Sarah Palin and her children
The 2008 Presidential race is heating up and it’s interesting to note that 2 of the candidates are working parents of young children.
If you’re in the United States, you would have to have been under a rock not to know that Republican John McCain selected Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his running mate on Friday.
Palin is also the mother of 5 children ranging in age from 19 years to 5 months and one of the issues debated around the water cooler in offices (both physical and virtual) across America is, “Should she be spending this much time away from her kids to run for Vice President? Can she really do both?”
In the debate over working mothers, people (usually in order to appear open minded, tolerant or whatever) are fond of saying, “A woman should do whatever’s best for her family”, yet from what I’ve read, Sarah Palin doesn’t seem to be afforded that permission.
Those people with an opinion have been shrill in their cries of, “How can she do this to her children? She should be home!”
While it does seem like she’s going to be awfully busy the next few months, I have no idea what running for vice-president entails, I’ve never done it, I have no idea what she’s facing or what her family arrangements are. However, I think it’s a safe bet that she and her husband discussed the matter before she accepted the offer.
I’m neither a fan nor a detractor of hers, it’s simply not my business what she does or how she does it. It’s curious though, that this topic really hasn’t come up about Barack Obama, father of two young girls.
What say you?
Obama does not have a 5-month old baby. We conservatives are hypocritical if we do not bring up the fact that her baby needs her much more than a 9 year old.
I say I have never been as frustrated by WOMEN as I am right now. They are the majority of whom I hear on this topic and they are against a MOM being in the white house. I am stunned.
Her home life, her sex life, her love life, her relationships, her cooking ability and religious prefernce, are not any of my business. Her business and work decisions, that’s what I will base my voting decisions on.
I do think that some of a candidate’s decisions about his or her personal life can show what their priorities are and can be a valid factor in a voter’s decision. That said, it doesn’t mean people should rip the candidate apart if their ideas differ. Then again, I don’t believe in negative campaigning, so I’m obviously living in another world, anyway.
I don’t disagree with anyone, but how are we to know that she’s “not there” for her baby?
This is definitely an interesting topic to watch. And a lot of valid points are being made. Is it more necessary for a mother to be home and “there” for a child than for a father? Then what about stay at home dads? I have no doubt if she has been in politics this long that she and her family have a good system for taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of. And none of us are there 24/7 to see just how much time she is / isn’t spending with the kids nor the quality of the time that she does. Lots of high powered women have young children and make it work and their children thrive. People jump to conclusions way to fast.
I’m not concerned with that so much as I am with how she’s reacted so far – I mean, she ignored labor pains to give a speech? She endangered her baby for a SPEECH? And is the baby really hers? It’s a very good question.
Also, ignoring the fact that she’s a mom, the decisions she’s made so far are absolutely horrid and there is no way I would like to have her as my President, should anything happen to McCain. I really think that, even taking the Mom thing out of the equation, she is a very poor choice for a VP Nominee. McCain likely shot his foot with this one.
She has already said she has no clue what being VP means but if it would help Alaska she’d do it. She is obviously not breastfeeding her 5 month old, and some would say that is yet another sign she is only thinking of herself, along with running for VP at this stage in her children’s lives. If 9 year olds breastfed and did so from their father I’d be saying the same about Obama but that’s just silly. That baby will never again be experiencing life through infant’s eyes, learning every second about the world around her, and Palin can never get that time back. Both the baby AND Palin will suffer if she wins.
You make a great point. There is no reason Palin should have to home with her kids anymore than Obama should. That’s ridiculous and disgustingly sexist.
The only thing I find interesting and even ironic is that Palin is a supporter of abstinence-only education and now her teenage daughter is pregnant. It’s like the homophobic politicians that get caught smoking pole. Something they are doing isn’t working.
Well, the situation gets stranger by the minute. On the whole I think:
* Her family situation doesn’t have anything to do with her qualifications/lack thereof.
* It’s difficult as a mom to imagine myself making the same decision to run — my kids are 3 and 9.
* I had similar thots about Obama, when he first got into the race: When will he see his kids? But I didn’t think, I can’t imagine running in his position. Maybe that is sexist, or maybe it is just, I can’t fully put myself into a father’s shoes. ??
* And finally, I’m scared to turn off the news. I might miss something!!
Wow. I hadn’t thought of the Obama question. I can not believe I hadn’t, either. I’m a mother and for some reason I did find myself thinking, “How will she balance everything?” and I never once asked how Obama would. That says something about me, I think.
Awesome job. Thanks for making me reconsider my position this subject.
And I question Maria. A nine year old needs just as much attention, sometimes more, than a baby. I know. I have both.
http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com/287/287/
“Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska has been selected as John McCain’s choice for Vice Presidential nominee of the Republican Party. Governor Sarah Palin recently gave birth to her son who has Down syndrome. The Palins knew before their son’s birth that he would have Down syndrome.
The positive publicity this announcement brings is, regardless of your political views, a leap in the right direction for families of children with special needs, and especially those with Down syndrome.
Watching Trig grow up as the son of the Vice President of America (or simply as the son of a VP nominee) will be proof positive that a child with Down syndrome didn’t ruin this Mom’s life or serve as the end to her dreams.”
Kim, thank you for confirming that my 9yo is indeed perfectly normal in her neediness.
LOL. Lcreekmo, you’re welcome.
In all seriousness, though. My nine year old, my six year old and my six month old take their fair share of attention at all times and I don’t ever feel like one takes more than the other always. It fluctuates.
It is sad topic that is difficult to be right…er… correct about.
If she has the family and/or financial backing that her children are cared for and she works, then I don’t have an issue with that.
What I do have an issue with is that it is the GOP (yes I am over generalizing… but only a little) that says a “proper mother” is one that stays home to tend to her children. Well, if you believe that, then go practice what you preach, or just shut up about it.
Like a previous poster, I am more interested (and amused) at how a huge proponent of “abstinence only teaching” has a 17 year old pregnant daughter. Guess what… that experiment failed in your own family, stop trying to shove it on the rest of us, as you now have proof Ms. Palin… it doesn’t work… worse, it probably HINDERS safe practices and increases those unwanted pregnancies that you are so defensive of.
I’m constantly amazed by the ugliness that has been brought out on both sides.
It’s like one big mommy war/abortion rally rolled into one.
Personally, I’m happy to have the choice to vote for someone who “walks the walk” when it comes to life–and I’m willing to give her the grace I think all mothers should give one another when it comes to career choices.
It is frightening to think that people can become so entranced by the hype that the media chooses to barrage us with while there is virtually no discussion on the support that this country does not offer its people so that women and men can make the same choices around work and family without sacrificing their ability to care for family members. Did anyone mention that we are one of only five countries in the world that do not offer PAID FAMILY LEAVE to both men and women?
We need to stop making decisions based on the hype and looking at what is truly important, including getting to know our local candidates so we are not blindsided at that critical moment.
This blog entry says it all for me: http://womaninwashingtondc.wordpress.com
I think it’s great to see a woman on the ticket. Sure, she’s got family to deal with. So what. Don’t we all. I think she’s a breath of fresh air. Someone who gets it for a change. I’m all for her.
palin said she ‘didnt blink’ and said yes immediately when McBush asked her to be his running mate, so she didn’t have the fuzzy heart to heart talk the author of this article would like to have believed went on, this woman doesnt have ONE baby, she has THREE very young children including a special needs ( helloooo they are called ’special needs’ for a reason people ) also a pregnant teenager, I think shes VERY MUCH needed for the first job she started 20 yrs ago.. HER CHILDREN… She’s VERY pro-choice, but doesn’t seem to want to care for them on a daily basis once she has them. EVERY mother knows the kids needs run you ragged whether you work outside the home or not and to meet those needs takes TIME. And thats something not even money can buy.
I am a 50 year old woman. In my younger days I use to think that we could and should do it all. I still believe this today. But what has changed is now knowing that if we decide to do it all while we have young babies and children, there are consequences. Ultimately, our children miss out on having their Mom COMPLETELY there for them.
As women, we bear the gift and the burden of bringing lives into this world. I feel if we choose to utilize this gift, then we need to take FULL responsibility for it and be there for our children. Full-time.