| I admit it. I liked Sarah Palin the first night I heard her | | | | got married after getting pregnant or had friends |
| speak at the Republican convention with flags waving | | | | who did, so no one here will worry about Sarah's |
| and banners flying and patriotic songs in the | | | | daughter doing it. The people in this town like the |
| background. That all got my attention, and I felt like | | | | Palin family, since they see their reflections in it. |
| my husband and everyone else in my small town, I | | | | People talk about values all the time in Natchitoches, |
| was seeing a major happening, a political renaissance | | | | during gossip, after listening to the radio or Fox news |
| of John McCain and his star beginning to light up again. | | | | in sound bites and reading the local paper that talks |
| The following morning, however, things started to | | | | mostly about issues like birthdays and building |
| look different, as it does for us women the morning | | | | construction . Then there's radio and television with |
| after the night before. So before we get swept up | | | | Limbaugh and O'Reilly as favorites, and Fox News on |
| in emotional moments following an astounding | | | | Basic, which is what most people get around here. |
| performance, we'll have to ask ourselves serious | | | | They don't use or believe much in computers. So |
| questions. That's the sensible way. But lots of people | | | | they won't learn more about Palin than what Fox and |
| in small town American go with their guts, and Palin | | | | the radio says. |
| gets to that right away. Also women like me, part of | | | | Faith and politics go together like that proverbial |
| that group of older white women that pundits talk | | | | carriage as intimate partners in small towns like |
| about, look sympathetically at a woman in high | | | | Natchitoches. Politicians are either preachers |
| elective office, the real possibility of a woman | | | | themselves or talk like them. They are also your |
| standing next to the President and sometime | | | | neighbors whom you see regularly either at the |
| assuming the role. | | | | church or the grocery stores around town. The |
| Women in Natchitoches, Louisiana felt upset about | | | | message is the same: God, family, country and |
| what they happened to Hillary Clinton. Even those | | | | prayers for them all. Palin easily fits in here, as does |
| Republican women who never would have voted her | | | | her pro-life stance and her disabled child. |
| had plenty to say about how they thought she was | | | | After that convention some weeks later, now what |
| treated by the opposition and the press. So they | | | | do I feel? Well mind has been changed, so I am |
| haven't liked Palin being criticized now. And what they | | | | moving on for change and voting for Barack Obama |
| like or don't like is the key to what may happen on | | | | and Joe Biden. Still, I worry about the future, |
| November 4, as Bush's last win showed in 2004 | | | | whether Palin wins or not,because most folks here in |
| when women voted at 65^.. | | | | Natchitoches won't get what I do, from reading, |
| Around Natchitoches people are talking already, and | | | | from the Internet and from helping run a newspaper. |
| they liked what they saw on television of the | | | | My partner and I will try to get it to them while we |
| Convention, and they still like the sound bites going | | | | hope they won't toss it aside. Because the |
| on.. Sarah Palin's appeal reached many people in our | | | | consequences of last night's performance can be |
| small town village, highlighted as tops for retirement | | | | very grave indeed, given Sarah Palin's beliefs and |
| and nearly three times bigger than Wasilla, Alaska, | | | | behaviors, and the fact that many people in small |
| the town of about 6,700 where Palin served as | | | | towns will either not find out about nor want to listen |
| mayor. Natchitoches matters in this Presidential | | | | to them enough to have the kind of facts needed to |
| season because what folks like them believe and | | | | make good decisions. Those beliefs include Palin's |
| what they'll do can make a difference in what | | | | favor of messianic war, removing environmental |
| happens to the rest of the country---and maybe the | | | | protections, and taking away the Constitutional and |
| rest of the world. | | | | human rights of those only accused but not found |
| Natchitoches men like Palin because she's good | | | | guilty. In short I worry about the tough talk that |
| looking and her guy acts like them. He likes sports, | | | | folks will listen to and likely believe as I grieve about |
| has guns, and protects those rights. He's got five | | | | how easily it is to succumb to the moment when it's |
| kids, changes diapers, smiles warmly at his wife in | | | | the following day that counts. People respond to |
| public places and fixes his own faucets. Women like | | | | easy talk, to shoot-from-the-hip manners and rousing |
| her since she has kept herself in shape during | | | | speeches meant to appeal to the gut. That gut |
| motherhood while taking care of both family and | | | | reaction could lead to greater divisions than we have |
| office. Natchitoches kids join the military after | | | | already no matter the election outcome. |
| finishing school, just like Sarah's son did. They also | | | | |