As I watched Governor Sarah Palin give her speech Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, I was reminded of the Samuel Johnson quote about women preachers:
“… a woman’s preaching is like a dog’s walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.”
I’m surprised that anyone is surprised that a woman can give a “pit bull” speech. Why not? There are some, both women and men, who don’t like Sarah Palin, hence the “caribou barbie” moniker, and worse.
I for one am thrilled that there are two top-level women in the national spotlight. Hillary and Sarah represent both ends of the baby boomer spectrum; Hillary (born in 1947), is an “early” boomer; Sarah (born in 1964) is a “late” boomer. Both represent their ends of the generation well.
Governor Palin’s entrance onto the political scene should be considered a fantastic step forward for women in politics. In 1984, I chaired a conference on Women in Politics in Florida; our timing was great, of course, as Geraldine Ferraro stepped forward as the Democratic nominee for vice president. I’ve watched since then for more women to be called, but not until now, 24 years later, has that happened.
Baby boomer women were the first to step onto the national political stage in their own right. Let’s celebrate that achievement and quit taking pot-shots.
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