If Todd Palin was the VP Choice of the Republicans…….

     I am having a hard time trying to understand the criticism that is being lobbed at Gov. Sarah Palin in accepting the VP nomination when tapped by John McCain, in light of the recent birth of her fifth child, who has Down Syndrome, and her teenage daughter’s pregnancy.

    First, is there no reporting of the fact that she is practicing what she preaches. Her pro-life stance is supported by the fact that her daughter did not seek to abort the pregnancy. Regarding her infant son, I have not seen anyone say that Gov. Palin knows full well the challenges that lie ahead for Trig, and her family, since she has a thirteen year old nephew in similar circumstances.

    No, instead, her parental skills are challenged. Her devotion to her family versus her career choices are questioned. Just days before the announcement of McCain’s VP choice, Sen. Joe Biden was lauded and praised for his sacrifice in travelling to and from Washington everyday to make sure his young sons had a proper home life after the tragic death of their mother and infant sister. His decision to keep his Senate seat that he had won just weeks prior to the accident was never questioned, nor should it have been. Did anyone question his parenting skils in realtion to his career when his daughter was arrested in 2002 outside a bar in Chicago for her behavior and interference with a police officer? No, his spokesperson simply said it was a private family matter, and the liberal press buried the story. (This picture is Sen. Biden’s 30th birthday, less than 4 weeks before his wife’s accident)

     The women’s right movement has fought many a battle, big and small, to level the playing field in the workplace and in politics. This political season we saw Sen. Hillary Clinton almost break through the glass ceiling into the White House. Yet women like Sally Quinn, Maureen Dowd, and Campbell Brown have vocally criticized Gov. Palin for putting her career ahead of her family. Isn’t their argument one that diminishes the equality that is sought? One of the champions of women’s rights has, to the best of my knowledge, kept a quiet silence in this bashing of Gov. Palin. Gloria Steinem has neither criticized nor defended Gov. Palin’s decision. One can surmise that perhaps she sees Gov. Palin’s nomination as a validation of the working Mom!

     But with all of the rhetoric about Gov. Palin as a working Mom, and the pros and cons of her decisions, if everything else remained the same except that Todd Palin was the VP choice, would any of these family matters be used in the evaluation of HIS qualifications to be the Vice President? IMHO, I think not!