"...there are two things about former Governor Palin that I respect and adore: the fact that she is a woman who is against legal abortion on demand, and her feminine style. This blog entry will deal with the latter.

"Sarah Palin's style is unapologetically feminine. She has long hair, a cheerful demeanor, and she wears skirts instead of pantsuits...and she was still chosen to run for the second-highest office in the US."

I don't think any of this is relevant to anything. Lots of elected and prominent women dress up "feminine". Long hair and a cheerful demeanor - some of those ugly sour-pus men in Congress could use some of that. Why does a woman in a job that isn't about her sexuality have to look all cute and flirty? But Palin was chosen in large part FOR her sex-appeal, which has more to do with her fine facial bones and pert figure than her hair and clothes. (There's some references about her being chosen which I'm too lazy to look up - but it's on record.)

"Palin's tailored suit top shows off her figure, while Clinton's unbuttoned top and loose trousers hide hers under a shapeless form of androgyny."

That looks like one of those expensive campaign-bought designer jackets. Thing is, Palin has a good figure and keeps it up. Clinton is 60ish and gone a bit. Shapeless comes to most of us in time. I don't see why female politicians have to be shapely and cute while the men can be sprung ugly sourpusses. And, hey, a bright orange ensemble doesn't spell androgyny to me!

"In fact, throughout her campaign it seemed like Clinton was wearing the same pantsuit with slight variations in cut and color."

Very efficient. And still more colorful (and thus 'feminine') than the men in their navy blue or black uniforms.

"It really shouldn't come as a surprise that Clinton acquired a reputation in the media for being a shrill harpy, or a battleaxe."

Huh? Pantsuits do that?

" Feminists like to say that it's because she was a woman trying to break into a male dominated field, but if that's the case why didn't Palin get the same reputation?'

Palin has a much worse reputation based on her behavior. Shrill is about the worst they can come up with for Clinton.

"It is my personal opinion that men don't have a problem with successful women - they have a problem with masculine women. I don't understand why women feel the need to make themselves seem more masculine or androgynous to have a successful career."

Your personal opinion. But I don't see Palin as being particularly feminine - she is a pitbull with lipstick.

"Women will never be as good as men are at being men...but we will always trump them when it comes to being women. I know it's not popular to say this, but there really are two genders, and no power suit in the world can make a short-haired, tough talking "career woman" more formidable than a woman who is proud to be a woman."

Not that long ago we got the vote. We're still working on formidable.

"Sen. Clinton is a beautiful woman, as well as a competent one. Looking at these two photos, I wonder if the campaign might have gone differently if she had kept her hair long and presented herself as the first real woman candidate for the presidency, not just a watered-down man in brighter colors."

It's my personal opinion that your personal opinion has very little to do with reality (and a lot to do with your anti-feminist pro-feminine ideology). 60-year-old women generally don't wear long hair (I'm an exception, but it's due to laziness and not having to be in the public eye). Palin has the sexy feminine advantage of being younger and really quite beautiful. Those are things that will pass - let's see how Palin looks in 20 years.