Gender and sex appeal

Compared to the Vice Presidential debate, last night's Presidential debate had fewer winks, blown kisses, and sexy looks. Sarah Palin's out of control winking and acting cutesy and folksy got me thinking. Hilary Clinton was lambasted in the press for showing a quarter inch of cleavage last summer. Seriously. I've seen principals, college presidents, and CEOs dressed more provocatively at church.

Sarah Palin has worn skirts without stockings in public. Fine. There's nothing wrong with that, but why the double standard? Is it the "Well, gosh darn, I don't know how to be fancy like you folks!" phenomenon?

Vice Presidents (and Presidents) should not be picked based on sex appeal. But, how is Sarah Palin playing the "cute" card and how is it working? Do Americans see a beautiful woman or do they see "themselves"? I know that I would be floundering if I were the Vice Presidential nominee, but there are several reasons that I am not. Is Palin just used to using her good looks and charm to pull herself out of uncomfortable situations, or has she been prepped by the McCain campaign to play up her folksy features to appeal to the average American?

This video does a good job of condensing the winks (if you can stand it):



Stephanie Miller nailed it while she was on Larry King Live. Folksy is fine, but Vice President should be someone who is knowledgeable enough to run the country. You can't bluff your way through the Presidency or Vice Presidency. You can't be spoon-fed party lines and talking points for four years. There are too many mistakes to make. We've already had George Bush for 8 years. America needs something new, and that doesn't mean inexperienced and incompetent.