An Editorial by Nancy Nehlsen, Editor-in-Chief, Boomerful.com
The day after the Republican Convention, I fully expected to awaken to an entire country of women who were either chuckling to themselves over the silly choice made by John McCain, or outraged by his insulting attempt to manipulate women in order to gain their vote for the Republican ticket.
"Women aren't stupid," I told myself. "We have waited a long time to see a woman in one of the top two positions of power in America. You can't exploit our craving by giving us a woman totally incapable of doing the job."
I was wrong. It seems the country is totally enthralled with a woman who is pretty, has five children and shoots wolves from a helicopter. None of which I find to deserve admiration – especially shooting wolves. I know a lot of pretty women who have given birth, can deliver a fiery speech from time to time, and don’t mind lying when it suits their purpose.
I have been a feminist since the seventies - raised my son alone, started my own business at age 23 and successfully resisted interference from any man in business or personal matters. I spent my twenties raging against the sexist systems of business and government. I hired only women in my business for many years to give them the opportunities they were denied elsewhere. I taught my daughter that she can do anything she sets her mind to, and doesn't need a man in her life to be complete. No one on this planet has wanted a female in power more than me.
The problem is, if we put ANY woman in power - say, one who has no experience in foreign affairs, and has only presided over an administration that governs less people than reside in the city of Memphis - we risk losing all we have fought so hard to gain. We have lost our fight to be taken seriously. Glamour has taken over as this country's number one priority, and glamour always fades.
If we are to move ahead as women, we must fight to put women in power who have proven themselves as leaders, not as lovely icons for feminine allure. The very fact that a joke is circulating that women want to be her and men want to do her speaks volumes about the lack of actual respect she commands. We need women who are taken seriously as knowledgeable, capable commanders - not mocked on the Internet with Photoshopped pictures of them wearing a red, white and blue bikini while pointing a rifle.
I was insulted by John McCain's choice. But I am more insulted by my sisters and fellow feminists falling for such a cheap trick designed to distract them from the very serious business of voting for issues that matter, and get them to fall in love with a Cinderella story.
We have two competent men running for President of the United States. Their stand on the issues that matter - education, taxes, stem cell research, the war - are the things we must weight before we vote. Whether a woman is on the ticket along with these men should have no bearing on your vote.
We'll get a woman in the top slot next time.
