Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

This is NOT a political post! Just wondering what everyones take is on Sarah having 5 children and having the possibility of becoming the next President of the United States?

I personally raised six children, the youngest being 21. I had help, I had house keepers, I had a husband who was self employed and was able to be there in a moments notice. It was NOT NOT NOT easy! I myself cannot IMAGINE trying to run the country too. Also, just because they are no longer living with us the parenting doesn't stop.

Granted she is the Govenor of Alaska but do you know that Austin Texas has a larger population than the entire state of Alaska?????

Just heard on CNN that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. Now Sarah can add grandmother to her resume.

What are your thoughts? P.S. I am a registered Republican for your info:)

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Depends upon the age of the children. In Mrs. Palin's case, she has the 4-mo old son and another girl that looks to be about 4 yrs. old. The other 3 are grown children, including the 17yr old who will soon be married and a mother herself.

So I don't see a problem here. Also, Mrs. Palin has a great husband, staff, and now Secret Service watching over the safety of everyone.

I'm very impressed by what I have seen so far and knew about Mrs. Palin previous to her receiving the VP spotlight.

Sure beats the alternative for me too.

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

This is not a political viewpoint either, it's more about equality for women. While watching CNN, I believe, I heard someone pose that same question. It was promptly answered by one of the women that there is never a count of the number of children when a man's name is put forward for office.

Women haven't really come that far, have they? :dontknow:

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

I can't imagine doing it all but GOD bless her!!!

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

:agree: Sarah Palin is obviously a talented and ambitious woman. I sure wouldn't want to take it on, but I think she is up to it, and I admire her for her strength.

Peachie, bang on!

What Are My Thoughts?
 

I agree with Barack Obama on this subject. When asked about the story he replied, "Let's keep the families out of it."

Good for you, Barack!

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

I think the families should be kept out of it also. However, I do think it is a legitimate question to ask how much can one person handle. If Sarah were a physician wouldn't you expect her to give up her day job for the Presidency? Obviously she can't give up her family!!!
Peachy you are right, we probably wouldn't be asking this question of a male candidate....Robert Kennedy comes to mind. I am by no means mother of the year, and I am not questioning her mothering skills. I am just asking how realistic is this scenerio.........from a 54 yr old mother of 6 the chaos is still pretty fresh in my mind!!!

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Who are we to judge who can handle what? What you can handle may not be what I can handle. As a woman and mother, I couldn't handle any type of political position while raising my children, however, I have a good friend who was able to do it hands down.

I won't judge.

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

I applaud Barack Obama too, Kahuna. Perhaps he realizes there is no distinction between racism and sexism.

Wannabee, WHERE IS THE FATHER? If Mr. Palin was in Sarah's position, this wouldn't even be a debate. You were blessed with a lovely family with 6 children but there are mothers out there with that number of children and they work a fulltime job too, it isn't impossible, the most important part of child rearing is love and discipline and the home does not have to be chaotic. I'm sure Mr. Palin will help his wife manage the rest and they will have "staff" for the mundane chores. IMHO, the debate would best be left to the candidates abilities.

Bright, you posted before I could get this out, :agree: :agree: :agree:

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Three comments:

Bright...I agree ...who are we to judge.

Peachy...I am personally offended by the question...it would not be asked of a man and should not be asked of a woman.

Kahuna....I agree..Barack said it right keep the families out of the debate ...none of our business how either family will be run in the event they are elected.

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

How can a post asking everyones take on the Republican VP candidate not be political? :dontknow: I guess political has turned into such a negative word on TOTV that no-one wants to rub shoulders with it.

My take on Sarah Palin is .... it's about time we had a stellar candidate run for high political office! Presumably she will have her devoted husband and older children to help with the little ones, and hired help to handle the mundane aspects of domestic life.

Go Sarah go!

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Peachy: Those words from Barack Usama are BS, he did said that, but send the dogs after her, read and listen to the lefty press and TV.

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

EFRAHIN....you are spot on !!!! Sen Obama learned well in Chicago..this is a absolute tactic used in organizing...he will NEVER do the slamming, but let someone else do it....if those who buy into this stuff think that the Obama campain and KOS and MOVEON and sites like that are not on the same team...same page...same playbook, you are living in a vaccuum !

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...ogsniffing.gif
Do I smell men?

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

1rnfl 1rnfl 1rnfl 1rnfl OMG! Susan! I'm crying I'm laughing so hard! :a20:

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Susan, :bow: :clap2: :clap2: 1rnfl 1rnfl 1rnfl evil6 wav

Re: Sarah Palin and motherhood
 

Susan

Great post. :bigthumbsup:

I am not sure where I was when this was posted...but just read this thread....OMG Susan...TOO FUNNY!!! sssnnnfffff.....yes you do smell MEN! LOL

I will say (with the knowledge that I may get a GRRROOAANN) that I am the
2nd oldest of 8 and when I was a young teenager....my mother went back to work full time (40+) hours...drove an hour each way every T, TH and Sat to school to get her Masters (in special education), had a very supportive husband that worked 2 jobs (one for NY State) and had a disabled youngest child. I look back at my teen years in AWE....in three ways....

1...that my parents SURVIVED and that we all did as well. Saintly or Insane...still not sure...and neither are they...

2...that I would never DO what they did...I think they missed too much of our lives...and at times we greatly resented them for it...and Dad's cooking abilities were not the best...:1rotfl:

3...That they did their very best as parents..no matter what our (as children) mistakes were...as they made the choice to have 8 children (the last 3 being oops's as they say and love us all in their own way...and we all turned out "OK" in the end...well ok...some of them are still working on that part....

SO...with that all said...GOD BLESS PALIN for trying to move up in her career, as a woman...and a mother...(but that still doesn't qualify her IMO specifically to be VP or P one day....)

BUT...I do KNOW that someone....a parent...needs to be around for those kids! I don't care if it is one or the other....mother or father or in some cases the other Mom or other Dad....just one of them needs to be there for the kids...not babysitters, nannies....a child at any age needs a parent to make sure they don't get hurt running with scissors as they say!

I am not saying that a parent can prevent every mistake either...but it is very easy for BIG mistakes to happen when neither parent is around...and doesn't know what is going on....

Best Mom
 

I would not put my family through it. You only get one childhood and being a young pregnant teenager is enough stress without Mom putting you in the spotlight.

Cassie and BestMom, I agree with you both.

LPalin cut Alaska's $ for special needs children by $235 million until she had one of her own. Then became spokeswoman for cause. Typical!

Typical of what - fiscal responsibility? An earlier post said that Austin, Texas has a larger population than all of Alaska. If that's the case, how big was the budget for special needs children in the first place and maybe too much was earmarked for their needs. How much is left in the fund? I think your dislike for Sarah Palin is showing in your uniformed post.

If Palin runs, Democrats will win again. She is in fact the most detrimental figure to arise in the Party for many years.
Yes she has talent and great ideas, but she has a very poor way of delivering our message. That not only iritates Democrats, it also helps many on the fence that are undecided on issues, to slide off on the Democratic side. Now I would not be suprised to find out that both Palin and Glenn Beck are stounch Liberals as the way they approach many of the issues so important to Republians causes so much harm to the Republican party. If people like Palin, Beck, Limbaugh etc. would approach the issues with a more kind face and stop with the harsh critical remarks toward anyone that might dissagree or perhaps just be undecided, they would gain votes and support instead of running those folks off. Remember, most folks will not support a loud mouth or a bully even if they are right just simply due to their personality.

She is already a grandmother, her older daughter has a child.

I think she really pushes her kids in the limelight, where they have absolutely no business being.
Dragging her baby under one arm from one political meeting to another is not being a good mother, it does the baby no possible good, and it makes her look quite unprofessional.
She needs to keep them at home, out of the political ring and out of the public's eye. Children do not belong there..... her oldest daughter was dragged through the muck by the press, but Palin did not learn a lesson from that.
If she wants to be a politician, she needs to act like one, in all areas!

She is definitely not business as usual and she is not
 

the political establishment. How she handles her kids is her business, while we all have our opinions of right or wrong.

I will admit her political "front" is not consistent with the establishment. In that I find her and all the newbie politicians a breath of fresh air.

I think the concept of looking professional took a turn for the other direction when businesses started casual Fridays and now today you go a long way to find a shirt, tie and jacket. Except in those arenas where the individual needs to show "rank" or is insecure.

Pretty hard to be professionally incorrect in the casual environment of the day.
It is mostly in the eye of the beholder and their opinion on it.

btk

mermaid -
you do not sound like someone who adapts to change easily; nor someone who wishes to keep up with the times. ever since world war 2 women have been entering a number of arenas that have been traditional male bastions. not that i was around, but rosie the riveter comes to mind from my history books and tales around the dinner table.

just think back...if men had not been called to war and conscripted to fight would women have been forced to enter the work force? would women then have had to wage their own crusade to seek equal pay for equal work? i can remember my friends being drafted into the viet nam war and returning from it to not so nice receptions. at the same time i remember hearing that women should get out of the workforce so that a vet can have her job.

having sarah palin out in front in the political arena should remind everyone of the roles that women are required to play in today's society...and bringing [not dragging or pushing] her children with her shows the versatility that women must exercise and can exercise because they are women.

final thoughts to ponder...women resolve thru the use of a support network and negotiation/men resolve by taking it to athletic competition where someone must win or lose...perhaps if we had more women in elected offices as well as just plain active in politics we would have fewer wars and fewer children would be buried by their parents.

stepping down from my soap box now...

I think you missed what I was trying to say, but then I don't think that I stated my point too well because I was trying very hard not to let my political views color the original question! LOL

The fact that she is a woman in the political ring is not the issue with me, I am a very strong proponent for women's rights, I've had to be, as most women our age have had to be. I raised a child all by myself: physically, mentally, & financially ---- my former husband ran off to South America to "find himself"!! ( He is still searching!) I have supported myself and my child by a professional career in educational publishing for almost 30 years before retiring. I am also a Liberal, politically & socially--surprise!!

The main thing with my objection is that I do not feel that Ms. Palin acts, speaks, or behaves in the manner that I feel is appropriate for a political candidate of our country.
One of those behaviors is "dragging" her youngest baby into the arena. The other candidates, be they male or female, do not do this. Nor should they, a quick cameo appearance would certainly be enough.
Now, it seems, that the eldest daughter, who seems to have a penchant for publicity, is on a TV show where she dances rather "saucily". LOL! Sorry if I might seem old-fashioned about this, but again, I do not feel that this is appropriate for the daughter of a possible candidate for a high office of our country.

I could go on and on, but this might lead into political thoughts, & I am trying to stay on subject.

I personally want to look up at a candidate who might run our country, not look down on someone who I feel is not qualified -- educationally, morally, or intellectually. This applies to women as well as men. I apply the same standards to both sexes, this to me, is total equality.

Thanks for not getting nasty, or flaming me, we all have our views and it is nice to be able to express them!

Thanks for clarifying. For a minute there, I thought you wanted her to "man up". :laugh:

I don't understand why so many self-professed liberal women say they don't respect Sarah Palin. I never understood why the NOW didn't defend Palin against so many attacks involving her gender and her children.

It doesn't make sense to me that a woman who was elected governor of a state and then received a national nomination to be vice president of this country isn't put on a pedestal for everything woman libbers say they fought to be recognized to represent and say they stand for.

Even if you don't agree with her politics, it just doesn't make sense to me to not respect what she has achieved. Even if you take the additional real world and real life hurdles out of the pictures she has faced in her life like a Downs Syndrome baby and a teenager who got pregnant out of wedlock. Adding those reallife situations just makes me admire her all the more.

:BigApplause: As a man, I have the most respect for Mrs. Palin then any woman candidate in recent memory. Certainly more respect for her then that woman who tried to "dress down" a Two Star General.

Well I'm just a man, so I don't know if my opinion counts. But I'll take a stab at it anyway. I happen to agree with your statements above and agree that is seems incongruous that the cause of "women's liberation" isn't seen as having been largely realized in the amazing career of Sarah Palin by the groups that identify themselves as promoting women's issues.

My opinion, and I must confess again that I am only a man, is that the predominantly left wing ideology of these "women's groups" will not allow themselves to be identified with any woman who professes to be pro-life. Also, Sarah Palin happens to be a very attractive woman and the life of a physically attractive and politically conservative woman is not high on the list of admired women in liberal circles, to say the least.

Yup, she is a complete package and that is a threat to the insecure liberal- type "ladies"

Your clarification says it all! And it shows that you have been there and done that - as a woman! My congratulations on your accomplishments! My ilk is never to be nasty - there is nothing to be gained from that! We might never have learned of your hard work and accomplishments if my words had turned you off!

That said, it seems as if we simply have different opinions. My father raised three daughters...as his sons. We were not allowed to be content to be the same as or as good as...we were required to strive to be better than, smarter than, and to jump higher and run faster than the next person - be they male or female. My father taught me to read the paper from the back page to the front page - because in conversation/business with men I was going to be required to relate to them on their level - know the sports scores and know what happened on wall street. He made sure that we believed in ourselves and would be able to stand on our own no matter what.

It seems that you were raised with just as much strength.

I just feel that when someone has something they feel has to be said, they should get out there and say it no matter what it takes to do it. I feel that Sarah Palin is doing just that! She is the reality of her generation - not ours.

Sarah!
 

I have a hard time taking her seriously BUT she is entertaining!

That's a pretty disrespectful comment, but it doesn't really matter. Sarah Palin wouldn't get upset with you, as she has too much class, so I won't either.

Sarah Palin was one of the major stars in the run-up to these mid-term elections. Her endorsed and campaigned for candidates have mostly prevailed in their bids, and largely against the established Republican candidate. Now these same candidates have a huge chance of gaining the national office.

All the liberals cause great glee on the conservative side of the aisle with their underestimating of this remarkable woman.

My wife has a name for you but I cannot repeat it as I would be reprimanded by the administrators. :ohdear:

Really Ajack,...... One thing I might NOT be is insecure!

Richie, many Liberal women admire other women for their intellect and what they have done to further the cause of women, not what they look like. That sure ain't Miss Sarah! LOL

Eleanor Roosevelt is an excellent example of someone .

But then, you're a guy..... I understand that Miss Sarah is a hottie!

So is it her intellect or her furthering the cause of women you think Palin lacks? BTW, what does it mean, and I'm dead serious, to "further the cause of women'"?