Say It Ain't So: Trig Palin's Post-Debate Photo Op

Is it just me?

Or did one thing irritate you more than any other "Aw, Shucks," " You Betcha," "Say it ain't so, Joe" moment during the debate?

It actually came after the debate, when for seemingly the millionth time, Sarah Palin trotted out her piece de resistance, her favorite prop of this campaign season: her five and a half month old son Trig.

Why is this child up so late every time there is a camera op? Why isn't this baby sleeping in a crib or bassinet somewhere with a sleep sheep or some other sound apparatus lulling him into night-night? Is it just me or does it seem like she carts this poor child around like a living breathing example of how wonderful a mom she is? After all, she's more than adopted the "I'm just a mom, just like you moms out there, America" attitude.

But the truth is, if she was just like all you other Moms out there, America, then she'd know the best thing she can do for this infant is to make sure he is tucked safely in his bed and out cold at eleven pm. And please don't say well, maybe she doesn't have anyone to watch him. Believe that, and I've got a Bridge to Nowhere that I want to sell you.

I've been a mom for eight weeks and two days, which automatically qualifies me as an expert, and you betcha, my son is as close to the pillow as possible by 7pm, on a good night. Well, no pillow... I read the books.

My point is, if Palin is going to keep shoving the motherhood card down our collective throats, maybe she can start being a mom again and stop using her own kid for political gain.

Trig deserves a good night sleep.

Comments

[bronceye]

I am so tired of sarah, the cable girl.

[blkn50]

Todd use your skills champion sled rider load up sara, trig, willow, track and your self and see if you can break the record home we are tired of you bipolar wife she is a disgrace to the women of alaska. If all the woman up there is like that feel sorry for all of them

[hoosier1997]

I seem to remember that when Bill Clinton was having secret conferences with an intern that it was a "private matter" that we shouldn't stick our noses into, so to speak. But apparently, when it comes to how a parent raises their kid, everyone has an opinion. Please do not let your politics defeat your liberal principles of "live and let live". Every politician from the beginning of time has pimped out family members, house pets, special needs relatives, etc. for political gain. Don't tell me you've all suddenly discovered this and determined it to be reprehensible.

[maying]

i don't care if a president has affairs as long as 1) doesn't use federal money to bankroll his affair and 2) he can still make sound economic and political decisions.

this article is not a diss on gov. palin's qualifications as a veep but on her son's sleeping habit. she doesn't have to bring him to all of her functions. i'm sure her husband or mom would be more than willing to watch over trig while she is debating or campaigning or attending a fundraiser.

[hoosier1997]

In all due respect, I think you missed the point. Yes, the point of the article is about Palin's abilities as a mother, completely ignoring whether or not she's qualified to be a veep. So why not look at, and judge, Bill Clinton's ability to be a good husband and ignore his abilities as a president. That would be consistent wouldn't you say?

[milo h minderbinder]

When she is dragging her kid on stage ON NATIONAL TV, how exactly is that a "private matter"?

And sure, candidates bring their families on stage, but exploiting a poor little five month old baby like that is just horrible.

[hoosier1997]

I'm sorry, but what a mother decides to do with her own child IS a private matter. "Poor little five month old"? Are you kidding? Being a father of two I can tell you that in the first 6 months all a kid does is eat and sleep and look around. And they can sleep through anything as long as they are comfortable. And what makes a baby the most comfortable? Being held.

Couldn't you also say that Biden "exploited" the death of his family members? I mean, what even brought that emotional display out in the first place? His point was that no one should say he doesn't know what it's like to be a single-parent "because he is a man". But nobody during the debate or any time during this election have accused him of not knowing. Why did he bring that up if not to elicit some kind of emotional response from the audience?

[dct1999]

Bill and Monica were two consenting adults, and neither was in any physical danger.

We are talking about a defenseless baby here. A baby with special needs and possibly a compromised immune system.

Your analogy is weak.

[hoosier1997]

No, your interpretation of the analogy is weak. I'll put it in very simple terms:

a) adultery is a personal matter.
b) how a parent rears their kid is a personal matter.
c) you can't ignore one and expound on the other and be taken seriously.

"We are talking about a defenseless baby here." Give me a break! You're voting for somone who voted FOR termination of a child AFTER a botched abortion. Don't even go there.

[michaelb 11]

I absolutely agree that Sarah is using her disadvantaged baby son as a prop. Just think how outraged we all were when Paris Hilton carried her little dog around. This ploy is well beyond the pale! But what else can be expected from an indivdual such as "elect me on any terms" Sarah?

[msdeas]

You are correct, and make a valid point. However, it is just leaves a bad taste in your mouth - even yours, I hope - that she is exploiting this child's condition. It is really pathetic to be honest.

[hoosier1997]

Yes, I understand how it could be construed as exploitation but could it also be that this is who she is? And, yes, she may have been told to flaunt it some, but is that so wrong?

[ginzinger]

My women friends and I all waited to see if little Trig would be brought out again...such shameless exploitation of a little guy with enormous problems ahead of him.

[workingmother2]

What enormous problems are you referring to?

[workingmother2]

If by enormous problems you mean his disability...that is extremely ignorant. Since her son has a disability he should be kept out of the public eye? Have you not heard of FDR, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking?

[chslop]

The outpouring of concern for the Palen children is just so touching. I think I might cry.

[lgreene]

Let's face it Susan. She is not like the rest of us working moms--or many working dads, for that matter.

We make career sacrifices everyday, trying to find a way to grow, accomplish and achieve, and yet still maintain a sense of what is really our most important legacy--our children. Whether it's keeping jobs that may not be glamorous because they provide health insurance, or finishing our Master's online so we can still have daylight hours to do homework with our kids, we all compromise in ways Sarah Palin so bizzarrely believes she doesn't have to--while at the same time parading herself around as a paragon of traditional Christian values.

If she was the devoted mother she claims to be, she might decide that her fragile, developmentally delayed baby deserved more of her time and attention than this foolish, vain 15 minutes of fame she is grabbing for all it's worth.

She would have accepted a the enviable position of having a highly challenging, yet doable, career as the governor of her small state, in an environment where she could literally call the shots for her schedule and family time, and thank God that she was so lucky.

Take it from someone who has four kids, and had to quit her overly demanding executive position to provide better attention to a special needs job--there is something unnervingly scary about Palin.

[emcd]

If i interpret Ms. Palin's world view correctly, she believes in a God who does everything for a purpose.

Does she believe that God's call for her to strive for national office supercedes God's gift to her of a special needs child. Doesn't the great responsibility of being given that child mean more in her belief system?

If it does not, does that mean that God has designated her as a sort of messiah to save the US of A?

I would really like to know why she has chosen one of these "gifts from God" over the other.

[montag1]

As a woman you disgust me. Sarah Palin has nursed Trig in cabinet meetings, long before McCain selected her out of obscurity. She kept him in a crib in her office. Sarah was quietly and strongly fighting the feminist fight--not running away from a job because of her child, but fighting the system and forcing it to accept a woman AND her child. That a woman should not have to give up her job to raise her child. That the workplace must adjust to the realities of people's lives. Don't bash her because she is fighting the fight for all of us.

[Colmore]

What a load of B.S. !!!! She hardly EVER holds the baby, even her husband avoids holding the little guy. Why does she keep handing him off to a 7 year old? This woman is so driven to get into office that her kids take a back seat. Someone should report her to Child Protective Services. She is all fluff, no substance.

[MsCanadian]

Why do women feel that the constantly have to "prove" themselves by taking on careers and family and hobbies, etc.? These are the "women who do too much."

It's OK. We can leave our Superwoman capes at home without being branded as a "non-feminist." Some women have enough sense and self-esteem to know their own limits and don't take it as a personal affront to their gender.

[milo h minderbinder]

Nobody should have to give up their job, but their job shouldn't result in their baby suffering.

Everyone has to make compromises, but making the job obviously so much a higher priority than the child seems extremely selfish to me.

[oldladymac]

"a woman should not have to give up her job to raise her child. " No,she shouldn't HAVE to, she should WANT to. Kids need time, quanty not "qualty", routines, boundries & stability. None of this can be had on the campaign trail. the Obama girls are not constantly trotted out, and when they are at a function Michele or her Mother are with them. Todd seems to have left the parenting business to either Bristol or Piper. This family is in trouble as is evidenced by Bristols pregnancy. What does this have to do with her candidacy If she can't run her family i don't want her running my country.

[ESerafina42]

And is she going to fight for other women to have the privilege of keeping their kids in a crib in the office, nursing them in meetings, etc.? Somehow, I guess - NOOOOOO!

[DeniseD]

I couldn't have said this better myself. This is the point I have been trying to make since she was first chosen to be McCains running mate. She has a Down's baby and a pregnant teenage daughter who both need her to be close to home now.

I turned down a very lucrative and exciting sales opportunity when my daughters were young. I would have been flying all over the American west including to Hawaii and Alaska and selling a product that I was very familiar with. It would have been the job of a lifetime if I had been single, but I wasn't. I chose to stay close to home with my little girls. I guess I just don't understand how she can claim to be mother of the year and accept a job that will take lots of time away from her young family.

[ElCapitanAmerica]

I've never seen anybody say this of a male politician.

Doesn't Obama have kids? He has 2 girls, which in my case, I rather be spending time with instead of travelling all over the world. But you know what? He's making a bit of sacrifice there in part because he has a wonderful wife that can complement any absence he will make his children endure.

The Palin kids have a dad no? Why don't you suggest that "Todd" take care of the kids when Sarah is busy doing her campaigning?

The double standard here is baffling. Also, if you guys call the baby a prop, I want you all to call any politician's child that appears in front of the TV cameras a prop as well.

[longislandlol]

I'm still waiting for a blanket when this child gets off an airconditioned airplane to the out-of-doors-

[Terriac]

My feeling exactly. I turned to my husband and said, "Why does she always have that little baby up there on stage, late at night, instead of somewhere sound asleep?" I know we've been admonished not to attach her parenting skills, but my god, this is supposed to be the big family values ticket, or so they keep telling us. But how many mothers really want their babies up that late, at a public event that they can't possibly understand? It is done for the photo op, for purely poltical reasons.

[motherforpeace]

As a woman, I know that I shouldn't be judging her.
As a mother of two young children, I was upset that this 5 month old was trounced about late at night and then shoved off on Piper. I lost respect for Palin as a woman. Strong women do not need props and gimmicks.
As a Midwesterner from the St. Louis area: I am insulted that Gov. Sarah Palin thinks that we are so stupid that winks, nods, and jargon from Larry the Cable Guy are what wins us over! Please, spare us the act. One thing is for certain, we want authenticity and we can smell a phoney miles away.
Her performance last night was just that....a performance. It was a puke session of all the information that she has been programmed for the last month. Not to mention the tone and inflection was like the evening sports cast. No depth of knowledge and understanding. And as Vice President, SHE WANTS MORE POWER!!! We should all be frightened.

[IHIRB]

As another Midwesterner, I completely agree with you. I found her homespun shtick to be incredibly condescending to everyday "folks". That whole camp assumes that "regular" people are all anti-intellectual. As if we are all to doltish to comprehend fakery.

[DeniseD]

ROFL! Thanks for the great post and the big laugh.

[hopeless277]

Reminds me of the Frasier episode where Niles carries that sack of flour around as a baby stand in just to see what it's like. In the end the sack of flour is torn to shreds by Eddie the dog when Niles leaves it on the couch. Did anyone else see the pics of her getting off the plane and holding that poor child with one are while glad handing with the other? This lady is unbelievable!

[sheisme]

I know we are not supposed to talk about Palin's family, but I find it acceptable material when she trots them along for photos. Any loving mother can see that Palin is not bonded to her infant son ... she carries him like a sack of potatoes, never looks adoringly at his face, and hands him off when anyone walks by. Not to mention the irresponsible way she behaved once her water broke ... postponing the hospital for a speech and then recklessly endangering the baby to fly to Alaska. Come On. I thought the little girl was going to drop him down the stairs last night. Perhaps Palin's dysfunctional family with children at risk should not be talked about during this campaign ... but when the candidate is presenting herself as mother of the year, then maybe we can have a say. At least an opinion.

[Juliane]

It seems to me Trig is never dressed warm enough. Last night he did'nt even have shoes or socks on .

[montag1]

Trig was wearing a onesie with booties. Check the tape.

[mollymo]

No he had a plaid shirt, khaki pants and he did have socks but no shoes, I'm watching it on DVR right now. Check your eyes!

FYI, a onesie, typically refers to a short or long sleeved legless, undershirt that snaps at the crotch. I think you're refering to a sleeper or one piece. Sorry to correct you, but I worked at a baby clothing store and was a nanny during my 7yrs going through University.

[LRM216]

Why is it of any concern to you? These are momentous times for the Palin family whether she wins or not. Who are you to question why she keeps her family together, even if that means including a baby. Babies sleep when they want to, no matter where they are. I would rather see the baby with his family than left in an impersonal and unsafe hotel room with a babysitter. I don't know too many moms that would be comfortable with that scenario.

[noamjunior]

you obviously never had kids

[LRM216]

Quite the opposite. I have two grown daughters and three grandchildren I would walk through the fires of hell for.

[aelh]

Frankly, most moms worth their salt, would have "blinked" before accepting such a position and sacrificing their children to the campaign. Sure, if she wants to pursue this political career she is free to do so (hell, I'm a working mother myself). But she's using her children in the most cynical way. "Country First" indeed. It's obviously not her children first.

[DeniseD]

I think most mothers would want their babies safe and in a warm and comfortable bed late at night. I would feel perfectly safe with my baby in a hotel room as long as the babysitter is a trustworthy person, for example maybe his grandmother.

[Wigelah]

Talk about "visual" appeal. That's the point. LOOK....I smile, I wink, I have sarcastic wit, legs, high heels, teenagers AND a baby. Let me show all of them to you. You can't see what's IN my head, but you can be darn tootin' I'll show you the "real" things you can SEE. Never mind what I say. LOOK at what I show you. Who needs a reason for the problems when we've got fixin' to do! We can just repeat the same stuff over and over whether they apply to the actual question we're supposed to answer or not. See my adorableness, which is so much more VISUAL than competence.
Ugh.

[Junebug628]

What really makes me crazy is how they hand that baby off like he's a sack of flour, and you NEVER see anyone supporting his neck!??!?
I don't have kids, and I know better!
WTF?