Sarah Palin is a "game changer." The game she has changed is that played by the more conservative members of the Republican Party -- and that is exciting. She is a woman taking the leading role in her family. She is a woman who is the primary bread winner. She is a woman with a large family with small children who is also pursuing a high-powered career. And she is a woman with children who are not perfect when it comes to "biblical sexual values." And the Republican right loves her. And that is a win for everyone. Sarah Palin has conservatives sounding like feminists, speaking up for women's rights. She models what a strong woman can look like, standing on her own in what once was a "man's world." As the father of two adult daughters, I am grateful to see a strong woman on the Republican ticket. Whether I agree with her politics or not, I believe she has already changed the game in a positive way.
--Adam Hamilton is senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, and the author of SEEING GRAY IN A BLACK AND WHITE WORLD: THOUGHTS ON RELIGION, MORALITY, AND POLITICS (Abingdon Press, 2008).
Does Governor Sarah Palin give all the women employed by the government of Alaska the same privilege she gives herself - a crib in their office - or at last an infant seat by the women's desk?
Her example of having a baby at her age - frequently resulting in a special needs child - is not a good one for ANY woman.
The population of the world is too great and many people are starving. Perhaps she should have considered adopting an orphaned child from the AIDS tragedy in Africa.
Sarah Palin in the ticket follows the same strategy as having Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice in high positions, yet bringing very little diversity into the politics as usual game: the use of gender and race to show inclusiveness within a conservative white-male-privilege world where they can play a part clearly assigned to them. I do not think she would 'shake' anything in Washington but prove herself either ineffective as Powell and Rice or, hopefully not, be a promoter of extreme views and policies, as well as a furthering of the politics of privilege. She is a genuine child of the Bush era, and a potentially real ally for the neoconservatives who do not let go of power by way of the democratic process. I also wonder why she repeatedly reminded us of the power of veto she has and that Mc Cain will have?
As a United Methodist, I am angered by the Republicans, including Gov Palin. While she may talk to walk, she is not walking the walk. In addition to her many lies, her attack on Community Organizers was appalling.
Rev. Hamilton’s blog post “Sarah Palin Changes the Game” and the first three comments illustrate the premise of his book. Rev. Hamilton is attempting to “light a candle” and look at the “glass as half full.” The first three comments are “black and white” / “cursing the darkness” / the “glass is half empty” attitudes that express an unwillingness to look at a woman as being successful when that woman differs with their narrow view of change. They remain fixed in their “black and white” world where nothing is gray.
For certain people it is not sufficient that Governor Palin provides an example of a crib in the workplace. They are only happy if their narrow view of social justice becomes a government mandate forced on the rest of us. It is even more appalling that certain people missed the point of her message and believe she attacked “community organizers.” While I would not judge the intent of the authors of these comments, for perhaps they are Obama operatives, it is apparent that their comments are not designed to “see gray” but to exploit the “classes.”
it surprises me that adam hamilton and others who are devout christians look to sarah palin as such a role model (especially for their daughters)considering she engaged in pre marital sex, and consequently was pregnant before marriage. and we wonder why her daughter has done the same? hmm.
as a side note... i, myself, am a devout christian, am pro-life, work with special needs, and will have both a career and family. whether sarah palin had pre-marital sex or not, will not dictate my vote; i don't care, it is none of business, nor does it have anything to do with how she will run our government. i beg you, please stop being fooled by the media and the religious right. please, if you vote for this woman have it be because you think she would be a superb VP, not because she is someone you want to head up the christmas program next november.
The thing I like best about Palin is her uncanny ability to make the left upset about everything,
Socialists are mean!