Too Old to Breed, Too Young to Lead

Watching the news coverage of Sarah Palin's being chosen to be John McCain's running mate, and talking to co-workers, I've observed something a little surprising. Palin, who like me, is 44, is caught in a sort of middle-aged no man's land.

With a Down Syndrome baby, she's pretty much established that she's at the end of her safe childbearing years. And today, I had a hot flash.

So, we're old, right? My daughter certainly thinks so. Add to that irrelevant and out of touch. In some ways, I'd say that's a fair call on her part.

But then, apparently, Sarah Palin is too young too lead if John McCain kicks it in office. How's that? Experienced? No, not really. But too young? I can't accept this any more than I can accept that John McCain is too old. (Just a few years older than Hillary Clinton, who, apparently is the just the right age to be taken seriously as a woman in politics.)

I don't suppose there's any point to this observation of mine, apart from reinforcing something that's enraged me for some time: middle-aged women are invisible in society. We're too old to be considered sexy, but we're too young to be the grandes dames in our professions or the revered dowagers in our families. We drift in and out of the consciousness of our fellow Americans like phantoms whose passing went unnoticed and whose return remains unremarkable.

Of course, the clear answer here, as far as Sarah Palin goes: vote Democrat.