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 .
Or at least, no mother.
I don't know -- I think any pre-menopausal woman with a functioning uterus could be seen as a *risk*.
I think instead of banging on about the judgment of Bristol Palin, Meghan McCain should fall into questioning about her judgment around (1) appropriate clothing choice or (2) potentially appropriate boob job choices. (Look at the Levi link and the People Cover below has MM in it).
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.
Totally this. Which is why I really liked Obama's statement.
they have dug up the father
Oh, joy.
No kidding. Sounds like a charming fellow. (And I say this not just as the mother of a daughter, but as my former seventeen year-old self who would've thought this guy was a total loser.) *bleah*
any pre-menopausal
And menopausal women have all those hormonal troubles.
And post-menopausal women are always mourning their loss of the working uterus.
Much better to stick with men, whose penises never get them into trouble and who aren't meant to stay home with the family.
Abagail Adams is much on my mind these days, since I'm working my way through "Founding Mothers" during my lunch hours and I can't help but think she'd be kicking someone's (multiple someone's) ass right now.
Which is why I really liked Obama's statement.
Yes! It was exactly right.
