Sorry if posting it only compounds the problem of women being seen solely as sex objects, even when they are running for VP, but it something I am seeing the Republicans push, so the sign makes a comment.One of my first thoughts after hearing about Palin is that a good trick by the Republicans would be to have someone like Buchanan or Novak or Savage say something sexist, then she could denounce the sexists in her own party and try to win those Hillary voters over. This might be the first wave on that line.
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The more I think about this, the tougher I think the needle we need to thread becomes.
First, while I think it's more than fair to point out that she's inexperienced and something of a lightweight in the national scene, there's nothing I've seen to indicate that she's incompetent. I think the distinction between inexperience and incompetence is easy to blur, and if the perception becomes that we're alleging incompetence a propos of nothing, the sexism charge will be hurled in our direction.
I also think it's fair to call this selection what it is - a cynical gimmick that is incredibly sexist in its own right. But we run the risk of falling into the Rovian "weakness-is-strength" trap. By pointing out the sexism inherent in the pick (especially with signs like the one you just posted), the charge, again, gets hurled back in our direction.
Maybe I'm being a little too cautious here, but we've got to play our cards right with Palin.
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