To take an anthropological perspective, much of the power Palin seems to revel in these days comes directly from her all too evident fecundity. She has the raw female power of a bitch nursing a litter, and even a man walking in on that must defer. Her turfy snarl, her greasy-looking copious beehived hair, her image in photos — streaming with the grume of elk and the blood of fish — her frank baring of gender characteristics like legs, her confidence in proceeding to whatever’s next on instinct alone, her clannish interpretation of dominance and its perks — all this is very animal, canine/ursine type. It’s threatening, and it’s getting to people in ways they can’t articulate, and subduing them and forcing them to make nice.

Test: if not for her too-many children, how would Sarah Palin be coming off? An ambitious Alaskan know-nothing? Just another eschatological terrorist, only Christian? A bad hair book burner? A petro-swillng pork-loving anti-environmentalist? A triple threat to the rights of women and girls? She needs those kids, from the ill-aspected pregnant teenager to the infant at a perpetual disadvantage — signal: she is bountiful, she is provident, she can afford these non-earners. Yes, she has turned Hillary from nag to sybil, a very guardian of civilization. The lies and corruption that so distressed some about Hillary now look like the slightest of abuses. But Hillary was a mother only once, and the female face of power, since before Roman times, is more compelling when truly fecund. “Faustina-Empress-Fecund,” it says on one side of a coin of the realm of Trajan.

Ever since I heard Palin’s speech, the hairs on the back of my neck have been standing up. I don’t have to think about her. All I need to do is to seek to remove her by any means necessary. Her feral presence is a wolf at the door, heralding a long, long night. It’s not enough for her to lose, not even remotely enough.

But, really, we all perceive all of this from our own life experiences. Everything you are saying is very true. I think I’ve just developed the ability over time to ignore idiots…I mean commentators and their ridiculous comments. I haven’t been aware of Palin getting a pass maybe because I tuned out the second McCain made that move the day after Obama’s incredible speech. So, I’ve heard none of the Palin rhetoric and don’t want to. I also have a thing about tuning out religious fanatics in general, being up to my neck in Middle East politics for various reasons. I know who I’m voting for. I don’t want to waste my energy. I wasted a great deal of energy on Hilary. I can see how Hilary would be threatening to men and sound like a nagging wife. I once called a cop who said that about me. I was only 30! But I know for a fact that such guys are miserable people.

Hilary will always be a sore point for women on both sides of the fence. I know my old feminist establishment friends were enraged with my comments about Robin Morgan’s rant. It’s fascinating how strongly each side feels about this issue. I mean, Hilary may have been called a nag, but Obama was called a Muslim.. as if that were an insult. That bothers me much more.

Well, I love you anyway. And frankly, the only thing I objected to about Hilary were those brightly colored pants suits. Definitely NOT presidential.

Hillary is middle-aged. Several commentators said her tone of voice reminded them of a nagging wife. (I want to scream when I think about this even now.) Her ambition and intelligence were used against her repeatedly. She was threatening to many men. I don’t understand this, but it was clearly the case.

Then along comes Ms. Palin. She’s very sexy, confident and ambitious. As one commentator wisely pointed out, her leadership style is closer to Bush’s than anyone else’s–agree with me or you’ll be punished, my way or no way, loyalty to me first, God told me to do this, shooting from the hip…But her physical appearance has resulted in her being treated very differently than Hillary. She gets a pass where other women, many of them so much more competent and intelligent, have not. It just pisses me off. I know, I know, I know, who said life is fair? But I am still PISSED.

Also, there was plenty of fuss about Obama being black, he just played it down because that would only hurt him politically.

As for Sarah: now that one is painful, clearly cynical, scary, clearly meant to one-up Obama not choosing Hilary. clearly chosen for all the wrong reasons: only because she’s female, a mother of five, an evangelical Christian. If she is ever president, which is highly likely if McCain wins, the Bush years will seem wonderful. The choice just shows what a sick, sick country we are and I too have felt sick and have stopped reading the news completely. But I hate to say this but I truly believe the feminist fuss over Hilary and claims to vote for McCain made this an inevitable countermove. I don’t think any of this is about sexism. It’s about politics as usual.