On Sarah Palin
Posted on September 2nd, 2008 – 11:55 AMBy May Chen
Kay and I have been sitting here tying ourselves up in knots, trying to figure out what we think about McCain’s surprise pick for VP, who went from little-known governor of Alaska to the country’s most famous Mom - and soon-to-be unexpected grandmother - pretty much overnight. The New York Times has already weighed in on the new front on the Mommy Wars.
As working mothers, we’re torn. After all, amidst the consternation over Palin returning to work three days after having a baby with special needs, why isn’t anyone asking if Todd Palin stayed home longer with the baby?
So as we sort our thoughts, pull apart our contradictory feelings (maybe never), here’s a thought from H.J. Cummins, our longtime work and life reporter and now consumer affairs writer….
There are so many things to be said about Sarah Palin, but what washed over me this morning was this: “As a mother, would I put my daughter through this?” And my answer is an immediate, “No.”
That gets us into all kinds of complicated territory: Should a woman turn down a ground-breaking opportunity because of a private family issue? Would I ask this if the nominee were a man?
What I keep coming back to is me picturing my daughter at 16 or 17, and me looking at that little-girl face and saying, “Sorry, honey, but this profound fact of your young life will now be public, for all the world to see, and say horrible things about you.” And that stops me. I can’t imagine imposing that new scale of fear and pressure on her when she’s already struggling with what is happening to her.
16 Responses to "On Sarah Palin"
The reaction I had when I learned Palin was running despite having a new baby with special needs was exactly the one I had when Edwards announced he was running even though his wife’s cancer had returned: wrong decision.
Even if you’re not the primary caretaker your energy/participation is needed.
[…] Originally published by Cribsheet […]
This is so hard. As a working mom, I don’t want to see her criticized too much for trying to do both — after all, I do. The fact that she has a pregnant teenager is not really a big deal to me in and of itself. But, having been a pregnant teenager, and now a mom and stepmom, I can’t imagine for one second putting my daughter through that kind of public scrutiny at a very private and most likely scary time in her life. I do not think it’s an appropriate political tool to use against Mrs. Palin, but I do think it’s fair to question her judgment privately. I’m proud of Obama for keeping it off the table (even though I bet money that the Republicans wouldn’t show the same courtesy if the tables were turned), but I do sort of hope that people give her a real hard look before putting their votes behind her.
Oh, I’ve been torn also, but more in a “If McCain dies, this self-proclaimed hockey mom is gonna run the most powerful nation in the world? Really?”
I want to be happy that the selection is a woman, I really do, but a woman with a little more experience would be my hope.
As far as being a mother working an intense job, I’m tying not to be too judgmental. I don’t think it’s a decision I would make (but can you imagine how heady it is to be asked?), but as a feminist too I must support her making it.
Regardless of her private family issues, I do not support her, working mother or otherwise. It is her stand on many issue I have issue with. However, I do not find it distressing that she continues to pursue her career while having a special needs child. Life goes on and I am sure she and her husband avail themselves of any and all services available. No doubt her husband will not work should she become elected (I really hope not!!!)and help their children transition, should they move to DC. I do question her judgement to throw her daughter to the spotlight and subsequent wolves. Hard enough to be a teenage mom with local buzz and whispers, much less national headlines. Ouch!
I commend her for taking on the challenge, even though it is not something I would do to or for my family. Hopefully she consulted with her daughter and family before accepting the nomination.
I hate the idea that McCain picked her with the thought that people would vote blindly for a ticket with a woman. I think the prospect alone demeans women and their intellect. Also, I find it mildly amusing that people try to label non-supporters as hypocrites when many of Palin’s stances do not align with feminist rhetoric. It’s as if to say that women should support ANY woman regardless of that woman’s position on key issues (many of which are unknown right now).
My concerns with Palin are strictly on the issues (and yes, forcing her 17 year old daughter to get married to save face is certainly “on the issues” as far as I’m concerned…you know, conservative “family values”…ugh). She has completely opposite views to my own on basically all of the hot button and even less hot button topics.
I think it is hypocritical for any working moms to say anything negative about advancing her career with a special needs child at home. The same would NEVER be said about a man. In fact, I can almost guarantee that man would be portrayed as a loving, caring, understanding, and accepting individual *because* of having a special needs child. I don’t agree with either of these views.
I do not see why if it is a Mom running with a 4 month old we discuss this. JFK and his wife had a baby in office. The lost a child in office that was ok but not for a woman? For the smae people who think a stay at home Dad is ok well then why can she not run for vice president? As for her 17 year old daughter being pregnant. And the news coverage? This too shall pass over.
It is also a fact of life in America more and more teen pregnancy is out there. As a family this does not make her a worse Mom for it.
I meant to type that other presidents have had small children it is ok that their Dad is not a big part of their lives during campaingning well her husband is a stay at home Dad so it should be given the same consideration that then she should be able to run without people saying how bad that is.
But wait a second. Maybe the point isn’t that if it was a man we wouldn’t be asking this question. Maybe the point is if it were a man *why* wouldn’t we be asking this question? Maybe we’re looking at equality the wrong way. Maybe the point isn’t to hold women to the same standard as men but to hold men to the same standard as women.
That’s what my point about Edwards was. I judged that decision also and it made question his motives and priorities into question. To run for office while your wife is dying of cancer takes supreme narcissism. To me feminism isn’t about emulating men–it’s about redefining the choices we have and which are admired.
Wow these are some great, well thought out responses.
I have to question many of the decisions she has made thus far. Traveling back to small-town Alaska from Texas with her water broken with a premature baby with Down’s syndrome is reckless.
Exposing her daughter to the publicity is bad enough, but then the possibility of either moving to DC or having her parents leave the state as she’s facing a new baby and new marriage, is also crazy.
However, just because I wouldn’t make these decisions for my family, doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be allowed to make them for hers. Unfortunately, because Sarah Palin doesn’t believe that abortion is right for her family, no one else should be allowed to make that choice for their family… and that is why I disagree with her and can’t support her for any office, let alone VP.
I believe that there aren’t enough hours in the day between her and her husband to truly care for 5 children, one with special needs, one going off to war, another expecting her own child and campaigning to be VP. If you bring that many kids into this world you have an obligation to care for them. I support women and their causes but I feel this is a poor decision.
Could her accepting the nomination be her way of supporting her family? If being on the presidential ticket is too much for anyone with a family, then none of the candidates should be running.
I think many of you have made many speculative comments for which you have no backing. Like saying she’s forcing her daughter into marriage . . . How are you so privileged to make such a claim?
Since I’m the one who said it, no 17 year old is mature enough to make that decision. They just aren’t. Brain research has come out in recent years that is quite interesting and insightful regarding the adolescent brain and executive function/cognition…
I would assume pressure from the family and trying to save face since her mom is a Republican/conservative is the reason for the marriage announcement. If my assumptions are incorrect, fine, but I seriously doubt it.
This isn’t the 1950s.
I don’t think that Palin having 5 children, even one with special needs and one with her daughter’s current situation, should prevent her from accepting the VP nomination. There are so many successful women that are able to balance family and career. It is extremely difficult to do I am sure, but I don’t think this means that she should miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think as long as she consulted with her husband and all of the children before accepting the nomination and tried to figure out some type of a plan for them to parent well (like her husband not working for a few years), that is okay.
I don’t like Palin as a candidate at all and I completely disagree with her views on the issues. However, I think it’s okay for her to accept the nomination. If Palin were a man, unfortunately we wouldn’t even be discussing this. People always have to make some type of compromise in their lives and there are so many families out there with parents with busy jobs as well. I think that although it is not ideal for the children, there are things Palin can do to try to connect and spend time with her children still.
I think we forget about the women’s right movement. A VP pick of a woman would have never happened 50 years ago. It is remarkable that our society has come a long way and we are able to discuss all aspects of a woman being a possible VP. It should not matter if there is children or family issues (we all have them)! It is that we as woman have choices now that were never there before.. work no work…. children or no children…… birth control or no birth control.. These are basics that we take for granted now that we did not have those choices in the past. I am excited for my daughter to grow up in a society that we can voice our opinions and maybe even run for president someday. Everyone is ripping Palin just because it is new and different and probably a little scary for a woman to possible running this country. We get caught up in the issues so it is hard to remember how far women have come!
