I am against her nomination as I would be against that of any politician whom I felt would do a poor job of representing the interests and values of American citizens, both in Washington and around the world. We want a politician responsible enough to help ensure education and access to birth control, far-sighted enough to value our natural resources, honest enough to fight corruption even if it benefits her, and mature enough to recognize taking on too many responsibilities with too little experience. (A politician with the good taste not to pose, even for private and personal photos, with a rifle in a bikini would also be nice.)
—Joanna R., 21, Amherst, MA
Sarah Palin does not represent me as a woman, because she does government, and not the individual woman, decides choice. This, by definition, is big government at work on my individual liberties, which goes against not only my personal beliefs, but the Republican
tenets of keeping government small.
—Hye-Young C., 29, New York, NY
When Sarah Palin was announced as the Republican VP choice, it was presented that women would flock to her side, because women vote for women. Oh? I do not vote for people because of their age, gender, race, hair color... I vote for people who share my political convictions, who will fight for an economy that doesn't just let the rich get richer, who believe in choice, freedom from discrimination, who believe we are a more effective nation by being diplomats and negotiators, who believe that government is there to provide basic rights- health care, education, housing for those who cannot afford it...and so, I will not be voting for McCain-Palin. That the VP on the ticket is a woman is completely and utterly irrelevant; I cast my vote for politcial platforms not genitalia and mammary glands...
—Sarah J., 30, Brooklyn, NY
I'm outraged and my list is long. Here it is as it pours out of me...not necessarily with one idea flowing neatly into another.
What does it say about a would be president who makes the most important decision of his campaign, the selection of his vice presidential candidate, and doesn't vet her? Is that his decision making process? Like Bush, is it because he's the 'decider?' I find this decision an insult to all the public representatives who have received an education, degree, and advanced degrees in political studies, law, civil rights and have years of legislative experience. I thought Nora Ephron said it well today when she pointed out the absurdity of putting Palin's limited executive experience against Obama's wisdom and intellect. But it's not Palin who's running against Obama...let's not forget that in all the melee, it's McCain. Where's McCain's executive experience? Let's put McCain's wisdom and intellect up against Obama's. And Biden's foreign policy experience and family values up against Palin's. Then we'll have debates. Speaking of foreign policy...did anyone buy the argument by geography that Palin was more experienced in foreign affairs than Obama because she lives in Alaska?! And McCain..Can anyone tell me why being a war hero unilatererally qualifies one to be president? Is all of this supposed to be a huge diversion tactic by the republicans because they have nothing on issues, policy, or historical value of their parties failed policies over the last 28 years? Also, please consider the likelihood that Palin would be the president. I recently read that returning POW's are known to have much shorter life spans filled with many medical problems. The odds are against McCain being alive right now. The odds of him surviving the next four don't seem too so great. Finally, the government has no place in my uterus...to put it bluntly. ....I'm hoping someone goes into the separation of church and state argument too.
—Kate V., 42, Pawling, NY
Republican pandering is nothing new. It has always been shocking but now it is potentially catastrophic, for our country, for the world. Sarah Palin, in addition to standing against everything the women in this country have fought for so long to attain, is appallingly untested, unaware, unprepared and unqualified to hold this office and, as one of our very best playwrights once wrote, "Attention must be paid."
—E.H., 56, New York, NY
The attempted librarian ouster was the thing that really got to me, even though I can't stand her on nearly every other issue. You could call her awful for line-item vetoing a measure to provide a shelter for homeless unwed mothers, but it's not as hypocritical as it seems on the surface (she's supposedly against big government budgets and for personal responsibility); plus maybe that proposal was flawed, I don't know. You can point to her leaving Wasilla with a 23 million dollar deficit as bad management, but that might not have been entirely her fault (just as the Clinton economy and the Giuliani murder-rate drop weren't their personal achievements). But when I heard she tried to fire a librarian for the books she had on hand and was thwarted by a group of COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, that's when I decided she was not just someone whose politics I didn't agree with, but someone in the habit of abusing power.
—Emily V., 35, New York
I find Palin's entire platform totally abhorrent and frankly, dishonest. Personally, I think that abstinence-only advocacy is criminally reckless. It deprives teenagers of knowledge that will protect them, it ignores all statistical and scientific evidence as to its effectiveness, it puts teenagers in harms way who do-- like most abstinence-only educated teenagers-- engage in sexual activity, and it demonizes a natural act. Nor do I have any more respect for her anti-choice position. How can any woman say that she would deny a woman who was raped the choice to terminate her pregnancy? Part of me can't believe that Palin actually believes this. What further enraged me is that her campaign announced that Bristol-- her daughter-- herself "chose" to keep the child. Wait, aren't you against the right to choose for the entire nation's population? Isn't it then irrelevant? Palin is through and through a comtemptuous, dishonest, opportunistic, mean-spirited symbol of mediocrity. She reflects badly on women because her positions are fundamentally anti-women. McCain's choice of Palin as running mate was a totally cynical calculation, and I reject her representing me based on my gender.
—Emily D.B., Beirut