McCain Chooses VP Runningmate: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska! Interesting...
Pro-Life, Member of the NRA. Staunch conservative and former Miss Alaska runner up. Is she supposed to pull in disgruntled Clinton voters? We've had a female VP candidate a couple of decades ago. This isn't new or fresh. Although she's young at 44 and certainly a newcomer to many Americans, myself included. She's the mother of 5 children, the youngest of whom has Down syndrome. Stay tuned!
I do have a question for my conservative readers. Gov. Palin has five children, quite young. How do you feel about them basically losing a mother for four years, if McCain/Palin is elected?
Another question: Her baby has Down Syndrome. Could you leave your special needs child for a dream job? From an article: The governor said she won't take a maternity leave but will bring Trig with her to work. Her spokesperson later clarified, at Palin's request, that the governor will take time off for medical appointments, physical therapy and whatever Trig needs.
I do have a question for my conservative readers. Gov. Palin has five children, quite young. How do you feel about them basically losing a mother for four years, if McCain/Palin is elected?
Another question: Her baby has Down Syndrome. Could you leave your special needs child for a dream job? From an article: The governor said she won't take a maternity leave but will bring Trig with her to work. Her spokesperson later clarified, at Palin's request, that the governor will take time off for medical appointments, physical therapy and whatever Trig needs.
25 comments:
What a horrible choice. He just lost my vote. McCain has absolutely no judgement. He thinks this will make up to the people who are upset about Obama not picking Hillary? He is senile.How can he even compare the two?? Looks like I will eihter not vote this year or write someone in. What a shame.
Interesting comment. Come to the daaaaark side, anon. :) K
And no, NO pun intended there!
None taken! Nope, would never vote for a Democrat. I decided I will not vote at all this year. McCain doesn't deserve it after this so I think Obama supporters will be happy. He'll get in.
Hello Kim,
If you'll pardon me, I'll leave my personal politics out of this.
I think you'll agree with me when I say we should ask all candidates - not just those who doubled up on their X chromosomes - how they plan to make sure their families' emotional and personal needs are met.
I'll go further and say that whatever the merits or demerits of considering politicians' personal peccadilloes, we do way too little observing of how each politician takes care of his/her family - let alone of those members with special needs. That I think would tell us a great deal about how s/he would govern.
Cheers,
Jeff Deutsch
Anon - that's your right - a conscientious no vote. I registered as an R in Ohio in 2000 so I could vote in the primary for McCain. Man he's changed. And do think 72 is too old for the long haul. Past military heroism is no guarantee of making the changes we need for the perilous future.
Thanks for commenting, who and where ever you are!
Jeff, thanks for the heads up. I changed A of A - :)
Kim
I am just excited that the face of politics is changing, no matter who gets elected. I was wondering how she could leave her child for her dream job, but for some parents, taking care of their childrem full time is not what they want, and they are allowed to have that choice. No one can deny that this is an exciting year for politics. I certainly do not agree that she is a horrible choice.
As a mother, with a child with special needs, I think it is unthinkable to leave my young child.
Honestly, if this doesn't speak VOLUMES about her character, I don't know what does.
Your priorities are at home. Your children depend upon you, as the parent, to take care of them. Period. No one can take the place of a mother's love and devotion.
It is about time this country puts their priorities straight. Children are not commodities. If a parent CHOOSES life than they should take a daily responsibility to nurture that life to full capacity.
Dear Anonymous,
I have women in my very own family who would rather go to work than raise their children, so they have other family members help them. I thought in America we were afforded that choice without being looked down upon. I don't think you should let your political feelings get in the way of ripping someones moral character without even knowing their full story. Jenny McCarthy, a woman I highly admire still has her dream job and is a full time working actress. She doesn't mother any less than a stay at home mom. My female doctor has four children, yet still has a very busy practice. No one questions her character as a mother because she continues to manage a very busy practice. Just because it is unthinkable for you to leave your kids and for me to leave my children, I do not judge others for wanting to work and serve.
Last anon, I think you'll like the HuffPo piece I just submitted - I hope they run it soon. The title (special preview for Kim blog readers!) "Is not taking maternity leave a conservative value?"
Keep the conversation going - it's important! All opinions welcome. Truly.
KIM (aka, Donna Reed....) LOL!
hopefaithbelieve - welcome! I think my HuffPo will generate some crazy comments. It's hard to compare an actresses job - where she can control her schedule or even a doctor - who has some control over her schedule - to the president or VP job. I think that's 24/7 - I'm not against Palin taking the slot - I'm bringing up the "what is a conservative value" question on HuffPo - because it's a political blog and I felt like stirring the pot today. Why not do it on a national forum? LOL!
Kim
HopeFaithBelieve:
A different anon. here.
Jenny McCarthy is not running for V.P. and neither is anyone in your family. This woman would be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Are you kidding me? And what if she became president sometime in the next four years due to the fact that McCain is "older than dirt" (his words!!) She has a newborn plus four other kids. The newborn has Downs so that may mean many surgeries and medical issues. I really wonder where her priorities would be. They shouldn't be on running a country that's for sure.
Scary--I wouldn't want her as my president!
Ok, I'll take it over to Huffington. I still have lots to say :) I get what you are saying; she isn't an actress, but I still think we are being very hard on a woman here.
Really Hope/Faith?? Why don't you go over to a blog called Rhett's Journey and see what it entails having a child with Down's plus other children. I think that child was in for his fifth or sixth (or maybe more) surgery yesterday and he is only two. His mother takes care of him 24/7. And where's this Pailin going to be when all of this happens? Not running our country that's for sure. I'm a Republican and I say, Go Obama. This was a completely irresponsible choice on McCain's part. He needs to go retire now.
I'll post the HuffPo piece when it goes up.
Enjoy the long weekend! Good luck to our friends in the gulf. Eegads - Focus on the Family asked people to pray for rain during Obama's speech last night. And now there may be a huge hurricane in Katrina'ville during the Republican convention. Ooooh, Karma hurts! (That should be good for a few more comments) ;)
Speaking of Karma,
Dear anonymous, I responded to your comment on my blog. I chose not to publish all your comments since they are so mean spirited. I would love to keep it of Kim's blog, but you don't show us your identity.
I'll end it at that!!
Kim, have a great weekend. Thanks for keeping the dialogue and the political conversation going. I love it!
Thanks HFB. Don't let the angry anons get you down. :)
Let's not confuse a woman's right to work after motherhood strikes with the, for me, real question which is just how does a mother of 5 including a newborn think she's going to manage such a high powered job? Is she insane? Her appointment just smacks of blatant political point scoring and nowt else. I don't know anything about the woman other than what I read here but for goodness sake America deserves a little more concentration don't you think?
I think it is clear that this Pailin is thinking of her own, (obviously huge ego) and not her children, particularly the newborn who will need her more than ever. Who is going to attend to Pailin's special needs child while she is trying to hold a position such as VP? A nanny? Sorry, no matter how good the nanny, taking care of her child will involve many therapies, medical procedures and so on. As a parent of a special needs child I know, as do many of you who read this blog, that this is a 24/7 job.
By Pailin claiming that she will be involved in her child's therapies, etc. and still easily be able to hold a position such as VP of this country is completely and utterly insulting to the intelligence of all Amercians. Does she think we are all so stupid to believe she could actually do that? She is so clueless as to what caring for her child will entail. She just gave birth to him in April!! Who the heck would risk voting for her and then have it all implode on her. I'm trying to decide who is more pathetic...Pailin or McCain for picking her.
It's funny, Dems and liberals shout from the roof tops about being free to make choices but God forbid you should make a choice that they don't agree with.
You have a right to question the manner in which she runs her family but don't shout about equality one minute and then bash her for being in her 40's with a young family or the fact that one needs more attention.
I disagree that it is a horrible choice. I'll admit it, I vote for the party more than individual - that's my choice.
I think its great that McCain is more middle road than the bush years, I think its great that he took a chance, he can't change how old he is and yet keeps on pushing forward. In any other area that would be admirable.
It would be wrong to vote for Obama just cause he's black - black doesn't make you brilliant, just as it would be wrong to vote just because a female in on the ticket, being female doesn't make you brilliant either.
But come on, we scream we want someone young - okay, chances are high then that they got kids who still need them thats a wrong reason to not like them or question where their prioroties are. That's messed up.
Don't you think Obama's girls need their Dad around? No one is questioning HIS priorities?
Hopefully someone is checking into this story.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223
Hear, hear! Tammie has hit the nails right on their heads.
Like I said above, we need to ask all candidates - including the Y-chromosome-endowed - how they care for their families. No more asking women, in effect, what their families think of their careers without putting men on the spot.
And yes indeed, if we want younger politicians we will get politicians with young children.
We autists, Aspies and advocates for same need to seek our allies where we find them. Speaking only as someone who agrees with at least one of Sarah Palin's views and disagrees with at least one of them, if Governor or Vice President Palin can show extra concern for people with special needs then we should consider offering our support!
Tammie speaks a lot of good sense, which we on all points of the political spectrum could use more of.
Jeff Deutsch
Jeff, in Sarah's world, if my girls are raped they must bear the child. As special needs women, rape will be a real possibility in their lives. It's one of my many fears. No way. Sarah Palin. No way.
K
Good afternoon Kim,
It's very good that you're concerned about the welfare of your daughters (and hopefully other people too) when deciding whom to support.
I'm afraid you've misunderstood me. My comment was neither for nor against Sarah Palin - I'm not going to discuss politics, at least not publicly.
My comment was in support of Tammie's calm, rational perspective. You may know her particular political views; I certainly don't. In any case, as I already said we on all points of the political spectrum - liberals, conservatives and others alike - can use more of Tammie's good sense.
Jeff Deutsch
PS: I know indeed that rape is a definite danger for autistic women (and men). I'm sure you know that rape is a real possibility (if a somewhat lesser one) for neurotypicals too.
Thanks, Jeff. Women with disabilities and as you point out, men too, are real targets. And my girls are perfectly beautiful - they have no "outward" signs of their disability, if you know what I mean. Thanks, friend.
KIM
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