Earlier this month, Gloria Steinem wrote an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, entitled, “Wrong Woman, Wrong Message.” The title refers, of course, to Gov. Sarah Palin. Sadly, Ms. Steinem’s message seems to be that unless you think exactly like her, you deserve to be vilified in the national press. And not just you, but also your running mate and the nearly hundred million Republicans and Independents (and some sensible Democrats) who don’t measure up to all of her exacting expectations and demands. In this piece, Steinem exhibits all four of the stages of Conservative Female Abuse.
I forced myself to read through it all, but just wading through the name-calling and dripping condescension was decidedly disturbing. Clearly, this is a woman who doesn’t believe in the old saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. This article was pure vinegar. Let’s wade through the fever swamp of her more egregious ideas and phrases, which are liberally (heh) strewn throughout the entire 14-paragraph piece:
- “anti-feminist right wing”
- “the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party”
- “trying to appease the gender gap”
- “picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need”
- “Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton”
- “down-home, divisive and deceptive speech”
- “cosmeticize a Republican convention”
- “owned and operated by the right wing”
- “elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular”
- “putting a job candidate’s views on “God, guns and gays” ahead of competence”
- “chosen Palin out of change-envy”
- “women can’t tell the difference between form and content”
- “main motive was to please right-wing ideologues”
- “taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs”
- “government control of women’s wombs”
- “lesser evil of offshore drilling”
- “right-wing patriarchs” [there's those patriarchs again!]
- “invite government into the wombs of women”
If Ms. Steinem really wanted to make a persuasive argument against Gov. Palin as the Republican nominee for Vice President, I’m sure she could have done so, clearly and cogently. She obviously didn’t aspire to that lofty height, instead choosing to spray her audience liberally with plain old cider vinegar. Sadly for Steinem, vinegar is best used for making pickles.
Stoutcat
