palin shouldn't be attacked for working away from her family.

[mucifer]

Open your minds a bit and consider would you REALLY go out of your way to criticize a male liberal dem candidate for doing that? This is a divide and conquer issue. Don't buy into it.

[tekisui]

1. Whatever. She's in the big leagues. All is fair game.

[Iris]

18. Not from people who are voting for someone who represents a part that has

family and parental leave as one of its platforms.

[DarthDem]

2. Not the Question

Although I think you're trolling, I'll answer anyway.

The point is, how is she going to do it? I'm wondering how she's even going, logistically, to appear on the trail with McClown, or anywhere, for that matter. To any point east of the Rockies, let's say, it's about a five-hour plane ride from Juneau or Anchorage. Being the governor isn't like being in Congress, particularly since Congress goes on an extended recess, in essence, during the heat of the campaign. So . . . how is she going to travel back and forth and have enough time to make any impact?

I'm not even questioning her (in this thread) as a terrible pick based on her ridiculous resume and her brewing scandal - - I'm just asking about pure logistics. I'm guessing that the McClone camp did not think this through.

[mucifer]

3. Again, would you say this of a liberal dem father?? There are plenty of REAL issues to attack her on

Don't fall into a sexism trap that is there just to divide us. Attack her on right wing republican economic and foreign policy issues, not on mommy crap.

[DarthDem]

7. Reread My Post

You failed to address a word of it.

[RichGirl]

14. Your post is very clear.

But you are wrong. Whenever we avoid something based on sex, it's sexism. If her mothering is off limits, it's sexism.

Here's an example: When John Edwards was out campaigning he had three children and was very busy and away from home much of the time. Was this irresponsible? No, because parenting is a team effort. Elizabeth took full responsiblity of the care of the children and although she too traveled, she always had them with her.

If Palin's husband takes a leave of absense and devotes his full time to the children while his wife is out campaigning...then great...that would make them reponsible parents.

[DarthDem]

21. You Didn't Read It Either

There isn't a word in my post about family considerations. I'm speaking of pure logistics. Try again.

[HereSince1628]

4. She is hardly the first Governor to run for an executive office

It's easier than ever...if you have the money for the staff to help with domestic and public responsibilities. I have no doubt British Petroleum will make sure she has the money to pull off campaigning for the couple of weeks it will be until she gets dumped.

[Divernan]

9. No, it's actually about a 10 hour plane trip to fly commercial to midwest/east coast, south..

Alaskan airports have been known to close down for days at a time due to the weather - even in the early fall - where fog/low clouds settle in and stay. Even in good weather, it's a full day of travel each way. My last trip was Juneau to Seattle to LA (redeye)to Houston. Most likely they'll provide her with a private jet - nice carbon footprint, Sarah!

[DarthDem]

10. Clearly a Private Jet

My figures were based on that assumption. Either she won't be on the trail much, or she won't be in Alaska much. Strikes me as yet another dilemma for a horrible, horrible candidate.

[K Gardner]

5. No, she shouldn't. There is plenty else to attack her on.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. If they want to run her as hockey mom

then her momminess is an issue. They don't get a free ride on anything. If they want to push her choice to have her down's syndrome baby then her desire to deny every other woman the same right she had to make that choice is an issue.

But the question that needs to be asked is 'Governor Palin, do you believe that the world was created by God in 6 days 4-6,000 years ago?'

Her answer, no matter what she says, should be the end of her.

[Bettie]

8. When you have a four month old baby....

As the mom, you are the one to do the "heavy lifting" of parenting at that young of an age. Babies need their mothers, at that age they aren't even aware that they are separate entities yet. It is a matter of the baby being young enough that he truly needs his mother.

The other point is that SHE is a hypocrite....she spews her "family values" crap all over the place and then goes and puts her political advancement BEFORE her family.

That's the problem I have with it. The fact that she says one thing and does another...oh, wait, that's the Republican way and we're supposed to shut up and accept that its OK if one of them does it. After all, we shouldn't expect a neocon to follow their own purported values, those are for the little people.

You can bet that if a liberal female candidate (or male)left their four month old special needs child to campaign the other side would be screaming about a lack of family values!

[Iris]

19. but by virtue of the fact that they need their mothers, 4 month old babies are portable.

And there's no shame in hiring help to care for children.

[RichGirl]

11. It's not about her being a woman or mother!

Yes...I would criticize a democratic liberal MAN if he had children and didn't make them top priority!

Parents (that's mother AND father) who choose to have children, need to have a plan as to how those children will get the full attention and care they deserve.

Two people with big ambition, high power and demanding jobs, having five children is just plain irresponsible and it will be the children who will suffer.

And BTW...I saw a video clip of her yesterday saying she didn't think she would like being VP because she likes having a more productive job. So...she has five children, one of them a special needs child, and she wants a job that is demanding and time consuming???? By what standard would you consider this to be a good parent??? Even fathers want jobs that allow them to have time with their children. I WOULD criticize a man who wanted a job that would keep away from home more.

[WinkyDink]

12. Ironically enough, it is EXACTLY what REPUBLICANS would criticize a working mother for---if they all

weren't raving, lying, say-anything, greedy hypocrites.

FAMILY VALUES! FAMILY VALUES! FAMILY VALUES!

[Iris]

20. Right. Which is why we shouldn't be doing it. Especially when, as pointed on here, there's so much

more to attack her on. Why add fuel to the already damaging and mostly fabricated "Mommy Wars"?

[pampango]

24. Exactly. If we criticize repub women for the decisions they make regarding the balance of work and

family, while professing a policy that the government has not right to tell women what to do, aren't we being as hypocritical as the repubs who profess one policy, but apply another to their personal lives.

[WinkyDink]

26. To point out the hypocrisy? Just sayin'.

[Iris]

30. yes, I know where you're coming from. As long as it's clear that's what's being done.

We just can't afford to look like hypocrites while we are doing it.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

28. Unless the mother is poor, in which case she should be working.

3 shitty jobs if necessary so they don't have to fund any social programs for her or her children.

[JustAnotherGen]

13. It's the big picture of her life

All of these talking heads keep saying, "She's a Hockey/Soccer Mom." They are lauding her earthy mom role.

However, she does have a 4 month old special needs child. My thought is (because I love this about the French Social Security system) - is that most working class women could not afford to make this decision at all. The French actually give you MONEY - money to families - to help them in those first few years.

While she is traipsing around the world - some young family with a new baby is worrying about how to heat their home this winter. The mom is probably heading back to work . . . and if her child is a special needs child - she has even more juggling of work/mom/wife/self balance. There is no safety net.

My greatest hope for Obama/Biden is a paradigm shift where we say: Feminism opened doors. But family is also important. And if you or your husband would like to stay home for a year or two to take care of your child . . . here's what we are going to do to grow our job base with well paying jobs, health insurance is no longer an issue, the value of the dollar will increase so your can go farther . . .

In the meantime - she's going to traipse around the world when many women or men would LOVE the opportunity that her cushy job in Alaska provides her to have a MOBILE over her desk and a sippy cup on her mouse pad. Oy - maybe they'll put a GRACO collapsible crib and mobile on her plane? Her position provides PRIVILEGE that the average working mom does not have.

[RichGirl]

16. What makes my head spins is:

For eight years all we have heard from them is how we live in dangerous times, we are in a TIME OF WAR, terrorists threats, alerts, the threat of nuclear war, BE AFRAID. The polls tell us that even among democrats, tough military man McCain is the one who they see as protecting us...and the hockey mom?????? What is wrong with this picture? NOW...when they claim we live in the most dangerous times ever they are talking about their VP as, isn't she cute, she makes moose burgers!

[mucifer]

22. THis is a hockey mom who loves guns and war. This is a wet dream for conservatives

and libertarians.

[JustAnotherGen]

25. Gotta agree with you on this:

The polls tell us that even among democrats, tough military man McCain is the one who they see as protecting us...and the hockey mom??????

This is bananas! Crazy I tell ya! :crazy:

[bowens43]

15. Of course she should

and we should see it every single day. This strikes right at the heart of the evangelicals and the ultra-conservative. We need to remind them that this woman is abandoning a new born child to promote her own self interests. Of course Obama and his campaign shouldn't do this. But back channel, absolutely. Of course I don't believe this to be true but we have to use the weapons that will do the most damage. This election is TOO important to do otherwise.

[styersc]

17. It is fair to point out that she is now carryng the standard of a party

that wishes to bridle women in 1950's traditional roles.

[enfield collector]

23. I'm embarrassed that my party crapped on a qualified woman and the

repukes nominated an un-qualified woman.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

27. I don't criticize her for that

I criticize her for wanting to impose a reactionary agenda on other women while benefitting from the advances of feminism in her own life. It's her hypocrisy that's the problem, not her particular choices.

[Meshuga]

29. I agree and in fact

We should be attacking her on the issues and not lose focus from Obama's tone in his magnificent speech. The message should be that McCain hasn't really addressed Obama's thesis that McCain just doesn't get it. McCain still has nothing to show for as far as having substance and the VP pick does not address that at all.

Let's not forget that Bush won because he was able to sell frivolous bullshit to the American people. Let's not fall in the trap because we need to stay on track for the next 66 days.

McCain gamble with his pick is the fact that he hopes people will debate Palin instead of the issues. If dems focus on Palin instead of issues, his gamble will work. Let's not forget that Bush's stupidity did not keep him from being sworn in TWICE!

So let's focus on bringing real change in washington and beating a ticket that will bring more of the same. Talking about her scandals and idiologies can help in that thesis. Talking about her motherhood is a trap that does not support the thesis.