Palin Unqualified or Victim of Sexist Attacks?

I'm not going to pussyfoot around...my opinion right upfront is that she is unqualified, period. However, there are those that fret that Sarah Barracuda is simply the victim of sexism. Sexism from the Democrats, from the liberal media, anti-gun people, and just about anyone else you can think of. I've even seen comments that have the audacity to imply that this is much the same as what happened to Hillary Clinton. Please, I have met Senator Clinton and Governor Palin is no Senator Clinton. Nope, it certainly isn't the same "sexism" and here's why.

Facts are facts. Very few people said that Hillary Clinton was unqualified to be President or Vice President. The attacks on her during the primary were and remain similar to the attacks she has endured for many years. They are hate attacks. Attacks that are based on deep seated sexism, added to the attacks that are based on the hatred of anything Clinton people. The attacks on Palin are mostly partisan attacks against a female politician that appears to be simply put, in over her head.

Check out her interview with CBS's Katie Couric if you don't believe me. It's all over the internet and print media. If nothing else, the fact that more than once Governor Palin in response to questions her staff and McCain's campaign staff surely knew she would be asked, answered that she would "get back" to Couric with the answer. There were questions about he "bailout", foreign policy, her specific experience, John McCain's policy. There were no go for the jugular surprise questions. Here is an example of the foreign policy question quoted from an article in the Washington Post today, written by Fareed Zakaria:

" When asked (by Couric) how living in the state closest to Russia gave her foreign-policy experience, Palin responded thus:"

"It's very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America. Where--where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to--to our state."She also stumbled and mumbled and spoke in fractured sentences appearing as uneasy as a person could possibly be in front of a camera. The sharp tongued, smart sounding Governor from Alaska that ignited the spark at he Republican Convention was absent. It was almost painful to watch.

Why is this important and why does it show how meager her qualifications are? For one, any politician who has risen to the level of Governor of their state should be able to face a camera and answer some expected questions without falling apart. Second, it points to the inadequacy of her experience. To simply say that the state you live in and govern is "next door" to Russia, does not give you the right to say you have foreign policy experience. The Governor of Alaska has never had the need to deal with high level foreign policy.

Critics of Sarah Palin are not saying this person isn't qualified because she is a woman. They are not giving her a difficult time because they hate her husband. Far as I can see, the closest the sexism has come are the few who have said she should stay home with her children, and that is just ignorant. Critics of Sarah Palin are criticizing her because the Vice Presidency is as the saying goes, a heart beat away from the Presidency, and the idea that McCain would choose someone so ill-prepared for the job is mind boggling.

I'm not one of those Democrats that thinks Barack Obama can walk on water. I am a Clinton Democrat, I admit. I also admit that I was hoping Obama would have at least had the common sense, 18 million votes worth, to have picked Clinton for his VP choice. This life long Democrat toyed with the idea of breaking ranks and voting for a Republican for the first time in her life because I truly feel that the DNC treated Hillary Clinton unfairly and with bias. I can spot sexism a mile away and Palin is not a victim of it. If anything she was given a huge pass because she is a woman. McCain's choice of VP candidate leaves me no choice but to assume that his judgment is very lacking in an important area - the decision to place an obviously unqualified person in the position to possibly take over his reigns should he be elected and if anything, god forbid, happen to him that renders him incapable. McCain has unwittingly galvanized and energized a segment of the voting public that can make a difference - white, middle-class voters with common sense, now for Obama.