I'm a hockey mom, too, having spent the last nine winters ferrying my now-15-year-old daughter to and from one frigid ice rink after another. I've been there, rising in the dark to guide a warm child into a cold car, both of them balky and cranky in the pre-dawn hours, then hurtling down the highway in a mad dash only to spend the next two hours huddling in a sports facility warm room under fluorescent lights, sipping Dunkin Donuts with the other pathetic hockey parents, all of us looking at least a decade older than we appear to those who see us in the hours after nine a.m. It's a bonding experience, the same way prison must be.
And yet for years we've been sorely overlooked, overshadowed by the more popular and telegenic soccer moms – hey, it's easy to look good when your kid plays an outdoor sport during daylight hours! You can't blame a hockey mom for feeling ignored, invisible, and under-appreciated . . .
And yet for years we've been sorely overlooked, overshadowed by the more popular and telegenic soccer moms – hey, it's easy to look good when your kid plays an outdoor sport during daylight hours! You can't blame a hockey mom for feeling ignored, invisible, and under-appreciated . . .
So I figured, when Republican presidential candidate John McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and it was revealed that she's a hockey mom, too, that we must have more than a thing or two in common. And that must be what McCain figured, too. Women like me – white, 40ish, married with children – are considered to be one of this election season's swing demographics . . .
Let's start with the things we don't have in common:
1. Palin doesn't believe global warming has been proven.
2. Palin is in favor of teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools.
3. Palin believes abortion should be illegal, even in cases of rape and incest, except in limited cases in which it might be necessary to save the life of the mother (presumably so she can go on to have more children!) . . .
Basically, Palin's hockey-mom-dom is the only thing that might remotely recommend her to anyone but the most ultra-conservative voters. Turns out, for hockey-mom swing voters, a shared devotion to mouthguards might not be enough of a connection to outweigh her extreme-right stance, her inexperience and her randomness.
Read Tuttle's full post here.
Seriously, can anywhere out there explain to us the selection of Sarah Palin as anything other than a cynical bid for disgruntled Hillary supporters? This Politico item that lists six things the Palin decision says about McCain is helpful, but we're still confused by what seems like an embarrassingly bad choice.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 8)
16.
Yeah, Bob. And even moreso for having picked Obama for Dem. Pres nominee.
How reckless and just plain stupid.
Jon at 9:38AM on Aug 31st 2008
17. I'm not sure what the big deal is, other than the fact that McCain has to stuff his lame argument that Obama's not ready to lead. If he keels over, this chick is President.
I'm female, married and getting ready to be 40, with children in sports, and I vote based on policy not gender. She couldn't represent me or my family unless she believes in 1) governing for all and not just the select few that agree with ALL of her beliefs 2)government has no place in my private life whatsoever 3)end the war and 4)no personal attacks on their opponents.
Since we all know the GOP is completely incapable of following any rules.....I'm pretty sure I see through McCain's "gimmick" of blatantly kissing my *** for a vote.
Suzanne at 10:17AM on Aug 31st 2008
18. And what exactly is so wrong with not buying into the global warming hysteria, restrictions on killing babies and (gasp) putting some God back into our over-taxed over-scheduled lives? If you actually sat back to think about it, you might find it not so freakish. Jeez, you'd have more mercy on a serial killer.
tina at 9:26AM on Sep 1st 2008
19. Hey Ada...I was tempted (and almost) posted my reply to your "comments"....obviously everyone has a right to his/her own commentary and opinions but frankly my dear...you've gotten your share of rattling today, therefore I opt to pass.....
Mari at 11:06AM on Aug 31st 2008
20. Ada, I'm a married soccer Mom, and I agree with you 100%. It scares the daylights out of me that Palin, who has no experience, is one heartbeat away from running our country if we elect McCain. Palin is almost as out of touch with the real world as McCain.
Leigh Ann at 11:34AM on Aug 31st 2008
21. Eric
ericoverthere
xxxx
Eric, it's more like you are way out there.
1.Indeed, the earth will cool and we will enter another ice age. It is a consensus amongst climatologists that this is so. We are inbetween ice ages. It's a cyclic thing. But, rght now the planet is warming. Even the neoclowns in the Whitehouse concede this point.
2. Beliefs are exactly that, a belief, Something that is achieved through superstition also known as faith. It is smething that is held without a shred of physical evidence to support said belief, like creationism, and the human soul, and heaveen, and demons, and so on. It is reached through indoctrination. Typically parents indocrtinate their children in the ways of their belief system. Said child grows up and brainwashes his or her kids and the cycle of superstition through indoctrination is thereby perpetuated.
Science on the otherhand is verifiable and testable. You don't believe in evolution as it has been tested and verified. It makes specific predictions and those predictions have been met. You may not like it, but that sir is the way it is.
Indoctrinate your kids. It's your right to brainwash your children. But not to brainwash mine.
3. Just because you don't know when life begins doesn't give you the right or the imperative to determine the reproductive rights or lack there of, of other Americans, specifically females of child bearing age. BTW, I side with the rights of sentient beings over those of unconcious and often undifferentiated cell clusters that you guys consider to be babies.
Tim at 11:40AM on Aug 31st 2008
22. Let's compare Sarah Palin to Barack Obama, as it relates to change and political reform. Sarah Palin challenged the corrupt Alaskan Republican party with their pay-for-play politics and won, forcing senior Republicans to resign. Did Barack Obama challenge the corrupt, pay-for-play politics of Chicago and Illinois? Did Barack show some backbone and integrity to challenge the thugs of his own party? No, he just went along with the ride.
So, where the CHANGE? Sarah Palin represents a lot more CHANGE than Barack Obama!
David Pitlock at 11:57AM on Aug 31st 2008
23. The fact is this Mccain has shown that he doesn't consider the American people when he makes decisions. Sure he may have chosen someone that the conservative right adores, but what about the rest of Americans who don't feed into the right-wing republican philosophy. Are they to be subjected to "overlording" by his dangerous gambles. He hasn't veted this woman, nor has he presented clear positions where she stands on foreign affairs and how she will deal with Russia, the Middle East, Israel and the two wars the US is involved with. How do see plan to fix the economy, create jobs and secure American workers future. We don't know one iota of where and how this person thinks. This shows Mccain will "gamble" with the lives and well-being of the American people.
Another thing is this: Do we want a President who barely made it out of the Naval Academy or do we want a president who has exceptional intellect and excelled at the most prestigious Ivy league school in the US. We don't need another "DUNCE" as President. Obama has shown how he will put this country ahead of his political ambition while Mccain has shown that he will RISK the well-being of every American to win an election.
The choice in this election is simple: Obama/Biden 08.
AB at 12:14PM on Aug 31st 2008
24. "How is telling somebody that they may have been created in the image of God a bad thing?" - Dave at 11:54PM on Aug 30th 2008
Ok, Dave, so which god/religion to we teach our kids about in science class? The Jewish god? The Christian god? Krishna? Xenu? Zeus? Thor? Allah?
You people say you want both sides of the story presented, but in actuality you just want stories about your Christian god told in a science classroom in a PUBLIC school setting.
If you want the Christian story of creation told in science class, you have to give equal time to the Hindus, Muslims, Bhuddists, Mormons, and any of the other 3,000 religions existing on this planet.
OR, you could just teach science and leave the myths and fairy tales at home.
K at 12:18PM on Aug 31st 2008
25. David Pitlock at 11:57AM on Aug 31st 2008 wrote:
"Sarah Palin challenged the corrupt Alaskan Republican party with their pay-for-play politics and won, forcing senior Republicans to resign. Did Barack Obama challenge the corrupt, pay-for-play politics of Chicago and Illinois? Did Barack show some backbone and integrity to challenge the thugs of his own party? No, he just went along with the ride."
It seems to me that Palin hasn't challenged or changed corruption in Alaska, it seems that she has BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN CORRUPTION more than rooting in out. With her own current ongoing ETHICS INVESTIGATION against her, she appears to me to be another CORRUPT republican politician who will usurp the powers of her office to run ROUGHSHOD OVER THE LAW. Just as Bush and Cheney has done during their time in the White House.
AB at 12:24PM on Aug 31st 2008
26. (By the way, Sarah Palin SUPPORTED the 'Bridge to Nowhere'... right up until the funding for it was cut. She was quoted TWICE in 2006 supporting the project and even wanted it sped up to completion. Now she is singing a different tune, and is being investigated for improperly firing someone when that person wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law.)
K at 12:26PM on Aug 31st 2008
27. "As a Vice president pick, she has 10 more years government experience then Obama has."
No, she doesn't. You can easily verify this on Wikipedia, but Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996 to 2002. She was elected governor of Alaska in Dec 2006 to present. That 8.5 years.
Obama was an Illinois senator from 1997 through 2003, and then a US senator from 2004 to now. That's 11.5 years.
If you want to count Palin's three years as a city council member, they're even. However, is her time served as a city council member and than as a mayor equivalent to Obama's time serving in the state senate and then the US senate? That's a question people can answer for themselves. I say no.
Alyssa at 12:31PM on Aug 31st 2008
28. K at 12:18PM on Aug 31st wrote:
"Ok, Dave, so which god/religion to we teach our kids about in science class? The Jewish god? The Christian god? Krishna? Xenu? Zeus? Thor? Allah?
You people say you want both sides of the story presented, but in actuality you just want stories about your Christian god told in a science classroom in a PUBLIC school setting.
If you want the Christian story of creation told in science class, you have to give equal time to the Hindus, Muslims, Bhuddists, Mormons, and any of the other 3,000 religions existing on this planet.
OR, you could just teach science and leave the myths and fairy tales at home."
WELL SAID MY FRIEND. I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN'T BE TOLD TO TEACH ANY PARTICULAR RELIGION. THAT'S WHY ITS WRITTEN INTO THE 1ST AMENDMENT OF OUR CONSTITUTION.
BUT IT SHOWS THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS BECOME MORE AND MORE EXTREME AND WILL DESTROY OUR CONSTITUTION IF GIVEN A CHANCE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AB at 12:32PM on Aug 31st 2008
29. "2. Since when is presenting both sides of a debate a bad thing? "
It's a bad thing because evolution is science, and creationism is not. Creationism is a theory, and one based on god. Our public schools are government sponosored, and per the terms of the Constitution, the government is not permitted to sponsor a religion.
This is not a "which dogs makes the best companion: poodles or golden retrievers" type of debate. This would be a "does the sun set in the west or the east" type of debate. If you want to teach your children this at home, feel free, but it has not basis in science and should not be presented as such to young impressionable children.
Alyssa at 12:37PM on Aug 31st 2008
30. Seems to me Calhoun has a very large democratic chip on her shoulder. Sarah Palin is the woman that American women have been ssking for years.
ken mack at 1:32PM on Sep 2nd 2008