
I agree. It's weird because my first thought when Palin was announced as the VP choice was didn't the last woman VP choice have things come out about her son ... then not even a day later this came up. Anyway, I am conflicted on my response. One one hand, I get tired of the whole "how is a woman that has five kids able to do...", I feel like it isn't a comment that wouldn't be made if it were a man. But maybe this is something that will change over time - the husbands of my friends and my husband are far more involved with the child rearing side of the house than our fathers were. On the other hand, I feel that having a choice - about when to have children and how many - is a big part of how some women are able to further their education and juggle the demands of family with the demands of a career - what would our lives be like if we didn't have access to birth control. So I guess what I am saying is I don't want to say that she can't juggle the demands of five children plus a grandchild plus a special needs child - a lot will depend on her husband and her family and the person in question - I just know that I couldn't. From the moment I learned that she was against choice and for abstinence only education - there was no way ... and that's before you look at the energy policy side. I think there are lots of people giving a knee jerk response to something happening to someone that is contrary to their image/position. I think there is a lot of human nature that loves to see someone fail. Like the kid in class that never gets in trouble, lots of people are secretly thrilled and scandalized when they get in trouble. |
You would think watching and helping your mom (and also balancing a career) care for a newborn (especially one with Downs) would be birth control enough... |
Who? Who exactly? Someone from the Obama campaign? Name your sources. If you are talking about liberal bloggers, fine. But they do not represent Obama. Turn your attention to conservative bloggers, as well, and and the hate they spew on so many fine topics. Would you hold McCain responsible for their rants, as well? I doubt it. |
As a mother of a daughter, I totally acknowledge that this could happen in any family. The thing that shocks me is that Palin seems to be encouraging her 17 high school student to get married to a self described 'f ___ ing redneck" who "does not want to have children". |
That marriage will never occur. Which is another reason why the Republicans are to upset to hold their own convention right now.
Palin's statement said that Bristol plans to marry the father. It didn't say that the father plans to marry Bristol. |
I am a little suprised that she didn't pick something like "my daughter plans to place the baby for adoption with a loving couple and continue on with her education" or something to that effect.
I am not impressed with this woman at all. Two teenage kids - neither headed off to college. I guess she didn't have enough time to care or worry about education. One is being shipped off to Iraq - hopefully his choice and not part of his mother's propganda - worse maybe he choose to go to get far away from the whole family. The other knocked up and walking around high school with an engagement ring. |
Who do you think you are to judge someone else's mothering skills? I mean really . . . I'm appalled by your statement. There are many parents out there who do everything right, yet their children still make mistakes. Open your eyes. |
BTW, Gandhi sucked as a dad! |
I think this is a boon to the GOP ticket. It makes Sarah Palin all the more appealing to people in rural areas who are TERRIFIED of a the idea of a liberal black man in the White House. (anyone see the Daily Show piece on the WVA post-primary interviews? Scary.) Come on, she hunts, she mocks liberals, she sees the land as ours to exploit, and she'll be raising her teenage daughter's baby, while raising her own baby. Sounds like votes to me. |
True, but these are votes that Obama would not have gotten anyway in states where he does not have a snow ball's chance in hell of wining. The question is whether she will win over moderates and independents in battleground states. I think not! Remember, the presidency is not decided based on the popular vote and the Obama campaign know this - as evidenced by the way they "gamed" the primary races. All the nationwide poll numbers are useless, you need to look at the states (the 6 or 7 that will make a real impact on this election). |
It's about the electoral votes in battleground states, exactly. And I actually think her strongest appeal is going to be with working-class whites in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania, the very battleground states we need to win. Those are exactly the people who will decide this election. Pundits tout Joe Biden as a "scrappy kid from Scranton" with blue-collar roots, but his family was white collar and middle class, and he's been in the Senate far too long (36 years) to connect with those voters in the way Palin and her Steelworkers Union husband will. I think we underestimate her appeal at our own risk. |
Sort of off topic, and I did not read the entire thread so sorry if it's already been addressed, but I am curious about who the father of the baby is?? |
It's her 17 year-old boyfriend. |
Check the current polls, poster. The people they are hoping to woo with this choice are not amused. A small fraction say they are more inclined to vote for McCain bc of this choice; even more say they are less inclined. Whatever appeal she may have will be dwarfed by the concerns not just Democrats and Independents have but also some Republicans have, too. |
I couldn't agree more with this poster. I grew up in Pittsburgh, my husband's family is from Detroit and I spent five years working in Juneau as an auditor. You can all sit there on your broadband internet and pass judgment on this woman who dares to have children, love them, raise them and forgive them. A woman who is wildly popular in her state and speaks her mind and dares to think that she has something to offer to the rest of the country as well. What you don't understand is that to many people, even to me (outspoken liberal) she seems courageous and unapologetic. She is a woman I would like to have a beer with and someone that would NEVER judge you the way you are judging her. When I look at these comments, all I can think is that most of you are very young (under 40) and in 20 years you will be aghast at some of the comments you've made here today. Your demographic has never successfully controlled an election and certainly won't now. |