McPalin
I watched the RNC last night. I was looking forward to hearing Sarah Palin. I must admit that I was not disappointed. She definitely has grit and will prove to be a capable candidate (did you hear her rip on Obama?).
After listening to her speak, you could understand why McCain chose her as his running mate. She, unlike a male running mate, can attack Obama without being considered a racist. She is, after all, a minority herself.
With all of that said, however, I still have my reservations. I don't care what anyone says, her family life will suffer if she is elected VP. There are countless statistics that show how important the role of mom is to a young child. A father, although he is also vitally important to the rearing of children (in a DIFFERENT capacity), is not an appropriate substitute to mom's role in the family.
Maybe Sarah needs to give me some organizational pointers on how she runs her family so effectively and also takes on the role as governor. I'm lucky if I can get 2 loads of laundry and the kitchen cleaned in a day. Theodore alone takes up much of my day. I spend most of it feeling like a glorified milking cow.
Can a woman work outside of the home and raise her family? Of course it is possible. But let's not sugar coat one important fact: it is a very difficult thing to do and highly stressful! And that is just your "average" mom in an "average" working environment...not VP of the USA! Don't be fooled to think it won't affect her family life. Conservative talk shows today are going nuts over her and buying into the watered down feminist ideals, making it palatable to their conservative tastes. There is a time and a place for everything. A woman can certainly have her successful career and a family, just maybe not at the same time.
After listening to her speak, you could understand why McCain chose her as his running mate. She, unlike a male running mate, can attack Obama without being considered a racist. She is, after all, a minority herself.
With all of that said, however, I still have my reservations. I don't care what anyone says, her family life will suffer if she is elected VP. There are countless statistics that show how important the role of mom is to a young child. A father, although he is also vitally important to the rearing of children (in a DIFFERENT capacity), is not an appropriate substitute to mom's role in the family.
Maybe Sarah needs to give me some organizational pointers on how she runs her family so effectively and also takes on the role as governor. I'm lucky if I can get 2 loads of laundry and the kitchen cleaned in a day. Theodore alone takes up much of my day. I spend most of it feeling like a glorified milking cow.
Can a woman work outside of the home and raise her family? Of course it is possible. But let's not sugar coat one important fact: it is a very difficult thing to do and highly stressful! And that is just your "average" mom in an "average" working environment...not VP of the USA! Don't be fooled to think it won't affect her family life. Conservative talk shows today are going nuts over her and buying into the watered down feminist ideals, making it palatable to their conservative tastes. There is a time and a place for everything. A woman can certainly have her successful career and a family, just maybe not at the same time.
You raise an interesting point. As I watched her hold her infant after she spoke last night, it occured to me that she does not have time to breast feed her son. For me at least, if I had a son who had additional medical issues, I would want to provide him all the benefits that I possibly could. There's no telling what the medical situation is and if the baby required supplements at birth since he was premature, but when you add into the equation that she has a very full-time job, the odds are stacked against her. Already, in my opinion, she is doing her child a disservice, regardless of her ability to be a VP.
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Calm down, check your blood pressure!
I am just kidding, but your concerns are probably justified. Who would know better than a mother at the stage you are. BUT, Sarah is fantastic and really poked Osama. She should give that campaign a shot in the arm.
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A couple of thoughts:
I like Sarah Palin. I think it was a smart choice. Neither McCain nor Palin would be my pick (I was a Thompson fan), but she has added something to the ticket and from a politically pragmatic standpoint, I'm glad he picked her.
Will her family suffer? Maybe, but maybe not. There are a couple of things that strike me about the situation that I haven't seen mentioned much. First is that although VP is an important job, it does have an element of flexibility that the normal 9-5 doesn't. She has already been known to have her children at work with her, and reportedly has been--and possibly still is--nursing Trig.
If she isn't elected VP, she is still governor of Alaska, arguably a bigger job than going to state funerals and breaking ties in the senate.
She obviously has a high capacity for activity. Some of us do. Some don't. We aren't all the same. I think that it's difficult for women who are lower energy, or homebodies to understand those of us who aren't. In spite of what is seen by many as the ideal, my family suffers if I don't have enough going on outside of the house! We may not keep a perfect house or knit or sew, but we can still be good mothers.
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Good points everyone! I always enjoy hearing other's thought process. I have no doubts that McCain, from a strictly political standpoint, nailed it home with Palin. I like her, even more than I like McCain...I just have my reservations about it all.
IndianaJane...I caution you to not refer to stay-at-homers as those with "low energy". All of our energy goes into picking up the couch pillows, the blocks, wiping dirty noses, running kids to and from school and sports activites, and still having a smile on our faces when our husbands come home at the end of the day. I'd say that requires high energy, just a different kind than what you are referencing.
I was not trying to imply on this post that you can't be a good mother if you work outside of the home...I said that it can be stressful. I've been there and done it (working outside of the home with children) and I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to not have to do that anymore. I know there are many families where this is not an option. I think it can be very stressful and not for me.
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I did not mean at all to imply that stay-at-home moms are low energy! Having been one myself for the last 13 years--and having worked full-time as a mom for nine years before that--I know exactly the kind of energy it takes.
What I am concerned about is the tendency we women have to project our own abilities, preferences, and energy levels on others. I have heard more than one woman say, "I know *I* couldn't do it." And that may be true. But I know *I* could, and I'm hoping Palin can, too.
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My sister and I are polar opposites. She has two children and would rather shrivel up and die than to stay at home. She needs that outside motivation. I, on the other hand, look at her life and say, "Thanks, but no thanks." I just don't have any desire to have to work outside of the home all day.
Palin seems to have that "high energy" motivation outside of the home. She does refer to herself as a feminist (I cringe a bit when I here that). So I guess I ask, "What does it mean to be a feminist?"
Thanks for your insight, Jane.
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I heard someone on Issues, Etc. describe her as "post-feminist." I think that's what a lot of women our age are. (Palin is a few months older than I.) We were raised to believe we could--and should--have it all. And many of us also feel free to leave it behind and stay home with our kids.
I used to think I was a feminist, because I believed that women could do anything men could do, except be fathers and pastors.
Post-feminists can be a career woman, but still embrace being a woman, being a wife and mother. (Feminists tend to hate the idea of post-feminist.)
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Liz,
I think she still breastfeeds. Pretty amazing, huh?
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That's absolutely amazing! And good for her! Guess I should have researched before I wrote. Foiled again!!
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She does refer to herself as a feminist (I cringe a bit when I here that). So I guess I ask, "What does it mean to be a feminist?"
IMHO a feminist is typically a radical left wing man hater, usually pro-death and complains about glass ceilings and equal pay. They also wear pants suits. Does that sound like Hill?
I guess I would say Sarah is a new kind of feminist, the good kind.
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"it occured to me that she does not have time to breast feed her son."
Think again! Here's an excerpt from a Chicago Sun-Times column, 'Incredibly">http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/1146658,CST-NWS-sneed05.article">'Incredibly supportive team':
"Shortly after breast-feeding the baby, Trig, and putting their youngest daughter, Piper, to bed after Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC on Wednesday night, the Palins came down to the hotel lobby and thanked everyone on the staff for being so helpful. She signed autographs and posed for pictures. She was wearing a black cocktail dress and looked beautiful, a source said."
You can also read the article, "A">http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/a-tough-joan-of-arc-who-enjoys-sipping-on-a-latte-1470991.html">"A tough 'Joan of Arc' who enjoys sipping on a latte".
Even if handling the multiple jobs of wife, mother of a new-born, governor, and GOP VP nominee is more than 99.99999 percent of women could successfully handle, that still leaves a reasonable number of women who could, and Sarah Palin seems to be one of them. There's always someone at the high end of any Gaussian distribution.
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The blog article, "This">http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-will-make-your-monitor-blur.html">"This will make your monitor blur", recounts (with a picture) Governor Palin meeting, after a campaign rally, with the family of Chloe, who has Down's Syndrome, and Chloe kissing Trig, who was napping on the campaign bus.
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