Sarah Palin: Hating Feminists, Shooting Mama Grizzlies

The "Sarah Palin wants to own feminism" story doesn't want to go away. Ross Douthat claimed in a Sunday Times column that Sarah Palin and the recent surge of primary victories for Republican women are a "happy consequence" of feminist progress. But the whole idea that Sarah Palin can claim to be a feminist annoys Amanda Marcotte to no end. As Marcotte points out, Palin is part of a long line of wealthy, white conservative women who have vociferously opposed feminism while still taking advantage of progress for women.

In my mind, the problem with Palin goes further than that. Palin gave her "Mama Grizzlies" talk to a group of anti-abortion activists and was emphatic about uncompromising opposition to abortion rights.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin told a group of women who oppose abortion rights that they are responsible for an "emerging, conservative, feminist identity" and have the power to shape politics and elections around the issue of life.

Speaking to a breakfast gathering Friday of the Susan B. Anthony List in downtown Washington, Palin urged more than 500 audience members to back only those candidates for public office who are uncompromisingly opposed to abortion.

Palin might also have said that she's opposed to equal pay for equal work, laws against sexual violence, and opposition to the beauty culture and the attendant eating disorders, plastic surgery, and the like. Like most conservatives, Sarah Palin is opposed to almost everything associated with feminism and probably hates most feminists even as she claims to be a feminist.

Of course, Palin wouldn't have any trouble shooting "mama grizzlies" even as she claims to be one.