One thought pushes fence-sitters to the left: Palin (Tampa Bay Times)

[struggle4progress]

By Adam C. Smith, Times Political Editor
Posted: Sep 19, 2008 11:11 AM

ST. PETERSBURG — ...

"The one thing that frightens me more than anything else are the ideologues. We've seen too many," said 80-year-old Air Force veteran Donn Spegal, a lifelong Republican from St. Petersburg, who sees McCain's new running mate as the kind of "wedge issue" social conservative that has made him disenchanted with his party.

"I'm truly offended by Palin,'' said 37-year-old Republican Philinia Lehr of Largo, a full-time mother with a nursing degree who voted for George Bush in 2004. Like Palin, she has five children and she doesn't buy that the Alaska governor can adequately balance her family and the vice presidency.

"You're somebody's mom and what are you going to do, say, 'Excuse me, country, hold on?' ... She's preaching that she's this mom of the year and taking that poor little baby all over everywhere. And, you know, what she's doing to her 17-year-old daughter is just appalling.'' Lehr said she's bothered by the way Palin's pregnant daughter has been brought into the national spotlight.

Of the 11 undecided voters participating in the free-wheeling discussion one recent evening at the Times — four Republicans, five Democrats, and two registered to no party — .... seven .. said that McCain's running mate selection had made them more likely to vote for Obama, and in several cases much more likely ...

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article818181.ece

[fed_up_mother]

1. All that glitters is not gold, heh?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. It's a bit sad, but I'll take it......

There is an overall sense of "a woman's place is in the home" that is going to go on in this election, and it WILL cut deeply into the Rethugs deepest, reddest base. They will either vote for Obama, or not show up.

There is such a thing as being right for the wrong reasons.

[tsuki]

3. Well, someone need to be in the home. Those kids were running

wild. What does O'Really call parents like that, Pinheads, I think.

[glitch]

4. Not a problem - I am sure the GOP will find a way to vote for their people who sit it out.

That's why God gave them control of the voting machines and central tabulators, hallelujah.

[RainDog]

5. It's not about Palin being a mother. It's about her being a PARENT.

when Al Gore's son was hit by a car in 1989, the kid almost died. Tipper Gore went through a major depression.

Al Gore DID NOT run for Pres. in 1992 because, among other things, his situation with his family. they did not need to go through a presidential campaign while also going through family medical issues.

If Palin wants to run and to hire a nanny to raise her kids, that's her decision. But if so, the repukes should stfu about her being the poster mother for parenthood. Other women with high profile careers also employ nannies and, again, it's their business... and they have the money to do this.

But it's a joke to claim that if you have a job that requires you to work far more than 40 hours a week, you do not need help raising any child. And the person that is actually raising a child is the one who has the most impact on that child. It can be male or female.

I take it her husband isn't exactly the househusband type with his union job with an oil co. I know that, previously, older children cared for younger ones, but generally at the expense of their own educations so that's not really a realistic option... unless your daughter is also pregnant and leaves school, I suppose.

In any case, it is totally realistic to ask who cares for a child in such a situation. She has to put her country over her child if she runs for vp. Just like someone who goes into the army and doesn't see her kid for a year.

This moment would be a good chance to talk about the reality of mixing family and career for ALL parents, male or female, and how, once again, our system is not set up to care what happens to families - people who do put family first are routintely "punished" for this in the mktplace, in terms of insurance - in terms of long-term earning capacity.

That's reality. Palin will not be caring for her own kids. Hopefully someone else would be. Hopefully not a pregnant 17 y/o party girl.