I was born and raised a conservative Republican. I was even chairwoman for our local party for a short period of time. I stood at the state fair and proudly declared “I am a Republican.” I wore George W. Bush shirts to all of my college classes during the 2000 election and was proud of it. I was so excited that I couldn’t study for finals when George W. Bush finally became president in December of 2000.
Somewhere along the line, something has changed – this year, I’ll be voting for Obama. It’s been said that one becomes more liberal with more education. Maybe my professors warped me. Maybe it’s my discontent with many of the policies that Dubya has implemented. Many of my ideals haven’t changed — but at the same time, I find myself unable to vote for a McCain/Palin ticket.
I’ve never been a John McCain fan, for a variety of reasons. But for me, Sarah Palin was the nail in the coffin. There is no way I can support this woman…
Sure, she’s a woman. I’m a woman. Shouldn’t I want to vote for her to show all of the strides that women are making in society? The answer is no. She isn’t qualified. She doesn’t have enough experience, and most importantly, she has a family that needs her.
I could go on and on about how being on the PTA, being 2nd runner up to Miss Alaska, being mayor of a town the size of my hometown, and being governor for less than 2 years does not qualify someone to be the VP of the United States. But I won’t even go into all of that…
The fact of the matter is, this woman has 5 children. Her youngest child is 4 months old, has downs syndrome, and is still breastfeeding. Her daughter, Bristol, is a senior in high school and pregnant.
No matter what your political views, if you’re a mom, you have to think that Sarah Palin is needed at home much more than she is needed by our country.
Some of you will argue that we expect men to go back to work and hold high profile positions and I agree — it isn’t fair to women that more is expected of them when it comes to parenting. But the fact of the matter is, we do. I do. Because nothing is more important than raising amazing young people, than being a good parent, for men and women. At least nothing is more important to me…
And I know first hand that it’s difficult to balance a normal career (teaching) with one child. And that is with a supportive husband and grandparents. I can’t imagine trying to balance being vice-president with five children…
Sure, if she’s VP, she’ll hire help. But at what cost? Obviously her family is already under a great deal of stress. Doesn’t electing someone like Sarah Palin go against conservative ideals?
While I have to admit I will probably be voting for McCain/Palin I do agree with some of what you have to say. Obviously she has a large family and a special needs child that demand a lot of attention. I know there have been reports that her husband will be a house dad and all of that but as a mother I just don’t know how you can justify spending the amount of time away from your family that a job like that will demand. Of course I am doing my best not to hold that against her but I can’t say it hasn’t crossed my mind. Thanks for bringing up a great topic!
Interesting POV Jamie!
As I live in Canada, I can’t vote anyway but I watch American politics with interest. I wouldn’t vote republican for many reasons but I have to say that this would not be one of them.
I can certainly see and understand your personal reasons for not casting your vote with Palin but I do find it a little discouraging that because she is a woman and a mother, voters may decide that she should be spending the time with her family as opposed to in politics. Who’s to say that her family wouldn’t thrive with dad at the helm at home?
I don’t know. We all have our personal convictions and limits but just because I would prefer to stay at home with my children I hope that I wouldn’t hold it again a mother who decides otherwise.
It seems to work against everything women have worked so hard for. “A woman’s place is in the home…” etc.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t for her either but I just find your post and the questions it raises very interesting. Thanks for making me stop and think!
I have to disagree about the pregnant daughter part and spending time at home with her family tie in. I have worked with teens who had “stay at home” moms and yet ended up pregnant, and I know the time that these mothers spent with their daughters (and sons who were the fathers). There is more to this teen age pregnancy problem than we can ever solve with parenting, education and politics. The situation has many more sides than one can know. . .
I’ve been feeling some of these exact same things over the past few days and I’m so glad to read your post.
I’ve been pretty liberal most of my adult life so there was never a question in my mind that I wouldn’t be voting for the McCain ticket. I have been sort of ashamed at my feelings towards Sarah Palin though. I’ve been a career woman for 9 years and I’ll be the first one screaming for equal rights. When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer and a politican. So, for me to be feeling like Sarah Palin is doing a disservice to her family and the American people kills me. I hate the double standard that a man wouldn’t be asked or considered unable to do the job because of her circumstances.
Now that I’m a mother I just can not see how she could leave her family that so obviously needs her. First to have a 4 month old with special needs takes a lot of time and I just don’t see how her and her husband can dedicate the time that is needed to raise him. I feel so sad for him when I see them parading him at press conferences and speeches. Then throw in a pregnant teenage daughter and you’ve got a family that is in need of BOTH parents at home.
Thank you for posting this!!
I only ask, don’t Barak Obama’s daughters need a strong father figure too? Especially in this tough time and world for our preteen and teenage girls. It’s been said over and over again that a good strong present father figure is essential for the positive self for young girls and adolescents. you pose very interesting questions but if we question Palin, we must also question Obama! By the way, I have no idea who I’m voting for yet!!
Chris makes a good point and I want to acknowledge that I do realize that even SAHM’s can end up with pregnant daughters and other family issues. (I could write a whole separate post on teenage pregnancy — for some teens I think it is the best thing that could happen to them.) Just because a woman choses to stay home does not mean she will have perfect children.
I also want to point out that there is a tremendous difference between being VP and having a “normal” job. She will be traveling all over the world. She is thrusting herself and her entire family into the public spotlight. This isn’t a part-time teaching career — being VP is a 24 hour a day/7 day a week job.
Do I think women shouldn’t run for office? Absolutely not. Would I love to see a woman president or VP one day? Definitely! But I think there is a time and a place for everything. I would rather see a woman with older children or a woman who does not to have children (power to infertiles!!). And honestly, this isn’t a feeling that I have directed solely at women — or Republican women. Watching the DNC last week I felt sad for Obama’s children. How difficult would be it to grow up in the White House under constant scrutiny?
I’ve had a lot of the same feelings – and have felt sort of guilty about them. I’m pretty liberal, and have been for some time, so that’s not the issue for me.
I’ve wondered where the teenage daughter will live? Who will help them – I know they’ll need help? Sure, dad can do it, but is it the same as mom?? And can any family with five children do it with one parent in a job so utterly consuming as the vice-presidency?
And the teenage girl is going to marry the dad. And how long will that marriage last? Really? I just think it’s awfully complicated. But, as I said, I feel guilty somehow thinking all that.
All people go to the voting booth with their own perspective, regardless of this I have to speak out against overt sexism. Just like I would against racism, there should be no place for sexism in our politics. While I understand your logic, I vehemently disagree with it. Why then, using your own logic, would you vote for Barack Obama who has two young children at home and who’s wife had to leave her $250,000/yr job to support Obama on his campaign? Why do you not hold Obama who is running for President, not Vice-presidnet, and will have even more high job demands to the same high standards that you are holding a woman, Sarah Palin?
Somewhat Ordinary and Larisa,
We are all in the same boat. We all have small children and we all feel a bit guilty about our feelings regarding Sarah Palin.
Maybe our infertilty plays a role. Maybe we are more protective of our children (an apparently, others children) because of what we went through to get ours. We see our little ones as the shining stars in our lives and that pales in comparison to what any career could give us. We fought long and hard for our little ones!
At the same time, I think most girls of our generation were raised to believe we could do anything and have it all. Shouldn’t women be able to be VP and be a mom? And yes, the should be able to. But I guess what it really boils down to is that I wouldn’t want to. I worked too hard for my little man and I don’t want to miss out on his life – even if it meant I could be the VP.
Maybe it will get better as our little ones become older. But as Somewhat Ordinary said, I see that little one being paraded around and I can’t help but think, “shouldn’t he be napping?” “is he hungry?” And I also think, “wouldn’t he be happier at home.”
Thoughts?
Jamie
Who signed the Family Leave Act? Bill Clinton.
OK, normally I stay out of politics. I also generally avoid disagreeing with the post, but I’m going to speak up this time.
I think that we have been taught women can do anything, until one tries. Gov. Palin has made the decision that is best for her family. Yeah, she could stay home for her kids, but that might not be the best for her family.
My mom stayed at home, my brother still got his 17 year old girl friend pregnant. My mom was a very involved parent, it still happens.
As far as the baby, I understand why he was at the speech last night. It was no different than me taking LG to parties for M’s work. I am sure the family will show up in different places along the campaign trail, but will be well cared for.
As far as experience, I believe the constitution only says you must be a natural born citizen and 35 years old. I don’t think it says anything else about being senator, CEO, or anything else.
Personally I think being vice-president would be less time consuming than being governor. She may be around for her kids more than she is currently.
Um . . . maybe you could judge the candidates by their positions on the issues and leave their personal lives alone?
If you’d like to see the Supreme Court packed with justices who will take down the Roe v. Wade decision and go after civil rights, the McCain-Palin ticket is for you. If you can get past the fact that, as she herself admits, she hasn’t “really focused much on the war in Iraq.”
I love that I’m not the only one who is fired up about the conventions.
A few posts by others for your reading pleasure:
http://www.dooce.com/2008/09/04/and-boom
http://findingchaos.com/?p=172
http://prophetboy.blogspot.com/2008/09/audacity-of-hope.html
All of these are blogs that I found this evening while watching the RNC. The last blog is by a teacher from my school. He says it much more eloquently than I ever could.
Here’s another…
http://svmomblog.typepad.com/chicago_moms/2008/09/not-actually-so.html
I can’t believe that someone who is (or should be) so distracted by massive important events in her private life is the Best person for the job. Seriously, is there no one else with the experience and ability to do the job? I feel like she’s used because she’s a woman and that makes me sad. Women should be able to be VP but I don’t think she’s the right woman for the job.
And suggesting you should only judge a politician by their policies is ridiculous. You can learn a lot about a person and their values by the choices they make in their private life. I wouldn’t trust the judgment of a man or woman who thinks that running for VP is a good idea when their family is going through such a crisis.
How can you be so sexist? Why don’t you say that Obama needs to be home with his daughters?
Don’t be one of those people who fights for what you want when it is convenient for you.
dang. i just came here looking for a cookie reciepe
Article from the Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/09/04/kids_in_the_public_eye_where_does_the_line_lie/
Well, I have never done this but I think it is a fine time to start.
I was never blessed to be a Mother. HOWEVER if I had been so blessed, I certainly would go out and do as Sarah Palin is. Why?, because as an American it is my right and I think my children would have a Positive influence from this.
Our world has evolved to be inclusive for ALL men and women and with that comes the opportunity to “be ALL that you can be”
All I can say is that Sarah Palin is a dynamo and I can not wait to be able to vote for her and watch her accomplish all that she can.
She will be a doer not a “perfect”
talker. Remember actions speak MUCH LOUDER than words.
Someone I respect and admire said this to me once: We CAN have it all, and it doesn’t have to be all at once. I was struggling with my decision to stay at home with my son, because I was feeling like I wasn’t contributing enough to my family. But I have since realized that what I am doing now is exactly what I should be doing and is what is best for me and my family. I wasn’t going to vote for this ticket anyway, and while I think it’s admirable that Ms. Palin has said she’ll be an advocate for children with special needs if she is VP, it’s hard for me to imagine essentially leaving my baby for a career. (I realize that Obama has children as well, but I feel like the circumstances are just so different – his daughters are older, first of all – not to say that they don’t need their dad, but it’s just different than having a 4 month old) I feel like I’m rambling now, but I did enjoy reading this post and thinking about a few things a bit differently.
I have a lot more to say on this issue… I’m preparing a “Sarah Palin: Part Deux” post that you can look for soon.
Keep commenting and responding though… I love hearing what you have to say.
I am all for a good debate. The only difference is, I respect those who have opinions that differ from miine…
Something I haven’t seen discussed so far is the idea of service. Some people have an intense desire to serve their country and this service often comes before anything, even family. Those in military regularly put service to their country before their family. Is it something I could do–no. But, I’m really glad that there are so many people out there who do. I admire the members of both tickets–they are making huge sacrifices for the opportunity to lead the country in a very tumultuous time.
I’m an independent as as of now, undecided in this election. I’m ashamed to admit that I had some of the same thoughts about Governor Palin and how she could possibly fulfill her family responsibilites. But, after alot of thought I realized that it is inappropriate to hold her to a different standard. I haven’t once thought about Obama, McCain or Biden’a family responsibilities, so I’m not going to consider Palin’s. I wouldn’t want anyone to judge my decision to be a working mom, no matter how demanding a job. So, I’m not going to judge Palin. Only she and her husband know whether this is the right decision for them…