Meghan McCain on Sex: Republicans Don't Get It

Well, if the guys Meg talked about in her dating story are any indication, it doesn't surprise me.

In her newest column for The Daily Beast, Meghan McCain takes on the GOP's party line on sex, talks about the first time she heard about oral sex, and finds common cause with Bristol Palin. Still, for me, the lede is her campaign to get guys to buy more drinks for conservative women:

The worst sexual double standard in politics right now is that too many subconsciously believe Republican women are void of sexual desire altogether.

So, there you have it, fellas. Just hide that "Yes, We Can" button and have at it.

But seriously, folks, with very few exceptions, I can't agree more with Meg's assessment of modern sexual attitudes, and I think much of her criticism extends beyond the GOP.
She had this to say about Bristol Palin:

Let me get something straight: Bristol Palin, as an eighteen-year-old adult, is free to make her own choices and decide how she wants her life to unfold. But for whatever reasons, the American public and media remain overly engrossed in our politicians' sex lives and, as in this case, those of their families. There's an especially unhealthy attitude among conservatives. Daughters of Republican politicians aren't expected to have sex, let alone enjoy it-as if there were some strange chastity belt automatically attached to us female offspring. God forbid anyone talk realistically about life experiences and natural, sexual instincts. Nope, the answer is always abstinence.

She goes on to talk about giving young women information and access to contraception. and about how parents need to equip their children to make good choices. I wrote a little about this yesterday, for buried in stories about Bristol's advocacy of "abstinence" is the fact that the program she supports does just that.

The problem is that people are more concerned with what Bristol Palin does symbolically, rather than what she actually does. This is also true of this story Meg tells about herself:

This is something I know about firsthand. During my father's 2000 presidential campaign, a reporter asked how he would feel if I became pregnant and wanted an abortion. He answered that it would be my choice, sending shockwaves throughout the party (because for the GOP there is only one answer, and obviously Senator McCain's daughter shouldn't be engaging in sex ever). I'd like to thank that reporter for single-handedly putting me through years of trying to reconcile the fact that when it comes to politics, no matter what you do or who you are, everything is fair game.

I have to be honest, if I had seen that quote during last year's campaign, I definitely would have used it. John McCain ran on a promise to overturn Roe V Wade, and I would want to know why he'd deny other daughters the same choice he would give his own.

Conversely, his opponents clubbed him with it to show his ideological impurity.

Neither tactic helps young people make good decisions about sex. I think both sides, and the middle, need to get sober, and as Meg recommends, get real about sex.

As a side note, I had to laugh when Meghan described hearing about oral sex for the first time. I don't think anyone, upon gaining this knowledge, immediately thinks, "Genius! I must do that!" Still, hearing about it in the context of the Starr report is probably the worst way to get that news.

Tommy on: Daily Dose:

• Mythbusters: Joe the Plumber Edition
• Meghan McCain Proud of Her Big, Juicy Ass
• Michelle Obama Survives Apparent Lightsaber Attack
• Onward Christian Soldiers (General Order what now?)
• Michael Steele Flips on 'Barack the Magic Negro'?
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