Sarah Palin, ACK!

I've recently been extremely worried about the election. It seems to be looming in the distant future, with only more and more depressing news being released every day. With the onslaught of Palin press, I cannot help but think that I have never felt that my reproductive rights were more imminently threatened. Granted, my reproductive rights only recently became an important part in my life considering my age, but in sharing this concern with women, including my mom and godmother and other women generations before me, they concur. In working within the pro-choice and comprehensive sex ed movements at Planned Parenthood and other organizations, I've heard many women who there echo my concerns about Roe vs. Wade, even before Palin took the stage as GOP VP nominee. Many believe it will take an actual overturning of that historic case for the majority of women in the country to wake up to how perilous our reproductive rights have become. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it seems as if we're getting too close for my comfort. I was relieved, a bit, to read this recent article posted on Feministing.com about women viewing Palin more skeptically than men. The poll appeared on FiveThirtyEight.com on August 30th and it states that the gender gap is present and unexpectedly skewed. Women have a 23 point difference between Ayes and Nays about whether or not Palin is ready to be President. Basically, the gap between (the majority) of women polled who believe she is not ready and those who believe she is ready is much larger among women than men, proving Palin's divisive powers. I hope that this momentum continues and that women continue to question her policies and positions as they may be more able to look past her "hockey mom, bookish hottie" image and cut through the bullshit to what is really going on here.

Thanks to Feministing.com and http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/women-more-skeptical-of-palin-than-men.html.