This is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a 19th-century writer, mother, abolitionist and pioneer in the women’s rights movement. If you’re a woman in the United States, she’s one of the main reasons you can vote. She’s also, as it happens, a graduate of my alma mater.

I’ve added a tear to her picture, like in those old “crying Indian” public-service announcements, because today, the presidential nominee of Stanton’s own party chose a woman as his running mate, and America’s main response has been to yammer on about her appearance. And that’s not the worst of it.

It’s true that plenty of women, from Monica Lewinsky to Marilyn Monroe, have willingly applied the “ILF” suffix to the men who have occupied the Oval Office. And we do seem to think it’s fair game to judge the physical attractiveness of the men who have sought the highest office in the land.

It’s also true that some modern feminists might shed a tear or two over Sarah Palin’s nomination, for very different reasons. Palin embraces the feminist label, but others who do don’t share her conservatism. (Incidentally, according to Feminists for Life, of which Palin is a member, Stanton shared the group’s pro-life views.)

But in this election, every vote will make history. The major parties offer us the chance to vote for the first black presidential nominee, the first woman Republican vice presidential nominee, and the person who would be the oldest president to take office. Alaska, Hawaii and Delaware (!) are represented on the tickets. The entire lineup celebrates change and diversity.

And with that in mind, the chorus of leering comments on Sarah Palin’s looks ought to be cause for shame. Let’s hope that whether or not an attractive female vice president would satisfy their desires, these Neanderthals aren’t planning on visiting a polling place this November.

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