Will Palin Bring A Breast Pump On The Campaign Trail?
| Fri Aug. 29, 2008 9:15 AM PDT
John McCain may think that Alaska governor Sarah Palin will help him pick off the Hillary voters, but the fact that she went back to work in April three days after giving birth to a premature baby with Downs' Syndrome has already got women buzzing on the web with questions about her judgment and priorities. Obviously 2008 is a lot different from 1992, when Hillary, who wasn't even running for office, was heavily criticized for her decision to pursue a career after having a child. But even in these more enlightened times, women on both sides of the political spectrum may frown on Palin's decision to hit the national campaign trail at this particular time of her life. (And of course, we'll all be wondering: will she bring her breast pump?)
Besides, Palin certainly won't be much help to those women trying to nudge the country into embracing more family-friendly workplace policies. John McCain doesn't actually have any work-family policies to speak of anyway, but now, when women argue for the need for paid family leave, the Republicans will only have to trot out Palin to illustrate why women don't really need it.
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Submitted by Alexia (not verified) on Sat Aug. 30, 2008 11:18 AM PDT.
In his choice of "Hunt and Pump" Palin, Senator John McCain has given the Democrats their best strategy yet to mobilize still disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, independents and swing voters. In choosing Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, who ? after six months of courting - asked on CNBC "What is it exactly that the vice president does every day?" McCain has shown that what he was seeking was a woman on his ticket, not a woman (or man) with experience.
Yes, Sarah Palin has been called "feisty, a feminist, and a charmer." And yes, she could be one heart beat away from president of the U.S. By asking her question on CNBC, she may have given away her real interest in saying yes to McCain
Could her real interest be in rolling up her sleeves, stepping into McCain's shoes (or on them) and using the nation's highest office for her own interests? In her own words to "represent the interests of the citizens of the State of Alaska in Washington."
Palin interests include pumping natural gas reserves from Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to bring more "gold" to Alaskans, and seeking more benefits from global warming. When told by Federal government scientists and staff that global warming was melting artic ice and reducing the habitat of polar bears, she refused to lend her support to put polar bears on the endangered species list.
After all, she probably reasoned, less ice in the Arctic means more access to fishing for her husband and other Alaskans.
And to the point of the original post ... IMO three days after delivery of a premature baby is too early to head back to work. There is a task called mother/child *bonding* that should come first. And 72 hours, of which perhaps 30 hours or more were probably spent sleeping, is way too short.
Submitted by Alexia (not verified) on Sat Aug. 30, 2008 11:18 AM PDT.
In his choice of "Hunt and Pump" Palin, Senator John McCain has given the Democrats their best strategy yet to mobilize still disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, independents and swing voters. In choosing Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, who ? after six months of courting - asked on CNBC "What is it exactly that the vice president does every day?" McCain has shown that what he was seeking was a woman on his ticket, not a woman (or man) with experience.
Yes, Sarah Palin has been called "feisty, a feminist, and a charmer." And yes, she could be one heart beat away from president of the U.S. By asking her question on CNBC, she may have given away her real interest in saying yes to McCain
Could her real interest be in rolling up her sleeves, stepping into McCain's shoes (or on them) and using the nation's highest office for her own interests? In her own words to "represent the interests of the citizens of the State of Alaska in Washington."
Palin interests include pumping natural gas reserves from Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to bring more "gold" to Alaskans, and seeking more benefits from global warming. When told by Federal government scientists and staff that global warming was melting artic ice and reducing the habitat of polar bears, she refused to lend her support to put polar bears on the endangered species list.
After all, she probably reasoned, less ice in the Arctic means more access to fishing for her husband and other Alaskans.
And to the point of the original post ... IMO three days after delivery of a premature baby is too early to head back to work. There is a task called mother/child *bonding* that should come first. And 72 hours, of which perhaps 30 hours or more were probably spent sleeping, is way too short.
Submitted by dave (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:33 AM PDT.
Seriously? A progressive magazine/blog is questioning Palin because she is the mom of a young child?
Very disappointing...
Really stupid post.
What about the fact that she is totally unqualified to be VP? She makes Obama look like a Washington insider!
And she will get the women vote? With a hardcore anti abortion stance? Ugh...Am I missing something?
This is like when Marshall retired from the court or Clinton's choice for AG. Are people this stupid?
Wow. You really hit the ball out of the park with this one. Because honestly, if she is pumping breast milk, she obviously shouldn't be doing anything strenuous like thinking or -- heaven forbid -- campaigning. Give me a break. I would think that "in these more enlightened times, women on both sides of the political spectrum may" be shouting "GO GIRL!" to Palin for "her decision to hit the national campaign trail at this particular time of her life."
Didn't you know Sarah, feminism only goes as far as your ideology. If a woman doesn't fit the narrow mindset, she's fair game for attack, no matter how pathetic.
Ah, let's just give them their day. We all know the entire staff has been salivating for months over McCain's pick. This one did come out of left field so we can't expect all that much substance.
Submitted by Jen R (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 12:12 PM PDT.
What the hell?
Oh, I see, it's got "women on the web" buzzing about her judgment and priorities. Nice FOX News strategy, there. "Hey, we're not saying there's anything wrong with her going back to work after she had a baby, we're just reporting that other people are saying that!"
I personally hope that Palin does bring an awareness of working women's needs to the McCain campaign, which surely needs all the help it can get being responsive to any workers' needs.
I have to say I am disappointed in Mother Jones. The editors of this magazine are both mothers of young children.
Why is it our business how quickly she went back to work? Maybe her husband stayed home. Honestly, I don't care for the woman, but it isn't because she decided to go back to work 3 days after giving birth.
Like women don't have enough sh-t thrown at them.
I think the real point is that she's such a political animal that even having a Downs Syndrome baby (or any new baby, really) was not enough to give her political ambition a rest for more than 72 hours.
Her dad is scary: his first radio interview today was that the VP news interrupted his morning Caribou hunt and afternoon gold mining foray.
This had nothing to do with working or not working, who the hell is she? and why did McCain chose her? Because he thinks this right wing woman will make us silly women fall in line. I supporter Hillary because I believed in her agenda, not because she was a woman. I wouldn't vote for Kay Bailey Hutchinson or any number of right leaning women, especially one who is so anti-choice. This is one clintonista who was leading towards McCain or Nader but is now going Obama.
This had nothing to do with working or not working, who the hell is she? and why did McCain chose her? Because he thinks this right wing woman will make us silly women fall in line. I supported Hillary because I believed in her agenda, not because she was a woman. I wouldn't vote for Kay Bailey Hutchinson or any number of right leaning women, especially one who is so anti-choice. This is one clintonista who was leading towards McCain or Nader but is now going Obama.
I am more concerned with Palin's extreme anti-choice policies than her choice to work. If she wants to work, it's her perogative. Biden does more to champion women, and definitely has more experience. I hope that the US looks at what policies all the candidates stand for rather than age, sex, religion, and/or race.
Submitted by kimba (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 12:28 PM PDT.
Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified and a terrible pick for VP. However, your breast pump question is completely out of line. When and how she decided to go back to work after having a baby is no one's business but hers and her family's.
It is really distressing to see that any voter, much less a woman, thinks a decision to go back to work after having a Down's syndrome baby is the thing that will or should influence women in choosing whom to vote for. I would like to think that both male and female voters are evaluating candidates more on what's between their ears than on what's between their legs. From that perspective, as 18 million Democrats agreed, Hillary was a very viable candidate and will be again. Meantime, I'm voting for the Democratic ticket all the way. The alternative is simply unthinkable. And Biden vs. Palin? Now there's a debate I'll watch! So Stephanie, forget about the breast pump. It's irrelevant. Instead, read something about gas pumps, health insurance, jobs, Social Security, torture, pre-emptive war--things that MATTER.
This is one woman who voted for Hillary for health care reasons (I thought her ideas would cover more people), but , by the time the primary reached here--it was Obama or Hillary! Palin seems OK--but she's just a VP nominee, so who cares? Why dont you guys get off the political race for a few hours and cover something else? I would never vote for McCain no matter what! I thought PUMA was --wierd--, but, you Obama supporters keep up the woman bashing and youre in real trouble! The Dems are a party of women! Or, they HAVE been!
McCain and company (Karl Rove pulling strings in the shadows) are out of touch with women in America. Do they really believe that woman are interchangeable figureheads and that Hillary's supporters will blindly follow an anti-choice, anti-same-sex marriage, creationist and give up our on our hard fought battles simply because she is a woman?
Um, yeah, I guess they do.
Carol writes: I think she's big oil's puppet. How come anyone isn't pointing that out?
Because it's verifiably untrue.
Read up on her history.
She took down some heavy-hitter Republicans in Alaska who WERE 'big oil's' puppets.
Mara states her opinion: Oh, and don't forget she 100% supports drilling in the ANWR - which is probably the real reason she is on the ticket!
Probably, being from Alaska, she knows a bit about ANWR drilling that most of the lower 48 is clueless about.
Here's some background information I bet you haven't been getting:
www.graphicsafety.com/Forms_Stuff/ANWR.pdf
Sarah Palin as VP candidate..... To quote the kids: "OMG". Palin was elected governor two years ago after serving as the mayor of Wasilla, a city north of Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience at all and very little governor experience. She is currently embroiled in a big scandal for getting someone fired for refusing to fire her former brother-in-law, a state trooper. Alaska is very interconnected in strange ways....
Palin recently came out in ads on TV opposing a Clean Water Initiative on our state primary ballot; the election was last week and the Initiative was defeated. As a feminist, I would certainly support a woman WHO WAS QUALIFIED. Sarah Palin is not qualified. She is good looking, a female, and a conservative; that hardly seems like adequate qualifications for being the VP for a 78 year old president.
Palin is in big oil's back pocket, or at least in bed every night with her BP exec husban. Oh, no... of course there wouldn't be any influence in choosing her related to her oil connections in Alaska. Nah, I too dumb and unedumakated to learned this cuz Bush schulz faled me.
Give me a break - she's a shill to get the young as well as female vote. The repubs are pandering for a promise.
So MJ is out of line for talking about Sarah Palin's motherhood? Why does anyone think McCain chose her in the first place?
This is the most cynical choice McCain could have made. He cares nothing for women, or for issues that concern women. Prepare to get sick of hearing about her Down syndrome baby.
Remember, there were/are some diehard Hillary supporters who were going to vote for McCain even though he too is anti-choice, anti-gay marriage (though he probably isn't a creationist). For those people Palin's appearance on the ticket, just by virtue of her being a woman, will not turn those supporters away. I agree the breast pump comment was out of line; however, this may turn away some "family values" types who want women to stay home.
For me, the big issue isn't when she went back to work but that she flew to Texas late in her third trimester. The baby came a month early, but any OB worth his/her degree would forbid any woman that far into her pregnancy to fly anywhere. I don't expect her to chuck her career, but that's dangerous to the baby.
It's not wrong for a woman to work hard at her career. I think the concern here is that she's leaving a premies with special needs which very much needs it's mother's focus. She's totally unqualified to be President & completely negates the "Obama's not ready." garbage from the right. They did us a favor here & Biden will eat her alive at the debate. Just another example of McCain's poor judgement.
Thanks for the clarification Mr. Libertarian... you obviously disagree and feel that people should be able to do as they please, regardless of others who may be put at risk. Perhaps my 19 year old son should be allowed to play with my handgun in the preschool playground because he is a free American Citizen who can do as he wishes.
My hyperbole is as keen as yours :)
I'm here from Shakesville. I'm echoing a number of people from upthread about the title. There are plenty of policy reasons for a progressive Dem to oppose a McCain-Palin ticket, starting with Roe. I'd rather not see people whose politics I like and respect contribute to two months of misogynist malarkey.
Submitted by kimba (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 1:33 PM PDT.
"So MJ is out of line for talking about Sarah Palin's motherhood? Why does anyone think McCain chose her in the first place?"
No. They're out of line for making parenthood and family obligations an issue for a female candidate in a way they wouldn't for a male candidate. Her plan for caring for her child is not an appropriate topic for public debate.
And really, I expect better from MJ than I do from Senator McCain.
I think the intent of the blogger (and this is speculation) was to point out the hypocrisy of the "family values" party to nominate a woman who chose work over family. This is not something with which we, or most of the posters, including most likely the blogger, would disagree. However, coming from the right, this is a change with which I think the blogger was having a little fun.
I do not believe that her choice is wrong, just think it hypocritical for such an upstanding mother to chose work over family. On the other hand, it should signify something good and bad for the left: maybe the right is waking up to expanded roles of women; as the other poster noted, this could be an example of the republican health care agenda - three days postpartum and back to work you go! Family-shmanily, you have a job you CHOSE [unspoken assertion that you don't deserve it and stole it from some other family-man].
She has only been governor a short while so not much experience. Alaska is so small that it really is insignificant. Women will not vote for her and certainly men will not. I think McCain knew he was beat so picked someone that will not be hurt by the loss.
Chuck Beard opines: Thanks for the clarification Mr. Libertarian... you obviously disagree and feel that people should be able to do as they please, regardless of others who may be put at risk.
I guess you must be an anti-abortion guy, 'eh? Mothers have no right to choose the course of their pregnancy?
Yes, I DO feel people have a right to do as they please, up until their behavior infringes on the equal rights of another.
I believe Thomas Jefferson expounded that principle very well.
Furthermore, I DID ask a question regarding the perceived authority of doctors, which you didn't seem to want to address directly.
The sidetrack/strawman pretty well tells all I need to know.
Lay off the woman! She's a beauty queen who speaks in tongues! That's why McCain took her...she'll be both a librarian for the White House and a night nurse for the President. She'll be taking your calls and temperatures at 3AM. Stay tuned.
Submitted by Cate (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 1:58 PM PDT.
You know, I hate this stuff. We're seriously bickering over how quickly she returned to work? Although I certainly wouldn't do it, this is the reality for many working poor women. (Which Palin is NOT.) I would expect MJ to point that out. MomsRising.org does it daily!
Or, instead of making breast pump jokes (bravo if she is, because not enough women do!), you could possibly point out that genitalia does not a pro-woman ticket make. And why. Get over the strict definition of feminist.
Attack Palin for what she is: an anti-choice, ANWAR-drilling, political-ties-abusing (yep, the ex-bro-in-law thing), inexperienced politician, hell bent on maintaining the status quo, just like her running mate.Anyone with sense will see through this ploy.
I have come up with a new theory to calm my panic about McCain/Palin ticket. Perhaps this is a tactical plan to take attention away from the Obama big hit last night. I.E.: In 3-4 weeks McCain finds something in Palin's past that wasn't vetted and Palin agrees to withdraw from the ticket. A week before the Nov 4 election one of the original 3 front runners steps in at the last minute but after all the wind is out of the Obama/Biden coup of the last night of the D-convention.
Please God, please let me be reading the future on this one!
A Free Citizen: in fact I am well versed in the homebirth, birthing choice movement and an advocate (mother's milk is like no udder!). However, your comment referencing freedom ending where another person's nose begins also implies protection, as granted by Roe, for late term pregnancies: simply stated, it is irresponsible to place a child in undue harm for the sake of a jaunt to Texas.
wow, dadpasadena, that was very misogynistic of you. I suppose when she's done playing housewife at the White House, she'll play "intern"? How did you end up in this discussion...did Coulter link to this blog or something? Let's all just hope all Americans see through this ridiculously inexperienced choice and go for Obama. America doesn't need "change" as in "Let's go back to before Roe."
For all of you who have impugned Ms. Mencimer's choice of questions relating to McCain's choice of Palin, I'd suggest that you consider the possibility (nay, probability) that a woman as smart and pro-woman as she is, who is herself a professional career person and a mother, probably wrote this short blurb to see what sort of ire she'd inspire. If nothing else, this post--whether intended or not--reveals how dang polarized we currently are in this country. Stop with the knee-jerk reactions to presumed party politics already, people! This, I believe, is where all the hope lies.
My first reaction was disgust for the inherant notion that is evident in this choice: that all women are alike, so whomever wanted Hillary,will just swich right over!
How absurd!
Sarah palin was chosen because she is an evengelical Christian and again the unholy alliance of fervent religion (Bush) and the military industrial complex (Cheney) are in place again for the further errosion of our standing in the world.
Again our soldiers and treasure will be used to secure oil. Many will die but the "contractors" supported by Cheney and now McCain will continue to thrive and they will be richer.
That is what will happen if we elect Mccain.
Agree. I just read that when Sen. Obama won the nomination, Ms. Palin suggested that while she was disappointed that although she was disappointed that there would not be a woman presidential candidate, but that she did like Hillary's "whining".
Why do accomplished women say such things that just feed old stereotypes?
