I think one of the biggest examples of "believing your own propaganda" this campaign cycle has been that of the Republicans believing in Hillary Voters for McCain too the extent they have.  Not that some Hillary supporters feel so betrayed by Obama's victory that they'll vote for McCain... but I believe the number that will do so is fairly small, even with Sarah Palin on the ticket.  For a very long time, conservative commentators have written, correctly, that the idea that women have to vote with their vaginas was insulting to women.  The idea that they can't have the same wide range of ideas, and political ideals as men do was sexist.  Statistics tend to verify this idea, with equal numbers of women considering themselves liberal as conservative.

For Hillary supporters, if you weren't willing to vote for her and you were a woman... well that must have meant that there was something wrong with you.  You must have been in denial about your womanhood, or something.  And believe me when I say that I know more than one Republican woman who despise Hillary Clinton with a vengeance.

And then Sarah Palin was put on the Republican ticket.  All of a sudden black was white, up as down, left was right... well... you get the idea.  One local blogger expressed her outright hatred for the woman... with 17 reasons.  Apparently belonging to the NRA, being a beauty queen, and having kids with funny names are all reasons to hate a woman.  Apparently feminine comradery only goes so far.  After all... she should be home taking care of the kids!  Who said women could have it all anyway?

And Republican women... well as I said before... more people are excited about Sarah Palin being Vice President than McCain as President.  And the Hillary supporters?  Well as I started out saying, I think a few might come over, but the reality is... your gender doesn't change your core political beliefs.  Many Hillary supporters are making a lot of noise, yes, because they are upset, and now is the best time to air those grievances.  But I honestly believe that when it comes to putting a pen to a ballot, they will vote for Obama, just like very few Republicans would vote for Obama out of spite for not liking McCain.

Hillary didn't draw women to the Democratic party so much as she excited women who were already Democrats.  Likewise, in the end Palin won't convert many women who aren't already Republicans, but she's certainly generating a lot of excitement, and maybe that's enough.