I was stunned when a friend accused me of misogyny.

Not just me, but women in general, and journalists in particular.

Why?

Because when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was suddenly catapulted into the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket, people wanted to know who she was instead of just being satisfied that she was a woman.

Already disappointed that U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was unable to secure the Democratic nomination, he decided that women are too petty to let another woman rise to power.

They'll eat their own before they support a woman, he insisted.

Having no strong opinion in favor of either ticket, I left him to seethe over what he felt was a heavy-handed vetting from the media based entirely on the fact that Palin is a cute, spunky, successful woman whose problem is that she makes other women jealous of her accomplishments.

There's no denying that Palin is accomplished. While attention has been focused on how she manages her family, there are more relevant issues to consider. As a former mayor, she's managed a city. As a current governor, she's managed a state. And for those who haven't yet analyzed her track record, she's been pretty outspoken about her beliefs. Despite her relative youth and perceived inexperience, her background gives voters a pretty good basis for deciding whether they want her to be in line to manage the country.

Judging from her reception, she's energized the party by offering the GOP as historic a victory as the one offered by the Democrats. She was a brilliant choice, even if she isn't likely to pull liberal feminists over to the GOP.

She's a woman, but her conservative stance makes her less a substitute for Clinton and more a counter to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, and a formidable one at that. She's a novelty, but that doesn't mean she's not a credible candidate.

She does, however, present a conundrum. On one hand, she's a champion for working moms who struggle every day to strike a balance between work and career. But on the other hand, those who have experienced similar challenges wonder what gets lost when she's juggling five kids and a demanding job.

It's no real secret how she's handling it, though. As a governor, she's already doing it and has obviously decided that the demands of the vice presidency are in line with her maternal instincts.

In a country that's demanding a change from the status quo, her unique position gives the Republicans reason to argue that they won't just be an extension of the current administration.

Palin's presence has changed the tenor of the election in a positive way by pushing women's issues to the forefront. That's a win-win for women, even if they ultimately decide their best representation is an all-male ticket.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.