• the217
• Life
• Editor's Note

Sarah Palin is scared of the press, and I can’t blame her. This week Palin, who has been avoiding the media like most people avoid stalkers and syphilis, met with a slough of world leaders at the United Nations in New York and attempted to ditch a CBS producer at the last minute in an attempt to reap the benefits of photo coverage of the event while avoiding any media questions.

The McCain campaign has also managed to avoid any type of Palin press conference, and has allowed only three network interviews with the vice presidential candidate.

But why is the GOP so afraid of the press getting to Palin? If she’s so qualified and likeable, then shouldn’t they want the press to get to know her?

The reality of the situation is that they picked Palin because her “hockey mom” appeal would pull in some of Hillary Clinton’s “I’ll vote for any woman” voters. What they didn’t account for is that Palin just isn’t qualified for the job.

Let’s be honest: everyone knows that Alaska is basically Canada minus universal health care, so it’s unrealistic to think Palin could run an entire country. Anyone that’s taken an college level sociology or women’s studies course know that Palin’s stance on abortion and other women’s issues is dated and supports the patriarchal values that have oppressed women for centuries.

And what would she do in the statistically likely event 72-year-old McCain died while in office? Nobody’s sure, and the Republians are so forcefully pushing her mom image on voters that I’m tempted to say she’d bake America some brownies rather than become a solid leader.

The GOP seems to think they have the best chance of winning the election if they keep Palin as far away from the press as possible. They’re probably right. Keeping the American public in the dark until it’s too late seems to be their style.