The market dropped 500 points today, my professional alma mater Merrill Lynch is being bought/bailed out, and because I own Merrill stock, our net worth is not what it was a year ago...
So let's talk about Sarah Palin.
Isn't that a bit trivial, you ask.
I initially thought so, and started to write a different post, but changed my mind.
Will you you hear me out?
Women love her. Women hate her. Whether the NY Times or the WSJ, our responses have been quite visceral.
Which made me wonder -- are we voting for a political candidate, or an archetype?
If I'm honest -- both.
So as an archetypal figure, here's why I think I like her so much.
The cynical part of me knows John McCain chose Sarah Palin because she expanded his pool of potential votes, but her being where she is validates me and many other conservative women nonetheless. Here's why:
1) There's now a huge cohort in our country that can say, if Sarah Palin can be chosen so can I; my husband doesn't even have to be president first. It's not that we want to be president per se, it just feels good to know that if we work really hard, and get a little lucky, we too can have our very own American dream. We couldn't say that before.
2) In Sarah Palin, we see a woman who is happily married, happily a mother, with children who are not perfect. As she owns her choice, she validates ours.
3) And as we watch Sarah Palin attend to her relationships AND to her identity, embarking on the Psyche-like journey of learning to achieve goals and accomplish tasks, we believe we can too. While I undoubtedly simplified this, Sarah Palin appears to be a both/and woman. She may be quite harried at the moment, but it is unlikely she's desperate and depressed.
If I didn't share her political views, it would likely be different (e.g. I could identify with Nancy Pelosi), but I can't separate that out.
So, why talk about Sarah Palin on a day when the stockmarket has been routed?
Because when we're a little bit scared the best thing we can do is to redouble our dreaming.
There are many ways for a country to be under attack; we were again reminded of this last week (9/11). But the most important attacks can come from within. When the financial markets swoon, and we wonder if there will be enough, it is easy to let fear hold sway, to let our dreams die. When we do that, the enemy wins.
Sarah Palin reminds us that the American dream -- our dreams -- are alive and well.
On a day like today, that's money in the bank.
Related posts:
Walking through the unknown
Bounty
Why we are skeptical of Hillary Clinton
Myth of Psyche
What I've learned by identifying my heros
I have been reading your blog for a while. I wouldn't classify it as one of the most masculine blogs I frequent but I do enjoy reading your posts. I am part of that 80 plus percentage of Alaskans that support Palin. I certainly agree with what you have said. Keep up the good work. ~Erik
Posted by: Erik Massey | September 16, 2008 at 12:30 AM
I have been reading your blog for several months and this is one of my favorite posts--likely because it is so straight forward in stating the inspiration we can find even times when the world around us seems dark. We live in a time when there are so many opportunities for women. Well-said!
Posted by: Lori Lyn | September 16, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Well said! For all the talk about women's liberation, the left are attacking Palin with a vengeance. I would love to see her succeed, just for the sake of all of the dreamers (including me) who have worked so hard to juggle our families and our work and our dreams. To be told she should stay at home with her daughter (shouldn't the daughter take responsibility for her actions now?) or that she doesn't have experience (doesn't she have more than Obama?) or that only a man can shoot for the moon (are women to be in the workforce, but only in menial jobs?) makes me root even more for Palin.
Great article!
Posted by: Lisa | September 16, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I agree with your assessment of the effect that Palin is having on many Republican women. She sends the message that "even moms" can do it. This is heartening and inspiring for many Republican women who feel disenfranchised and devalued.
However, it's essential to cast our votes based on whether we agree with the candidate's politics - irrespective of their gender. Hilary Clinton is also a woman and a mom, but her ascension in politics - I sense - has nothing to with the fact that women like her. She won the senatorial election in New York state because the majority agreed with her stance on the issues.
I wonder if what is so refreshing for Republican women in respect to Palin is that they simply do not have many role models of strong, successful women who are roaming the public sphere. There are plenty roaming the private sphere...
Posted by: Janna | September 16, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Ditto, ditto, ditto... :-)
We didn't have Lehman stock, but we had the low-risk ("safe") part of our portfolio parked in Lehman-backed notes (which will certainly lose significant value), so we're feeling a bit grim ourselves. Misery loves company. Good friends help me keep perspective on what matters in life--good health, food, a house, beautiful children, music, blue skies.
A lot of my friends on the left have been asking why I like Palin. (As one stated, I am the only Republican she knows. Welcome to the diverse Republic of Cambridge!) I have been startled and taken aback by the vehemence of their response to her--pure, unadulterated contempt, bordering on hatred. One asked me what Palin was going to do, drag a trailer to the White House? (At the risk of stating the obvious, that's a euphemism for "white trash" folks.) I thought the left was supposed to be liberal and tolerant, but I digress. (To be fair, a number of my friends have been very polite and really seemed to want to know and understand my point of view.)
You're right on--Sarah Palin demonstrates that sometimes dreams come true!
Regarding Nancy Pelosi: I disagree with her politics, but she is a great mother to her five children, and I love the photos with her grandchildren. Go Nancy!
Posted by: EHD | September 16, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Nicely written. I'm extremely liberal so maybe that's part of the reason that I don't see a reflection of "dare to dream" in Mrs. Palin. She is profoundly unqualified for the job she has been nominated to and the nomination was a cynical one. Rather than honoring her or other women like her, it seems to me to denegrate us. Her unblinking willingness to look at her own inadequacy to the task doesn't make me proud of my gender... any more than George Bush's inadequacy spoke well for men of little substance or skill aspiring to jobs they are not equipped for. I'm as passionate in my beliefs as anyone, but I like to think I have enough intelligence to question them. Even in the case of Mrs. Palin, I have done lots of research. I'm reading a lot of material on her. I'll confess that my sources tend to be more left-wing than sources you may read, but even many major conservatives are troubled by her lack of - not experience - experience can be gained - but by her lack of knowledge and her seeming lack of the capacity or desire to question and learn. Should the nightmare (from my perspective) of a McCain Palin presidency come to reality, I think it would be a set-back for women. The societal double standard is still strong enough that should a woman like Palin take such high office and fail at it, it would set all of womankind back at least a generation. I think she's actually a dream killer. But I'll admit I'm biased against her to begin with.
Posted by: Raven | September 16, 2008 at 03:32 PM
Okay, after a day of wading through my emotions and working very hard to post a diplomatic comment about Sarah Pallin (see below - I was really gritting my teeth through that)...I finally get what Whitney is saying here.
Continue to dream -- no matter the apparent obstacles.
I find that message so beautiful, so true, and so relevant to women living out their dreams. As a small business owner, I experience what could be perceived as setbacks almost every day. I'm learning, however, that these experiences are opportunities. If a high-billing client decides to "tighten their belt" by forgoing tutoring for a few months, that's an opportunity for me to find another client -- not a message that I am failing. This approach has helped me feel less like a victim. Moreover, the energy I would've spent on doubt and fear is rerouted to getting new clients.
My yoga practice teaches me this daily as well. The difficult poses are opportunities to open and change, and along the way, develop new abilities.
As we face these uncertain financial times, we are reminded that dreaming is good. And even better, actually live the dream.
Posted by: Janna | September 16, 2008 at 04:32 PM
When I read this blog Whitney, I understood the Dare to Dream scenario that you presented. I just hope that Palin's dream coming true is good for our country. I want both parties to have the very best candidates...we are then given some hope that the damage to our nation can be repaired.
Thank you for the comment on my blog, An exchange of ideas is always good. Especially when we understand that when we write, we understand ourselves and others better. It was not my intention to be confrontational or to diminish other points of view.
My "girl friends/old people" always say "You must really feel strongly about that!" or "I will have to disagree!" Sometimes it is as good thing and sometimes not...I will say I have never changed anyone's mind. I have changed their opinion of me though and a lot of times not for the better. Sigh!!
b
Posted by: b | September 17, 2008 at 03:21 PM
One of the most striking things about the Palin debate is that some of the most hateful things I have heard or read about her have been from women.
As women we can be each other's strongest supporters and loudest cheerleaders. But on the other hand we can be each other's loudest critics. Beyond that we can be downright nasty to one another. Regardless of what I might think of Palin's stance on abortion or the environment, isn't it my duty to not be visceral (proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking) for one moment and applaud her for what she has accomplished in her life, even prior to being nominated for vice-president?
I enjoyed hearing her speak at the convention. I felt as though I was listening to a woman who I could sit and have a beer or a cup of coffee with, not a life-long slick politician. She is unapologetically herself. I also like that. She has a bear rug in her office. I guess she didn't get the memo that taxidermy is uncool especially in the design-blog world. She owns her choice. She owns who she is. I applaud her again.
Could that ownership be why I hear such unreasonable animosity towards her by women? Are we jealous of that ownership?
For me it is not an issue of politics. (Although on voting day it surely will be..) It saddens me that as far as we as women have come, sometimes we seem to be our own worst enemies and the ones who are holding ourselves back. It's not the 'man' anymore, or if it is 'he' is a small part of it. It is us. How much more would we accomplish if we in a non-partisan fashion recognized our differences, celebrated them and supported each other despite them.
One more thing. Regardless of who was elected president in 2000, 9/11 would have happened. right? The one date in our history has had so many consequences. Would our country be in any better of a state if Al Gore were president? I am not convinced. I am not convinced that any of the candidates have the 'experience' or knowledge or desire that it will really take to get our country in a better place. Just like I do not give Clinton all the credit for the technology bubble years that gave us such a booming economy, I do not place all the blame on Bush for everything that has transpired in the last eight years. It is about time that we as Americans take some responsibility for the state of our country and society and take responsibility for ourselves. Ownership. We need to own our choices, ourselves and our future and stop waiting for some miracle politician to do it for us.
Posted by: erinn | September 19, 2008 at 08:56 PM
ps.
Whitney, thank you for not writing another post and providing a place for me to express my opinion about something that has brought me to tears in the past few weeks.
Posted by: erinn | September 19, 2008 at 08:58 PM
Will you do a little bit more research on Sarah Palin -- about what she actually has to say about the world and how it should function? She just doesn't seem qualified. Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts, even if you disagree with me.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 29, 2008 at 11:08 AM