So many people on here want to trash Paglia for her opinion, yet they offer little clue as to why they are so disdainful of both Paglia and Palin.

The most I gather between the Tourette's like outbursts of hatred in these letters is that Palin talks simply. But when I happened to turn on the teevee last night for the first time in a year and saw her being interviewed, along with McSame, on some talking head show, she sounded lucid, bright, not at all cute, and at least as seemingly informed as anyone who hails from the Washington establishment.

So, she is not so stupid after all, seemingly. Maybe Palin herself is having the last laugh at the expense of leftists, during the debates playing down to those who EXPECT her to be a rube, in a way making fun of the people who have already judged her prematurely, while those who are already in the McSame camp and who 'buy' her (and who need no more convincing) consider her schtick a brand or totem. Stupid people would not be this savvy.

Another clue I gather from all these vitriolic and blissfully content-free letters is that the left hates Palin's style of feminism. Nothing can be done about this. Others are correct to point out that for too long the Steinem brand of feminism has overtaken the public discourse, to the detriment of a fuller, more humanistic feminism. They are correct to say that the vocal feminism is rooted in ultra liberal beliefs that women should engage in all the sex they want while walking away from the responsibilities whenever they please.

Let me straighten this one out for the last time. the ONLY men who act like this, and who feminists want to emulate, are trailer trash guys. 90%+ of men are responsible people who, if they get a woman pregnant, do the right thing. So, for feminists to choose, as a model or behavior, the behaviors of only the worst men in our society is a genuine disservice to the vast majority of men who are good people.

It is no wonder I feel cold and lonely when I deal with leftists. They have no heart for men like me, having painted me with the same cynical brush they paint their scoundrel boyfriends with.

The left can do as it pleases. The amazing thing is for such a fringe hate group as the left, that they have gotten as much traction as they have.

For this centrist libertarian (and libertine) it seems like there is no choice when the only choice is between Bush Part III and Obama, representative of the forces of left wing hatred.

So many people in this country are so tired of not having a valid choice. Palin brought into the mix a simple speaking, savvy, accomplished woman.

Do not be surprised if your jerry rigged polls mislead you lefties into believing that Obama is a 'win'. There is a deep, wide segment of centrist society that connot stomach a lot that the left continues to serve up, leftie man hating feminism being only a symptom of the underlying disdain of men that the leftists seem to adhere to so fervently.

I once had a friend who was involved in the anti-Vietnam war movement, was hanging out for a while with Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters and even Berkeley/Oakland Black Panthers, but when traveling abroad she would defend the Vietnam war. She was born a Calvinist, became an atheist and converted to Judaism in order to marry a brilliant Jewish Stanford professor, she would celebrate Xmas just piss off his family. she voted for Jesse Jackson in the Democratic 1988 primaries, yet voted for Republican Pete Wilson running against Dianne Feinstein in the California gubernatorial race, according to her because she couldn't stand the sound of her voice. Her husband spent a sabbatical in Israel as guest professor at Hebrew University and she became involved with an Israeli human rights organization opposed to the occupation and to the settlements, yet when she returned to the US, I heard her defend the Israeli policy in the occupied territories. She's much more intelligent than Paglia, yet I detect the same brand of insane contrarianism in both, designed mostly to gain attention and shore up an extremely low self esteem and sense of a lifetime failure.

Dear Camille,

Can you explain why feminism demands to be defined by its insistence on abortion on demand? Is the feminism movement populated more by Marxists than by women who are interested in legitimate feminine issues such as equal pay for equal work? It seems to me that the feminism movement is more interested in disrupting the status quo, that is Western Civilization generally in any way rather than being taken seriously concerning valid issues that uniquely confront women. I ask because I do not see a connection between equality between the sexes and the unfettered right to terminate life in one's womb. Thank you.

Ted

It seems that on this thread many people are overly concerned with what I would call "exceptional intelligence." This trait is not necessary for a fruitful, happy, transcendent existence. I gather that for many of the posers, not poseurs, who have inhabited this thread that they would rather be deemed to be smart than to be happy. There are so many references to Camille's lack of intelligence that I find it incredible. Is it a lack of intelligence on her part or her lack of agreement with their warm and cozy opinions that is the issue? I think even an ungifted person can figure that one out.

I'm giving up on Camille. Amazing piece of nonsense that clearly shows her desire to throw grenades has left her unable to be the least bit credible. Dummy is exactly what Sarah Palin is among other things. But in Camille's frenzy to redefine feminism, she ascribes qualities to the Palins that I see absolutely no sign of. I see well-to-do white trash that would do Rossanne Barr proud. Sorry Camille, but it appears your brilliant, but brittle mind has snapped.