Bristol Palin, Welcome To Presidential Politics '08

The crazy rumors can stop. Bristol Palin is pregnant and her Mom isn't hiding it.

Whether she likes it or not, whether you like it or not -- Bristol Palin and her unborn baby are going to be an issue in this campaign. She'll be discussed around water coolers and coffee tables and on blogs and in the mainstream media.

We'll discuss what Bristol means about a woman's right to choose or about baby killing or whatever your ideology dictates you call abortion.

We'll discuss what Bristol means about Sarah's Palin's choices as a working mother. We'll try to puzzle through whether criticizing her choice to work and suggesting she should have been more involved with her children is an anti feminist position.

We'll discuss what Bristol means given that Barack Obama was also conceived out of wedlock. We live in a world now where Bristol's child could grow up to be a Presidential nominee.

We'll discuss whether or not it's right to discuss Bristol at all.

But we'll still discuss her.

My advice to Bristol; it's not about you, really. None of the people talking about you -- including me -- know you at all. We know you're a real person but your name and likeness are now a symbol and a launching off point for strangers to discuss issues they feel passionately about. That's really weird but it's what happens.

Sorry. Best of luck.

Update: Some people are still holding onto the fake pregnancy rumor. Let's just do some math. Trig was on April 18, 2008 - about four months and a week ago. Bristol is said to be five months pregnant. Now, if you want to pretend that the five month date is a total lie then you'd also have to believe that the 17 year old had a Down's Syndrome baby then turned right around and got pregnant again presumably because the first premature birth was so freakin' awesome!

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

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Comments

[DaOne]

Leave my family out of this....but please photograph them at the convention.

[LeftCoastCommenter]

Something is FISHY - and too much is at stake to not thoroughly determine if Sarah Palin can be TRUSTED. If she is lying, she is only an stand-out example of the worst kind - which we can use to teach our country's youth. If she is telling the WHOLE truth, she deserves severe investigation to clear her name. Thanks H.Post for continuing to dig - since uncomfortable drill.

I wonder if Trig is truly S.P.'s why she doesn't aggressively prove this?

Why hasn't a doctor been asked to validate - or even the invitro records (which should be MANY of)..

Why hasn't she offered private photos? I'd like to see photos of her pregnant before - I've known women with her figure that don't gain weight in legs/arms/tush -- but ALL get big boobs...+ no signs of enlarged getting-ready for feeding breasts.

Can blood test verify if Sarah or Bristol is mother?
*** I'd bet dna tests can determine if Todd or Levi the father!! IF she is truly the mother -- why hasn't she shut-up everyone by publishing these tests?***

So thanks Huffington Post for helping bring truth (one way or the other) to light. It's paramount in that she'd be backing up an elderly president who has led a tough life!

[WaltFrench]

HuffPost's Pick

Why these UFO-class theories? There are LOTS more interesting questions.

The Governor's spokesman told the Anchorage Daily News SATURDAY that he had no information about Bristol being pregnant. The McCain campaign said MONDAY that the spokesman knew prior to the FRIDAY announcement. WHO'S LYING to the press/people?

The McCain campaign says "Liberal bloggers" using Obama's name (yeah, practically a smoking gun) forced them to break the story... what? a day before they would've? 3 months? Never?

McCain would've "refuse[d] to dignify such trash with a comment" for ANY OTHER RUMOR. Instead, they flung some slime on Obama.

Palin's first words to the press were what empowered women could do. And McCain thought nobody would judge her as Manager Mom, even Faux News? Hello? What planet is McCain from?

Who'd McCain interview outside of Palin's inner circle? Is this the guy to nominate Supreme Court justices, Cabinet Secretaries, FEMA directors, ... ?

How heavily is McCain committed to keeping Palin on the ticket? What has his campaign really said that he knew (that there were rumors)? How long can he answer questions about secrecy and lying to the public before he has to choose between "World's Dumbest Rube" and "World's Phoniest Liar"? InTrade currently gives Palin a 1-in-7 chance of taking the fall.

Why not Jerry Lewis as Veep? Great telethons,better planning than the currently-proposed ads for privatized emergency response in the US. Next: fully privatized government. We drowned it, you know.

[Ndw]

Interesting! Because the National Enquirer says THEY went to the McCain campaign & in doing so, forced them to break the story.

Telling that, in this instance, I believe the Enquirer.

[JSkinner]

1-2-3 Sarah Palin is a hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite - Sarah Palin is a hypocrite...la, la, la, la

[JulianJons]

Lee I understand what you are saying. Still there are some unanswered questions that I would like someone check it out. Here is and excerpt from www.salon.com:
"Why, in refuting those original rumors, did Palin present as evidence the news that her daughter was pregnant, rather than simply handing over hospital documents and a birth certificate for Trig? Answer: It's a mystery! Why did she get on a long plane ride to Alaska after her water broke a month early in Texas? Answer: It's a mystery! Why was her staff surprised to learn that the governor was pregnant one month before she gave birth? Answer: It's a mystery!" I would like someone answer these questions. Also, what is wrong with Texas hospitals? What is wrong with Seattle hospitals? What is wrong with TWO large hospitals in Anchorage, Alaska well equipped to handle pre term babies with special needs that she decided to pass and drive 45 minutes to a small hospital in Wasilla where she has friends and presumably can control the flow of information?

Also, since the baby was born at Mat-su regional on April 18 as you stated, why is he not on the list of births at the hospital?
http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/nursery_name.php?start=60&step=30&count=503
It does not sit well at all. This woman wants to be VP of the most powerful office in the world. I want the truth, whatever it may be.

[GSMRaleigh]

good job looking into births at the hospital!!

[anuevomi]

My mother pretended to be pregnant with three of hee children and everyone knew it but did not say anything...This will blow over in a few days... Bristol is 5months pregnant... which gives cover to the story that Palins child is her grandchild.... so just sit back and watch as the world turns...i suspect there will be a miscarriage in the works somrwhere down the line....the pics of sara pregnant with her first chld is indicative of how one will carry future pregnacies...your body id your body you don't get huge with one and small with another.....maybe when you are young but usall genetics typically stay the same......

[sg096]

why is Bristol the one always holding that baby ?

[mmmullen]

I cannot find Bristol's birth date. Anyone know it?
How long has she been sleeping with Levi? Is he guilty of statutory rape? Where is Guiliani when we need him?

[masslass]

I think we are missing an opportunity to take the high road here. There are so many scenerios- Did anyone consider that maybe Palin didn't know herself until recently? I know several young woman who were pregnant and didn't realize it until they were well along. Hypocrisy aside- this is a lousy thing for any family to go through. And why not just leave it alone. There is plenty of ammo without bringing the kids into it.

The fact is that Palin is a terrible choice and and McCain is an inept leader - no matter who got knocked up.

And will someone please explain to me how you can be a pro-life hunter.

[jio2]

Because the lives of deer do not carry the same weight as the lives of humans

[patrickjkiger]

And your point is..?

[c3pachman]

Her point was very clear...and appreciated.

[flowerchild57]

What are you, a vegetarian?

[XME]

Sarah Palin is for Creationism being taught in public school, and against sex education being taught in public schools. She also does not believe in birth control. The result:

1. A daughter whose "abstinence training clearly didn't take.

2. A 44 year old woman giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome. (FACT: Estimates from embryo biopsy reveal that at least 90% of a woman’s eggs are genetically abnormal when a woman is over 40)

And she feels it's appropriate to enforce her views and family values on the rest of America!

[23000Days]

You may see this on another thread.

"anangryamerican" asked earlier: WHAT IF THIS WAS OBAMA'S DAUGHTER???
Well let's see: The news says "Last friday it came to light that Senator Obama's most recent child may actually be his 17 year old daughter Brenda's child.
"There's a mountain of photographic evidence indicating that Michelle never appeared pregnant at all. Photos of her previous pregnancies are all very obvious. The 22 hour trip she took after her water broke, in order to get home to Brenda, would have been extremely dangerous for the mother and the baby. To date, no one has discovered any documentation of the birth "
"Today, Senator Obama announced that Brenda is 5 months pregnant at the moment, and is planning to marry the boy. In a photograph taken at a political event friday there was no visible evidence of Brenda's pregnancy. This is not unusual, since pregnant teens rarely sow as much as a woman with several kids."

Now, it's anyone's guess how the media and the GOP message machine would treat this. After all, families are private stuff!
It's very likely that there will be no further mention of the situation.

OR NOT! ! !

[notdogmatic]

This means Palin accepted the nomination knowing the ordeal that her 17 year old daughter (not to mention her future son in law) would go through. Great family values. Maybe George and Laura will host a White House wedding a couple of weeks before the election.

[tocaya]

Palin's family and her first 20 months as governor read like a trashy novel and a re-play of Gonzales' abuse of power scandals. So much for McCain's coining himself a "change agent " when he chooses as his running mate someone who is currently under investigation for the same crimes as the Bush administration! He's ruining the term "maverick" for a whole new generation who will think it means "stupid, lacking in good judgment".

May I ask, why isn't knowingly bringing a hopelessly defective child into the world considered child abuse? And where were Palin and her husband when their 17 year old, under-age daughter, was getting knocked up? This is a 2-parent, evangelical household. What gives? What do all these things tell us about Palin's judgment, leadership and management skills? She doesn't sound ready for prime-time. She should get her "own house in order" before she takes over a wing of America's (White) House.

[BethanylovesObama]

You are pretty sick for calling Trig 'hopelessly defective' just because he isn't perfectly healthy. My brother is a special needs child, and I say, HOW DARE YOU.

[ebethgay]

Your argument holds water except for the assertion that children with Down Syndrome are hopelessly defective and that giving birth to such a child is paramount to child abuse. That line killed your whole post.

[matthew 270808]

Or we could just not give a crap.

[cvestal]

Wow... such unabashed judgement and hypocracy here. It is not enough to simply debate the issues...

You make assumptions without knowing the truth and knowingly seek to destroy a teen's reputation, only because of who their mother is and how their personal embarrassment and desired destruction might promote your own agenda.

Obviously, the situation does call alarm and does raise some valid questions, but why do you seem to enjoy it so passionately? It is Darwinism in action, except that animals usually do not kill prey so passionately...

[Micah616]

I care more about the safety and direction of my country than for about the reputation of a teenaged girl. All of this could have been avoided had Sarah Palin been honest with the American people. Obviously, Gov Palin was more concerned with her own personal ambition than for her daughter.

[23000Days]

Easy, Cvestal. don't get those undies in a tangle!
No one is killing anyone. The fate Bristol faces is her mom's doing from the git'go. We're not having them for breakfast, only pointing out the obvious hypocracy in their statements and ideals. We are all aware that this sort of thing is everyday stuff, and we have sympathy for all involved. However, it is not necessary for us to withold our views on ANYONE who has placed themslves on the public stage.

[flowerchild57]

EXACTLY! If they are so worried about what this is doing to her, why don't they stop doing it?!

[23000Days]

If you can find the picture where Sara, Hubby and the two girls are standing up, Zoom in and ask yourself is Bristol, in the red dress, looks at all pregnant: Notice the tummy, the fashion and the b*reasts which normally bulge during pregnancy.