Huffington Post political editor Hilary Rosen thinks it’s time we back off of Sarah Palin and her motherhood.
In a commentary at CNN today, she says:
I am a woman who someone took a chance on several years ago when they gave me a job that had only previously been done by old white guys. Experience? How do you get any if no one takes a chance on you?…And what about the argument that she is a negligent mother who will be distracted from her important role? I am a mother who constantly feels the pressure from others about whether I am fit to be a parent, whether I put my kids first often enough and whether my children get enough of my attention. Who has the right to judge my family?
In this case, whether Palin has had decades of prior political experience or not and how she deals with her family responsibilities are red herrings.
It will take more time, but it would be bold for the media to focus more on whether Sarah Palin and John McCain have the right stuff to lead the country and have plans that will help put all our families in situations closer to theirs, including affordable health care and access to decent educations for our kids.
Issues, issues, issues. To paraphrase another candidate and Saturday Night Live alum, I want to know what are the candidates going to do for me, PunditMom. And I want to know they have the background to address those issues — some people can manage it with less “experience” than others, but you’ve got to prove to me that the experience you do have will fit the bill.
If they can’t step up on those issues, I really don’t care how much time they spend with their children or whether it was right to take a chance on a fresh political face. If they can’t prove they have enough knowledge to not only answer that phone at 3 a.m., but also to know what to do without starting World War III, it doesn’t matter to me who’s doing the driving to ice hockey practice or who gets home in time for dinner.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Very well said.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
What kind of mother Sarah Palin is does not matter to me. I care what her values are and how she will use them to guide our country. I could care less how many children she has and how much time she spends with them. Her parenting is not what matters in this election. And for the record, the term “Mr. Mom,” when referring to her husband, infuriates me.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Thank you! It’s nice to hear a voice of reason through the insanity of what’s going on.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Well, if how one conducts themselves as a parent isn’t a reflection of their values, then I don’t know what is!
September 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Yeah, agree that we need to hear more about the issues, agree that we should stop questioning her ability to do the job because she’s a mom and agree that more employers could take a chance on bright new talent (male or female). But wondering if a job running the country is really the right time to take that chance…
September 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I read what you had said about Oprah not having Palin on her show and fully agree with you. I’d like to see as much of the candidates(Presidential and Vice Presidential) as possible so myself and my fellow americans can truly decide who is best for the country. Not by parties and colleagues, but by merit and platform should we elect our next president. Your words were truly bi-partisan. For that I commend you. Thanks.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Here’s all I need to know about Sarah Palin: she’s anti-abortion even in the case of rape, she’s in favor of creationism in public schools, opposed to gay marriage and is against equal pay for women.
Whatever is gained symbolically by the first woman Vice President is dwarfed by setting all women back with her stone age policies. I’ll vote for Obama/Biden and wait for another woman to come along and make history, thank you very much.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Well, doesn’t Pailin define herself as the “Hockey Mom? If a male politician was holding himself out as the “Hockey Dad,” which implies he’s really into his kids and family, I’d ask if he was a good dad. Not so much because it matters in terms of running the country but as a mark of his character.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:14 am
illnap How untrue is that. I do care what kind of mother she is because her parenting reflects the values she has. She’s letting a small herd of seemingly uneducated kids loose on the world. But it’s not the primary reason I’ll never vote for her. The real reason is that our beliefs are diametrically opposed.
September 6th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Yes, yes, more on the issues—-PLEASE.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
McCain has brought this firestorm of attention upon himself and his Republican values. I am assuming he did so deliberately, don’t you?
I do not care about her personal life except that it does or does not illustrate her policy positions. If she is anti-choice, we need to know. If she is a creationist, that is relevant. If she left Wassila deeply in debt, we need to know.
Will she appoint judges and other workers whose values are in conflict with mine? Does she represent everything I oppose, as policies?
We WILL have a woman in the Executive. Just not this one.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Policy and ideology are of course tops. But I think that character in large part plays into our understanding of a candidate and family life counts. When I look at someone like Clinton or Gore or even McCain, I can’t help but admire the adults that their children have grown to become. So conversely, how can I ignore Palin’s home life completely?
ps you look so great on cnn right now!
September 6th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
first off I’m crestfallen I missed you CNN. 2nd I agree. it’s sexist to concentrate on whose taking care of her kids and it distracts from all the good legit reasons not to back her.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Looking for a link to your CNN piece. Heard you were fab. I hope you have a link soon!
Kim
Chicago Moms Blog
September 7th, 2008 at 1:55 am
gratz on being on CNN
September 7th, 2008 at 4:56 am
“What are the candidates going to do for me?”
All I want a candidate to do for me is . . . nothing. Just stay out of my way. Don’t interfere with my life.
If Sarah Palin becomes Vice President, I’d prefer that she turn down any invitation to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Ditto cubed.
Rock on, Pundit Mom.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:36 am
This whole thing is so bizarre to me. It’s like being in a bad dream and not being able to wake up. Palin was virtually unknown outside of Alaska just ONE week ago. Now, she’s more popular than Obama or McCain. What does that say about the mindset of voters in this country. I’ve heard people express how much they love her, her kids, even her parents…who’ve only been shown on TV once at the RNC and have never uttered a word (as far as an interview goes) So what is it about her that has endeared her to so many people. The scandalous baggage that accompanies her nomination is as lengthy as the Bering Strait…yet she’s almost revered by every woman and some men that have been interviewed since the announcement by McCain that she would be his running mate.
The “maverick” is looking more and more like a sidekick…merely going along with the powers that be…he says and does whatever he thinks his champions want to hear. Just like calling lobbyists ‘birds of prey’ which is a total contradiction to what his true ties with these unnecessary evils in Washington are.
Come on America…are we so shallow that a pretty face is all it takes to win us over? Gov. Palin hasn’t given not ONE interview outlining her plans for this country as VP since McCain picked her….only pre-written rhetoric aimed at tearing down the Democratic nominee and his party. Even after her acceptance speech, I still don’t know who she is…
September 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I actually agree with you on this.
Wait…did I just stay that out loud?
Let’s stick to the issues….leave motherhood out of it!
September 7th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Thanks PunditMom. I think that many of us are struggling with Gov. Palin and her decisions and flirting with hypocrisy. We disagree with her positions and then begin to question her parenting decisions. We are being sprayed with a firehouse of “info” and end up focusing on things like why did she go back to work so soon after the baby was born or that’s what abstinence-only sex ed will do or there is no way she can be Vice and raise her kids. But deep down I bet that she somehow would handle it. Just like me and tons of other working parents.
So, I am swimming upstream against the side-show and focusing on the issues. And guess what? I just don’t agree with her. Period. Doesn’t matter if she is a good mom or not. I am getting over my Addiction To Palin.