Comments on: Palin and Parenting: What Do You Think?

By: Debra

Debra — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:46:23 +0000

I think there’s a difference between the media attacking her (or any other candidate) and my having an opinion on her. From what I’ve read so far, I don’t agree with her politics. But more importantly (to me), I can’t agree with her parenting. No, not that her daughter is pregnant. The fact that she went back to work with a 3 day old baby. Even the fact that she thinks it would be appropriate to run for VP with a 5 month old. I’m not even the birth mom but I stayed home for a month and a half, then worked 1/2 days when our 2nd child was born (2 months with the first child as well). Now that our baby is 8 months, I just can’t imagine leaving her long enough to campaign or travel all over the world and I certainly can say that my wife wouldn’t do so. How can I trust this woman to run the country if she can’t even love her children enough to give a baby the love and nourishment it needs?

By: Milly

Milly — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:39:37 +0000

If it highlights hypocrisy then it’s fair game, in my opinion.

By: S

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:21:39 +0000

I fall somewhere in between choices 2 and 3. I think we need a reasonably high level of media disclosure so that voters can decide for themselves whether something is a matter of personal preference or whether it indicates what a candidate’s approach to issues or situations might be. For example, if I’m concerned about having a VP who makes prudent decisions, I consider the story of her plane trip after her water broke to be highly relevant, even if traveling during labor is not part of any standard plank of the Republican platform. I do think there is still a certain amount of privacy that should be afforded minor children; I would consider it inappropriate for the media to cover how Palin handles a child who wets his bed (totally hypothetical example.)

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:43:10 +0000

Good point, Elizabeth. Part of what blurred my thinking here is the fact that much media leans left or right and can have as much bias as if the parties themselves were reporting on it. Objective reporting is one thing; opinion is another. To your point, though, I’ve added “or conservative media” to the question. Thanks for recommending the clarification.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:32:32 +0000

I think a big distinction must be made btwn the media (in your original question) and the Repubs/Dems (in your third choice above). Asking whether the media should focus on it is different from asking whether the Democrats should focus on it. Obama has already taken the high road, and says that candidate’s kids are off limits. Good for him. The media, however, has a right to report on this “story” since the McCain campaign released the info about Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy in a press release itself! Frankly, I think her utter lack of qualifications for the job of VP is a bigger story than any parenting choices she’s made, but that’s the American media for you. And Obama shouldn’t get blamed for media choices.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:41:19 +0000

The personal is politcal for those running to rule. Decisions a candidate makes in their personal life are a direct link to how they will vote on any issues that are even remotely linked. If they deicisions dont reflect how they vote, then they are hypocrits.
If part of the Republican platform is ‘conservation of traditional family values’ then the family values of the candidates is very much fair game.