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 3 of 8)
31. I smell a Rovian Rat - as in, this whole thing reminds me of Harriet Miers being nominated to the Supreme Court. She had just enough credentials to barely pass the test, she was a token woman, on the right side of all the "important" issues, but new and vulnerable enough that she could easily be manipulated by the men who put her into power. In other words, she is a puppet just like George Bush himself, and is going to have the behind-the-scenes-powers-that-be tell her what to do and say.
And, "Amen!" to the poster who noted that women like her, Stepford Wives, who neither fought for or supported equal rights for women, have no right to benefit from the struggles of those that fought those battles for her, which she and her party, vehemently oppose! Go back home and take care of your baby, Sarah Palin!!
Sarah at 1:09PM on Aug 31st 2008
32. Global warming, has never been talked about on all
sides, Believe it is not a FACT. Seems in our media
newspapers have never let the dissenting views speak up. Time to have a real open talk about this
once and for all. Remember citizens follow the
money on the global warming people. Just who are
looking into that part, what reporters do we have
left with any sense to do it?Or just follow along.
Sarah does not believe in abortion, so what half of
the country does. Adoption should be in this mix
some place. My sister and husband just adopted two
older children and are having the time of their life with them. We as a nation do need some abortion but not for brith control. I like a person to come out of the regular base of the citizen and not another Yale, Harvard or Princeton lawyer type.
Nice to have one that has lived as a citizen under
the laws made by senators and congress that are very removed from we the people. Yea for Sarah.
jc at 1:34PM on Aug 31st 2008
33. John McCain has just sold out to his first special interest group in this campaign.
The Evangelical Christian community.
His advisors told him that he needs their votes to win. His first choice was Lieberman, who would have alienated this special interest group.
If McCain is elected, I expect to see him trading other important decisions for political gain.
It's a pattern.
Or, he's just a 72 year-old guy who decided he'd rather spend his strategy sessions with a 44 year-old 2nd runner up in the Miss Alaska pageant... without all the Monica jokes.
William Hays at 1:37PM on Aug 31st 2008
34. Oh, Ada. How terribly intelligent you are. To extrapolate from one hockey mom's blog the specious claim that the there are unseen hordes of hockey moms with precisely the same views--what a stroke of wit and genius. Others have mentioned the fact that her views are mainstream, but I understand that your definition of mainstream is undoubtedly the correct one.
To those of you who disagree with this steaming pile of horse manure (the blog, not the woman, although...), I recommend that you stop clicking the link to further facsimiles thereof. I used to look at the Young Turks' blogs in much the same way one watches the Special Olympics, but I recently had an epiphany. If I don't click the link, I don't add to the number of hits their blog registers. If their blog has a low number of hits, AOL can't charge as much for ads on that particular page. And if AOL can't make money off the rantings of Cenk and his fellow deviants, eventually they'll be banished to talking into thin air, much as Ada deserves. Go forth and do likewise.
Jay at 2:01PM on Aug 31st 2008
35. Can you give me one reason why he would pick Palin over some one like Romney or Powell?
Romney's and McCain's personalities do not mesh.
They have a different style of doing things. He would not add that much to the ticket.
Colin Powell has already been burned by going near "politics" since his retirement. So he would graciously refused.
Palin offers a fresh face. Someone whose personality meshes with MdCain's. She has experience at the local and state level just as Senator Obama, although maybe one year less total experience. She has been part of the "executive" branch, evanthough at the state level, it still counts as executive experience. However as Vice President in a McCain administration she would would being "mentored" not the other way around.
Besides what do you really have against mooseburgers? Also since the annoucement only came out Friday, around noon time, why is there so much "panick" or "worry" on some posters parts ?
This being evident by the negative postings that seem to abound but they all repeat/cite the same stories, rumors, etc. Just give it time. Let people get to know the candidate or is that what some are afraid of? Try watching interviews such as on C-Span from 6 - 8 months ago. Long before
when Sarah Palin was known only by those people whom she was their governor.
M2D5 at 2:13PM on Aug 31st 2008
36. Governor Palin, there are millions of women across this nation that support you! We are pro-life and pro-family. We believe that human life begins at conception. Praise God that you gave birth to Trig; what a beautiful choice! We know that the pro-abortion crowd only uses the excuse of who is taking care of the "special needs" child because they would have preferred you have an abortion. You are alright with me. Having a law degree from Harvard or Yale means NOTHING, if you use it to promote infanticide. It means NOTHING, if your world view is antithetical to to the gospel. McCain definitely has my vote!
janesophie1 at 2:36PM on Aug 31st 2008
37. Women must also understand that to vote for this President and Vice-President team because she is a women,could give McGovern enough votes to be elected. He will probably have three appointments to the Supreme Court during his term and one more conservative Justice will be enough to overturn Roe v. Wade. Is that in their interest?
Myles Haynes at 3:37PM on Aug 31st 2008
38. Women must also understand that to vote for this team for President and Vice President, just because she is a woman, could give McCain enough votes to be elected President. Once there, he will probably have three appointments to the Supreme Court and one more conservative Justice is enough to overturn Roe v.Wade. Is that in their interest?
Myles Haynes at 3:43PM on Aug 31st 2008
39. I teach an after school drama program, and I teach Greek myths involving gods and goddesses. We have gotten to such a pass with religious sensibilities in the schools that I have to constantly say "It's just a story" when I teach the Greek myths because the kids have obviously been sensitized to react adversely to anything that presents a different world view from their religion - even if it's an admitted myth. I have heard from science teachers tha they have trouble teaching biology in a straightforward manner because some kids are so sensitive to anything that challenges creationism. Can we keep the religion in the churches and the science and mythology in the classroom, please??
Mel at 3:55PM on Aug 31st 2008
40. Global Warming is a Fact....The thing Al Gore doesn't tell you is that the Temperature on Mars is rising too. I hope he can find out how SUVs are causing that before Venus is affected too!!!
Global Warming is mainly caused by the Sun, and Volcanic activity on Earth.
The Whole in the Ozone was probability caused by Nuclear Bomb testing....maybe someone should do a study on that.
rob at 3:58PM on Aug 31st 2008
41. You know what - it's a done deal. Now I suggest that those of us who cannot stomach the idea of another four more years of Republican Rule, get out the vote for Obama and Biden. The right wingers are never going to agree with we horrifying "liberals" (they use the word like it means "plague carrier") and they wouldn't care if MCcain had a chimp for VP as long as it was a right to life, Republican chimp. So don't waste your breath. If they aren't fed up with how things are in this country, then they will proceed to vote Republican. I am fed up. We need a change. Obama is not the messiah but he can at least start us down a different road and, maybe we can start to pull ourselves out of the various messes we are in. Maybe. If not, then we go down with the ship.
M. MacQueen at 4:11PM on Aug 31st 2008
42. I can sum this up in two words: Window Dressing.
You figure it out.
Robert at 4:29PM on Aug 31st 2008
43. Hi Jane!
And what do you call those conceived that are subsequently shed by the host- murder?
Nope. God's will.
You are a pathetic fucking joke.
Robert at 4:32PM on Aug 31st 2008
44. This United States of America was founded on Christianity......doesn't mean you can't worship how you want to! But as a Nation, we are christians, and to lose that means the downfall of the greatest nation ever.
Adam at 5:45PM on Aug 31st 2008
45. If women don't want babies.....stop having sex, same goes for men. To kill an innocent baby for the sins of the parents is so cowardly!!!
Adam at 5:52PM on Aug 31st 2008