell research, but that doesn't mean I think the $2 Billion Calif stem cell boondoggle was a good idea. You see, people on the left, feel the govt there is to advocate and legislate their position, which is why they see someone like Palin who differs from them and they think - OMG, we cant let this women in the White House. Yet, why does she have an 80% approval rate in her own state? Are they just a bunch of bible thumping morons (of coarse leftiests would say yes)? SteinHAM and her liberal feminists are a one trick pony, instead of praising a woman (who they may disagree with on some policies) who didn't use her husband or aristocratic family to make it to the top, they put her down because she has differing ideas? Wouldn't it be wiser and healthier for feamles to have a diversity (favorite word for liberals when it comes to quotas they agree with) of opinion, rather then a monolithic one like the world inhabited by SteinHAM?

[Mrla]

I am not sure why Gloria chooses to dislike a woman just because of her party affiliation, especially after the way the democrats treated Hillary. Gloria, it's not the sixties anymore, to vent against the system only limits your choices and options. Step back from your knee jerk reactions and take a fair look at this woman and what she has accomplished once more, she is a most impressive candidate.

[Elian Libby]

It is remarkable that Gloria would compare completely non-related issues in the same sentence as if they were directly linked. Kinda schizophrenic if you ask me.

“[Sarah} believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming . . .”

First, the “THEORY” of evolution is being questioned in greater numbers every day because of the lack of evidence. NO transitional forms in the fossil records and NO observation in nature or controlled environments . . . none! Have you ever really listened to the debates between Creationists and Evolutionists? I hear Creation Scientists using scientific facts to demonstrate that the current model of evolution simply does not work. I haven’t really heard Creationists stuffing Jesus down anyone’s throats, rather I hear researchers debating the theory.

AND, to compare this to global warming . . . why would you make this comparison? There are many “well-informed” intellectuals like NASA’s Michael Griffin and the Weather Channel’s John Coleman who both believe that man-made global warming is not true. But I don’t believe you would even consider this for a minute.

“ . . . she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs;”

This is softball and the absurdity of this statement almost makes me feel bad commenting on it. You feel that it’s really about “governmental control of a woman’s womb” and not about the heaping pile of murdered baby corpses that lie in the trash. Hmmm. But we’ll use words like “terminating”, “ending”, “fetus” and other distracters from calling it what is really is. Turn the clock backwards from the moment of delivery and ask . . . “when is the appropriate time to kill a child? 5 seconds before deliver? 30 seconds . . . 10 minutes . . . 10 days?” The “Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004” protects a “child in utero” from injury or murder. So why do we turn a blind eye just because the mother and a PhD are the willing participants?

“ . . . she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs . . .”

Stem cell research using existing cells without the creation and/or destruction of embryonic stem cells may be acceptable. However, coupling the “abstinence-only” comment with the previous comment would have been much more appropriate. If the SADD (Student’s Against Drunk Driving) initiative can help students from drinking & driving, can you imagine the results of a nation-wide initiative on abstaining from pre-marital sexual activity? Would it not cut down on the number of unwanted children? The majority of us had NO encouragement from adults in this area so it’s about time we embraced this topic. I can only dream about how erotic & intense my wedding night would have been if I saved myself for my bride. Think about it.

Gloria has had a proven record of being an intellectual. I believe given the right moment, she could use common sense to see reality.

[N. Hiltner]

My opinion of Steinem is that she is afraid of Palin. She would totally support Palin if she were a liberal Democrat, but is a hypocrite. She and her ilk are not for all women, they are only for the liberal twits out there like Hillary Clinton.

[Terio818]

Gloria Steinem complains that Sarah Palin, "opposes everything most other women want and need".
As a 46 year old woman myself, I can pretty much vouch for the fact the Ms. Steinem has no idea what I want or need and in fact I agree very little with this old school feminist.
Isn't it a little sexist to say Palin got the job because she kissed up to the boss? Maybe she actually has ideas that are different than Ms. Steinems but that doesn't mean she isn't smart and qualified. Heck at least she didn't get there by marrying well, like Mrs. Clinton.
To Gloria I proudly say I need my man, maybe fish might need bicycles and I'm voting McCain/Palin!

[GEAH]

New hotness: Gov. Palin
Old and busted: Ms. Steinem

Pass the torch, Gloria. Your time is up.

[Mr. Anchor]

And this from a woman who, when she was in her '60's, finally wed wistfully wondering about it as I recall, why she had waited so long.

[Melissa]

Gloria Steinem is sadly out of touch with reality and the majority of American women. She is an old hasbeen who has become just another talking head for Obama and the far left. She does a good job of spouting the leftist propaganda but doesn't have the journalistic integrity to really talk about Sarah Palin's true views and record. It facinates me as a 34 year old woman (who could care less what Gloria has to say) that NOW does nothing to help Iraqi women fight oppression. Yet, they tout that they are so intouch with women's rights. They are not intouch with my views and as far as I'm concerned they have screwed things up for women my age. For all the supposed inroads they claim to have made, they have done a lot of harm that they have never answered for. Go into retirement Gloria and let my generation do it right this time!

[Sara]

Gloria Steinem gets one thing right with this article: Hillary and Sarah don't have much in common.

Sarah Palin has values, morals, and character to stand on. She is able to identify with the typical American mother and wife, and is willing to stand up for them.

Hillary Clinton was running on her husband's name and her female genitalia.

I'll take Sarah, thanks.

[tanstaafl]

Sarah Palin is the real deal and, as such, stands in sharp contrast to the NOW gals and even to Phyllis Schlafly types.

Your litany of Sarah indictments is hyperbolic. The claim about creationism is outright false. Once elected governor, Palin absolutely supported the state guidelines relative to not "teaching creationism" in the classroom.

Palin wasn't chosen for her "value to patriarchs". She was chosen for her record of achievement and for her close match to the values and goals of McCain. She was chosen for her knowledge of energy and her willingness to promote a new area for drilling in Alaska that is smaller than the acreage of LAX.

"Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh..."

It was Bill Kristol who mainly promoted Sarah Palin during the summer.

[Sally Simon]

Gloria is one bitter woman, who can not stand anyone who doesn't agree 100% with her politics. What a joke!

SS

[bruce]

Well said. Palin is nothing but an embarrassment to the plight of women's rights and issues.

[len grzbek]

glora--you must been sitting on your brains when you wrote this column
or your just missing the point--we want change in Wash.

[joel paige]

Gloria Steinem's idea of what a WOMAN should be, think like, look like act like is her....luckily for this world, most women don't agree...maybe she should get off the robo kick and have a child, have a career, have a original thought...Sarah Palin has more true Woman in her than Steinem ever did...

[David Whitlow]

I'm very glad S. Palin and H. Clinton only share a chromosome. Mrs. Palin is a leader who will have the best interest of everyone in mind when she makes decisions not just a slice here and a slice there like Mrs. Clinton. One thing I've seen is that Liberals need protection from themselves. As a conservative, I can handle any "lib" that is thrown at me. Nothing the Democrat party stands for is actually good for the country. Today's democrat shares nothing with the ones that participated in the building of this great country. When the "base" of your party are the failures and pretenders in our society you've got problems. Mrs. Palin doesn't have time to be a "feminist", she's to busy doing her best to do what's right. I can't wait to vote for her in 8 years after McCain is out.

[dennis]

You are defunked old, dried and past history.

Palin did only what you dreamed you could have ever accomplished.

Here you could have taken a positive stance for women and made yourself proud of the work you did for the betterment of women, but instead you stick with the "Good Ol Boys" club and look like a chump.

The men and media owned you and still do. You can't and have never thought on your own. You have always been a pawn and you deserve all the loss that you have and get.

Congrats the GOP ladies are making strides while you die on the side of the road.

Your bra is your lasting memory and believe me Victoria's Secret has some very sexy one's nowadays.

[Marie McCormack]

Ms. Steinem, Ms. Steinem, put your bra back on. Maybe YOU and I only share a chromosome too but where the heck were YOU when the democrats were raking Hillary over the coals???? Funny I didn't hear you spouting anything then in HER defense. Believe me, I'm a Hillary supporter (one of 18 million) who is DEFINITELY voting for John McCain with or WITHOUT Sarah Palin. The democratic party has shown this year their lack of respect for women and say what you will, this year they've lost a HUGE amount of women.

[IITS JO]

It is very unfortunate Ms.Steinem is so blinded by her Savior, Hillary the Liberal/Socialist, that she's attacking
Gov. Palin. Incidentally Gov. Palin is an Official Executive whose experience in Alaska is far superior to that of Both Obama & Hillary-who rode on her husband's coattails becoming NY Jr.Senator w/the sympathy votes she milked due to MonicaGate.
Being a 'First Lady' doesn't entitle one for Coronation of POTUS as Hillary/Bill thought they had sewed up. Ms. Steinem you are biased & it's NOT because Gov.Palin is unqualified-she's just NOT one of YOUR Libs. Where was N.O.W. when Clinton was raping, molesting and exposing himself to other women-YOU, didn't speak up then did you? It would have crimped Hillary's jaunt into the Wh.House, right?

[Claire]

MeeeOW, gloria!

People who wish for things, usually get what they wished for but when they get it it isn't exactly how they envisioned it. The "powers that be" has a wicked sense of humor about stuff like that. *lol*

[Spaulding1]

By her relentless attack, Steinem has shown just how afraid of this REAL woman she is. Steinem has tried to redefine what "feminine" is. Here's a little newsflash for her- like good art, we all know a real woman when we see one. We're all excited about The Arctic Fox, Sarah Barracuda.