Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter is 5 months pregnant.
Did Ms. Palin, conservative as they come, ever discuss birth control with her daughter? My sense is that she didn't. And yes, I know that contraceptives sometimes fail. I wouldn't even be surprised if the daughter wore a Promise Ring when she got pregnant. All kidding aside, I wish only the best for her daughter, but I do think this will not bode well for the GOP team. We have yet another reason to question McCain's judgment.
I can understand attacking Sarah Palin for her inexperience, but attacking her as a mother is low. She should stay home and pay more attention to her family...The people that should have stayed home and paid more attention to their families are the sleezeballs who cheated on their wives/husbands. Maybe if they stayed home, they would not have strayed from their families and embarrassed their spouses and children. At least SP is standing by her children and living a moral life and she is trying to do the right thing by her children. And like most people, like the people I know, any major change within a family is discussed with all members and a decision is made as a family. SP knew well in advance that she may be chosen as VP (cannot find on internet, however the interview was on CNN), so I'm sure the discussion had taken place prior to her making the announcement.
Posted by: amie Date posted: Tue Sep 2 19:00:30 2008
Message: I've lurked on this post since dear Bonnie posted it. I tried to stay out of it, but now, I feel compelled to put in my 2 or 3 cents in. First, my main problem with Sarah Palin is her stance on political issues that are vastly different than mine. Gun Control is major for me. I don't like guns, I would never own one. My father was an avid member of the NRA, and a very responsible gun owner. I would never want the right to own a gun be taken away, but what in the heck is wrong with a waiting period to buy one? Why should it be so easy? We have to take a driver's test to get a driver's permit, why should it be so simple to get a gun in some states? And if someone wants a gun to defend themselves, is it necessary to be able to get a semi-automatic weapon. Why? My next issue with her is a woman's right to choose. I have never had an abortion, nor would I, but I take issue with the term right to life. It's as if your for choice, you're for death. That's not the case. Each circumstance is different for each person. Who am I to judge, and by the way, I was adopted as an infant. Maybe, like Obama said to Rev Warrens, we need to focus on limiting abortions and making other options more available. Adoption is costly, and many who would cannot afford it. There is no guarantee that the bio mother won't come back and claim the child after a few years. And for the bio mother, there is no guarantee that her healthcare throughout the pregnancy will be taken care of. That's why I'm very pro-choice. Now, having said that, the fact that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant, actually makes me like her more. She's human! As a mother of 2 girls, I sympathize with her. I'm still not voting for McCain, but I don't think her daughter's predicament should matter. The main problem many have, is that the GOP has always regarded themselves as the party of family values, and to be honest, if Palin were a Democrat, the GOP would be all over her! Hypocrisy at it's worst. Our culture has become so tabloid crazy, nothing is sacred in politics. The same thing happened to the Edward's family. Now of course, John was so wrong to cheat on Elizabeth, but the media ate it up. And did the GOP or the media care what effect the publicity had on the children? Tit for Tat! It's a shame that this is what politics has come to. Many of us disagree on this board, but this is a great forum, we should be able to debate without insulting each other. So now, I'm off my soapbox, may you all take care!
Posted by: Midge Date posted: Tue Sep 2 15:49:07 2008
Message: Now I'm in tears! I'm watching MSNBC and Nora O'Donnel is interviewing Whitaker from the Washington Post and he just dropped this story.
Palin and McCain both new Bristol Palin was pregnant. BUT, until the morning of the VP announcement, the Palin children were not told Sarah was to be named the VP choice. They flew to Dayton under the impression they were going there to attend some sort of celebration of the Palin's 20th wedding anniversary.
Can you imagine Bristol having this sprung on her hours before her life goes out on national television. Obviously, the boy involved didn't know what was about to happen to his life either. What kind of mother does that to her daughter, at a time a daughter needs her mother like no other time in her life?
Posted by: falicee Date posted: Tue Sep 2 14:45:29 2008
Message: I am from Alaska, and though I expected the left wing to hit Palin, I never thought I would ever see such awful things (some of them made up lies of such absurdity it is unbelievable) brought down on a child of a candidate. No one could possibly have hated the Clintons more than me, but it pissed me off the way the media would write about Chelseas (at that time) sorta unflattering looks. She was 12 or so, and I felt it was wrong to say anything about her that was negative. I am also no fan of the obamanation, but I would never condone any thing negative about his two darling children. It is just WRONG.
Leave the kids alone. So Bristol is pg. It happens in families every day all over america. Of course, the left would much prefer it if Sarah and her daughter had dealt with their pregnancies by aborting them.
I do not believe for one minute that Sarah Palin does not believe in Contraception. People, look at all this crapola that is flying around, most of it untrue. Sarah is pro life, not anti contraception. That makes no sense, and I do not believe it. I was here when she ran for Govenor. She is a real person, and all this madness just proves that the left is scared you-know-what-less.
Man, I had not been here for years, on the personal board. Now I remember why. It is a sewer.
Posted by: CaroleA Date posted: Tue Sep 2 10:00:06 2008
Message: I don't think that having a pregnant teenager makes you a bad mother. I do question, however, the choice to have five children when you obviously are far more interested in career. When my daughter was 7, her father moved out, and she had some problems with that and wasn't doing well in school. At about the same time, I was offered a job in another division of the company I was working in at about twice the salary. Knowing that if I turned it down, I might not get another chance to move ahead, I did, in fact, turn it down because it would have meant moving my daughter to a new town and a new school. I felt she had had enough change in her young life, and I didn't want to move her away from her father. It was very important to me that she maintain a relationship with him. She will be 32 soon, and her father passed away 3 years ago. She is very successful now, and I have never once regretted the decision to put my child above my career.
I'm coming out of long time lurkdom to respond to this because I just can't believe what I'm reading. I wish some of you on this board would take the high road like Obama did yesterday. Some of what is written here is just disgusting. You can't attack Palin's lack of experience or qualifications because that would open up the same criticism of Obama, so you attack her character, her motivation, attack her as a mother and attack her as a woman. Do you really think she found out last week she was in contention for the VP spot? She's known for months and I'm sure she discussed this with family and advisors. In an above thread, someone questions why she even had her baby with Down's Syndrome. Unreal. PJ, you say below that this could only get better if her teenage daughter's baby daddy is her cousin and laugh about it. Do you have a daughter? If so, I hope she never comes home with news that isn't what you want to hear. Will you laugh at her? Midge, you insinuate that she secretly wanted to lose her baby with Downs. That is without a doubt the sickest thing I've read here. None of you know anything about the woman personally, yet you're calling her a bad Mother and selfish. Shame on all of you.
I am in no way a fan of Palin's and think she's a terrible choice, based on her total lack of experience, but I have no idea what her personal life is like and would never base my opinion of her on something I don't know. Come back later and read what some of you had written. It's unbelievable.
Posted by: Regina Date posted: Tue Sep 2 1:24:17 2008
Message: I just feel sorry for the young father and his family. I don't think Sarah asked their permission to send the media vultures after them. Then again, you skrew with the daughter of the governor you best be prepared for what could happen.
Posted by: X Date posted: Mon Sep 1 21:19:36 2008
Message:
You people are making it seem as if Palin's daughter is the only one around having a baby at 16 or 17. What about all the other mothers who are SAHM or career women whose daughters get pregnant before marriage? Are they failures, too? Get a grip, the girl had sex, got pregnant and will have the baby. That does not affect her mom's ability to run for office or perform the duties of the office. Few of you liked her before this, now it's just vultures feeding on the prey.
A friend just sent me this article. I have no idea if this is factual or just gossip, but it is enlightening about Sarah Palin if she did fly from Texas to Alaska after she started labor. Also not notifying the airline that she was pregnant. Also, taking such a chance with what she knew was going to be a Down Syndrome baby. They are sometimes born with problems that need to be addressed immediately. If this is in fact what she did, delaying going to a hospital for many hours, I certainly would never trust her judgement.
I have seen that picture of her daughter taken in late 2007 and at the time I saw it I thought that she had quite a little tummy for a teen-ager.
I now really don't know what to think.... and maybe that is why I just don't feel good about this woman.
Posted by: Sierra Date posted: Mon Sep 1 19:13:14 2008
Message: I think it is really too bad for this kid to be tied down so young and to have to be exposed to this kind of public scrutiny. I also think it is a huge mistake to be getting married at 17. I hope they really want to.
Posted by: Fed Up Date posted: Mon Sep 1 18:09:52 2008
Message: You know what I'm thinking based on my response in the above topic.
How can someone who is a failure of a mother be successful elsewhere? It would be a big mistake if the daughter and her sperm donor get married. This is a case of a human being born into a bad situation.
Concerning the GOP candidates: ''Birds of a feather flock together''.
Posted by: Kelly Oh!! Date posted: Mon Sep 1 17:57:21 2008
Message:
Well, that's interesting. So much for 'abstinence only' education, huh? And did Palin REALLY think that this wouldn't come out immediately - especially with the hurricane cancelling a lot of the Repub convention/slow news day?
I feel for that kid - now the whole world knows what could have been a private family matter. But when Ma is the VP nominee, things have a way of becoming public. I hope she WANTS to marry this young man. Seriously.
I, too, am not buying that McCain knew. What else would they say?
Posted by: Shea Date posted: Mon Sep 1 17:01:35 2008
Message: I feel very badly that this child has to have this news dragged into the national spotlight. Poor kid.
Posted by: Visitor Date posted: Mon Sep 1 16:57:01 2008
Message: You people are pathetic. It appears you are really afraid that your ultra-liberal candidate can't, in the words of Hillary Clinton,
''get the job done.''
A special needs baby and a pregnant teenager, that's two children that are going to need everything their parents can give them. But instead, the Palins are focused on getting the Mizzus elected to an office she has no business running for to begin with. And in the process they're not only placing the family under the public microscope but their doing it at the worst possible time for the eldest daughter.
Posted by: further Date posted: Mon Sep 1 14:21:51 2008
Message:
Oh no, I think this is a feather in her cap. It seems to me that with some of these ultra die hard conservatives, the abortion issue is the all mighty issue. WW3 could break out, millions could be dying in the street while the president is out hunting and he'd still be considered Jesus if he's a pro lifer. I think her daughters decision to keep the baby will be greatly admired.
Posted by: Miss Harold Date posted: Mon Sep 1 14:12:45 2008
Message: Wow, the poor kid. Imagine being thrust into the national spotlight when you're going through something like that. It makes me wonder what the heck her mother was thinking by accepting the VP slot. It seems like her family has enough to deal with right now. I seriously doubt that the McCain camp knew about this ahead of time.
