Saturday, August 30, 2008

Sarah Palin's family values questioned

A female Jotman reader and Hillary Clinton fan reflects on John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running-mate. The reader raises several provocative questions:
McCain has chosen the supremely unqualified Sarah Palin as his running mate. Watching her speak did nothing to dim my dismay. What was he thinking??

Will the business type Republicans let McCain get away with this? Could there be a movement at the Convention to challenge his choice?

How could he pass up qualified men and women in favor of this lightweight pro-life, pro intelligent design mother of five with no experience of the world outside the soccer fields of Alaska. Seeing her parade onto the stage with her family struck me as pathetic - who gets to raise that tiny baby? - I can't believe women will react sympathetically to her. Women just don't react well to a woman who sacrifices her family for her career. Bringing up children is hard enough but the challenges of handling a Downs syndrome child is something else again. I am dumbfounded.

The fact that the McCain-Palin ticket could win sends chills down my spine. Two out of control mavericks with their hands on the nuclear button. Guess we had better enjoy life while we can.
I don't think anyone should lose too much sleep over this pick. The more I think about it, the more strongly I suspect McCain just lost himself an election.
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I have just posted a follow-up post, where I examine a key issue raised by the female Jotman reader and by other women in the comments.

17 comments:

  1. Breathe lady, breathe! Let's find out more about her for heaven's sake. I'm surprised that a HIllary supporter wouldn't at least check out another woman before hyperventilating. Just a cursory glance at her record tells you she is sure an interesting woman. I for one will be checking out her statements and voting record and anything else I can find before I commit before making a decision.

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  2. Since Sarah Palin chose to bring "Veg" into this world, she owes it to this tiny "mistake" to be a full time mother and give him as normal a life as possible. Running around the country and promoting John McSames outdated, out of touch and unrealistic values and ideals does not speak well of her dedication to raising a special needs child. Isn't she still breast feeding this child? Does she plan on expressing her milk half way across the country while on the campaign trail?

    So typically Republican: Let's make a lot of noise about right to life issues, but let's not give a hoot about them after they are born!

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  3. She's Pro LIFE, not pro-abortion.

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  4. Paulie,

    Perhaps she had meant to write "anti-abortion." On the other hand, anti-abortion or pro-lifers have a track record of lobbying against sex education and safe-sex initiatives that can reduce unwanted pregnancies. The more unwanted pregnancies, the more abortions. History shows women who want abortions will get them, whether or not abortions are legal.

    Thus, the pro-life movement could be considered pro-abortion (in consequence, though not by intention)!

    Which is a long way of saying: the writer might have meant what she wrote.

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  5. Paulie,

    The woman who wrote the email has written back to clarify. She writes:

    I wrote “pro abortion” when I should have said “pro-life”. If you could correct that I’d appreciate it.

    As requested, I have fixed the error.

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  6. I am so glad someone else feels this way! While with some difficulty I can not comment on the choice to have a child with downs syndrome, I am apalled at this vice-presidential run choice. A child need as much time from both parents as possible during the early years!!!
    Beeing a commited working mom of two little ones I am beyong stupefied that someone can opt for the campaign trail and yet dream of espousing family values!!!

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  7. John McCain met, then selected, the carismatic 44 year old Sarah Palin (R) for his running mate. Sarah is a former beauty queen who was runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest, and later became governor of Alaska in 2006. I'm not surprised that McCain was taken with her, and I can see where he might like to use her to spiffy up his image.

    Sarah played basketball in school, and was nick-named "Sarah Barracuda" because of her aggressive nature. Her father was a science teacher and coached track, and her mother was a school secretary.

    Sarah and her husband (Todd) live in Wasilla, Alaska just north of Anchorage with their 5 children, who range in age from 4 1/2 months old, to 17 years old. It has come to light that the youngest child, Trig (born with Down's syndrome), may be the son of her 16 year old daughter, Bristol. Maybe Sarah would do better to invest more time on her family? There's quite a bit of talk about this showing on Google Search under:
    Sarah Palin Bristol family values.

    It seems she has zero experience in foreign affairs. Heaven forbid, what would happen if circumstances placed her in the position of being our president? Even McCain acknowleges that is not a job that lends its self to on the job training. How would a person with NO experience what-so-ever deal with Russia, China, Iraq, Pakistan, etc.?

    If something happened to Obama, and Joe Bidden was in charge, he would have around 35 years experience behind him. BUT if something happened to McCain, and Sarah was left in charge, there is no way she would be equiped to handle the situation. An ill-equiped leader could land us in a war that no one wants, or lack the knowlege to do what is necessary to protect us in the event of attack. What a gamble!

    It's fine for McCain to select a female as a running mate, but couldn't he have selected one with at least a little experience? Did he have a senior moment? This is a high stakes game!

    Obama's running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. (who has served in the senate for about 35 years) of Delaware, would be an excellent advisor to Obama, and would also be ready on day 1 if necessary, to be commander-in-chief.

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  8. Anonymous you wrote:
    It seems she has zero experience in foreign affairs. Heaven forbid, what would happen if circumstances placed her in the position of being our president?

    I couldn't agree with you more. As a matter of fact -- before the announcement -- I researched Palin. This was my conclusion:

    http://www.jotusa.com/2008/08/sarah-palin-vp.html

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  9. I am so happy to hear that I am not the only one that is not pleased with Sarah Palin's family values. Her infant needs her total attention at this time in his life. If she chose to have him she should be willing to give him the very best start in life that he needs and deserves. No one can replace his mother at this time in his life. The needs of this child and the demands of the job of VP will certainly conflict. Something will suffer and I have a feeling it will be the child.

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  10. I am so glad to know that I am not the only one who questions Sarah Palin's family values. I am appalled that she is not going to be fully committed to the needs of her special needs child especially at his tender age. At this point in his life he needs his mother's total attention. No other person can meet this special child's needs at this time like the mother can. I would imagine that being VP is a pretty demanding job. Something will have to suffer and I have a hunch it will be the child who loses in this case. She really needs to put her political ambitons on hold and mother this newborn.

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  11. I'm baffled, too. Hollering hypocrisy would be the understatement of the year. What the heck are Republican "Family Values" anyway? I pride myself in not being judgmental but here I go... With a crisis at home (pregnant teenager and a DS baby), why did Palin accept this nomination? Why does McCain criticize Obama's inexperience and then jeopardize America's future by NOT picking the MOST qualified and most ready VP in case he kicks the bucket? I'll answer that one. Politics as usual, he wants to win. The decisions made by McCain and Palin tell me I do not want them making any decisions for me or America.

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  12. Revised due to quote check - Please post this opposing yet respectful viewpoint.

    I find it amazing that Sarah Palin's experience is being viewed as insufficient in case McCain dies.

    She has just as much experience, if not more by virtue of being a Governor as opposed to a Senator, than Obama. While who's more experienced between the two is open for debate and completely subjective, that is a red-herring argument. Obama is trying to become President without anyone dying!!

    Arguing that the Republican VP nominee doesn't have much experience in case someone dies is laughable when the top of the Democratic ticket is just as much (again, this is debatable) a rookie! I would think that the Presidential nominee's experience is much more important that the VP's...but that might just be me.

    And don't get me going on "she should stay home to take care of her family". Reminds me of when Hillary said she'd done a lot with her life but could have stayed home "and baked cookies and had teas" too...and I thought Democrats stood up for women's rights. I guess now it's politically convenient to say she should stay at home...besides, all Republicans are rich and get the biggest and best tax breaks anyway, so she can afford a Nanny! :)

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  13. YEAH! Woman should stay at home with the kids, leave the politics to the men!
    Hmmm,... wait a second, since when did democrats become republicans?

    Lets fins a new attack people, this one is way off base.

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  14. Here we go again...women backstabbing other women. How the h&!# are we going to shatter the glass if this continues?

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  15. Put Sarah Palin's finger on the button, that way she can nuke the glass ceiling!

    Question: how is the extreme pro-life Sarah Palin, who would give doctors (half of whom are male) and policemen (mostly male) decision-making authority over a raped woman's body breaking any glass ceiling?

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  16. I just logged on and read the posted comments. Unbelievable that in the year 2008 we would "women" making these comments. What do you think mothers of special needs children do with their children when they have to go to work everyday? Are they "bad" mothers because they hold a position other than mother?
    The issue here isn't Sarah's family or her beautiful baby with Down's Syndrome, the issue is that she is speaking out on issues and the spotlight is focusing on her values and ideals...and a group of very dedicated liberals don't like. Tough...there is a whole group of us out here that LOVE those values and ideals. So complain and gripe all you want, we are just thankful that the spotlight is off Hilary Clinton.

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  17. All I hear is HER HER HER. She did'nt make her son by herself. The boy has a father. Whats wrong with the father taking care of his son. Parents now share the upbringing of their children. So why is everything her fault and its up to her to take care of her son, and shes a bad mom if she doesn't give all her time to her boy. Wake up people we don't live in the 1900's anymore. Women are responsible human beings that can do more than make babies while their husbands work. Every one is so concerned about having a women vice-president, look at how bad the men in this country have literally screwed it and the people, and all you can worry about is a women running the country. I find this very sad especially in 2008.

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