Leave the kid alone — and her mother too

This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 7:46 pm EST and is filed under Election 2008. You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

25 Responses to “Leave the kid alone — and her mother too”

1. Huan says:
   

   your posts are fair and thoughtful.
   been looking for an opposing opinion i can respect.

   thanks.

   September 1st, 2008 at 8:13 pm EST
2. Geoff says:
   

   Savage misogyny from the some on the left, people with no principles save power.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:04 pm EST
3. /ehj2 says:
   

   This will be said poorly in many quarters, but the issue is simple.

   A woman who doesn’t believe in sex education, contraceptives, or pro-choice legislation leads to a country of pregnant teenagers who can’t afford to go to college and compete in a world that is already out-competing us.

   A woman who is demonstrably incompetent to steward teenagers in this country is obviously incompetent to steward the teenage mentalities of the defense department.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:21 pm EST
4. Violet says:
   

   ehj2, that is the most offensive and ridiculous and bullshit thing I’ve ever seen from you.

   That Obama kool-aid really must have some potent woman-hating, reality-denying ingredients.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:29 pm EST
5. Violet says:
   

   Sarah Palin is not opposed to contraceptives. She opposes sex education in school, but not at home — she thinks it’s something parents should handle.

   Sarah Palin is on record as believing in women’s rights and that women have every right to education and careers and should not have to balance that with childbearing. She calls herself a feminist.

   She just doesn’t believe in abortion.

   The sheer hypocrisy now of Democrats, so-called liberals, pretending that only hick moron teenagers with incompetent parents have sex and get pregnant is so fucking rich that I can’t stand it.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm EST
6. Michelle says:
   

   Here’s what I am worried about. I think that the McCain camp picked Palin in part to assuage the anti-abortion right after the massive response to his comment about possibly not choosing an anti-Roe v Wade VP BUT I also think she was chosen because they know *any* criticism of her can potentially be silenced with charges of sexism. They all saw it happen to Clinton and they think we won’t notice the difference between actual misogyny and criticism of someone’s fitness for office. I admit the line is blurred. I think she is terribly unqualified, a hypocrite (notice all the assertion that Bristol “decided to keep the baby”- was there ever any question? It is not decision for most, we get pregnant and have a baby. Asserting that she “decided” shows that other options were considered and I think that is worth talking about. We don’t even know that Bristol herself is against abortion, she may just want to be a mother.

   COnservatives trash liberals and especially feminists as causing the “problem” of “teenage pregnancy”. That is a major talking point how feminists encourage sexual behavior in younger women by advocating for birth control and for equality and the de-stigmatization of single motherhood and public assistance. This goes to show that it is not so cut and dry. It is the Palins who are using their two “we could have aborted and didn’t!” moments for political gain and I think it is gross. I think she is unqualified for a lot of things, as I think McCain is unqualified as well. Overall I would say that this whole election has been a circus and I for one wish it would just end already. THis has been a bad election year for women, for feminism. I think there have been many steps backwards.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:37 pm EST
7. Violet says:
   

   I think Palin is more qualified than Obama.

   September 1st, 2008 at 9:51 pm EST
8. Anna Belle says:
   

   I quite agree, Violet. And I think the Democrats have stolen plenty of strategy and policy from Republicans this year.

   September 1st, 2008 at 10:56 pm EST
9. Sis says:
   

   It’s somewhat less laughable then “leader of the free world”. Really. See that being used. Yes.

   September 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 am EST
10. Sis says:
    

    So what or who was actually qualified to be ‘leader of the free world’–Bush, Reagun, Nixon? Could the fuck-ups have been any worse?

    I think she’s qualified. I think she’s double duty qualified. I don’t happen to agree with her reproductive choices, or some of her policy positions. But then, I don’t think I know of any present or past leader (saving Pierre Trudeau) for whom I can say that. And even with him, I was frequently appalled. She was 18, fercrissake.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 am EST
11. Stephen says:
    

    I’m a conservative who spent the primary election watching the democratic race from an indifferent vantage point on the right.

    I could understand the hesitation of many democrats in supporting Hillary Clinton. We all remember the soap opera that was the Clinton administration and I could totally understand how–Clinton policy successes notwithstanding–an average democrat would decide to support Obama.

    Personally, I have never been a great fan of Hillary Clinton. But in the last couple of months of that race, the attacks on Mrs. Clinton became increasingly mean and bizarre. I’ve probably heard her referred to as “bitch” and “cunt” more than any other woman both in the blogosphere and in conversation.

    Now this sickness is being directed at Sarah Palin. How bizarre is it to witness the ever-increasing fascination with the wombs of both Palin and her daughter Bristol that is on display in places like CNN, MSNBC, and Dailykos?

    Hillary already got a raw deal. And now it seems that Palin is going to have to suffer through about ten times more disgusting shit than Hillary.

    Something very nasty is going on here.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 am EST
12. FemB4Dem says:
    

    When I heard Wolf Blitzer opining piously that teen pregnancies “can happen even in the best of families,” I wanted to run screaming from the room. Who are these idiots? Oh yeah, that’s right, they are the same so-called media experts who were so vicious toward Hillary. If Sarah Palin can successfully stand up to these bastards over the next two months, I suspect she will earn the votes of many a progressive, even though she is pro-life. I had already decided to vote against Obama and his sexist masses, so having Palin on the ticket gives me at least a reason to smile when I cast my first vote for a republican ticket ever.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 2:46 am EST
13. cellocat says:
    

    This is rather long, and feels a bit rambly to me, but I’m having trouble finding coherent brevity lately. My apologies…

    I am a 39-year-old pregnant liberal lefty passionate supporter of Hillary who’s experienced patronizing, arrogant, sleazy bs from Obama supporters over the past year. Could be due to my heightened emotions (you know how pregnant women can be) /snark, but the focus on Palin, her most recent baby, and her daughter and their uterus’s makes me want to vomit my rage and grief onto the lap of any one of the a-holes promoting this bs.

    For me, being pro-choice means accepting the complexity and huge difficulty of a lot of shades of grey. It doesn’t mean being “pro-abortion”. It means being willing to thoughtfully consider all options, none of which may be appealing or desired, and make a choice among them, having weighed the consequences as best as one can in a situation often fraught with conflict and distress. It means being responsible. And in that sense, “pro-life” is just as ridiculous (or at least limited) a term as “pro-abortion”; a person who decides to keep her child (as opposed, for example, to putting the baby up for adoption) is doing the same thing, just with fewer options on the table. Of course, my problem with the pro-life/anti-abortion crowd is when they try to legislate that limited set of choices for other women based on their own personal convictions.

    I am considered old (and therefore high-risk) to be having a child. My chances of having a baby with Downs are far greater than they would have been 15 years ago. I carefully considered whether or not to have those tests that Palin purportedly did. I decided that since I would not abort the fetus if the test came back positive there was no point in having it done. I didn’t want to risk making the last two trimesters a time of sorrow, and figured, if it happens that there is something wrong with the baby, my husband and I will find the resources, external and internal, with which to handle it. We will do our best to deal with what we are handed.

    That paragraph is meant to illustrate the point that we all have difficult choices to make, many many times in our lives. To lambast each other for the decisions at which we arrive in these important choices is stupid and inhumane. For the left crowd to criticize Palin and her daughter in this way is embarassing to me in its lack of heart, its arrogance, and its shortsightedness.

    We must find a way to elevate the level of conversation in this country, to retrieve the media from the gutter to which it now appears to be adicted, and to demand a certain level of courtesy in our political arena. I have no idea of how this can be achieved, but I know that after I’ve recovered somewhat from the toxicity of this campaign season I am going to try to find a way to positively engage, whether it’s with NOW, or a local organization, or in some other way. Otherwise I may find myself still puking regularly, even after my baby’s been born.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 am EST
14. Violet says:
    

    cellocat, I’m about to go to bed, but I just want to say briefly how much I empathize with you. As a woman with her own reproductive history and family history, I am sickened by the public interrogation of Sarah Palin’s and her daughter’s reproductive lives. I feel like throwing up too.

    One thing this election is teaching all of us, I hope, is how antediluvian attitudes towards women still are in this country.

    The good news is that a new wave of feminism is gathering from all this. I’ll post more about that soon.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 am EST
15. Briar says:
    

    Great post. Thank you. I particularly love the footnote. I hate the whole military fetishization crap too. Nations that worship their military and promote a willingness to press the big red button and annihilate millions as the key qualification for a democratically elected leadership are heading for trouble.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 am EST
16. Bagadeez04 says:
    

    I came across this site and was refreshed to hear some sympathy towards Sarah Palin and her daughter.

    As a registered conservative who is often disallusioned with ideas that can come from “my side” (natural creation for example), it’s nice to hear some civility…it’s nice to hear someone say that just because right and left disagree on politics, that does not mean we have to hate each other.

    Reading through the posts and comments section on the “Kos” website made me very sad…there are many nasty and hateful comments about Palin and her 17 year-old daughter. To come here and see some compassion was…like I said…refreshing.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am EST
17. Level Best says:
    

    “We must find a way to elevate the level of conversation in this country, to retrieve the media from the gutter to which it now appears to be adicted, and to demand a certain level of courtesy in our political arena.”–cellocat

    This is so true and so well put. Not rewarding the sources of this bad behavior is key–calling media people everytime they go into the gutter, esp. with misogny, complaining to sponsors, and NOT voting for candidates whose supporters rhetorically savage women and girls.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm EST
18. propertius says:
    

    Great Dog Almighty, I’m weary of the Obama hit-and-run campaign strategy. He can’t talk about anything substantive, but he cheerfully lets his $7/hr blogger minions slime his opponents on the net. When the MSM pick it up (since they can’t do any actual reporting these days), he lets it fester for a couple of days, puts on his rent-a-halo and chastises them for going after candidates’ families. What a revolting bastard he is!

    Since when did Dems become the Sex Police, anyway???

    September 2nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm EST
19. Randall Shake says:
    

    Here is something else to consider. Gov. Sarah Palin has actual National Security Credentials. She is Gov. of Alaska. And the Alaska National Guard is responsible for the US Missile Defense system and to detect ICBMs coming into the US. Cindy McCain mentioned this and was promptly laughed at. But McCain was correct. She has most likely Top Secret Clearances and may know more about our Security than Joe Biden does.

    One area of Sarah Palin’s background that may help her is Alaska’s unique role in our national security and homeland defense. Several folks have have mentioned this but Tom W. was specific and his info jibes with the record.

    Palinbunkerhill:
    Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks. It’s on permanent active duty, unlike other Guard units.

    As governor of Alaska, Palin is briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism. Her exposure to classified material may rival even Biden’s.

    She’s also the commander in chief of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF), a federally recognized militia incorporated into Homeland Security’s counterterrorism plans.

    Palin is privy to military and intelligence secrets that are vital to the entire country’s defense. Given Alaska’s proximity to Russia, she may have security clearances we don’t even know about.

    According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets.

    She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is.

    I agree with that assessment except for the thought that her access to classified material may rival Biden’s. Highly unlikely as Biden’s seat on the Foreign Relations committee would expose him to information on a very wide array of topics. But her experience in keeping the homeland safe fits perfectly with her image as the competent American woman.It’s not the same as having your finger on the button, but it a heckuva lot closer than Biden or Barry O has ever been.

    It will be tremendous fun to watch a couple of complete political tools like the Hope&Change duo attempt to attack a record of substance not words, a record of action not bloviation, a record of kicking ass and taking names against what now…….?

    Missiledefensescreens:
    Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion defend America from an intercontinental ballistic missile threat 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while maintaining competency in all warrior tasks. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Battalion.)

    U.S. Northern Command brought the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-Based Midcourse Defense) to operational level for the first time in response to the July 2006 North Korean missile crisis. Previously maintained in test mode, the brigade, headquartered at Colorado

    Springs, Colorado, and its 49th Missile Defense Battalion (Ground-Based Missile Defense) at Fort Greely, Alaska, remained at high alert status for the duration of the crisis.

    September 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm EST
20. reader says:
    

    The same “feminists” who savaged Hillary Clinton are savaging Sarah Palin, because not to is “sexist.” Wish I was surprised.

    September 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 am EST
21. salt h2o says:
    

    “The good news is that a new wave of feminism is gathering from all this. I’ll post more about that soon.”

    Will you please point me in the direction of this feminism? I don’t know what to call myself but looking around at other ‘feminists’ I’ve decided that’s a title I do not want.

    Violet, you’re my new favorite person.

    September 3rd, 2008 at 6:39 pm EST
22. Violet says:
    

    Will you please point me in the direction of this feminism?

    Funny you should ask ’cause that’s what I’m doing right now:

    http://thenewagenda.net/

    September 3rd, 2008 at 6:48 pm EST
23. Yanni Znaio says:
    

    Thank you, ma’am.

    Magnificent post.

    September 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 pm EST
24. Randall Shake says:
    

    This is backfiring on the Netroots at Dailykos and the Democraticunderground. Instead of focusing on her policies they attacked her Children, Family, Mothering skills, Marriage etc. And the vile comments keep piling on. Like idiots on a Drug induced High they are not realistic about what the Independent voters and Women are seeing. They are in fact seeing a party out of control. Run like a Mob that is without any ethics. And here is the Irony. It is Republicans who are defending a Woman. It was Faux News that put Hilliary on and gave her a Fair treatment.

    This is like some Alternate Reality. Women will have to accept the facts. The Democratic Party wants your vote, your money, your efforts. But they don’t want you as their Candidate.

    Libertarian’s, a New Party, or go into the GOP and try to change it from the inside. The Democrats have rejected American Women. Face facts.

    September 4th, 2008 at 9:18 am EST
25. flyingsong says:
    

    Dear Dr. Socks,

    Thank you for your balanced approach on behalf of women. I do not understand the double standard applied to women, and never have. This body I was born in (female) has nothing to do with the mind/heart/soul/consciousness I have. Period.

    September 6th, 2008 at 12:57 pm EST

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