Get Thee Behind Us, Woman!

This one's for you, Gram.

When I was a little girl, I got to sit at my first real desk, stamping and sealing envelopes. I was proudly introduced to all who passed, and I was even more proud to claim the tall, red-haired business woman beside me as my gram.

Her name was Opal Else Free Kotson. She was an executive at Montgomery Ward. She worked her way up from the bottom with acumen, tenacity and smarts. She did it all on an eighth grade education and sheer determination. Because you see, even with all those names after her given name, she lived a single life caring for two children without help. If she couldn't cut it, they didn't eat.

It wasn't until I was in my twenties and she'd retired that I learned the cold, hard facts about her career. She had made it to the top echelon of management in Montgomery Ward. There were three positions higher than hers. I asked why she hadn't tried for those.

She had.

That was when she was told there would be no further movement in her career. Women were not allowed in the top three management slots.

I remember looking aghast at my gram. And I remember to a tee what I felt...ineffable sorrow that this vital, intelligent woman had spent so many years of her life gazing through that glass ceiling while giving that company every iota of her effort and allegiance...and heartfelt relief that society was past that horrible hurdle—it wasn't going to cripple me, nor any daughters I would have.

Well, I did have a daughter, and when she was eight months old, my gram had just about finished her walk through this world. I raced home with my son and my daughter from where we were living in Germany, but to no avail. She departed our grasp while we were somewhere over the North Atlantic.

So my daughter never got to know her great-gram, though I'd like to think she carries a bit of Opal Else's spirit within her. But certainly, my daughter would travel an equal road with her male counterparts, thanks to the painful trails my gram, and so many like her, blazed.

Au contraire.

Just like my gram, women have reached the plateau of top management in politics. And just like her, so woefully many decades ago, women are being told, unequivocally, that's quite far enough...

'Uh, uh, uh! Not so fast! You can hang with us up here, but don't be thinking you get to be our boss. No way, no how, not gonna happen. And if you persist in your efforts to run the show, we'll send you packing. And it ain't gonna be pretty. So be nice, back off, and

...get thee behind us, woman.'

An Intimidating Woman

A good friend of mine recently sent me a link to an opinion piece in the New York Times. It was by a Judith Warner and it was titled, 'The Mirrored Ceiling'. I'll quote from the very first paragraph of the essay, to give you an idea about it:

“It turns out there was something more nauseating than the nomination of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate this past week. It was the tone of the acclaim that followed her acceptance speech.”

So that's the lay of the land on what follows. I invite you to go to the link and read it in its entirety, http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/the-mirrored-ceiling/?em but I'll confine myself to just one aspect of it here, with a good faith effort to agree with someone who is as rudely incendiary as the media can offer.

If we turn to the contempt-soaked paragraphs that deal with a woman as an 'intimidating presence'...

“....I think, they find her acceptably “real,” because Palin’s not intimidating, and makes it clear that she’s subordinate to a great man.
That’s the worst thing a woman can be in this world, isn’t it? Intimidating, which appears to be synonymous with competent. It’s the kiss of death, personally and politically.

But shouldn’t a woman who is prepared to be commander in chief be intimidating? Because of the intelligence, experience, talent and drive that got her there? If she isn’t, at least on some level, off-putting, if her presence inspires national commentary on breast-pumping and babysitting rather than health care reform and social security, then something is seriously wrong. If she doesn’t elicit at least some degree of awe, then something is missing.

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more. In fact, this—shouldn't a woman who is prepared to be commander in chief be intimidating? Because of the intelligence, experience, talent and drive that got her there?--most perfectly describes Hillary Clinton.

And just look what they did to her song.

Speak Up For Equal Rights, Americans! Even When Your Party Forgets To Do So

Just a few passages to encapsulate the last few freaky days...

“After decades of pushing equal rights and treatment for women, the Left is backtracking. Suddenly motherhood – well, at least too much motherhood or too-complicated motherhood – is incompatible with executive responsibility. Fathers with little children or complex family issues – even some who cheated on their wives – have held office without having to justify their continuing careers. Yet women once again face a very different standard.

Who knew that beyond the glass ceiling feminists vowed to shatter there existed another barrier, imposed by feminists themselves? What happened to choice? To having it all? Have we had a paradigm shift since Aug. 29? What's to stop Governor Palin from doing it all?”

Why, the democrats!

They wish.

“A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters....The new data also shows significant increases in the number who say McCain made the right choice and the number who say Palin is ready to be President. Generally, John McCain's choice of Palin earns slightly better reviews than Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden.”

I guess all that invective spewed by Ed Schultz and all that condescension disgorged by Rachel Maddow were colossal wastes of time. Or perhaps not...

“51% of Americans believe that most reporters are trying to hurt Palin's campaign, a fact that may enhance her own ratings.”

Oh yeah! Fight back, Americans!

“Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin's favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year..."

Imagine that.

Despite all the efforts of the democrats to assure there would be no woman near the Oval Office in 2008, it just might happen. And if it does, the republicans are going to get to take the honors, not only for breaking the glass ceiling, but for shattering the concrete the dems have now erected there, as well.

And they're still pouring that concrete—and getting more and more wild-looking and desperate-sounding as they do it. The name of Palin elicits such facial contortions as to be entertaining.

But as my party goes after Governor Palin's audacity to run for vice president, with, omigosh!, children to be cared for at home, and omigosh!, a daughter who's pregnant but not married, and omigosh!, a husband who collected a DUI 20 years ago, and great balls of fire!, have you seen that shade of pink she was wearing?....

Well, it looks like voters are having none of it.