My Least Favorite Female Politician

   Sadly even rappers can't disassociate the rise of women in politics and the one lady that disgraced the rest of the gender. As they say in the song Mercy off Kanye West's most recent album,

"White girl's politicin' that's that Sarah Palin"

  Of course as a feminist I should be happy for all women who get the chance to rise up to positions of high political power (former governor of Alaska 2006-2009 and former Vice Presidential nominee 2008), but I cannot shake all of her silly remarks that four years ago made her the laughingstock of America. 

But it gets worse….

   Conservative pundit Charlotte Allen endorsed this creature for the 2016 bid for president recently, which made me so confused. In 2008 I recall that what really killed John McCain was the fear that if the then 72 year old passed away while in office, that Sarah Palin would become the leader of the free world. So then why is there still any appeal to her as a contender for any position, especially president?

Important meeting of myself and the former VP nominee
and Governor of Alaska, not too far from her Governor's
mansion in Juneau. 

    I got the chance to meet with the former nominee who was packaged to us as your typical hockey mom, back in 2011. Okay, I didn't really get to meet her, but who I did get to meet, were year-round Alaskan residents, who gave me their take on "All American Palin". 

   Many responded with giggles others with disguist, and very few with positive words. One man I spoke to, who was a lifetime resident of the Alaskan capital, claimed that she was never actually in the capital city and very rarely was in the Governor's mansion. Additionally he remarked "I voted for her the first time, when she ran for governor, but when she ran for VP… I wouldn't have voted for anything." Personal feelings set aside, I truly was curious about why a resident of Palin's home state wouldn't want their small town gal governor to rise to such a big position. He stated that he felt she was un-loyal to the state and to its people. He remarked that she confirmed his suspicions when she decided to leave Alaska, not even after a full term as governor, to move to Arizona. Of course one man's story was not something to use to base the entire population's opinions off of, but there was some merit in hearing the story of a man who was once a fan but then became a hater. 

    During my trip through Alaska, I hit another town where Sarah Palin, was literally the talk of the town, Skagaway. Skagaway was a town that Palin spent part of her childhood in. Although she left Skagaway long ago, the city kept a piece of her by opening "The Sarah Palin Store". Filled with books and way too many other novelty items of the Alaskan superstar, the store did seem to pay homage to their small-town star, but while making fun of her as well. I even found a license plate making fun of her infamous,

"I can see Russia from my backyard" 

quote. So two years after I went on my trip to explore the state that is usually floating around in a box on US maps, I still continue to ponder, how can anyone take this woman seriously? As a female with political interests, I am more embarrassed than I am inspired by her.