I hate to break it to Stephen Hayes and I wish it were not true, but having a 17-year old unwed daughter get pregnant is the definition of scandal and has been for millenia. In Afghanistan, even today, that’s cause for a stoning. In Wasilla, Alaska, people are more tolerant. They express sadness, offer expressions of sympathy and hope, and quietly avoid socializing with the family. There are programs for people like Bristol Palin in Alaska. One of them, Passage House, had their budget slashed this year by Governor Sarah Palin. Passage House ‘provides young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives.’
If the Palin family wants to keep their daughter and the 18-year old father of her baby out of the news, then why is the father traveling, now, to the convention? Does he think his appearance there will make people talk about him less?
The right-wing is trying to whip up their supporters into a frenzy of indignation about how the press is treating Sarah Palin. Acting like having an unwed high school daughter get pregnant is not scandalous is a little too rich. Many of us wish it were not a source of such great shame (or even deadly violence in some parts of the world) but that doesn’t change the reality. It’s an embarrassment and it’s tabloid fodder, and it sells newspapers and magazines, and boosts television ratings. Get used to it.
If you want less coverage, don’t invite the boy to St. Paul to make believe they’re all one big happy functional family. They’re not. They’re screwed up just like most families are screwed up. People can understand dysfunctional families but they won’t believe this ‘f-ing redneck‘ is anything but a source of shame for Ms. Palin’s political ambitions.
I have news for Stephen Hayes. It’s precisely this kind of shame and ridicule that the Palins should have protected their daughter from by refusing to accept the nomination. Now they are shipping in the sperm donor? And you think the resulting violation of privacy is the media’s fault? Or the Democrat’s fault?
Tell Sarah Palin to fully fund Passage House. Those are the people that treat unwed mothers with respect and dignity.
What do you want to be the f-ng redneck proposes to the daughter or announces it on the convention floor? 😉
that would be fantastic. Can it be done at gunpoint?
Why would it be fantastic? I think it would be horrible – as bad as those proposals at basketball games. But even more horrible because the poor kids are being forced to dance like puppets for a bunch of old white dudes. Creepy.
it was sarcasm.
Yeah, I see it now. Sorry. I read too much into your response – for some reason I thought you were cheering them on to do it because it would be such a horribly bad move on their part. Which it would, but it would be a horrible thing to do to those two kids who probably already have far too much drama in their lives right now as it is.
I think I need to get my head out of the politics for a bit – these last few days have been driving me nuts.
I think they’re honestly going to have Levi’s family up there and have him officially propose. If I were Karl Rove, that is exactly what I would do.
If the election is about Sarah Palin, we lose.
That would be a soul-crushingly terrible idea. It might play well with the folks there, but boy howdy is that one of the least romantic ways you can possibly propose – with a bunch of creepy old guys watching you, on national television, and with her mother standing right there. She doesn’t even have to be holding a shotgun for everyone watching to understand exactly what’s going on.
If the election is about Sarah Palin, we lose.
I disagree. If the election is about Sarah Palin then McCain has a better chance of winning, but it’s no slam dunk for him by any measure. If the election is about the issues he loses in a slam dunk. Palin’s a wild card – she could trivialize the election enough for a win, or she could be a smelly albatross wrapped around McCain’s neck. Time will tell.
Sarah looks like the type that’d go for a hockey player…….
Byron York agrees.
My guess is that while she slashed funding for Passage House, she increased it for Xtian based “crisis pregnancy centers.”
I guess if the “kid” needs a job he can always join the Army and serve in Iraq.
people liek stephen Hayes are such assholes, it’s galling.
And by all means, Sarah Palin SHOULD be shamed for what she’s putting her daughter through AND for her hypocrisy.
If unwed pregnant mothers weren’t pariahs in the eyes of gooper fundie schmucks, gooper fundie schmucks like Sarah Palin wouldn’t be cutting funding for places like Passage House. The whole GOP take on teenage pregnancy is shame and punishment: “look what you did, slut. now you get what you deserve.” For them now to pretend “oh it’s no big deal and a private matter” just because it’s one of theirs is ludicrous, hypocritical, and offensive.
So hey Stephen Hayes: FUCK YOU.
maybe the bloggers should start an “internets fundraiser” for passage house. would kinda put a “spot-light” on the Republican hypocrisy of Sarah Palin.
that’s actually a pretty good idea.
strange 5 minutes ago you could donate online..it seems that service was just taken away??
LINK
Yeah, it’s such a bonus that everyone should have a baby before they go to their senior prom and graduate high school…
yeah, and 17 year old kids are always planning to get married.
Something tells me Sherry’s been hitting the sherry. Not a criticism: if my teenager came home with the news that he’d knocked someone up, I’d need a drink or two myself.
What is she supposed to say really, though? Is she supposed to fume to the reporters? She’s not a politician, she’s just the mother of a dumb teenage boy who went and knocked up his girlfriend. “Children are a blessing”, after all, and if you say something about your future grandchild not being wanted you’re going to look like a horrible human being to a lot of folks.
I can’t really blame her for being thrust into the media spotlight and trying to not look like a jerk. It’s not like she sought this out.
I think she just shouldn’t speak to the reporters. And if I were in her position, I’d be furious with the Palins for the spotlight they’ve shone on their son. 18 years old and he’ll forever be remembered as the f—in redneck who impregnated Bristol Palin and didn’t want kids.
but the trainwreck just keeps getting worse.
I mentioned it on my blog today earlier but did anyone read those comments from Levi Johnston’s mom that basically inferred that he dropped out of high school before his senior year and is currently not enrolled anywhere else.
In summary, the party who wears their family values on their sleeve and forces morality upon others, VP pick is supporting her 17 year old and underage pregnant daughter to marry a high school drop out.
Hey Stephen- remember the comments you repubs made about Chelsea when she was 13? Does the word “Dog” ring a bell?
Better forget that one fast.Wouldn’t want you to b hypocrites or nothin’…
Great post, and I couldn’t agree more. The photos showing this 17-year old pregnant girl, standing on the stage with her mother, in front of the nation, with a blanket draped over her midriff, cradling her 4-month old brother, were very sad. By agreeing to run as VP, Palin tacitly agreed to let her family be the object of scrutiny. To a certain extent, I appreciate and agree with Obama’s statement that the family should be off-limits. However, her behavior as a mother cannot be off-limits. Much is going to be made of her working mother status, but she doesn’t get a pass from us when it comes to analyzing how her actions (and inactions), as the mother of five children, are a reflection or an indication of her judgment. I also think that if there is any indication that her husband has in any way influenced her “executive” decisions as either mayor or governor, in such a way that he or any of his business connections benefited, then he also becomes fair game and an object of increased scrutiny.