I like Sarah Palin. I’ve been following her since she became governor of Alaska. There seems to be a lot of buzz about whether or not she’s qualified to be VP, especially among the mainstream media. Actually, she’s a real governor of a real state! Really! She’s the most popular governor in America, in charge of almost 30,000 employees and a multi-billion-dollar budget. She took on big oil companies in her state and was able to send Alaskan citizens checks as their share of their state’s revenues, instead of just adding the money to state coffers.

So why is the media vilifying her? Is it a case of misogyny? The same thing was done to Hillary Clinton – another strong, successful female - during the primary. Is sexism still alive and well in 2008 America?

I’ll admit, Palin has had a couple of less-than-impressive interviews, when she seemed to draw a blank on a question or two. The same thing has happened to me before. Once, at a poetry conference, the speaker asked me who my favorite poet was. I love Thomas Hardy. He’s been my favorite poet since I was a teenager, but at the moment I was put on the spot, I looked like a blubbering idiot. I was completely devoid of a response. It could happen to anyone.

Look, however, at the latest headlines about Palin involving her wardrobe. The RNC spent $150,000 for new clothes for Palin and her family to wear while campaigning. Apparently, they didn’t think Palin’s consignment store outfits were appropriate. She didn’t ask for the clothes, and they will either be returned or donated to charity after the election. Previously, the media made a big deal about Palin’s tanning bed that she purchased with her own money. Heck, if I lived in Alaska, I might want a tanning bed, too! My question is, WHY would such trivialities lead the news cycles for days? And my bigger question is, WHY does Joe Biden get a pass from the media, along with Obama? The news has made a much larger issue of Palin’s wardrobe than they did of the two million dollars Obama spent on those Greek columns at his opulent acceptance speech setting.

Biden, Sarah’s counterpart, is a likeable guy, but he’s a walking gaffe machine. His mistakes are much more serious than Palin’s, yet for the most part, they are mostly ignored by the media. I’ve listed just a few of Joe’s mistakes below.

Direct quotes from Biden:

• “When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television…” (Joe needs a quick history lesson.)

• Joe’s description of Obama: “…the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean…” (Racist, Joe?)

• “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” (More racism?)

• Speaking of Hillary as VP: “Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me.” (Duh!)

• “I don’t think they (AIG) should be bailed out by the federal government.” (Hmm…so you disagree with your running mate?)

• “We’re not supporting clean coal. No coal plants here in America!” (Again, you’d better check with Mr. Obama, Joe.)

More Biden gaffes:

• It’s patriotic to pay higher taxes.