Making Palin into ‘Barbie’ a poor move by the GOP
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John Gentile
Published: October 24, 2008
The Republican National Committee has now, by its actions, brought sexism into play in this election.
I make reference to the RNC putting out $150,000 for a wardrobe for Sarah Palin. Why? Only because she is a female.
Think of what the reaction of the country would have been if the Democratic National Committee had done that for Joe Biden. The Jay Leno’s would have had a field day. A state governor and vice presidential candidate getting that kind of preferential treatment just because she is a she and not a he?
Yet, the Republicans try to put out the message that what matters is her qualifications, not the fact that she is an attractive woman. All this as they spend big bucks turning her into a baby doll, or was that money meant to dress up her qualifications? Give me a break — what a joke.
John Gentile
Culpeper
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 26, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Thank you. I really appreciate the sane, intelligent answer, and totally respect your reasoning.
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Posted by ( woman for obama ) on October 26, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Why Obama? It’s not quite the lesser of two evils. I truly think the man is highly intelligent, and I have always liked Biden. Am I concerned about his lack of experience, yes, of course. But I do think the man is highly competent. Maybe I’m wrong, and he’ll turn into another Carter, I hope not. But there is something I read in him that does inspire me. McCain is simply too old. I voted in the primarys 8 years ago for him, and watched in horror when the Bush campaign smeared him. A republican man I trust implicitly told me then that McCain was a “loose cannon”; he worked with his team on some legislation. I am sorry to sound age discrimination here, but the man is now 72 years old, he’s not campaigning well, and he chose as his VP someone I whole heartedly, looks or not, clothes or not, is totally unqualified at this point in time to assume the office.
I know “change” is ridiculed, but new change is better than old non change, and that is where I do stand.
I just now heard on the news that the leading Anchorage, Alaska newspaper endorsed Obama. Interesting.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 26, 2008 at 4:46 pm
OK. Personally, I would like a third party. I’m not crazy about McCain, and the thought of Obama literally scares the bejeezes out of me.
I said I wouldn’t read the piece because ciudadano quoted the Daily Kos, and that put an end to my continuing a debate with him. Also, I’ve been through this with him before - he feels that education is enough to qualify someone for the presidency, I strongly disagree. I didn’t need to read it again.
The problem that I have with this whole Palin and her clothes and whether or not McCain is looking at her a** is that it is a ridiculous waste of time. I have a feeling that you and I have more in common than you would ever know from reading these postings, but I automatically made assumptions about you because you jumped on what I felt was the stupid wagon. I am honestly very curious to know why women (or anyone, really) are so behind Obama - I just don’t get it. And all of my circle of friends and family are pretty conservative, so I go here and to other online sites to see if I can find something that makes sense to me, because it just doesn’t. So when I see people putting so much energy into this thing with Palin’s clothes, it makes me a little crazy. And when it gets as vicious as it has here, I can’t help but believe it’s some of that weird stuff that happens with some women when they’re in the presence of a powerful, attractive woman - they feel threatened, and the claws come out. So maybe we can change this conversation, and you can tell me why you are so intent on helping Obama be our next president. Seriously - I would really like to know.
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Posted by ( woman for obama ) on October 26, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I don’t care for Pelosi. I have not much, if any, respect for her. But I do remember people screaming at John Edwards 400 haircut, which, if it was paid for by the DNC and not Edwards, I would be totally put off. Nor do I care for Givhan’s columns either.
It was your interpretation that I was jealous because the RNC apparently thought her looks were more important than any credentials she might possess. I assure you, in no way am I jealous of anyone who spends that much money on clothes, going to “charity” or not. It’s obscene whoever does it. And for the record, I don’t think Palin is particularly attractive but I’m not male, so I can’t see the appeal I imagine.
BTW, you don’t want to read the public record on Obama’s education because it’s “bull” ?
Personally, I wanted Bill Richardson, and I wish Charles Grassle (sp?) would run. but he knows he’d be seen as “boring” and Richardson, who’d have been the best pick imho, just didn’t have enough of what people were looking for.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 26, 2008 at 3:20 pm
“woman” for obama
So, you don’t think a person running for vp should dress nice? How about the following piece about Nancy Pelosi’s clothes:
“WaPo fashion hooker Robin Givhan goes all adjective over Pelosi’s clothes, while likely unwittingly pointing out to the Middle Class (who are in a stagnant or declining economic state, according to WaPo) that Pelosi prefers Armani. Which they can’t afford even if they’ve heard of the ultra-high priced faux-foo designer. Gushed Givhan, Pelosi’s clothing “speaks of a specific approach to authority and clout.“ Middle Classers will assume that Pelosi speaks to hypocrisy and arrogance as she reaches out to the poor victims of George Bush (and has her security detail smack the stink out of the plebes who get near her slammin’ threads).“
Obviously, Pelosi feels clothes are important to a person of her stature. What is wrong with you people? I don’t hear anything about Pelosi’s clothes coming from you guys.
You really need to quit calling yourself a hag. I have no idea what you look like - you just sound jealous, as if you have a problem with attractive women. The more you talk, the more it sounds like you just can’t stand the fact that she looks good in clothes. I’m the same age range as you, and am no raving beauty - so what? I don’t care one way or another what she looks like. The thing I’ve always known to be true is that good looks don’t hurt a thing. Oh wait, that’s all changed now - I forgot! According to your way of thinking, her attractiveness is an excellent reason to not elect her. I guess that only applies to Republican women, though, and not Democratic men, because all of these idiot women are swooning over Obama (barf), and everyone seems to think it’s cute.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 26, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Didn’t ask. Won’t read it - your sources are a bunch of bull.
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Posted by ( woman for obama ) on October 26, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Back to the original letter on this topic, $150,000 is a lot of money for clothing, makeup and whatnot (I haven’t spent that much for my wardrobe in my entire lifetime, and I’m an over-50 professional…Perhaps if I had, I wouldn’t be the ugly toothless old jealous hag Geri accused me of being. Here’s the nutshell thought: the campaign decided that her appearance was more important than her knowing about the basic responsibilities of the Vice President.
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Posted by ( Ciudadano ) on October 26, 2008 at 10:58 am
Geriberi I did not know you wanted all of Obama’s qualifications but since you ask….
Obama has education from Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.; B.A. in 1983 from Columbia University, worked as a community organizer in Chicago, Ill.; Law at Harvard University, he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, and received J.D. in 1991; lecturer on constitutional law, University of Chicago; Illinois State senate 1997-2004; elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2004 for term beginning January 3, 2005. Elected as candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2008.
I think he has earned his right to run for presidency! We don’t need another like Bush in Office!
Let’s give credit where credit has been earned.
Columbia University
B.A. Political Science
Major International Relations Thesis topic: Soviet nuclear disarmament
Harvard Law School
J.D. magna cum laude 1988-1991
Elected President, Harvard Law Review
1983-1988 Director of the Developing Communities Project
1993-2004 Senior Lecturer in Constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School
Illinois Senator 1996-2004
Chairman, Health and Human Services Committee
United States Senator 2004-present
Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
With respect to John McCain’s higher education, he finished near the bottom of his class at the US Naval Academy in 1958.
Let’s also not diminish another strong point of Barack Obama’s qualifications for President; he is a scholar of U. S. Constitutional law. On January 20, 2009 the person we elect will solemnly swear to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”. With respect to the two major canidates for President, it could be said that Barack Obama’s resume shows him to be intellectually more qualified to execute that oath.
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Posted by ( buddy ) on October 26, 2008 at 8:06 am
Geri….you need to consider growing up. Your name calling is getting old. I wonder if you stopped maturing when you were taking all those drugs.
Maybe you are watching too much FOX News…try CNN, MSNBC or the Daily Show to give you a bit of levity.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 26, 2008 at 12:19 am
Whoa! You’re actually quoting the Daily KOS? They have published the most hateful, obscene pieces I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something. They actually published a piece that was wishing Cheney would die, and another that hoped Tony Snow’s death from cancer would be slow and painful, and most recently published several pieces that sounded as if they were encouraging people to do harm to McCain & Palin. You are even more despicable than I previously thought. Now your sick rantings make sense. Now I know to never read another of your postings. They (Daily KOS) are some very sick people - liars, and incredibly hateful, and if you trust them as a reliable source for information, you are not to be trusted either.
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