My sister and I were on the phone last night wondering aloud why the media had not yet picked up on a discussion that we knew must be occurring among mothers like us - the challenges of employment and meeting our children's needs.

The catalyst of our conversation was, of course, the news that Gov. Sarah Palin - a mother to five, the youngest of whom has Down syndrome - had been picked as the running mate of Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain.

My sister is a mother to two children (both of whom are high-achieving, traditional learners). While she has been the primary caregiver, she also has worked full-time successfully building a business and even simultaneously headed up the school PTO for a time. I, meanwhile, have been the primary caregiver for three children - two of whom have needed educational support outside the classroom - but have found I have been more successful meeting their needs while working largely part-time. Both of us have the added support of husbands who work full-time. Ms. Palin, albeit a woman of more mothering years under her belt than I, has a much tougher road ahead as a prospective VP and my sister and I were both certain other women were coming to that same conclusion.

This morning, Jodi Kantor and Rachel L. Swarns of The New York Times confirmed our suspicion in their piece A New Twist In the Debate Over Mothers. On reflecting on the article this morning, I realized that such a piece would not have been written if that candidate were a man. In fact, had Ms. Palin been Mr. Palin, his circumstance no doubt would have endeared him to the electorate. "Father to five, the youngest of whom has Down syndrome, works exceptionally hard to support his family." No such consensus for Ms. Palin. The fact that Ms. Palin is a woman brings questions into play that otherwise might even go unremarked; the irony is that it is largely we women who are raising them.

So this morning, I am trying my best to steer clear of those questions, focusing instead on her politics. I am not saying that her personal experiences will not inform her politics. No doubt, she could bring a more personal perspective to the debate about special needs funding within the school system, just as her religion seems to inform her position on abortion and her place of residence her perspective on the environment and on U.S. energy policy.

So yes, to borrow a phrase, the personal is political and when it comes to evaluating Ms. Palin's views on everything from education to Rose V Wade, I will not lose sight of that fact. But what I'm also trying to remember is the political need not be personal. I may have made different personal decisions than those of Ms. Palin when it comes to how I believe I can best support my children, but I have to strive to evaluate her for her political positions above all else.

Elizabeth Wilcox

Founder, Mykidsupport.com