Adulterer. Addict. Career-Obsessed Mom: Why No "Character Issue" in this Race?

A presidential candidate dumps his wife of 15 years to marry a younger woman. His new wife -- whose multimillion dollar fortune comes from booze -- steals painkillers from a charity, forges prescriptions and causes a doctor to lose his license because of her lies and manipulation to feed her opiate habit.

The man's running mate put her unborn child's life at risk to make a speech important to her career while leaking amniotic fluid. She has a pregnant teenage daughter.

If any of these people were Democrats, I'm sure the media would be telling the story this starkly. It would be called the "character" issue.

We would hear about how such a man is not moral enough to lead our nation -- and that if he lied to his wife to carry on an affair, surely he will lie to the country.

We would read about how having an ex-junkie, prescription-forger thief as First Lady sends the wrong message to kids about drug use.

There would be talk of how those selfish, career-driven women are destroying the American family and contributing to the breakdown of society that puts our very way of life itself at risk.

How can it be, then, that McCain and Palin represent wholesome Christian "family values" and the other guys are the party of liberal decadence, sex education for kindergartners, divorce, infidelity and cultural relativism?

Clearly the Democrats truly believe "judge not, lest ye be judged." Either that, or they are afraid to appear as hypocrites if they raise these points -- because they don't believe that people should be publicly shamed about these issues.

The pundit class won't express this perspective for fear of cries of "liberal bias." And of course the right wing -- who froth at the mouth when Bill Clinton gets a blow job but don't praise him or his wife for staying together for their child -- won't speak up.

This is not a double standard -- it's no standard whatsoever. Either the Republicans believe that infidelity disqualifies you from public office -- or they don't. Or maybe they think it's OK so long as you marry the other woman?

Either they believe that addiction is a moral issue -- or they don't. Or maybe it's OK so long as you aren't black or poor?

Either they think that teen pregnancy is a mark of shame on a family, suggesting a failure of the parents to teach good values-- or they don't. Or maybe it's OK so long as you don't have an abortion?

All of those positions represent exactly the kind of moral relativism they have decried amongst Democrats for years. It's not biased to point out when people are saying one thing and doing another. It's called journalism.

Comments

[Krispi]

BRAVO!

[jade7243]

White privilege. black tax.

When you're white, the bar is set incredibly low. You get the benefit of the doubt, a leg up, a free pass. When you're black, you pay the "black tax." You must accomplish twice as much to get half the credit.

This race isn't about "character" or "family values" it's all about "race." Some of you don't want to hear it, but the evidence is right in front of you. Smart black man = arrogant, presumptuous and elitist (you hear, "uppity.") Ignorant white woman = Ready On Day One!

[Cramus]

Sounds valid to me. I am white and support Obama, but I don't think the culture as a whole has evolved beyond race issues. I think there has been progress over the years, but I wish it would be more.

[KiwisCanFly]

I never feel comfortable with moral indignation.

I don't trust it.

[ReaderTeacherCitizen]

So if what makes the mainstream media kowtow to Republicans is "working the refs," then we can't leave it to Obama et. al. to raise these issue. This blog post is a good start. Clearly, there are massive character issues with the McCain/Palin ticket, including those pesky family problems that the National Enquirer is covering but the mainstream won't touch--or even investigate. So there are thousands of people who read these comments. Start sending short, pithy emails to the media people who are supposed to cover this stuff. Not the canned group email. But a short email to your local paper, to a national columnist, to the cable outlets and the networks. Thousands of individual voices may help turn to tide. If you have time to read these posts and comments, spend just a little of it reaching beyond the liberal/progressive community.

Work the refs. The refs are supposed to be true to the game, not the players, or a particular team, or to the biggest crybaby on the field. The game that these "refs" are supposed to referee is American Democracy. And they are betraying the game.

[dlswriter]

You Go Girl.

[IForgotMyName]

Oh come on, everybody knows that "family-values" is just a code word for hypocrisy.

[TakingBackTheUSA]

FINALLY!! Somebody says it.

If either of the Obamas or the Bidens had committed any of the acts that we already know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the McCains and Governor Palen have committed they would have been run out of Washington on rail. Yet for some reason the same standards do not apply to anyone sporting the Republican banner.

Welcome to the modern Republican Party - The Party of Double Standards

[obamagirl1968]

You hit the nail right on the head. The Repugnican Party is so hypocritical that I was waiting for the lightning to strike at their convention­....!

[becky54]

What is so agrivating to me is that the media is not doing their job. The bloggs and sites like the Huffington Post are where the news is. The McCains do have many skeletons in their closet, have we heard from any of the skeletons. No we have not.

The right wing mania that has taken over our political process is very frightening to me. It worries me because one day if we do not stop this stupidity we will be judged by our religion. McCain stated to day on the "View" that he wants strict constitutional judges on the Supreme Court. Our Constitution states their is to be a seperation between Churches and States. Our founding fathers knew first hand the problems religion caused when people were judged on their religion. Ever since religion was allowed to be part of our politcs this country has been very divided.

I do not care what religion our politicians have I want them to be ethical and qualified. Leave the religion to be a private matter between the person and their beliefs.

[hopeless277]

As long as one Republican breathes the air of Capitol Hill, nothing will get done in Washington. The GOP should be banned and it's members put out to sea on a raft. God will save them after all. Republicans are the enemies of working people. They are the enemies of the rule of law. They are the enemies of democracy itself. As I said, as long as there is one Republican in congress, this country is in mortal danger.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Hear, Hear! These are not Republicans, not the party of Eisenhower and Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln. Whatever they will be called in history, they are no more the party of Lincoln, than I am the son of Thomas Jefferson. These men and women, if they continue on the path they are taking, will suffer the ignominy of the followers of the Reich in Germany.

[Liberal2]

I dispute your remarks. They most definitely are the party of Lincoln and Jefferson.­....Lincol­n Rockwell and Jefferson Davis! Why do you think a secessionist was selected for VP.

[vegas9999]

ONE REPUBLICAN? OH YEAH, NANCY IS A REPUBLICAN. WHEN ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE GOING TO REALIZE WE ARE JUST SHEEP ON THEIR FARMS? When 75% OF THE PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING AND ONE PERSON CAN SAY "NO VOTING ON THIS ISSUE" WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? THE LOBBYIST ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY RUN THIS COUNTRY. NEITHER ONE OF THESE CANIDATES WILL GET MUCH DONE AS USUAL.

[rabb046]

This is the "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" campaign.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

you hit the nail on the head with the "it's OK as long as you aren't black or poor". if Obama did even half the stuff McPalin did he would have been extinguished loooong ago.

Hypocrisy + Lies + Deceit = McPalin

[odoreida]

Nobody who has watched the career of Michelle Obama in silence has any business accusing Sarah Palin of being a "career-obsessed Mom." What century do you think this is anyway? In case you've spent the last twenty years on another planet or in a coma -- today many Moms work full time, and most of us regard that as a Good Thing. Only misogynists -- of both sexes -- want to blackmail us into staying home.

Also, I think it's the height of arrogance for any woman to second-guess another woman's choices with respect to the birth of her child. As it happens, Sarah Palin made the correct call about the birth of her baby -- which was not imminent as outsiders, kibbitzers and yentas of every stripe keep insisting. Ultimately, in fact, Trig had to be induced.

[mizerello]

Excuse me dear but the whole point of this article is to point out the hypocrisy of people like you! Maia is not dumping on working women. Your party, in line with the religious right, have made a career out of (and sold lots of books along the way) accusing women who, either by choice or by need, pursue careers and work outside the home. Reverend Dobson has spent years telling women they have no right working outside the home and yet, he welcomes Sarah Palin's nomination with open arms. Reverend Dobson attacked the movie Juno because he said it sent the wrong message. He's bemoaned the number of teen pregnancies in "urban areas" (code word for young, black pregnant women) and yet has embraced Bristol Palin as an example to the nation. You can bet what he would be saying now if Sarah Palin were a Democrat! I am so tired of you people trying to tell me that I cannot be a patriot because I'm not a registered Republican. I am so tired of you people telling me how to run my life. Actually, I am just tired of you people in general. Go home and leave the rest of America alone!

[Sportkrzr]

Mizerello sweetheart­...take a deep breath...i­ts time to clear your mind of the partisan blur and join those of us who try hard to think rationally and critically - its a much happier place. There will always be those in the far extremes of the Right AND Left that will try to oppress their views on you - but, despite your obvious rage, most are not like this. Odeoreida is in agreement with you...let women make their own choices...­just don't make it partisan if their choices aren't the same as yours...ot­herwise, your no better than those you accuse.

[odoreida]

"Your party, in line with the religious right, have made a career out of (and sold lots of books along the way) accusing women who, either by choice or by need, pursue careers and work outside the home"

Since you want to make this personal, Tootsie, I'm a Democrat. What's *your* party? Unlike you, I don't think in lockstep with the party line, parroting stuff I read on web pages devoted to propaganda. I'm tired of "you people" too.

[desertdweller]

Dear Odor-Eater,

Four your information, Michelle Obama is not running for anything. Being Vice-President often means spending long periods of time in undisclosed locations. Kind of difficult when you are a mother of five.

[odoreida]

We were talking about career-obsessed moms, and not necessarily people who are running for VP. I'm sure that when Sarah Palin is VP, she will be in a position to hire full-time help to look after her children when she is away at an undisclosed location, or anyplace else. Those of us who brought up multiple children and worked at jobs that involved travel arranged for appropriate child care when we couldn't be present. You need to think out of the box -- this is not 1930. Those children are not left alone when Mom is off doing her job.

[INDmind]

DD...or a father of two.

[MsEngineer]

Palin has shown an incredible lack of good judgement in regards to the birth of her last child. I applaud her choice in keeping a child she knew had Down's Syndrome however she then did the following:

1. Flew to Texas for a Republican Governor's Convention
2. Her water broke
3. She decided to stay and give her speech.
4. She got on a plane and took an 8 hour trip back to Alaska
5. She got in a car and drove another 45 minutes to Wasila.

This was her fifth kid, it is frankly amazing she made it back to Alaska. She put not only herself at risk but her baby. What would have happened if she had that baby in mid-air. This shows a total lack of judgement and lack of respect for others.

[INDmind]

A judgemental democrat..­.go figure.

[sleek]

Republicans are LIARS, HYPOCRITES and FRAUDS.

[INDmind]

Sounds like the convention in Denver. Rigged roll call comes to mind.

[ewoman]

Maia - I agree with you on all but one point: Although stealing drugs is wrong, the act of stealing is a symptom of the disease of addiction. I treated alcohol and drug abusers for five years, and I was indoctrinated into the belief that addiction is a disease - and nothing has convinced me otherwise over the past 15 years. IMO, discussing Cindy McCain's drug addiction as an element in this election would be the same as discussing John Edwards' wife's cancer in the primaries - it can be done, but not with mockery.

With that said, Cindy McCain always will be at risk for 'backsliding,' or succumbing to the symptoms of her disease at any time unless she has a great support system. She may have that with her family - or with friends. Perhaps that should be the question - about her support system.

[Sparty1]

ewoman,

I hear your point and I agree with it. The point that Maia was making, correctly I might add, was that if the drug addict had been Michelle Obama all he*ll would've broke loose. That would be the only story on the news. They would talk about her theft of the drugs and the insignificant punishment. We've heard nothing on Cindy's 'issues'. That's personal, but there's still a bias there.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Good points, ewoman. As a care provider I agree.

However, in Cindy's case, it is reported that John McCain so wanted to deny his wife's addiction, that he angrily checked her out shortly after her admission for an overdose, and took her away to their property in Sedona. That is reckless and negligent. Within minutes to hours, the effects of her narcotics could have returned and left her unable to breathe for herself, while McCain whisked her out of public view.

That did not happen, Thank God, and no thanks to her husband.

[CitizenE]

These stories are all out there on the web, here and elsewhere. I do believe these kinds of stories are unseemly, ad hominem distractions. By all accounts, George Bush has been a decent husband and father, while John F. Kennedy's philandering would be considered sexual addiction in today's parlance. But in a Cuban Missle Crisis or for inspiring youth to service, which would you rather have?
McCain's character issues have to to do with his shoot first, ask questions later approach to life and politics, not good qualities of character for someone in such a powerful position. His political hypocrisies--talks one way, votes another; condemns one thing and turns around and supports it--are evidence of a lack of political character. Palin's are how she appears do to whatever it takes to gain power: she's one way one day and the opposite the next as it promotes her own career; her ignorance-­-scientifi­c, political; her desire to drive a wedge among Americans under the veil of religious belief; her willingness to lie over and over to further her career; her willingness to use political power to settle personal issues--these are character issues that demonstrate she's unfit. The personal sleaze, for me personally, though I suppose I am like everyone and get a laugh now and then out of it, really is not a matter of my concern.