With McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, independent women across the country will be taking a second look at the Republican ticket. This was a calculated choice on his part, and one that may siphon votes that Senator Obama will need to win the White House.
If Governor Palin's speech this morning is any indication, she will try to paint herself as a 'reformer,' much like McCain is still trying to paint himself as a maverick. She's likable, she's a mom, and on the surface, she comes off as someone truly concerned with women's issues. And she went straight to the heart of why she was chosen in the first place - she thanked you and Geraldine Ferraro for putting the cracks in the glass ceiling that allowed her to be here in the first place.
But you know, as do all women concerned about their reproductive rights, she's no Geraldine Ferraro, and she's certainly no Hillary Clinton. She's against reproductive rights, and no matter how "folksy" and down-to-earth she seems, she's a danger to the civil rights of women across this country.
You were magnificent at the convention, and you served your Party and women everywhere with honor, class and dignity. But with this pick, John McCain is signaling that he doubts your sincerity and commitment to helping Barack win this election. He's taking a calculated risk that you won't be out there, like a force of nature, explaining to all the women who supported you, as well as independent women voters who may not have decided yet, why the McCain/Palin ticket is a disaster for women. That can be the only explanation for his choice of Sarah Palin, because he knows you're scrappy and he knows you're a fighter. He knows you could single-handedly destroy every, single talking point Palin puts out there in an effort to woo your supporters. It's clear with this choice, he's banking on you sitting this one out.
When you asked your supporters if they 'were in it for you' or if they were in it because they believe in the positions you hold so dear to your heart and have always fought for, it served to remind them that this election is more important than any one person. The outcome of this election may well determine the direction of human and civil rights for decades to come. In the next four years, the President may end up having to choose three new Supreme Court justices. All of the issues you've always stood and fought for are in jeopardy if we don't get this one right.
So this is my plea to you. Please prove McCain's 'hedge' wrong. Please get out there and campaign like hell for Barack and Joe. In doing so, you'll really be fighting like hell for all the women of this country who deserve so much better than what they'll get from a McCain presidency, and you'll be preserving the rights of women for generations to come.
I know this isn't what you had hoped for, but your vigorous, active support of the Obama-Biden ticket will go a long way towards ensuring that my daughter and millions of other young women across the country won't have to worry about their rights being taken away. Thank you for all you've done for women throughout your career, and for all you have yet do in the years to come.
Now, let's go win this thing.