A Congenial Farce: The Veep Candidates' Debate
By Asma Hasan
Colorado
Both Biden and Palin were models of decorum last night, but also exhibited remarkable self-contradiction. For instance, we all noticed that Palin was generally incapable of a straight answer. She even acknowledged her stubbornness, saying during the debate that she was going to answer questions the way she wanted to, not anyone else.
She also criticized Biden, saying that voters wanted something new in DC and not a long-serving golden oldie. Uhhhh, isn't her running mate a long-time senator too?
My final issue with Palin is that unlike the others who say terrorists attack the US because they hate our freedoms, I think Palin actually believes this talking point to be true. The terrorists hate our selectively interventionist foreign policy, not our freedoms.
Not to be outdone, Biden had his share of quixotic responses. He hammered McCain for supporting massive corporate tax cuts. Hey, Joey, isn't your party the one that just pushed a pork-ridden bailout of Wall Street companies, a bill loaded with goofy corporate tax cuts, through the Senate? (Yeah, I know those are supposedly to appease House Republicans, but the problem House Republicans have with the bill is not that it doesn't have enough sweeteners, but that it's a blank check for mismanaged Wall Street firms.)
Biden also failed to sufficiently respond when reminded of his previous disagreements with or criticisms of Obama. Most confusing to me was Biden's zealotry for a more stable Pakistan, while his running mate believes the best way to achieve stability is by being tougher on Pakistan. Trying to punish Pakistan for past wrongs is not going to encourage stability there.
Adding to these contradictions was how pleasant the two were with each other. In fact, Biden beamed at Palin for most of the debate, even when she criticized him directly. These two could be a ticket themselves with all their mutual backslapping. Their platform: anti-gay marriage and really, really pro-Israel.
What's your take? Are you over the nicey-niceness, or is it better
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Sarah Palin Is A More Traditional Muslim Than I Am!
In honor of October 1 Muslim holiday, Eid al Fitr (Eid Mubarik to you all!), I wanted to welcome the newest member of the conservative Muslim faith: VP candidate Sarah Palin. I know we all thought that Sarah Palin was a conservative/Evangelical Christian, but based on her recent actions, I think she must be a conservative Muslim too. For starters, as Fareed Zakaria aptly termed it, she's been in media purdah for several weeks now.
Purdah is the extra-Islamic tradition of Muslim women being hidden from men and prying eyes. I don't believe in it, but many conservative Muslims do, resulting in gender-segregated prayer and living areas. Sarah hasn't taken it that extreme (she is still seen by men), but, as far as her handlers are concerned, she is in general purdah from reporters.
Sarah is also reinvigorating a traditional Islamic practice by essentially arranging the marriage of her daughter Bristol. Although Bristol made a mistake, don't compound it by making her a teenage wife! Even in Muslim countries, arranged marriage is declining, as young women (with their parents' blessings) prefer to at least start college before entering wife-dom. When I think of all the opportunities the bright, young Bristol will miss because she's doing her husband's laundry, I just shudder.
Lastly, poor Sarah had to endure the patriarchal flirting of the Pakistani President (and, incidentally, widower of legendary strong Muslim woman Benazir Bhutto), Asif Ali Zardari, when they met at the United Nations. All that's missing for Sarah now to earn her Muslim woman-stripes is a territorial mother-in-law.
I was really excited when Sarah was first picked and still am. But I wonder if some of her actions just reinforce the patriarchy already present in the male worlds of politics and society. She doesn't have to burn her bra, but I think she should at least tell the handlers to back off and let her be herself. I (and many Muslims) know the Muslim world cannot advance without the full participation of its women. The same is true of American society.
(Editor's Note: Reprinted from Glamour.com with permission of the author. Please read the original blog posting at: http://www.glamour.com/contributors/asma-hasan)
