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I spent the past weekend in San Diego with friends. It was a great weekender, and I shall blog about it later (once Sarah sends me the photos).Last week we did a research show on Wednesday night for WSB until 1 am (Thursday morning) and then I departed out of Hartsfield at 7 am for San Diego. Unfortunately this meant I missed one of my favorite shows on television: Damages
I was watching Damages with my roommate the previous week and he said to me during a commercial break, "you know what is interesting about Damages? Every single main character is a woman - and they are all ruthlessly powerful and competent" (or something to that effect).
It's true and it is one of the reasons I love the show. The main character (Ellen) is a fresh graduate out of law school that is incredibly smart and competent in a high powered firm in New York started by another woman (Patty). It doesn't come off like a feminist show trying to make a point, because it is like there is no point to make. Well written. Great acting. It's fantastic.
But this got me thinking about Sarah Palin.
I really had a pretty neutral opinion of Sarah Palin. I think she had some pretty big gaffs - but the way I saw it these gaffs were because the McCain campaign wanted a toy VP running mate and frankly - that wasn't Palin's strong point.
So her public presence was a mixture of her wanting to say what she wanted to say, but having to hold back due to the McCain camp pressure, thus resulting in a awkward, naive public persona.
But I know Palin got the wrong rub by the media. And this past week Barack Obama proved my point.
You may have missed it, but I came across an interesting situation right before I went to San Diego where Barack Obama had sent a card to former-French President Jacques Chirac seemingly indicating that he thought Chirac was still President of France (or if you want the French version).
You know if Palin had written a note like that the media would have been all over her woman-nuts for not knowing "the real President of France."
The truth of the matter is that when women make mistakes in politics it is because they are ignorant, but when men make them, well they are just mistakes that have some obvious excuse or explanation (as evidenced by the Christian Science Monitor article).
I don't blame Obama for making a mistake. I don't even blame him for the British Prime Minister gaff either. There is a lot going on sometimes and it is easy to make a mistake. We are all - even Obama - only human.
I just wish America would cut the same slack for Palin (and others) as they do for Obama.
I could probably go on and on about this but I gotta go catch up on Damages on the DVR before our speaking event tonight.
Posts: 
People viewed Palin and Bush as bumbling incompetents because they made a few mistakes and the media capitalized on it. Obama on the other hand created the image of a flawless statesmen and the media refuses to show any other side, regardless of his errors, because that is how people want to view him. Just an opinion.
I liked McCain a lot but have mixed feelings about Palin. Definitely do-able. Also her daughters. Also Meghan McCain. But politically, I don't know...I mean she got tooled by that little twit Katie Couric. Not sure if she was ready for prime time.
I would agree with you. Now why don't you call up your buddy Mike Pence and tell him to run for President in 2012. He seems like he could be a Statesman for the Republicans.
Also, I think you need to move from California to Georgia in a couple of years and replace who ever replaces Sonny as Governor of Georgia. That would be a good launching point for your only stately career - much better than Cali and I bet your and Ellie's parent's would like that :)
ME TOO! I used to love it; but I actually took it off of the DVR schedule because I just couldn't get over the fact that everything conservative was pounded to the ground, and everything liberal was like softball.
Nor was Couric ready for Primetime....shazam! But seriously, this is why I wasn't a big fan of Palin. She just wasn't the right pick - but I do feel she was unfairly treated.
And I do not think treatment of Palin had to do with her being a woman. There are plenty of male politicians that have earned a reputation for being dumb. W is just the most recent example, but what about Dan "Potatoe" Quayle? Also a man.
Sexism is, like racism, one of those things that are being thrown around without much justification.
By the way, do you really think Mike Pence should run for President? He is a former talk show host and only a Congressman. When was the last time a congressman was elected President?
Hey now. Don't be making fun of Dan "Potatoe" Quayle. 1.) Because he grew up about 10 minutes from where i grew up in Indiana. And 2.) because I can't spell any better ;)
I think Mike would probably be a pretty good candidate to be honest. He's seems very articulate and stately. I didn't know he was a former talk radio guy. I will admit being a Congressman is a disadvantage, but I think once he gets on the national stage, and gets some name recognition, he'd probably have a legitimate shot.
About Mike Pence, I knew nothing about him before googling him. But the problem with modern Congresscritters is that the gerrymandering of districts. They are just not very diverse any more - they tend to be urban or suburban or rural in character and usually are skewed toward one party. Winning a statewide race proves at least that one can win over a more diverse electorate than a single district. Example Pence's 6th district: it is outer suburban/exurban Indianapolis and area along border with Ohio. I think he should show how well he can do in Indianapolis or suburban Chicago before taking his show nationally.
That's why I think Congressmen that run for President are cranks that know they have no shot at being Senators or Governors and are just in it for the show. You know, Paul, Tancredo and the perennial offering, Kucinich.