Not a Mama, not a grizzly, but I can still growl

Am I the only one who thinks this new web video from Sarah Palin's SarahPAC is just a little condescending?



Titled "Mama Grizzlies," the video has Palin talking in voice over about how this election year will see a "mom awakening," over footage of women at protests, rallies, and otherwise getting involved in the political process. Unless I missed it, the video doesn't show the various women that Palin has endorsed for office, such as Nikki Haley in South Carolina and Carly Fiorina in California.

And - again, unless I missed it - nowhere do we see any non-white women. We also don't see women like Hillary Clinton (our country's third female Secretary of State out of the last four), or our own Governor Bev Perdue, or our female Senator Kay Hagan (who defeated Senator Elizabeth Dole), or our Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who could well join Hagan in the Senate this year (which I think would make N.C. the only other state besides Maine with two female senators). For that matter, we don't see Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe. We don't see Condi Rice or Madeleine Albright. We don't see Sandra Day O'Connor. We sure as hell don't see Barbara Jordan.

That's what I meant by condescending. Women have *always* been involved in politics, even before we were allowed to vote. To me, this video's sole purpose is to make those few women (some of whom may not in fact have children!) who have never bothered to do their part as citizens feel better about their previous lack of involvement. It's just as annoying as the messages some of the "new left" was putting out circa 2006, which too often tipped into anti-Bush rage. But the problem is that frustration - well-informed or not - is not a substitute for competence.

It's not in any way feminist to suggest that women are automatically better at governing than anyone else, as if we have special woman powers that get super-activated if and when we procreate.

I think it's awesome that more people in general are paying attention to their government, because we need as many voices as possible if we're going to develop fair and effective policy. It's true that there are people who, because of the financial crisis, the wars, fascination with the president's skin tone, whatever, are looking at politics for the first time. That should absolutely be encouraged. But some of those people - because they are new to this - are ignorant of some pretty critical facts. That's not an insult, it's just a product of becoming aware of something you never really followed before.

And what those people - women AND men - need is not some cheering section assuring them that *they're* not the problem, that their outrage is sufficient. What they need is someone who thinks enough of their intelligence and dignity to say, "Welcome to the party! Here's a briefing book."