Sen. McCain's camp reported today that Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. The daughter plans on keeping the baby and marrying the father.
According to ABCNews.com, "Democratic nominee Barack Obama Monday said his campaign will not make a political issue of the Palin daughter's pregnancy. He told reporters while campaigning in Michigan that a candidate's family is 'off limits and people's children are especially off limits,' pointing out that his own mother gave birth to him at 18."
The McCain campaign reports they knew about the pregnancy while Palin was being vetted but didn't believe it should disqualify her from seeking the vice presidency.
Also being reported today is that Gov. Palin's husband, Todd, was arrested on a drunk driving charge when he was 22 years old.
So, to all the McCain supporters, does this revelation today change your mind about Gov. Palin? Does it make you like her as a candidate more or less?
According to ABCNews.com, "Democratic nominee Barack Obama Monday said his campaign will not make a political issue of the Palin daughter's pregnancy. He told reporters while campaigning in Michigan that a candidate's family is 'off limits and people's children are especially off limits,' pointing out that his own mother gave birth to him at 18."
The McCain campaign reports they knew about the pregnancy while Palin was being vetted but didn't believe it should disqualify her from seeking the vice presidency.
Also being reported today is that Gov. Palin's husband, Todd, was arrested on a drunk driving charge when he was 22 years old.
So, to all the McCain supporters, does this revelation today change your mind about Gov. Palin? Does it make you like her as a candidate more or less?
9 comments:
a 22 yr old being arrested for drunk driving? ummmmm, that would disqualify a majority of americans so, stupid decision on his part, but no doesn't change my mind. he's a grown up now.
pregnant at 17!! i'm horrified i must say. but there again, palin's dealing with a reality that is pathetically all too commom in america and she's doing it with honesty and grace. bristol is keeping the baby and marrying the dad so poor child has given up her childhood but showing she's responsible in the aftermath of her mistake. at least she didn't have an abortion to cover it all up and then lie about it.
what i like about palin is that she lives life where i live life. with a working class husband, trying to balance making the world a better place for my children while taking care of the here and now. i'll bet she know's the price of a gallon of milk and gas too! i like that she's forth comming with her own "dirt" and being real about it not trying to cover it up. really, i think america would have had a lot more mercy for clinton had he not lied to us... come on, he's a adult! he knew the definition of sex.
ok- off my soap box:) no, this doesn't change my mind, i'm sad for the family and i won't be taking much "sex ed for kids" advice from her but it will be good to see how bristol handles this in the coming months. can she own up to it and pay the penalty and recover with style ala martha stewart? or try to weasel out of admitting guilt and become a punch line like (bill) clinton?
If anything it proves (again) how genuinly pro-life they really really are... this is at least the 2nd time they've kept a baby that many would justify aborting.
People and teens make mistakes... to see them take responsibility and stand by each other in the midst of it screams "family values".
As to whether or not this changes my mind...no. Especially not the drunk driving charge...for pete's sake HE's not even the candidate! And last time I checked, Clinton smoked pot and George W. was an alcoholic and I think Obama has admitted to (at the very least) certain 'youthful mistakes' of his own... Give it up with the accusations already.
However, I must admit that I have some concerns about her qualifications. I am completely conservative, would agree with all of her stances and REALLY like her as a person. But there have been times that I've felt like I "liked" Barack Obama; yet that doesn't make a candidate a good choice. Likeability shouldn't be our main qualification for supporting someone. And if I've touted that in regards to Obama, I feel it's only fair to say the same for my own party. Yes, I feel I can identify with her being the 'hockey mom' and all, however, I know that I am NOT capable of running the country. And I do value education and experience that prepares someone for such a role. Therein lies my concern. I think it's making some awful big jumps in a short period of time to be the role of VP of the US - especially considering our role globally.
Do I think she's aware of the life of the 'common man'? Yes. And I like that; however, is she aware of the life of the president of the US and major figure in the world at large is more the question, I think.
Again, I will continue vote my conservative viewpoints, but it's hard not to look at this as a political ploy to just have a female on the ticket.
Regarding her qualifications and experience, as a Governor and as a Mayor she has made more decisions that effect people than Barack has made a Senator as part of a legislative body. Laura Bush said it good, having served as a mayor she knows how federal legislation and decisions made at the federal government affect local jurisdications, niether McCain, Obama or Biden to my knowledge ever served the people at the local level. Serving at the local level, living next door to the people whose lives are affected by your decisions is a lot different than sitting on a committee in congress and the senate with a whole staff of people writing and researching your bills and opinions. Also one thing that I haven't seen anyone bring up is that what happens to the foregin affairs expeirence on the Obama/Biden ticket if Biden kicks the bucket, he's no spring chicken! In the end I base my decision on the top of the ticket.
I think that being honest about it was a good move.
However, I think this family really needs their mom at this stage in their lives. She's great, she's down to earth, but I just can't get over the fact that she needs to be there for her family, and that is something that just will not happen if she is VP. A nanny is no replacement for a mom and I just can't imagine how she is going to transition well from the hockey mom next door to VP of the most powerful country in the world! Is it just me??
It's unfortunate that those two events happened, but they are doing the best job they can lying in the bed they've made. I think we can see from their actions after their mistakes that they are trying to make right and do what's best.
It doesn't change my opinion of Palin as a politcal candidate. It does force me to realize that no one is a superhuman and no one's immune from mistakes.
If we expect perfection in our candidates, we will ALWAYS be disappointed! And we certainly can't expect perfection from their families. As I've mentioned on my blog, we need elected officials who understand the choices the rest of us have to make.
By the way, thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your thought-provoking comment.
I couldn't do what she is doing because I know myself and I am not, and never have been, a "super mom," one able to do it all. I made choices along the way and Sarah has too. She is living with her choices and I admire her for at least 2 of them: not killing her down syndrome baby, and supporting her daughter who needs her mom now more than ever. Just think how you would feel being on center stage in this scenario. It would have been so easy to have aborted the baby to forego the embarrassment and inconvenience.
So Sarah has my vote for doing the right thing for the right reason at the right time. McCain couldn't have chosen a better man.
It's unfortunte, but the amoral media machine is going to eat this story up. This is what they live for.
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