Reply #89: Why not?

[jobycom]

She's a successful woman in a man's field. She is one vision of feminism, and an avenue to promote gender equality in a party that has fought it tooth and nail. Her image demonstrates that "feminism" and success for women in male-dominated fields don't have to follow the stereotypes the conservatives draw up as criticisms, but can take many paths and have many images, including images that aren't afraid to portray sexuality. Those are virtues that many can look up to.

Of course, there are negatives involving Palin, too, and as a candidate those negatives far outweigh the positives. And some of her negatives are at odds with what she's accomplished in life. But my daughters can look to Palin and realize that feminism reaches beyond a particular party or image of the feminine, and that despite the fact that Palin's own ideology has retarded the progress that Palin now represents, ultimately the ideal reaches further than those who oppose it.

She's not my favorite role model, but for a young girl growing up in a conservative household, maybe Sarah Palin shows her that she has more than one option. The goal of equality is to reach beyond those who embrace the goal, and include even those who fight against it.