Why do we vote the way we do? Some people always vote with their party. Straight ticket voters consistently vote strictly in accordance with the political affiliation of the candidate. Others vote on the basis of the candidates’ political stances and views. Split ticket voters make their decision according to the beliefs and opinions of the specific candidate, regardless of their political party.

Similarly to straight ticket voters, there are those who would choose who to support on the basis of gender or race. The problem with this is that one could be voting against everything their political party stands for. In truth, gender is one of the only things Clinton and Palin have in common. Their beliefs and opinions are, for the most part, totally different. The approaching election is not about race or gender but about leadership.

Feminism is often wrongly defined as discrimination against men. But the real ambition is equality between the two sexes. Therefore, voting for the McCain/Palin duo solely because the latter is female would be hypocritical and potentially not in the best interests of the voter.