Does GOP Hypocrisy Ever End?

Mike Deneen · Post by **Mike Deneen** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:21 pm

It turns out Mrs. Eagleton----errr, I mean Palin --- has a 17 year old pregnant daughter. So it looks like she has a lot more in common with Britney Spears than Obama ever had.

I'm sure the "family values" crowd will try to put a happy spin on this. However, can anyone imagine the right wing firestorm if a democatic nominee had an underaged pregnant kid?

So far we have one GOP spouse (the beer heiress trophy wife) that has stolen drugs from a charity to feed her habit, and the other nominee has a pregnant 17 year old daughter. However, in the Bizarro world of the US media, Michelle Obama is the one that has to prove her "American-ness" and "values".

Does anyone else get the feeling that this VP nomination was hasty and half-baked?

"Obama 08.....One house, One spouse"

Danielle Masters · Post by **Danielle Masters** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:32 pm

I feel sorry for the 17 year old. Her mother knowingly put her into the public eye, she accepted the nomination knowing that her child was pregnant, knowing it would all play out in the media and that is sad. I can't imagine ever imagine doing that to any of my children.

As for Obama, he is showing how much class he has by saying this is a family matter and reminding people that his mom was a teenage mom. Hopefully the press will let this go and let the teenager deal with this privately. I have plenty of reasons to think she is not a fit candidate, but this is not one of them.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:38 pm

I do not see a problem here... This has nothing to do with "Family Values" but an individual making a choice..

PS it was Jamie Lynn Spears not Britney

Bret Callentine · Post by **Bret Callentine** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:53 pm

perhaps if she had gotten an abortion, she could have been a key note speaker at last weeks convention instead of a potential distraction as this one. :roll:

Didn't Obama admit to experimenting with drugs?

If we hold all potential politicians accountable to this extreme, I'm not sure there would be a single one left with the qualifications with which to run.

Ryan Salo · Post by **Ryan Salo** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:56 pm

Danielle Masters wrote:I feel sorry for the 17 year old. Her mother knowingly put her into the public eye, she accepted the nomination knowing that her child was pregnant, knowing it would all play out in the media and that is sad. I can't imagine ever imagine doing that to any of my children.

I don't think that Sarah forced her daughter to go get pregnant and then embarrass her nationally.

This girl made a choice and is now living with the consequences.

I would never stop my personal/professional life to "protect" one of my children from a personal choice they made that was embarrassing, and I donâ€™t think you would either Danielle.

She is not a 10 yr old who made a mistake. If you are 17 and having sex you know that there is the possibility of pregnancy.

I think this has been handled great by everyone involved, especially McCain and Obama, the media (CNN) is just making it a much bigger deal than they should be.

Sarah is walking the talk - she has a mentally retarded child and has encouraged her 17yr old to keep the baby. It is one thing to say you are pro-life, but it is something altogether different to actually live it when it isn't "convenient".

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:06 pm

Her mother knowingly put her into the public eye, she accepted the nomination knowing that her child was pregnant, knowing it would all play out in the media and that is sad

What would have been sad is forcing the child to have an abortion to keep this out of the public eye

Danielle Masters · Post by **Danielle Masters** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:09 pm

Ryan Salo wrote:
I don't think that Sarah forced her daughter to go get pregnant and then embarrass her nationally.

This girl made a choice and is now living with the consequences.

I would never stop my personal/professional life to "protect" one of my children from a personal choice they made that was embarrassing, and I donâ€™t think you would either Danielle.

She is not a 10 yr old who made a mistake. If you are 17 and having sex you know that there is the possibility of pregnancy.

I am flabbergasted by your comments. No she didn't force her daughter to get pregnant but I doubt she spoke to her daughter about birth control since she is a proponent of abstinence only programs. And she did chose to put her daughter in the national public eye. She put her own needs above those of HER child. I would never put my professional life above that of MY children. And if this ever happens to my daughter I would counsel her to give the baby up for adoption because that is what I feel would is best for children of teenage parents, but that is just my personal belief. So Ryan don't you dare tell me what you think I would do in a situation where one of my children made a mistake. I would help them however I could, I would not make things more difficult for them because that is not what a parent does. I would never put my needs above that of my minor child, NEVER!

Danielle Masters · Post by **Danielle Masters** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:14 pm

Stephen Eisel wrote:
Her mother knowingly put her into the public eye, she accepted the nomination knowing that her child was pregnant, knowing it would all play out in the media and that is sad
What would have been sad is forcing the child to have an abortion to keep this out of the public eye

Yes that would be sad. I think it is wonderful that she is going forward with her pregnancy but she has a tough road before her. Teenage moms have many obstacles in front of them. But back to Sarah Palin, putting myself in Sarah Palin's place I would probably not be running for vice president at least not for a few years. But what do I know, I am just a mother of 5 with two special needs children. I know nothing of the stresses she is dealing with.

Brad Hutchison · Post by **Brad Hutchison** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:19 pm

I could care less that Bristol is pregnant, and it shouldn't have any bearing on anything with the election. But I do think it's kind of creepy how McCain and Palin are handling it, repeating over and over that she's going to have it, and referring to the father as "the boy she's marrying."

I'm glad she's having the baby, but they shouldn't make her out to be a pro-life hero (nor should anyone make her an abstinence villain). At the same time, they way they're referring to the father makes it sound like they're being forced to marry, or that in some way they're practically already married.

To me it's a non-issue, but I feel like the McCain camp is trying to turn it into a pro-life/family values positive instead of just letting it go. Despite what they say, this was not the only way to dispell the crazy internet rumors that Trig is really Bristol's son.

ryan costa · Post by **ryan costa** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:26 pm

'traditional values' can encompass a lot of different stuff. 50 years ago it was quite common for a teenager to get married after getting knocked up/knocking someone up. today there are fewer opportunities for folks heralded into the working class by a sudden pregnancy, and it costs much more to live in a decent neighborhood and its decent schools and get decent health care.(socks and video games stereos are much cheaper though).

I'm more belligerent about the ads about raising taxes. McCain ads are claiming Obama will raise taxes. Reaganomics raised taxes for most americans and small businesses. Subsequent infestations of Neocons have used the same tactics. Reaganomics lowered taxes for the obscenely rich, who did not reinvest much of the money.

It is more legitimate for the democrats to claim the Republicans will raise their taxes, just as the Reagan administration raised taxes for most americans.

Perhaps Obama will maintain present gasoline taxes or even raise them. that is legitimate. the primary motivation for invading Iraq was oil. The primary motivation of invading Iraq was to demonstrate superior regime changing power in the overall middle east oil region. no candidate is publicly stating that. If they did, maybe the general public(today we are identified as 'consumers') would begin to fathom the last fifty years were a lot of bad policies.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:27 pm

Danielle Masters wrote:
Stephen Eisel wrote:
Her mother knowingly put her into the public eye, she accepted the nomination knowing that her child was pregnant, knowing it would all play out in the media and that is sad
What would have been sad is forcing the child to have an abortion to keep this out of the public eye

Yes that would be sad. I think it is wonderful that she is going forward with her pregnancy but she has a tough road before her. Teenage moms have many obstacles in front of them. But back to Sarah Palin, putting myself in Sarah Palin's place I would probably not be running for vice president at least not for a few years. But what do I know, I am just a mother of 5 with two special needs children. I know nothing of the stresses she is dealing with.

The media coverage on this story will only backfire and unite the right...

Danielle Masters · Post by **Danielle Masters** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:36 pm

Stephen Eisel wrote: The media coverage on this story will only backfire and unite the right...

I don't give a crap about this story helping the Republicans or the Democrats. I just think it is so sad that a teenage girl who made a mistake is now going to be used by media outlets and pundits for their own needs. She is a child having a child and no matter what happens no one wins.

Putting this whole thing aside I have my reasons for not thinking that Sarah Palin was a good choice and this is not one of them. So seriously I hope this story gets no more attention and I hope that she is able to be in peace for the remainder of her pregnancy. That is all I have to say. God bless her.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:43 pm

Danielle Masters wrote:
Stephen Eisel wrote: The media coverage on this story will only backfire and unite the right...

I don't give a crap about this story helping the Republicans or the Democrats. I just think it is so sad that a teenage girl who made a mistake is now going to be used by media outlets and pundits for their own needs. She is a child having a child and no matter what happens no one wins.

Putting this whole thing aside I have my reasons for not thinking that Sarah Palin was a good choice and this is not one of them. So seriously I hope this story gets no more attention and I hope that she is able to be in peace for the remainder of her pregnancy. That is all I have to say. God bless her.

The media has an agenda and it is not fair and balanced.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:05 pm

Obama said: "I have said before and I will repeat again: People's families are off limits," Obama said. "And people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldnâ€™t be a topic of our politics."

On charges that his campaign has stoked the story via liberal blogs:

"I am offended by that statement. There is no evidence at all that any of this involved us," he said. "Our people were not involved in any way in this, and they will not be. And if I thought there was somebody in my campaign who was involved in something like that, they would be fired."

Bill Call · Post by **Bill Call** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:31 am

Mike Deneen wrote:It turns out Mrs. Eagleton----errr, I mean Palin --- has a 17 year old pregnant daughter. So it looks like she has a lot more in common with Britney Spears than Obama ever had.

Why the hate?

Does GOP Hypocrisy Ever End?

Does GOP Hypocrisy Ever End?

traditional values

Re: Does GOP Hypocrisy Ever End?