The only good thing about Palin being on the GOP ticket - well, other than these - is that we will get some questions answered about sexism and politics in America that were somewhat unanswered during Clinton's candidacy. There have already been a slew of articles about the double standards, with Republicans using the same "gender card" now that they mocked during the primaries, but that's to be expected.
One question I had was: if Clinton did not have an incredibly famous husband of the same last name, would we have gotten so many references to "Hillary" rather than "Clinton"? The issue was also murky because Clinton herself was, I think, trying to play up her likability and the ease with which average voters could relate to her. Still, it obviously has some degree of sexist undertones.
So far, though, there hasn't been a real lot of calling Palin "Sarah." Some chanting in the crowds at events, and that kind of thing, but the TV commentators are all calling her by her last name, not her first. This doesn't mean that the Hillary-calling wasn't sexist, as it still might have been done to define Clinton as a wife with no credentials as her own rather than to just avoid confusion with her husband. Still I have found it really interesting to have my question - would a female candidate with no last name confusion be called by her first name? - somewhat answered.
Palin's selection has rehashed a lot of conversation (for me at least) about whether our wonderful country has been more racist or sexist this campaign. My friend and I agreed that while moderate sexism is more acceptable in America than moderate racism, there has tended to be a lot more overt, extreme racism than sexism. Sure, there were those "Iron My Shirt" guys at Clinton events, but the TV pundits didn't debate the merits of the argument that Clinton should do their laundry the way that reports about - say - Obama's "Muslim" faith have been discussed. There has also been plenty of overt racism in discussing his alleged un-American traits, the fact that he clearly is under the control of his minister (he's Christian for these purposes), or sounds like a minister himself (because clearly an African American cannot speak elloquently unless he is behind the pulpit of a holy roller church).
If you need a reminder about America's racist racist racist folks, check out this story in the Philly Daily News, as picked up by Politico blogger Jonathan Martin:
"I told him I'm not going to vote for him," Bauer said [to Joe Biden at a rally]. "Anybody who runs with a guy with a name like that is not going to get my vote. It'd be disgusting to get a man named Barack Obama as president of the United States. No way. I mean it . . . I'm going to vote for McCain and the lady."
"[Obama's] a Muslim," Bauer added. "He pretends to be a Christian, and he isn't, he's a Muslim."
One question I had was: if Clinton did not have an incredibly famous husband of the same last name, would we have gotten so many references to "Hillary" rather than "Clinton"? The issue was also murky because Clinton herself was, I think, trying to play up her likability and the ease with which average voters could relate to her. Still, it obviously has some degree of sexist undertones.
So far, though, there hasn't been a real lot of calling Palin "Sarah." Some chanting in the crowds at events, and that kind of thing, but the TV commentators are all calling her by her last name, not her first. This doesn't mean that the Hillary-calling wasn't sexist, as it still might have been done to define Clinton as a wife with no credentials as her own rather than to just avoid confusion with her husband. Still I have found it really interesting to have my question - would a female candidate with no last name confusion be called by her first name? - somewhat answered.
Palin's selection has rehashed a lot of conversation (for me at least) about whether our wonderful country has been more racist or sexist this campaign. My friend and I agreed that while moderate sexism is more acceptable in America than moderate racism, there has tended to be a lot more overt, extreme racism than sexism. Sure, there were those "Iron My Shirt" guys at Clinton events, but the TV pundits didn't debate the merits of the argument that Clinton should do their laundry the way that reports about - say - Obama's "Muslim" faith have been discussed. There has also been plenty of overt racism in discussing his alleged un-American traits, the fact that he clearly is under the control of his minister (he's Christian for these purposes), or sounds like a minister himself (because clearly an African American cannot speak elloquently unless he is behind the pulpit of a holy roller church).
If you need a reminder about America's racist racist racist folks, check out this story in the Philly Daily News, as picked up by Politico blogger Jonathan Martin:
"I told him I'm not going to vote for him," Bauer said [to Joe Biden at a rally]. "Anybody who runs with a guy with a name like that is not going to get my vote. It'd be disgusting to get a man named Barack Obama as president of the United States. No way. I mean it . . . I'm going to vote for McCain and the lady."
"[Obama's] a Muslim," Bauer added. "He pretends to be a Christian, and he isn't, he's a Muslim."
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