The following is quite lengthy for DU, but I believe the message deserves your time. The author, my daughter, is a member of an important demographic for this election year: early 30’s, not previously "into" political campaigns, and definitely voting this year. She is also a single mom with two daughters, and an accountant.My Take on Sarah Palin
The Presidential Election is a major issue for Americans right now, and the current star of the show is Sarah Palin, the Vice Presidential candidate. A lot has been said by, on behalf of, and about Mrs. Palin since her addition to the Republican ticket on August 29th. I'd like to offer the viewpoints of just one of the many women voters observing this historic election year.
Mayor and Governor are not fluff jobs no matter the size of the constituency. They come with responsibilities and challenges. However they do not automatically qualify someone for an executive office dealing with national and global issues. Mrs. Palin may well be capable of grasping those issues and then dealing with them. If so, she needs to offer that as an honest assessment, rather than brazenly claiming she is already fit for such a role. Modesty is a virtue and there is no shame in admitting she may not be familiar with the nuances of all of the issues, but then stating she can and will learn. The issue of experience, though, is really the least of my concerns.
The current legislative investigation of Gov. Palin bothers me, primarily because she has held office for such a short time and already finds herself embroiled in a mess. It appears Mrs. Palin personally involved herself in the matter of Trooper Wooten's career. As the governor, and with any other trooper accused of similar misconducts, it might be acceptable to follow up on the situation. Given Mrs. Palin's personal proximity to this officer, however, she should have had the good sense to pass on "oversight duties" to another agency. Keeping herself and her administration involved, even if it went no further than expressing concern over a lack of proper discipline, could certainly taint any discipline handed down, and dare I say leave the government open to a potential lawsuit (meritous or not)? In the business world, we talk a lot about keeping transactions at "arm's length" - politics is no different.
While I am on the subject of scandals, I might as well go ahead and address the elephant in the room. I won't blame Mrs. Palin for the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter Bristol. I do, however, take umbrage at how it has been handled. First of all, any parent knows that making mistakes comes with the territory. What is crucial is whether or not we learn from those mistakes. Mrs. Palin makes no secret of the fact she believes in abstinence-only sex education. Let's face reality here - her sex education policy just blew up in her face. You will get no disagreement from me that abstinence is the best policy. As the mother of two daughters myself, if I could put them in chastity belts, I would. Unfortunately in today's society, sexual activities are de rigueur in the lives of teenagers and young adults. Bemoaning the fact this is so does not mean we can run from the truth simply because we do not like it. It has to be dealt with beyond simply saying "don't do it." While any parent can come up with several valid reasons to just say no, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, and culture at large can think of just as many reasons to just say yes. My point is, knowing now firsthand that abstinence-only is not an effective policy, will Mrs. Palin learn from her mistake or continue to repeat it? That is a key trait George Bush lacked - he could not admit to mistakes nor did he learn from them and adapt. If Mrs. Palin wants to prove she is different, she will need to walk the walk.
On another note regarding Bristol Palin, the way the GOP has handled this situation is beyond appalling. The facts that Bristol is keeping the baby and marrying the equally young father do not change the fact she is pregnant at 17 years of age. More importantly, those facts do not suddenly make it OK that she is pregnant at 17. Those who support abstinence-only programs often take the position that discussing or providing birth control to teens is tantamount to encouraging them to go have sex. So what message is the GOP currently sending - that as long as you keep the baby and marry the father, it's OK to get pregnant at 17? The goal here is not to reduce abortions or single-parent households - the goal is to keep teens from becoming parents in the first place. Personally, I'd rather see the GOP direct their fervor in that direction.
Lastly, Mrs. Palin and nearly everyone else associated with this campaign has called for the media to stop talking about Bristol and Levi and to give these young parents-to-be their privacy during this difficult time. Then Mrs. Palin parades both her daughter and future son-in-law out in front of cameras everywhere. Aside from the glaring hypocrisy at work here, Mrs. Palin is displaying decidedly poor parenting judgment. Mrs. Palin is putting her daughter front and center for an audience to sit and gawk at and whisper amongst themselves about. While I am glad Mrs. Palin is being supportive of her daughter in this matter, she needs to take her own advice and let the kids have some privacy.
Moving on, let's hit another scandal: Mrs. Palin's first public speech as the Vice Presidential running mate and what does she do but re-write history and tell a whopper. It is no longer a secret that Palin pulled the big flip-flop on the "Bridge to Nowhere" project. Now as I mentioned during the Bristol segment, people make mistakes. Lying, however, is never a mistake - it is a deliberate act. Frankly, I've been lied to enough over the past 8 years by Republicans. So if she really wants to be a "maverick," I'd recommend steering clear of that kind of thing. Seriously, how hard would it have been to just say:
"You know, I had a chance to see the ill-effects of uncontrolled government spending first-hand with the "Bridge to Nowhere." Initially I was excited about the opportunities it presented for my home state of Alaska. Yet as time went on, I realized it was completely unfeasible and a waste of taxpayer money, so I said, 'Thanks, but no thanks.' After that experience, I've learned to examine pork projects more closely."
See - scandal averted, no lies told, and she shows that she is not so set in her ways she cannot see the light of reason (unlike someone else we all know). Really, doesn't she have people on her staff smart and savvy enough to come up with this kind of thing?
Since we are on the subject of "pork," I must point out that Mrs. Palin's record has squealed on her (I know - bad pun). I am a bit skeptical about her sudden "reformation," particularly as she appears intent on pretending like her previous lobbying never happened. I also do not like that she contracted a consulting firm with personal ties to legislators to work on obtaining more special government projects. It is highly unlikely Mrs. Palin was unaware of those connections nor is she unintelligent enough to deduce that such an arrangement would stink to high heaven under close scrutiny. Common sense people - use it! The fact the agency and those politicians are now facing serious allegations and charges does nothing to help matters. Bottom line - practice what you preach – or even better, try preaching what you practice.
A few other random thoughts before I get to my last major point. I know it sounds very "maverick" and "reformist" to say you are suing the Bush Administration. However, when that lawsuit involves taking polar bears off the protected species list, you aren't really going to inspire a lot of warm fuzzies. I also do not care for her husband's employment situation, coupled with her push for drilling in ANWR. It goes back to those "arm's length transactions" and "stinks to high heaven under close scrutiny" points from earlier. Even if it is all above-board (meaning she truly, independently believes that drilling is the answer), it's still a bad position in which to put yourself. I cannot stress enough the importance of common sense. Speaking of, getting on an airplane while in labor - with a special-needs infant on the way no less - defies all reason, common sense, and arguably human decency.
The last two issues I want to address are pretty much intermingled - sexism and the media. How about some straight talk? If you want to be out on a level playing field, you do not accomplish it by tilting it in the opposite direction. Fact: the media vets everyone (whether campaigns do or not). If you cannot handle the close scrutiny, get out from under the microscope. Granted, male candidates do not typically get asked how they intend to balance the responsibilities of office with the responsibilities of being a parent, I'll certainly concede that point. However, the actions of any politician's child have always been viewed as a reflection on their parents, male and female. Playing the gender card is not the same as playing the "get out of jail free card." You do not get to bypass the routine simply because you do not like the things people say and write about you. (By the way, how does that 1st Amendment go again?) Which brings us to this little gem from Mrs. Palin's RNC address:
"I'm not going to Washington to seek
good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."
Go to any message board or chat room and you will find Mr. and Ms. Average American Voter asking the same questions and raising the same concerns as the media. Get as feisty as you want with the media, but when the American voters are asking, I strongly recommend that you answer.
I realize I am being rather harsh on Mrs. Palin. While I have no doubt that the McCain campaign was hoping she could really rally the women voters, this woman voter wants to make sure that whoever gets the elected bid to serve in our nation’s highest office acquits herself admirably and does American women proud. Unfortunately, I have seen little to suggest that Sarah Palin fits that bill.
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