Oct 15 2008
Shopping at Wal Mart Does Not Make You One of Us
Rush Limbaugh reported today seeing a photograph of Sarah Palin, with the Secret Service in tow, stopping at Wal Mart to buy diapers.
He seemed to believe that this photo if circulated would give Sarah more street cred with working mothers everywhere.
I call “Bullshit.”
Shopping at Wal Mart does not make Mrs. Palin seem more like the working mothers I know unless she did it at 6 a.m. on the way to drop the baby off at a daycare that she can barely afford, but has to pay just so she can work to keep said baby in diapers. In fact, my most recent friend to become a working mom wouldn’t get caught dead buying diapers at Wal Mart. She hates the evil empire.
But more importantly than whether or not shopping at Wal Mart makes Sarah Palin seem more like common folk is Limbaugh’s assumption that it did. For a man who goes on and on about the class warfare in this country and who likes to blame it on the Democrats, his comment was absurdly offensive.
First, it assumes that all working mothers shop at Wal Mart. Seriously, Rush, there are women who make enough money to shop other places. Really, we do.
Second, it assumes that all mothers can take their child to work with them. Mrs. Palin has the luxury of taking her five-month-old son to work. Most employers from on this.
Third, it assumes that “common folk” are more interested in where she shops or that Mrs. Palin is “like them” than in her politics.
Let me assure you, Sarah Palin is nothing like me even though I once bought diapers at Wal Mart. I went to one college for my undergraduate career and had two majors. i finished both degrees in four years. I have never had a job where I could bring my child to work and in fact, I lost a job once because I took part of a day off to take my four-month-old daughter to the doctor. When my daughter was born, I worked until 2 days before her birth and got 5 weeks, including my 2 weeks of vacation time, off after she was born. Bringing her with me was never an option.
My husband has never been part of a secessionist organization, nor does he drink and drive. I’ve never used the power of my position to get someone fired and I believe that when it becomes time for my daughter to have children of her own, I will not use her boyfriend/fiance/whatever as a stage prop.
No, Sarah, shopping at Wal Mart does not make you one of us.
I don’t know if I’d go that far other either way.
http://waxingpoetically.today.com
http://artfromtheoutskirts.today.com
McCain’s campaign should surely fire Palin for taking time off to buy diapers instead of presenting “blah-blah” into the closest microphone…
Amen sister!!! I agree whole heartedly. I laugh whenever I see that she was shopping at Walmart. However, diapers are diapers, you can get the same thing at Target! I’m honestly surprised that she doesn’t use cloth diapers as apparently she is ‘SUPER MOM!’
@ moon- great post, I meant to comment on this yesterday. Mooselini is a prop, a gimmick, a one-trick pony, with very little time left. I can’t say I’ll be sorry to watch her fade into obscurity.
@rn- Republicans don’t use cloth diapers…too close to recycling.