A new era. Okay, we’ve been in the new era for months and months—Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took care of that. And now John McCain choosing Sarah Palin at the beginning of a long weekend, with a hurricane bearing down on Louisiana and Texas, postponing the RNC convention . . .
So I’ve been reading a lot of comments about the new vice-presidential candidate. Some are thoughtful, some are hateful, some are ridiculous, some are really intelligent. The blogosphere is debating about her qualities as a vice-presidential candidate, a governor, a mother, a woman.
The two big debates seem to be these: 1) Does she have enough smarts to make up for her lack of experience to be an international player (and I don’t care what anyone says or how old John McCain is, it’s still the second spot, no matter what, and therefore very important). This is a very serious, valid question.
And 2) is she—with a special needs baby, a pregnant teen, a son going off to Iraq, and two other children—doing the right thing by accepting this position that (and again, I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I know full well this is not a job with which you get to have dinner with your family every evening) will take her away from her family? This is a primal issue, one anyone with a mother and/or child has an opinion on.
People are pointing out that no one is questioning Barack Obama’s position as a father because Michelle is there, the mother. No one yet knows Todd Palin or how involved he is as a father so this is pure speculation. If the Republicans win, will it be enough for the Palin kids to know Dad was there, if indeed he is? I sure hope so.
After much thought about this, I have to admit I don’t understand her decision. I will also admit I haven’t walked in her shoes. But I just know it’s not what I would have done.
Update: The tempest continues, of course. Good article in the New York Times echoes some of what I’ve said above, with many mothers’ opinions.
