* Who is more inconsiderate? McCain or Palin?
Posted by Lew Weinstein on September 1, 2008
The facts are dribbling out, as these things often do.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain’s choice to be VP, a 72 year old heartbeat away from the most important position in the world, announced today that her 17 year old unmarried daughter is 5 months pregnant.
The McCain campaign says it knew this before McCain chose Palin as his VP candidate.
Now, I propose a different election. Which one, McCain or Palin, is the more inconsiderate of anything or anyone except their own naked political ambition?
On one side, we have Gov. Palin, totally oblivious to the likely emotional damage to her daughter, and to the young boy, that must inevitably follow such a high profile examination of the serious mistakes they have made, mistakes no doubt helped along by soon-to-be grandmother Palin’s opposition to both sex education and contraception.
In the other column is John McCain, desperate to find any spark at all in his uninspired presidential bid, willing to take on an ultra right wing, family values woman, unconcerned that her serious personal family problems, of which he was aware, might obscure her alleged moral conservatism or her ability to pay much attention to the campaign or, God forbid, the job of being Vice President.
Kids get pregnant all the time, and it’s usually a mess. Living this out in the public glare of a political campaign won’t help. The daughter, now 5 months pregnant, may or may not want to marry the father. The boyfriend, about whom we so far know nothing, may well not want marriage either. Do they love each other? They’ve had several months to get married, and they’re not yet, so there’s at least some likelihood that one or both would rather not. But I don’t suppose their mother intends to give them that choice.
None of this is any of our business, and wouldn’t have been, had not McCain and Palin chosen to make it so.
So who is worse, McCain for asking or Palin for saying yes? I think it would be a close election.
And shame on both of them for their selfish attitudes which don’t sound to me like good family values.
LEW
Barbara Brown said
I am amazed. Inconsiderate is a very kind word. Cruel (as concerns the children involved0 would be a better one. I am trying to absorb this information as it applies to the whole situation. It will take some time…. perhaps it truly is too much for a normal person to understand. Yes! I do consider myself to be normal.
elyse said
As Ilene says, Palin may just be the “gift that keeps on giving.” The spin is just unbelievable on this one. Cindy McCain just spoke and it was the first time I have heard her speak, oh my god, she is alive or is she a Stepford wife? Republicans are terrifying.
Kevin said
It has been proven time and again that when you take sex education out of the schools and limit access to contraceptions that it leads to these situations. I am curious if she is an evangelical like her mother, and if so, did she take a pledge of abstinence, like so many other teenagers. Research shows that it initially reduces sexual activity, however when they do become sexually active, they are ill prepared, i.e. contraceptions. I also read her husband was arrested for a DWI in 1984.
Gini said
So much for the McCain and Palin “just say no” therories that they want all of our young people to observe. How about “just say know” and give our children necessary information for prevention? God save us from this crazy old man and his batty running mate. Please God, save us from this nightmare!