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!
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The parents are irresponsible or going on with this campaign while there is so much going on in their family. Becoming VP is not your average job.
I agree -- you have a four month old with Down Syndrome, an unmarried pregnant teenage daughter, and then 2 other young daughters at home to get through these challenges, yet you choose to accept a job that is potentially 168 hours a week? Nice parenting!
I agree with this; Sarah Palin and John McCain threw Bristol Palin into the wood chipper of Presidential Politics. No whining.
And lets not forget that the father of the child and his family are about to be gang raped by the media too.
And wait a sec-- wouldn't this mean, if Sarah Palin's "fifth" child was Bristol's as well, that this is her second pregnancy? Meaning her proposed husband (or whoever else) is guilty of child molestation? Not to mention that she wouldn't seem to have learned her lesson the first time?
Wow. The Repuke spin machine must be going into full cycle to wash the semen out of this one.
Actually, this story makes the "crazy rumors" a lot less crazy. We may never know the truth, but I'm not too big on coincidences, so we shall see.
Either way, this doesn't make Ms. VP look very good.
Millions of other young women have been in the same situation. I don't care.
But it's horrible that her family has been hiding the truth as if they're ashamed of her.
The question remains: Even if bristol is pregnant, how can we know that it's 5 months? if it's 4, or 3, there's room for doubt about Trig's parentage, particularly in a "no birth control" situation.
Really, this all goes back to why girls who go to Catholic school are the most fun.
Nothing brings out the hormones like the attempt to repress them.
I still think they are trying to use their daughter in a huge cover up
This is downright disgusting
I hope we also discuss whether parents can address the needs of so many children when both parents work. I think people are starting to realize that you can't have it all, and you can't do it all. Children don't rear themselves.
Also, what will happen in Sarah Palin decides to keep on having children, and can't perform her duties as VP or God forbid, CIC? You can fly in the third trimester, for example, and the physical demands of pregnancies, especially in older women, are great!
I hope Sarah Palin shows up at the convention wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I taught my daughter abstinence only, and all she got was an out of wedlock teenage pregnancy.
You are correct. extreme pro-life conservatives have no answers for effective ways to help prevent unwanted pregnancies and don't even talk about doing so, unlike Barack Obama. Consequently, they have not been able to effect the rate of unwanted pregnancies and yet want to take away a woman's right to choose how she handles it. even in extreme situations like incest and rape. Bristol's pregnancy is a symbol of their ineffectiveness.
Actually, Bristol's pregnancy allows a chance for all of us to see their beliefs in action. No family is perfect - we are all humans.
Abstinence works nearly 100% of the time... Maybe just one occurrence in history where it did not ;-)
Yes, I know, the argument is that "boys will be boys", etc... Does that mean we should throw our personal morals out the window? Personally, I feel it should be completely up to the parent to ensure that their children are instructed in such things. I see no place for governement in this.
Where I take issue is when my children are subjected to sex education that is counter to my personal, religious beliefs and offering them birth control such as condoms and even pills without parental consent.
Who is really imposing their beliefs on the masses?
no, that is not what this is...Not a mistake at all. I think the far right actually want to make it cool for young teenage girls to get pregnant. I thought this when Britney Spear's sister got pregnant. Think about it. Fewer women will become educated, they will have kids early and really need the help that some of these organizations provide for unwed mothers. They will be obliged to them and join their ranks. Since they have so few options they will probably have more children to join the ranks. They will perpetrate the patriarchy that feminists have worked so hard against. This is really bad.
So that's how McCain figures we'll have enough troops to stay in Iraq for 100 years!
Yes, you are on to something.
Actually, it is the Chinese who promote selective abortions (aborting girls - for a chance to keep trying to have a boy...) NOW, that's "planned parenthood"!! Does anyone else find that slightly sexist??
is it fair to say that if Sarah had taught her children about safe sex maybe her daughter wouldnt be pregnant out of wedlock in the first place? i think so. fantastic parenting, lol
I grew up with a lot of evengelical kids. Trust me, they are just as likely to have premarital sex, despite their parents' warnings. It's not that easy to supress a million years of ingrained evolutionary behavior.
Well, we are talking republican family values here; Palin wants to impose her views on us i.e. no abortions, even in the case of rape and incest, abstinence only in school, creationism to be taught in “science” classes, so we can discuss the consequences of her decisions with how her ideology have worked for her and her family. I think it is fair game.
yeah, sadly it is. I wish she wasn't telling me what I can or can do with my own body, but she is. That is just wrong. She is running on being a PTA Mom. That's really all she's got.
PTA -- Pregnant Teen Association?
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