tommyrot -- technically speaking, humans (and all vertebrates) are topographical donuts, because the alimentary canal runs all the way from the mouth to the, er, hiney hole.

I hope a lot of questions get asked about statements praising Bristol and the Palins for keeping the baby, such as, "Do you think she shouldn't have had the choice to keep the baby?" and "Do you think the law should be changed such that she could be charged with murder if she took steps to abort the fetus?"

I hope a lot of questions get asked

I don't. At least, not using the Palins as an example. Policy-wise, I'm happy to have the discussion.

I'm surprised that no one has dredged up the father. I hope he's not 25 (as Bristol was apparently 16 when this baby was conceived) and I wonder how he and his parents (assuming he's a teen) are feeling about all this.

Also, I feel as if John McCain, by choosing a woman who has so many issues as fodder for the press and Internet surrounding her womb and her daughter's womb and Why A Woman Who Has a Working Womb Should Not Be at Work But Home Watching Out for Her Daughter's Womb, has just guaranteed no woman will be President for a very long time.

sigh

Also, I feel as if John McCain, by choosing a woman who has so many issues as fodder for the press and Internet surrounding her womb and her daughter's womb and Why A Woman Who Has a Working Womb Should Not Be at Work But Home Watching Out for Her Daughter's Womb, has just guaranteed no woman will be President for a very long time.

So much this.

You know, if the marriage does happen, they're going to have to disclose the impregnator's identity ANYWAY. So if he isn't stepping up to the news podium now, he's either seriously a juvenile or else he's going to be the 25yo bodyguard assigned to protect Bristol or something worse.

Also, I feel as if John McCain, by choosing a woman who has so many issues as fodder for the press and Internet surrounding her womb and her daughter's womb and Why A Woman Who Has a Working Womb Should Not Be at Work But Home Watching Out for Her Daughter's Womb, has just guaranteed no woman will be President for a very long time.

Not just this, but the cynic in me can't help but wonder if this wasn't exactly what they'd hoped for. I mean, McCain's camp is saying that they knew about Bristol Palin's pregnancy when they asked Sarah to run as the VP candidate. And they had to know that her pregnancy would be revealed one way or the other, before the election-- especially what with the Trotting Out of the Families that happens during the convention. I mean, what were they going to have her do-- carry Trig for the entirety of the campaign in order to shield her belly?

Thing is, with the revelation happening just prior to the RNC, plus the added bonus (as I'm sure they're seeing it) of Gustav, diverting attention from the convention-- the real issues with respect to the Republican Party and the utter chaos it's in, and the havoc the current administration has wreaked on the country as a whole, are being glossed over. At least, as the convention gets underway.

I just read a quote from one of the delegates who was talking about how all of the cocktail party talk was of Bristol Palin-- he said something to the effect of, "It's as if there was a script of how things were supposed to go this week and now, the script has been completely altered."

I wonder if that wasn't the plan-- at least in part.

::adjusts tin foil hat::

I don't. At least, not using the Palins as an example. Policy-wise, I'm happy to have the discussion.

Yeah, I'm really not comfortable dragging anyone's 17 year-old daughter's private life into the spotlight to make a point about abortion rights (especially since we have no reason to believe she might have wanted one). Basically I just want the left-wing blogosphere to imagine they're writing about Chelsea Clinton, and then see how much dirt they're comfortable flinging around.

has just guaranteed no woman will be President for a very long time.

Or at least, no mother.

Sparky - they have dug up the father:

[link]

Via Facebook - an old college friend raps about Palin's VP credentials. (NSFW, language.)

Yeah, I'm really not comfortable dragging anyone's 17 year-old daughter's private life into the spotlight to make a point about abortion rights (especially since we have no reason to believe she might have wanted one).

Yes and no. I think the fact that the statements from both the family and the campaign leaned so heavily on it being her choice, no really, hers and hers alone is absolutely worthy of being called out. Since, you know, a major element of her mother's platform and McCain's is to make sure other girls in her position don't get to make any such decisions.

The validity of that choice, what went in to making it, what it shows or doesn't show about sex ed, about the family, etc. is another story. I don't see any need to go there and lots of reasons, both ethical and practical, to leave it the hell alone.

(But yeah, the absence of the father thus far is curious, and I wonder if that's going to turn out to be item number 6 or 10 or 127 in the list of Things They Might Wish They Had Considered before launching all of this.)

ETA after checking out that link - okay, nothing there I don't think, though I cringed a little on Bristol's behalf at that "don't want kids" thing, which makes me feel even more like these kids are being railroaded. But who knows.

they have dug up the father

Oh, joy.

I think the fact that the statements from both the family and the campaign leaned so heavily on it being her choice, no really, hers and hers alone is absolutely worthy of being called out.

I guess I don't see a productive way of doing this with questions that bring in the personal. The answer to any of these questions will be, "I love my daughter and we came together as a family and everyone is going to live happily ever after, yadda yadda." At least make her answer the policy question where the answer isn't how much her family means and how wonderful they are for choosing to have babies .