Harman forgets protocol and blunders in against Palin
Harriet Harman has reignited the controversy about Labour ministers commenting on the US elections, after Gordon Brown was forced to retract a recent article praising Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama which caused fury in the Republican John McCain campaign. Asked her views on Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, a hesitant Harman raised eyebrows in the Question Time audience in Bournemouth, saying she would give the official government line and then tell them her own view.
Here’s the clip, loaded on YouTube by the ‘Dump Palin’ campaign, who want to see Condoleeza Rice as VP candidate instead. Oops, Harriet.
Categorised as: International
Tagged as: Condoleeza Rice, Harriet Harman, Sarah Palin
I agree with Harriet Harman - and afterall, she is right in saying that the Labour movement in the UK and Liberal movement in the US are of the same origin and agenda; that’s hardly a bombshell or a betrayal of anything. Besides, Sarah Palin’s nomination was a fine example of tokenism: she was selected purely because there was a large female voter base to steal from the Democrats when far more experienced candidates - male and female were available…including C. Rice. It is important that people are not afraid to stand up and point out the blindingly obvious fact that ‘having a woman as a nominee’ does not constitute feminist politics; particularly if the candidate in question was inexperienced and chosen for her gender; opposes many artefacts of women’s rights; and is praised for her appearance by the media rather than her abilities (ie fulfilling a male norm of how women ‘ought’ to be judged on the basis of their appearance and ability to fulfill male sexual gratification). I’m with Harriet on this one, and I guarantee you the vast majority of educated women would agree.
Rather than focusing on Hariet beaking protocol, why not say ‘well done Hariet for saying how you feel’. Politicians are damned if they speak and damned if they don’t.
It just shows how stupid the Republicans are!