Pundits get it, experts get it, but do mommies get it? How conservative moms feel about Palin

In the wake of Palin's surprise pick as running mate for John McCain's Presidential bid, do "average moms" recognize the intricicies of what's at stake, or do they just see Palin as a female and a mother, dismissing her lack of experience as a result?

After listening to the political "experts" discussing how good, or bad, this choice was for the McCain campaign, I began to wonder how the "average Jane" felt about all these developments. After all, this is the demographic that McCain has put his entire campaign on the line trying to woo, so how are they responding to the snake dance charms?

To get an initial look at the answer to this question I decided to start locally with comments made by "average moms" from my own small town (just like Sarah's). I poked around on a local mom's forum board that I'm registered on to see what the buzz was among the typically conservative mommy set in the area.

Overall, the views were mixed and appeared, even in this conservative state, to be about 50/50 in support either way. But, what was clear was that at least in some small ways, the gamble McCain made was beginning to pay off a few days after the announcement was made to go with Palin.

After the initial shock started to wear off, many moms began expressing excitement with the choice; the idea of having "one of them" in the White House seems too irrisistable, no matter what the media pundits and experts seem to say about Palin's lack of experience. Whether or not this trend will hold, however, remains to be seen but from this short analysis, I'd say anything is possible.

Below is a short summary of some of the more significant comments I found in regard to the Sarah Palin choice, and her speech at the RNC. The first to catch my eye was a finely honed comment made in response to Sarah Palin's convention speech: "If asked what I thought of her speech last night I would have to say that she reminded me of a Middle School Principal at a Pep Rally not the future VP of the United States." The irony of a middle school analogy seemed quite fitting in this case.

This comment was sensibly made by another mom, angikayr: "I liked the idea of Obama b/c I didn't want another 4 years like the past 4 but I didn't really know a lot about either candidate. I finally decided to go to both candidates websites and read what they stand for. I was really surprised what I found from reliable sources. There wasn't a lot of "meat" in Obama's plan and I see what she means by just "talking" about change. I am making my decision for McCain because of what I read about both candidates." At least this proves that even stay-at-home moms can make decisions based on facts directly from the source, instead of being spoon fed opinions from the media.

In another response to Palin's speech Flyer Mom states: "Where was all the so called 'Red Meat' the American people were going to get from her speech?? She did a very good job at taking jabs, making inuendos, smearing mud but where was the substance. She told us all these horrible things that the Democrats will do if elected to office but never once talked about what her answers to Health Care, Education, Military Experience would be."

Schnook@home then responds to Flyer Mom with this comment: "The republicans spent most of the night bashing the democrats instead of telling us what they were going to do and if they did mention anything about what they were going to do it was about foriegn policy (yes, I know it's important too)so, if they were trying to sway my vote they did not do a very good job."

The very last comment on this discussion thread about the Sarah Palin speech was this gem, from ali_colemommy: "The only thing i learned about Sarah Palin last night was that her baby is SO SO SO SO SO (X3000) ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is such a little peach!!" If that were qualification enough for the VP position, then I think this election would be over.

But psveal had a little bit more to say about the Palin choice. Her statements included praise and, just as the McCain camp was hoping, excitement over the potential of someone "just like us" being in the White House. Here's an excert of her comments: "There is talk about Michelle Obama being a mom and a working mom at that. Now we have a potential female VP who is also exactly that. This election will go down in history and that is exciting. I'm thrilled with [McCain's] choice."

Even more adamant about the choice McCain made was JollyGG. She states: "I've spent the morning researching Palin and I gotta say I love her. I wish she was the one running for president. ... Even though her CV is short it is impressive. If McCain looses [sic]I want to see her running for pres. in four years."

What these comments seem to indicate is that although there was initial backlash by many moms at the Palin decision, it may have been driven by campaign media and political pundits, also shocked at the last-minute choice. This seems to have thrown many voters, mommy and non-mommy alike, off course. But perhaps that is just what the McCain campaign had hoped for?

Here's how one mom, BeccaKC, expresses these ideas: "Just last night I told my husband I was packing up and moving to Canada- I didn't feel that McCain had a chance in h*ll, and I don't like Obama- I am very conservative. But today after to shock wore off - I started googling Palin and was very impressed with what I read, I was almost giddy- I called my dh and my mom to make sure they knew too. I have new excitement for this election."

Later BeccaKC continues by stating, "Palin isn't the obvious choice, and that's what makes it so great!"

But happymommy, who doesn't seem so happy with the Palin decision, doesn't agree that she is a good choice at all. She notes: "I think it's a bad gamble, most women democrats who were hoping for our first female president won't switch sides simply because she's a woman. It's insulting."

Mimi concurred, adding: "I am more concerned with what I am getting than getting a woman into office anyway possible. I watched her speech as well and could not help but notice that we have a lot to learn about her as it was mostly fluff. I think she just made Obama/Biden look like the team with experience."

TeaMom expresses her frustration with what she notes is a very confusing choice for running mate. She states: "I personally think he's trying to steal some of Obama's thunder to keep some media attention on him, and he's not necessarily doing what may be best for the country."

And finally, twoathome offers her two cents with this sentiment: "I, as much as any feminist out there, would love to see a woman in the White House, but, from everything I read, Palin is NOT prepared to take the reigns of the top spot in the event that McCain is not able to fulfill his duties as president."

But perhaps the best tidbit I gleaned from my research efforts was this gem of an idea from MomofBoys07 that cropped up during a discussion about the outrageous cost of running these national political campaigns. MomofBoys07 suggests: "Do we really need another commercial about how McCain was a POW and has been a senator for a million years and how Obama is going to end the war, create jobs, and give everyone a pony? We know these things. One or two commercials, that's all we really need. We get it. Send the campaign money to me and I'll think about voting for you."

And THAT my friends, is the best evidence I've seen yet for the obvious need to elect a female as President of the United States; but maybe not this female, quite yet. Palin may be a mother, but so is Hillary Clinton, so is Kay Hutchinson, and I could go on.

Whatever the outcome, I just hope that women play a significant and interactive part in this campaign process, and not just vote for Palin because she's a woman. At least this effort has given me hope that women will, eventually, when we get time between soccer practice and evening meals, find out about what really makes up the political ideology of Sarah Palin. If you agree with her politics, so be it, but I urge women everywhere not to pander to male ideological assumptions about us by voting for McCain simply because he put a mother on the ticket.

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