Issues, please, not genitalia

I know many women who were strong supporters of Hillary in the primaries, and who are now supporting John McCain. I understand many people believe Barack Obama is inexperienced or perhaps very liberal (although personally these criticisms do not resonate with me, even as a person who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries); however, I do not understand these women who are not simply crossing party lines because of their values, but because they wanted to see a vagina on the ticket.

John McCain's choice of vice president destroys everything feminism stands for. Sarah Palin is not up to par with Clinton by any standard--experience, exposure, or efficiency. She does not deserve our votes by virtue of her being a woman, just as she or Hillary do not deserve to be cast off just as women. Each candidate needs to be considered as candidates, as politicians, not as specific genders or races.

Sarah Palin is pro-life, which indicates that she will take away from women their right to choose, their right to their own bodies; these are women who may have not necessarily chosen to abort, but are now forced to. Furthermore, Palin denies free and accessible aid to rape victims and victims of incest; even these traumatized citizens will be forced to give birth to a child, who will grow up in a potentially unsafe environment, mentally, if anything.

By failing to comprehend all of our nation's policies, our economic crisis, our foreign situations, Palin stains the name for female politicians in America. She constantly emphasizes her role as a hockey mom to compensate for her inadequacies as a politician, as a leader of this country.

Palin is the antithesis of everything we have worked for. Girl power is reduced to pitbulls and lipstick.