Now, most of you are probably thinking, “Of course John McCain has met a woman.” He’s married to one and his running mate is one. And here is where I would argue with you, because frankly, I think the jury is still out on that. As far as Sarah Palin goes, I for one think it’s time that she turns in her ovaries. She lost them when she decided to charge women in Alaska for their rape kits.

McCain has a tendency to view women simply as factories that produce our future citizens while Barack Obama sees women as people who are still not treated equally in today’s society. This is evident from their Web sites. Obama has an entire page dedicated to women and issues women continuously face (equal pay, women’s health, reducing domestic violence).

Now, of course the question is always raised: Why would we care about women; aren’t they just another unhappy interest group? Perhaps women should matter because they compose half the population. Perhaps women matter because they still have not obtained equal rights in this country. Or perhaps, most important in this very moment, women as a block could decide the election and if anyone paid attention to the undecided voter graph during the debate Wednesday night, women are favoring Obama and it’s understandable why. On McCain’s Web site, in place of Obama’s section for women, McCain has a “Human Dignity and Life” section. The struggles and inequalities half the population experiences are not important enough for McCain to include on his Web site.

McCain’s Web site is not the only reason that I question him. He also stated Wednesday night how Sarah Palin is a role model for women. Just because someone is a woman doesn’t mean she’s a role model for women, nor does it mean she’d be a positive example of handling women’s issues. The only reason she’s on McCain’s ticket was because he wanted attention, wanted to excite the base and wanted to show that his ticket was “different” as well. She is the token woman.

For someone who claims to always put his country first, this was one decision where McCain put himself first. It is sad someone who won’t say global warming is manmade or evolution is real is a person who could help get him elected. She is not a role model for women, but a political ploy. I mean, I’ve never dreamt of being a hockey mom. I’ve never admired someone who’s tried to ban books. Nor have I respected anyone who claims rape victims should not be given the option of terminating a pregnancy. In fact, has Sarah Palin ever met a woman? Maybe they both need to go out and talk to a few. They might learn something.

I’m not claiming I speak for every woman or even a majority of women. I don’t think anyone can speak for half the population. Obama recognizes this and knows a variety of issues affect the quality of women’s lives. During this campaign, McCain has seen women just in relation to abortion. A woman is more than a uterus. A role model of women has to do more than be a token for the right wing. These are things Obama seems to understand, and he might be rewarded for this, come November.

Eliza Horn is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at elizabeth.l.horn@vanderbilt.edu