I Am Sarah Palin

Much has been made lately about John McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for Vice Presidential running mate, and his "attempt" to attract women voters who had supported Hillary Clinton.

As if the only women that the candidates needed to reach are former Hillary supporters. I know it might be a surprise to the media, but not all of us are Hillary wanna-bes.

How about a candidate for the rest of us?

Us women with college degrees who chose to stay home with our kids, who clean toilets and mop floors, cook meals and wash dishes, and spend our days wiping runny noses and changing dirty diapers?

Us women who love the environment and strive to be good stewards of it, but refuse to worship at the altar of government elitists who talk big but don't walk the same road they're demanding of their followers?

Us women married to men who work with their hands and keep the roads, sewers, and garbage routes operating, who build your houses and repair your roofs, men that Washington elitists hire to do their dirty work?

Us women who wouldn't have voted for Hillary anyway, who are thrilled to actually have a female candidate who looks like us, talks like us, and has had the same life experiences as us?

Us women who see ourselves in Sarah Palin?

I'm perhaps most offended by the accusations Obama supporters have been making that Palin can't handle the duties of Vice President while taking care of her five kids, one of which has Down's Syndrome.

The entire feminist movement was built on the argument that women should have the same opportunities as men to balance a full time professional job and take care of their families - in fact, not just offer the opportunity but expect that all women would take it. Liberal feminists have always looked down their noses at women who made the choice to stay home and raise their children.

And now, after shoving that view down the throats of American women for decades, they accuse Palin of not being able to handle the most important job a woman could have? That's a bit hypocritical, isn't it? Or deep down, do they not really believe that a woman can balance a career and family?

In fact, isn't it more than a little ironic that the while the self-proclaimed open minded, feminist Democrats had a more than qualified female Vice Presidential candidate in Hillary Clinton, they instead opted for an old time, Washington insider? And it was the female-repressing, Good Old Boy Republicans who stepped outside the box with a female running mate?

Even if the liberal Democrats can't see that Sarah Palin was a great choice as McCain's running mate, the rest of America can.

You know, us Middle American rednecks clinging to our faith who, to paraphrase Frank Capra's cinematic champion for the everyman, George Bailey, "do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community."

See you in the White House, Sarah.

In addition to her duties as managing editor at NewChristianVoices.com, Joanne Brokaw is the daily Christian music blogger at Beliefnet.com and a monthly columnist for Christian Voice Magazine. She has written for dozens of Christian and community publications across the U.S. and Canada. Visit her online at www.joannebrokaw.com or www.blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck.