Below is the perspective of a colleague of mine who is still in the diary "waiting period," but couldn't wait until then to share her outrage with this community.
After Palin's display last night how could anyone, any woman, vote for the McCain ticket? Women in this country have fought long and hard to gain respect as professional working women. Yet, in one hour Palin re-solidified in the minds of most men and some women in this country that a woman's greatest assets are not her brains or qualifications.
No, Palin exemplified before an audience of international viewers that to be qualified as the next Vice President of the United States of America one just needs to smile, wink, toss her hair and make folksy jokes like the kind you would use at a bar. Why is this acceptable and why are not more women offended?
The debate was a professional forum where as the next potential Vice President of this country she was expected to and should have answered some serious questions about the current problems facing the American people today, including the economy, the war in Iraq, national security, Afghanistan and health care reform, to name just a few. Instead, she evaded questions, threw in a wink, smiled, evaded more questions and smiled some more.
I would never walk into a meeting unprepared with answers to my client's questions and ready to address their concerns and think that I could instead win them over with my "smile and a wink." My peers would think I had lost my mind and my clients would think I was a dumb ditz absolutely unqualified to do the job. So, why not the same expectations for a woman who wants to hold the second highest and most powerful position in this country?
Why the leniency? Why do we not scrutinize her intelligence and qualifications. Because she's "cute?" Unless Palin thinks sex will solve all of America's problems and plans to act on it, I suggest she put a lid on her offensive and degrading behavior.
Indeed.