This whole issue rubs me the wrong way because I can't stop thinking, "If she knew her daughter was pregnant, why make the decision to accept the call to become the VP candidate when it would put her family under a microscope?" While Sarah Palin has enough years under her belt to be able to make that decision for herself, I have to wonder at what risk it was to her daughter, who at age 17 is about to undergo a lot of changes in her life...and now, that will be done in front of the world, instead of being a small story in Alaska. 

As much as this should be a private matter for the family, it won't -- and that isn't something that either the "Left" or "Right" will control the conversation. 

Also, neither the "Left" nor the "Right" are monoliths, so I think it's a bit disingenous to say one group will shift or call foul because of this story. If anything, this brings to light the conflicts families have in raising children these days and the pressure to portray perfection.

Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com

Oh please. This is obviously not the family picture that conservatives try to convey, and imply that their values prevent. Where's the abstinence ring? I thought that was important. So it's okay to have sex when you're still in high school and before you get married as long as you don't have an abortion, and that you marry the boy? I thought that all manner of birth control were brought into this world to prevent unwanted situations like that in the first place.

Laura, www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com

Let's not paint the entire liberal blogosphere as rumor-mongering woman haters.

You'll note many liberal bloggers stood up for Palin when her 'mother and work' issues was even brought up and were among the first to call out the blatant sexism in the media.
Even the ultra-blue MOMocrats discussed it and defended. So your assertion there is just plain wrong.

I mean really, who are we kidding here...

You're also seeing calls from Senator Obama for everyone to 'back off.'
Which is frankly exactly what I would expect.

I very truly feel for this teenager, but I do want to hear the VP nominee discuss her stance on abstinence only education and her 'family values' platform so readily touted out to the press when she was announced.

I for one and thrilled to see Palin on the ticket if for no other reason that we're now seeing conservatives, such as yourself, calling out sexism and issues traditionally left to liberal women.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

"The despicable rumors that have been spread by liberal blogs, some even with Barack Obama's name in them, is a real anchor around the Democratic ticket, pulling them down in the mud in a way that certainly juxtaposes themselves against their 'campaign of change,'" a senior [McCain] aide said

From a previous version of this article

The current version has this:

"There's no doubt that liberal blogs such as one called www.barackoblogger.com and some in the mainstream media were pushing a false story about Gov. Palin's most recent pregnancy with fervor," said senior McCain adviser Nicolle Wallace.

Even though "A senior McCain official said its camp had no evidence that the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama was pushing the story"

If you and the McCain campaign really want to make the claim that the liberal blogosphere is woman hating in its reaction to this story rather than recognizing that there are individual bad actors out there then I could call the conservative blogosphere and the McCain (and Clinton) campaign as racist and misogynistic for those bloggers who spread rumors and attacked Michelle Obama for false claims that she went on a "whitey" rant among the many, many false rumors propagated. However, I recognize that neither McCain, Clinton nor the entire conservative blogosphere was responsible for the false ramblings of a few mouthy bloggers.

And, oh by the way, on Daily Kos?

Unless someone has counter evidence, we can drop this crap now.... we look stupid pushing this rumor.

And from Obama after noting that his mother was 18 when she gave birth to him...

"We don't go after people's families. We don't get them involved in the politics. It's not appropriate and it's not relevant. Our people were not involved in any way in this and they will not be. And if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired," Obama said.

Conservatives need to tread just as lightly lest Americans recognize some extraordinary hypocrisy at work.

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PopConsumer (Politics, Current Events & Links)
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Forget Daily Kos, it doesn't represent more than a few extremists--no more than the religious cultists who demand the end of teaching evolution could be said to represent the right.

Also forget the "McCain is a saint because he's sticking by Palin" shtick. He's not having the baby, nor is he father or grandfather. It has nothing to do with him.

Who cares about this baby? Seriously? There are so many things that Palin can be challenged on, and none of them have to do with her kids. I don't necessarily agree that this baby is a blessing, because the young lady is too young to have kids, and our world is already badly overpopulated. However, I'd say the same thing on hearing about any kid having a kid--the fact that she's Palin's kid only matters if Palin comes out against birth control, or touts an abstinence only program in schools during the campaign. Frankly, I don't think either topic will come up. 

I'm looking forward to the debates when the real issues that matter are brought up. All this sideshow stuff just detracts from what we should be focused on.

Mary Katharine, you wrote, "she has a family in which normal challenges have to be overcome..."

Here's a great fact sheet on teen sex:

•Most young people have sex for the first time at about age 17, but do
not marry until their middle or late 20s. This means that young adults
are at risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections
(STIs) for nearly a decade.[3]

And about teen pregnancy:

•Each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15-19 become pregnant.
Overall, 75 pregnancies occur every year per 1,000 women aged 15-19;
this rate has declined 36% since its peak in 1990.[25]

•The majority of the decline in teen pregnancy rates is due to more
consistent contraceptive use; the rest is due to higher proportions of
teens choosing to delay sexual activity.[26]

And:

•Eighty-two percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned; they account
for about one in five of all unintended pregnancies annually.[29]

•Two-thirds of all teen pregnancies occur among 18-19-year-olds.[30]

Finally:

•Eleven percent of all U.S. births are to teens.[32]

Feel free to link other stats - that's just what I found and there's other interesting stuff in there on abortion and pregnancy outcomes.

Having a 17 year old who is pregnant, in a family that values no contraceptive education other than abstinence and absolute prohibition of abortion is not normal in the usual definition of that word.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

Marriage by any means necessary!

Love,

Babz

My Twitter Sister  Jstandard posted this sentiment:

Sad reality: urban/minority teen moms receive the back end of moral criticism all of the time. no one ever publicly takes up for them.

Love,

Babz

 
 Many religious Christians will also view her as deceptive, and many will see it as throwing her child under the bus, but that is neither here nor there. The less on this the better for the Democrats. Her inability to be able to take John McCain's place as president can be made very clear without ever bringing up her family.  The Dems need  to concentrate on John  McCain and use the good hand they have been dealt in Obama.

I also agree it is disingenuous to tout all liberal boogers or journalists  as promoting this story from a negative standpoint, despite the fact that it is not the case. Those who are spending their time reaming the liberal blogesphere  are as willing to  propagandize anything to their advantage as those they are complaining about essentially doing the same thing they are faulting others for doing.

I've read through a number of conservative blogs and journals today and find they are concentrating like  this post is on the few in the liberal blogesphere who are demeaning her in this fashion and ignoring the other stuff.

This may work, but I am hopeful most people on either side are reading other than  journals and blog sites where preaching to the choir is the routine.

cooper

First things first. No matter who McCain picked, there's a snowballs chance in hell (if you believe in hell) of my voting McCain.

Now:

While I strongly believe that whatever is going on with the Palin family pregnacies is none of by business, I do think this gives us an opportunity to ask important questions about the VP candidates policies on:

Abstinence only education.
Access to contraceptives for minors.
Abortion rights (we know Palin in anti-choice)
Health care for women.

There's no way we can know the details of Bristol's preganancy - we don't know if this is a wanted child, an "accident", a failure of education, anything at all. And I don't think it's any of our business. But I do think it's our business to know the candidates stance on the related issues. 

Also, as a die hard liberal, I don't see any of Palin's family issues - her Down's syndrome baby, her teenager's pregnancy as a deterrant to her serving in office. It's sexist and demeaning, I agree completely with the right on this. Her politics, however, are another story, and that is what I, personally, will be focusing on. 

Nerd's Eye View

To discuss left/right, Bristol's plight, etc., ignores the real crux of the matter.  It is one thing to a teen mother in the household of the Gov. of Alaska.  It is an entirely other matter to be the teen mother in the household of a single waitress struggling to make ends meet.  Single parenthood is a breeze for the privileged, when compared to "real people".Palin, or the people hailing this as a wonderful "walk the walk" example of Palin's thoughts should not use Bristol as an "example" of what single teen motherhood really is about.

http://nakedanarchists.wordpress.com

Although I don't plan on voting for him, I was completely impressed with Obama's class today in handling the Palin pregnancy story. 

His mother was only 18 when he was born.  My parents were unmarried and 19/20 when I was born.  I'm glad my parents made the choice they did, and I imagine all those who are voting for Obama are glad his mother made her choice as well. 

Does it mean I judge those who make a different choice?  Absolutely not.  People have to make their own decisions based on their own circumstances.  But I'm happy my parents, who hadn't completed college, were only dating, and had zero money, chose to have me anyway.  It wasn't easy, but I'm glad to be here.

Katherine Stone

Perhaps it's a switch in the family dynamic that people are uncomfortable with.  In a society where more fathers are able to stay home as the primary caregiver while the mother provides the financial security, we are still holding onto the idea that she will crumble under the pressures as a working mom of a special needs child and an unwed pregnant teen.  

If she is blessed with a supportive husband, a strong support network, strict personal boundaries for her family, there is nothing stopping her from being the next VP.  

I won't be voting for her, but I don't think THOSE should be the issues on the table right now.  Let's stay focused on her strengths and weaknesses as the next president, should something unexpected happen to McCain.  

Anissa Mayhew

www.hope4peyton.org 

www.mayhewreview.com