The vicious, unrelenting, gleeful attacks on Sarah Palin and her family makes me absolutely ill. It’s like watching Orcs go after Frodo. These attacks aren’t limited to one side. Leftist blogs and pundits are having a field day with her “hypocrisy”. Far-right conservatives think she should just go home and bake cookies. Those of us in the middle are bewildered and disgusted—not by her, but by those who delight in tearing her down.
I suspect most of the people who are enjoying the attacks never heard of her before Friday morning. It’s amazing how quickly a stranger can become a mortal enemy.
I can understand not agreeing with her policies. You don’t have to believe everything she believes or respect her accomplishments as mayor or governor. You are free to think she is inexperienced, in the pocket of big oil, or has hurt her home state in some way. If you think she’s behaved unethically regarding how she governs, by all means share your hard, solid evidence.
All I ask is for people to stop speculating on the contents of the wombs of various Palin women. I find it unbelievable that certain very prominent liberal bloggers like Andrew Sullivan are demanding she release her medical records to prove she gave birth to baby Trig.
For all you guys know, I never gave birth to Joel. Have you seen a picture of me, pregnant with him? You haven’t? Your suspicions might be aroused if I told you he has blue eyes and mine are a green/blue. And he likes Cheeto sandwiches. I don’t.
But Gretchen, you aren’t running for VP. The issue of your womb doesn’t mean anything. You won’t be attending state funerals and presiding over the Senate. Someone who will represent our country in a black pantsuit at the funeral of a Thai figurehead prince should have an impeccable obstetrical history!
Honest to God: Name one other woman in the history of politics who has been questioned whether or not her baby is her baby. Please. How do we know Obama’s eldest daughter is really his? See how offensive that question is? Why the double standard?
WHY?
I am so with you on this.
The attacks on Palin and her family make me sick to my stomach. And considering I also faced unplanned pregnancy at 17, goodness, I just feel horrible for her daughter. I cannot even imagine facing all that she needs to face with the entire country staring at her.
Llama Momma’s last blog post..superfast
I don’t think it’s just her or just this issue. The media seems to be like a bunch of frenzied, angry jackals about anything remotely news-worthy. I told my husband the other night I bet some of them were PRAYING that Gustav would destroy New Orleans because it would result in such great news stories.
Part of the problem with this is us. The general public. Look how many bloggers have jumped on this issue and are writing about it, even those who are writing indignantly and in defense of her, such as yourself.
I’m sure many of us are reading every word about this issue avidly, either because we are so angry it has become a big deal or for any of a number of other reasons.
And that’s why it has become such a big issue.
We have made it one.
Mrs. Who’s last blog post..Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair! Or At Least Put It In A Ponytail.
Oh my I haven’t heard the “let us see you medical records” yet.
I think it’s very sad! I like her very much, and I agree with several of her moral stands.
But as with any politics we can’t agree with every thing every time.
I stand on voting with my morals not my pocket book…
Happy Mommy’s last blog post..WFMW- The first day of homeschool
(clears throat) AMEN.
Steph
Adventures In Babywearing’s last blog post..This Month!
I have been out of the loop for way too long! Congrats on another boy! And I’m so glad everything is looking grand in there.
I completely agree with you about the Palin woman and there wombs. People need to get over it.
Also, I think it is embarrassing how much we know about our Presidents now a days. Last night, on the RNC, Fred Thompson mentioned how John McCain dated an exotic dancer. My husband asked why we needed to know and I answered, We know everything about our presidents and presidential candidates, what they’ve inhaled and who they’ve done.
It just gets old, doesn’t it?
Kristin’s last blog post..5 Hours
I’ve just caught bits and pieces of the news these days – when someone told me Palins teenage daughter was pregnant my response was… “SO?”
I’m with you – too much.
It seems everything revolves around how big a headline you can make something into, you’d think we could do better than that.
Howdy’s last blog post..Got Paint?
I really feel for her daughter. What timing to have something like this happen, when she is under everyone’s scrutiny. It is a hard enough circumstance as it is.
Heidi’s last blog post..I may have eaten an extra cupcake or five
I am so sickened about this and the things that the media drags out of the closet whenever someone chooses to run for a political office. What other jobs require every detail of your life to be scrutinized and displayed for all the wold to see. I did see a picture of her pregnant in an article I read about her before she was on the vice presidential radar. I am sickened by the double standard as well. It is funny too how there is such talk of her “inexperience” because she would be 2nd in command…the current president (first in command) political experience prior to running for president consisted of losing a house of representative election in 1978 and then he went into business before running for governor of Texas. He completed 1 term as governor before running for president. That pales in comparison to Palin’s last 16 years in public office. She is too inexperienced to be VP but has more political experience than the current 2 term president? Love that double standard.
Here Here!
I am disgusted with the pathetic media we have in our nation.
What is wrong with a working mother who is balancing it all. I am more impressed with a 44 yr. old mother that can run a state, maintain motherhood and keep her husband happy.
And, why haven’t they lambasted Obooma with the same questions?
Even more, I was ticked off last night that every major network spent the whole hour of the convention commentating on it rather than letting the public just listen to it.
It’s not me just being a sensitive Replublican…it’s them, not playing fair.
That’s when I say…..God be God and rule this country with Amazing Grace!
Personally, I think Palin is 100% to blame for willingly (and selfishly) deciding to make her teenage daughter the pro-life poster child for her own political ideology/career aspirations and thrusting her in the middle of a national campaign.
The vice-presidency/presidency could have waited. Careers can wait. Women have a whole lot of life to live after their done raising kids – but raising kids has to come first and working moms (myself included) have to be careful to weigh the needs of their kids/family against their own desire for career advancement.
Right now, Bristol needs a mommy whose main focus is to protect her and focus on the very real and immediate needs of her family right now. Should the same questions be asked of Obama – I don’t think so because he’s not a mommy. Perhaps that makes me sexist, but I do believe that mothers are needed in different ways than dads are – especially with babies and tween and teen girls.
I’m just sayin.
amy’s last blog post..now it’s time to say good-bye
Preach it, Sister. And I’ll sing in the background.
Megan’s last blog post..Ready to Call It, Doctor?
AMEN, Gretchen. If this weren’t the Internet, I’d be the first on my feet to applaud you with a standing ovation.
I don’t watch the news very often and I read a limited amount of it online — and yet, the gleefully vindictive, unjustified probing into the Palin Family’s personal lives has penetrated my news-free bubble.
And 95% it isn’t even factual reporting or thoughtful analysis of Palin’s credentials, but rather the most ludicrous, spiteful rumors ever invented. Shameful doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Jamie’s last blog post..Misplaced Sympathies
What disgusts me the most about this entire situation are a few specific words the media used… Cokie Roberts said that she “hoped the American people will have SYMPATHY for Bristol.” And many quietly murmur how sad is the situation.
Sympathy? Sad?
Did anyone ever think — anyone at all — that in all too short a time this unborn child will be 15? Or 20? Or 30? She will google her mom’s name or pour over past newspapers only to learn that everyone offered SYMPATHY to her pregnant mother… and they felt SAD about her upcoming birth and embarrassed for the family.
What do you think will be the effect on this child-turned-adult’s self-identity???
As an adoptive mother, perhaps I’m more sensitive to the topic than most. Regardless, this entire media circus disgusts me.
Tonggu Momma’s last blog post..Tonggu Grammy’s Summer Quest
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m not a big fan of the media in general, but this is really beyond the pale.
The Pharisees are everywhere. I’ve finally reached the stage where I can feel the fire of their venom and yet walk away. I don’t want to waste a second of my life – which is only mine by God’s grace – listening or responding to their self-righteousness.
In other words: Bravo.
Kelly @ Love Well’s last blog post..My Second Favorite Season
I think if either of Obama’s daughters were (older) and pregnant, his campaign would be dead in the water. I think if he’d belonged to a secessionist group in Hawaii he would be branded a traitor. I think hypocrisy is trying to fire someone who won’t fire your now no longer liked brother-in-law and calling yourself a “reformer.” I think it’s fascinating that the party of “family values” is now championing a women who went back to work three days after her baby (let alone) special needs child was born. No working mom I know would have made that choice. But, that’s just what I think.
Kindness and understanding don’t seem to be in the vocabulary of the media these days. It’s too too bad.
Rae’s last blog post..Open Letters: Updated
Oh, I know! I am so sick of this already. I personally plan on voting for her but I feel really badly for her. Maybe she GAVE her son down syndrome so she could get more votes. And the one that really gets me is even asking if she can do the job because she is a mom! What!? I better just stop now. You put it all very well.
I can’t believe how sexist certain women can be. Talking about taking steps back words on the equality stance. People tend to forget that she has a husband too. Men can’t be good fathers and take care of their children?
If you don’t like the woman, just say so. But to judge her for her parenting, when no one knows how she parents, is a pathetic stance.
As for going back to work after 3 days.. so what. There have been many, many centuries of woman who gave birth and the same day was back to work.
As for being hypocrites, you don’t know that. Obama isn’t in that situation. But maybe he should give up the race and be home for his kids.. since he is a father.
Keep children out of the mix. Let a child be a child.
I have been amazed at all of this too. Personally, I am excited to see her nominated, and I think it is great that her hubby will take over with the kids if she gets the job. Honestly, I don’t know much about her yet (and I will only vote for her and McCain if I agree with their policies) but i plan to find out the TRUTH about what she believes.
After all of the hype of Obama and Biden, it would be nice to hear something positive about her!!!
randi’s last blog post..the last one
LOL @ talking points reading through some of the critical responses here.
As a man I was really moved by her speech last night. Someone said above that no one seems to believe that the dad cannot step up and help out. Whatever happened to the “stay at home dad” movement? I feel that I’m a good father and would be able to take care of the kids and give them the attention and care that they need. And all these “info-babes” on CNN or MSNBC that have familes of their own back at home. How do they justify it? Oh, they all have nannies and came back to work 3 days after birth too.
Ask yourself this: If Palin was a pro-choice liberal, don’t you think she’d be championed as being “brave” and representing feminism by accepting this position? This is 100% hypocracy. They (the media and elites) are so scared of her, plain and simple. They are reverting back to the three year-old inside of themselves. You feel threatened, what do you do? Insult and throw mud and have a temper-tantrum. Not a single piece of objectivity in any of this coverage, especially considering the blatant hipocracy of the media and so-called “womens rights” advocates.
This Palin nomination has energized the conservative base who weren’t excited about McCain. Checkmate.
I think if Palin were liberal she would NOT be championed by the conservatives as a good mother and if anyone who supports her thinks she would, then I think that is simply dishonest. If Hillary had gone back to work three days after giving birth the Chelsea, she wouldn’t have been able to run. I’m fascinated that being pro-life is more important than anything else to the GOP base. More important than experience, than judgment. More than anything, I keep coming back to her willingness to use her public power to settle personal disputes. I don’t want someone with such gross misjudgment a heartbeat away from the presidency. I realize I’m a minority opinion commentor on this blog, but there you go.
Stuff like this makes me glad I’m overseas and reading Yahoo France for news.
edj’s last blog post..First Day
I think we’re ALL capable of pointing fingers at someone for something if we aren’t careful. We can be critical of Sarah and Bristol. We can be critical of those criticising Sarah and Bristol. I find it interesting that so many here think it pharasaical (sp?) to criticise Palin, but were quick to criticize the young 24 year old that decided to tie her tubes that Gretchen brought up a few weeks ago.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m not immune to being critical myself. It’s one of those things that I truly HATE about myself. But if we are to attach the label “Christian” to our names, we ALL need to be careful of where those fingers are pointed. None of us are perfect. And many are watching us, whether we believe that or not.
I just try to remember that it’s hard to love someone when I’m tearing there character apart.
To be honest, I don’t care if it’s Palin or Hillary or a man – I think we need to speak up and stand up for putting family above self.
For me, it’s not about Republican/Democrat or Pro-Life or Pro Alaskan Drilling or any political issue. This is about the choices we make when we decide to become mothers. (And I do think that fathers and mothers are not interchangable – sorry).
I would not have supported Hillary if Chelsea was in diapers. I would have loved to see Elizabeth Dole get the VP nomination.
But I think men have and equal responsibility. I thought Edwards should have dropped out of the race when his wife’s terminal cancer recurred and he lost any hope of me even listening to any of his campaigning and stand on “issues”. That was it – he lost my vote right there.
If Obama’s daughter’s were in personal crisis, I’d hope he’d have the sense to focus on his young family and wait to be president.
In my opinion, our priorities are whacked if we say infants don’t need moms, and that parents with kids/families in crisis can focus on their own careers and not drop everything to meet their family at their point of need. I believe that children are a blessing and are our primary ministry when they are young. If you don’t want to sacrfice like that and put their needs above yourself, don’t have kids.
Right. There. With. You. All the way. The more I read about what she stands for, the more I like her. My DH feels the same way. It sickens me how she’s being picked apart by the media and others.
Stacey’s last blog post..Bird
So well said. Nobody deserves what they’re putting it her through. I refuse to participate in the pecking.
nutmeg’s last blog post..True Confessions
I have been really disgusted by this type of coverage as well. Someone at work (single man, no kids) went on and on about how it was not possible for Gov. Palin to stand on a platform of family values with a pregnant daughter. What the heck? I saw a great clip of Dr. Phil (who I don’t watch) on Letterman. He responded to a simliar Letterman comment, essentially telling him that he was living in a dream world if he thought that he would be able to control his son’s life to that extent when he turns 17.
You know, it’s almost as though the pundits would have thought it more proper if Bristol Palin had just aborted the child. Much neater that way, I guess, but the fact that both mom and daughter elected to choose life speaks volumes about family values. Unlike someone else who spoke about not thinking his daughter should be “punished” with a baby.
I also am distrubed about the comments that Gov. Palin shouldn’t pursue this fantastic opportunity because holy cow? What will happen to the children? I think the answer is that her husband would become the primary caregiver. What is wrong with that?
midlife mommy’s last blog post..One Less Thing We Share
Couldn’t agree more 🙂
Sarah@Life in the Parsonage’s last blog post..Carry On…