A Requiem for Moderate Republican Women

With all the talk about glass ceilings these days, and with the Republicans having achieved something the Democrats did 24 years ago, I think it is time to extend our formal condolences to those fine Republican leaders who have had their place in the universe demonstrated so unequivocally: Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Olympia Snowe, Christie Todd Whitman, and others -- all Republican women with much better qualifications than Palin who happen to be pro-choice moderates.

The Republican party has become dependent for its survival on the army of the religious right, and no pro-choice candidate will ever be considered viable as long as this is true. The party will continue to marginalize itself in that way (are we really going to elect someone who wants to teach creationism next to science?!) And so be it.

So to all those moderate Republican women out there -- we welcome you aboard should you decide to play in an arena that has no ceiling.