Friday, August 29, 2008

It Is Now An Amazing Race

I knew that I would be excited with a Gov. Palin pick for V.P. But I never imagined the reaction I would get from those Libertarian type Republicans that I hang around with on the net. I never expect the reaction I would get from Hillary supporters. I was overwhelmed with phone calls, e-mails, and comments from people who had previously told me they were staying home in November, but not now. Pundits on the right who have never had a good thing to say about McCain because of immigration and campaign finance, are suddenly excited about this V.P. pick.

Many people like to say that abortion is too important to the Hillary supporters and that Palin is pro-life. My feeling is that women in general, left or right, don't have abortion on the top of their agenda. I don't think most women who are Democrat see aborting children as their number one issue. I see women caring about things like healthcare, education for their children, and keeping the money they make.

In Palin they see a working Mom who has made a success out of her life, but has had to face adversity as we all do. They see someone with a marriage that we would all like to have. They see a someone who knows what it's like to get up at 5:00am so you can be ready at 6:00am to wake the kids, feed them breakfast, and get them out the door to school as you run off to work. They see someone who probably almost fell asleep in a meeting because they were up all night with a sick child. They see someone who was willing to go up against the big boys in corruption and win. They see someone down to earth, approachable, and smart.

In other words, They see themselves.

This kind of woman rises above the usual divisive issues that separate us as women. Because we all know what work it is to raise a family. We know that women carry the bulk of that load when it comes to grocery, schedules, and chores. Women know that Palin has been there and women like that. They like the thought of a Vice President that would know what that's like.
Palin has injected into this candidacy an excitement and glee that I haven't seen since Reagan ran for President.

I know this is an exciting time for African Americans too, and I honor that. In fact, having Palin on the ticket makes me understand it a bit more.