VP pick Sara Palin frightens me.
She frightens me because I fully understand the power of ultra conservative, fundamentalist women and I know how many of them there still are. All I have to do is go sit in a diner in any small town in Minnesota, and listen to nearby conversations for a half hour to know that things are not than much different today than they were in the 60’s, for women born and raised there.
Or I can simply stay home and spend time in the Lobby of this large senior apartment complex, and listen to my “good christian neighbors” bemoaning the lack of morals, those “godless gays”, and how “The blacks are everywhere now!”
I understand this power because I was raised by this these kinds of people, in a time and culture where every single societal value and norm was dictated by the same right wing religious fanaticism McCain is pandering to by choosing this particular woman to run for VP.
McCain/Rove know exactly what I know: that these women, along with their men, all programmed to the core by fundamentalist Christianity and Ultra Conservative values, will be the FIRST at the polls come November. They will be first in line because they are absolutely CONVINCED they are not only doing Gods will, but are also PROTECTING their children and their families.
McCain/Rove KNOW there is no way any new information can ever penetrate minds that solidly programmed by right wing religious/conservative ideology. These people are fighting a “religious war” against evil, in their own minds, and anyone who discounts the power of people coming from a stance like that, is playing with pure, explosive fire.
McCain/Rove know EXACTLY what they’re doing. They picked exactly the right “bait”, in Palin, to hook this crowd. This is a calculated move to use this woman to draw out enough of the fundie vote to toss the election. She’s a very valuable and expendable chess piece in this last ditch attempt to keep the power right smack in the hands that have been holding it for the past eight years.
Do not count on anything but this: this WILL draw the Fundie Fringe to the polls in droves.
I promise you it will, because I KNOW these people: nothing else matters to them except winning the war against “evil”, which consists of every concept and value outside of their own.
Please listen. I know how difficult it is for anyone who has not experienced life under the total rule of this kind of ideology, to comprehend it even being possible.
But if EVER you come up with a measure of willingness to listen to some of us who HAVE lived under it, and have escaped it to tell the tale, this is that time, folks.
Because to ignore the scope of the power of this Fanatic Fringe could once again sink all those bright and beautiful hopes we all felt in our hearts when the Convention ended. We underestimated this force in 2004. We CANNOT afford to do this again, and survive as a Nation.
This fanatical fringe cannot be changed and they cannot be stopped by anything but sheer numbers of US out- numbering them AT THE POLLS, as well as sheer numbers of us making damned sure the election is NOT rigged.
I truly believe that this election is our LAST CHANCE TO STOP this invasive cancer: this unholy alliance between Christian Fundamentalist Fanatics , the Neocons, and the Corporatism of the Elite.
Do NOT UNDERESTIMATE the power of a Sara Palin.
Do NOT UNDERESTIMATE the proven political skills of those with no integrity or principles, those who laugh at our Constitution, those whose only goal is to win and keep power and control in the hands of the likes of Bush/McCain.
And women, PLEASE! ..DO NOT ALLOW THESE CRETINS TO USE THE “DIVIDE AND CONQUER” TACTICS THEY ARE SO SURE ARE GOING TO WORK AGAIN!
I know how hard it is to NOT give into the urge to attack Palin and what she stands for.
I know how hard it is to not react to the likes of a Wolf Blitzer who is so damned stupid and misogynistic he see’s nothing wrong with looking straight into the camera and asking “Will women be swayed by Palin’s appearance on the ticket?” as if we’re all a bunch of stupid sheep -like creatures. (I had to fight to keep from throwing this computer right through the TV screen at that one!)
But I didn’t, because then I’m playing right into their hands. I am not going to bite that “hook” or any of the other “hooks” attached to this selection of Palin as VP.
I am going to use what energy I have to get thinking people to the polls in November, because that is where the rubber will hit the road on this one.
This IS a Hail Mary on McCain/Roves part, which means they are scared, damned scared of losing.
The wind is in our favor, but we ALL have to intercept this one.
Get out the vote. Get out every single vote each one of us possibly can, however we possibly can.
Don’t pass up a single opportunity to inform low info voters , not only of facts and the need to vote, but the need to WATCH THE ELECTION PROCESS LIKE HAWKS, and be willing to raise one hell of a squawk if anything fishy goes on.
I know Obama is not the “second coming”, and I know he won’t be able to fix all that’s gone so deeply wrong with this country. But it is SO CLEAR that he IS a change agent: the right person at the right time, with the right combination of talents, to give all of us the motivation and strength to stand up tall and say “ENOUGH” along with him, and then take individual action on the ground level, where it really COUNTS.
One more thing and then I’ll quit. This is to the women.
The time is coming when we will see a Woman President. You don’t know how long I hoped to be able to say that and believe it. I can now.
But right here, right now, women, is when we can REALLY EXERT OUR COMBINED POWER TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME IN NOVEMBER.
We have the numbers.
LET’S ROLL, WOMEN!