It’s sometimes deflating to have an archnemesis who lobs only softballs. Ross Douthat, writing of a recent upsurge in popular conservative female politicos, ends with this faux-wise recommendation to us progs:

So however much heartburn Palin’s “mama grizzlies” give to those who associate feminism with the policies and prejudices of American liberalism, circa 1973, they should recognize their emergence for what it is: not a setback for the women’s movement, but a happy consequence of its victories.

Imagine for a moment that conservatives vote into power these “mama grizzlies”—women who want to make abortion illegal, fight against gay rights, and in general perpetuate the power of the moneyed 1% (white, male, Christian, decidedly non-feminist, &c.). For whom are the consequences happy? For Ross (white, male, &c.)? For conservative women who delude themselves that patriarchy offers some consolation to wives who play dutifully along?

Voting for conservative women isn’t necessarily “feminist.” Feminism implies a belief that women and men deserve the same rights. Voting for a liberal man who is actually a feminist is a better choice than voting for the socially conservative, anti-government grizzly-ladies of Mr. Douthat’s dreams. (And why vote purely on gender?—but that’s another topic.)

Calling on conservatives to vote for women because putting women in power is good for women… even though the conservative male-oriented wack American Right is not good for women… is a paradox… Just like supporting Obama because he’s level-headed in the face of adversity, then bashing him for being level-headed as soon as adversity arises. A boo and a hiss to Mr. Douthat and Mz. Maureen “Flippin-Floppin” Dowd.

Progress comes not from identity-based political chicanery (if you are like X, vote for X! even if you disagree with what X says!), nor from holding our leaders to impossible standards (be a cowboy! now be a lawyer! now be a messiah! now be a werewolf!?). True progress, if it exists, is probably slow to come and hard to recognize. I think we did recognize it when we voted for Mr. Obama. I think we recognize it increasingly when we have more prominent women on the Left and the Right. I agree with Mr. Douthat there.

But to say that hard-ass macho conservatives, whether men or women, are good for women and for our society, is to play Pinocchio:

Will it, dawg? Will it…?