Sarah Palin as Working Mother Role Model?

September 01, 2008

By Diane Rogers
Economist Mom

***UPDATE 9/10/08: Ruth Marcus has an excellent column about Palin in today's Washington Post, inspiring a new post on my blog, EconomistMom.com. Please come visit, and please let me hear from you! (either here, or there on EconomistMom) ***

I am stunned… I just read the news about Sarah Palin’s announcement that her 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant. (And that this was announced to “rebut the rumor” that the daughter was actually the mom of Sarah Palin’s infant son?!!…) That would make Palin a 44-year-old grandmother, as well as mom of a Down’s syndrome infant, as well as mom to four other kids (one who is serving in Iraq), by inauguration day. As a working mom with far less on my plate who nonetheless made the choice to leave the demands of a Capitol Hill job, I honestly don’t know how Palin can possibly handle being VP–let alone being ready to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice–unless she’s really not going to be there very much for a family that obviously needs her.

I'm curious what you other working moms think. Two days ago I posted on my blog, EconomistMom.com, that I didn't understand how the Palin pick was supposed to be a strategy that would win over Hillary Clinton supporters--unless those Hillary supporters were only supporting her because she is a woman. ...Because on issues/substance, there's no overlap with Hillary, and it seemed this would only win over folks who would have voted for McCain anyway. Now I'm wondering how social conservatives are feeling about Palin, given today's announcement.

So what do you other working moms think? Are you wondering: how in the heck can she handle all that?... Is Sarah Palin superhuman?

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WorkingILMom
September 07, 2008
Dear women who don't think Governor Palin should have accepted the candidacy, we continue to be our own worst enemies. Instead of bolstering, we attack. Just because you and your family could not handle such responsibilities doesn't mean that Governor Palin and her family cannot. May you achieve all YOU are capable of being.

Belhar
September 04, 2008
I'm so encouraged by what I have read on this blog. The news has been bombarding us all day with "Sarah the Barracuda". This blog shows me that women are seeing right through this charade. First let me say, I have nothing against Gov. Palin, I happen to think that she doesn't realize she is the pawn in this game. With all due respect, given her situation, she should have turned this down. She's 44 and to have been on the short-list for VP *** her a prominent spot in politics (in the future), but now is not the time for her, not because of her lack of experience, but because she will almost always have to neglect her family to do this daunting job. Sen. McCain should be ashamed of himself for asking this woman to take on such a large responsibility knowing that she had so many family needs to attend to. I realize she has handled her responsibilites so far, but her daughter wasn't pregnant, her special needs son wasn't born yet, those two things happened within the last 6 months. Also, why didn't he ask someone else whose life is not in turmoil? There were other Republican woman, more qualified then her that he could have chosen, *** Todd-Whitman, Olympia Snow, Kay Baily Hutchison, Condi Rice, the list goes on and on. I know all this and I'm a moderate Democrat, surely he knew of someone else. Why did she say yes? Mrs. Palin is loyal to her country and that's the only reason she said yes. McCain took advantage of her love of country and loyalty, he is using her to win and I just hope that it blows up in his face. Just imagine your grandpa coming to you, asking you to do a him a huge favor(before his last days), would you be able to turn down you sweet lil ole grandpa? Well sarah couldn't either. I also hope that the women of this country realize what is at stake if Mrs. Palin becomes president (John McCain is not in optimum health and is over 70 yrs old) Our reproductive freedom is in jeopardy and I feel women's health care overall would suffer. Since Mrs. Palin does not believe in any form of contraceptive, I feel she will not be inclined to consider other health issues concerning women. I hope Mrs. Palin drops out of the race and goes back to her beautiful Alaska, a state she loves to govern and continue to do the job she's handled well so far. She should also nuture her children because they need her more then we do. One final thought, I'm so sick of other women saying "would they ask a man if he could do the job with 5 children"..Lets be honest, the men in our lives can "help" us take care of the children but taking the place of a mom is hard. Women are natural multi-taskers, but we also natural nuturers who like to oversee things with regards to our family.

Jennifer Harris
September 04, 2008
I have no problem with her being a working mother. The issue is not that a stay at home parent has to be the mother...love & guidance is what they need. The issue is not that the 17 yr old is pregnant. The issue is the INSANE double standard that is happening. You KNOW that if the shoe was on the other foot that whole story of "we need someone with good morals & values" to help run our country would be topic #1. H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S!!! That was one of the number one reasons W was re-elected 4 years ago! Where are these people now? I am so frustrated with the political game that the Republicans claim they are not a part of (they are for "change"-wow, original). Again, I don't care that the girl is 17 & didn't use a condom (or didn't know how?)...I just want people to stand by what they believe in, not just a gender.

Nova2k
September 04, 2008
Sarah has a 4month old special needs child but as a working mother in a power position she cut help by 62% for special needs family,doesn't believe in the FMLA which is there to help working mothers balance work/life. Most Teens that get pregnant in a two parent home that preaches abstinence I feel is because they want or lack attention. The people I know who serve their communities in "organizing" capacities are some of the most caring, selfless, humanitarian people I know.(ex.. police,fireman,churches, working mothers,small businesses.My opinion of Palin and the Republicans has sunk with my heart, as I watched thousands cheer this snide woman on, and TV Talking Heads praised her for a "great" speech. No she's not mine, or any female in my families role model.

Michele Zipp
September 04, 2008
She's a working mom and for that we should be proud that she earned a VP spot on McCain's ticket regardless of our party preference. If she was a man with five kids, would we be questioning him? McCain has seven kids and not once was that brought up. On the subject of her 17-year-olds pregnancy, we should all stay mum. It's not our business to judge.

Cassandra Williams
September 04, 2008
Looks like she's a helluva a working mother, at least from what we know so far, and kudos to her for her success in Alaska. But any parent who adheres to her backwards views on sex, the environment, science (even libraries!) is doing a tremendous disservice to their children and their future.

Nancy Kallitechnis
September 03, 2008
Many politicians work full time and have young children. Every mother can teach her children from what she learns at work. I *** Palin's children admire her ethical stances and that she works hard as a public servant. However, if she was not a politician, they would not be able to absorb her strong political work while they are more receptive as children. All the photos that I've seen of the Palins indicate they are very happy and peaceful. And I guess that's what matters most regardless of whether a mother works or not. The following is a great article about Gov. Palin: Excerpt: Rather than sit behind her sprawling governor's desk, she pulled up a chair and began to ask me questions: Did I have a family? What were my children's names? How had I come to write a story about her? (As if this were surprising to her.) Her office door was open, and eventually her husband, Todd, strolled in and casually sat at her desk, listening to our conversation while keeping an eye on the news quietly being broadcast on a small television near her desk. It is easy to see why Alaskans hold the affection they do for their governor. She holds over 80 percent approval ratings in part because she connects with people. During her campaign for City Council, she and Todd went door to door pulling a wagon with their son Track, 4, and 2-year-old daughter, Bristol.http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/kaylene.johnson.palin/index.html

ButterflyMom
September 03, 2008
If Sarah Palin had only had two children, and neither had special needs, would it be ok to nominate her then? I think the discussion surrounding her is the perfect example of a work/life balance? How much success is too much? How much travel time is too much? I do not believe anyone has a perspective on how this will affect Governor Palin's family, other than herself and her family. As working mothers, we know you can love your children while at work, while traveling, while tucking them into bed at night. Even though we are not with our children 24/7, we still let them know how much we love them and that is the key to being a "good mom". If I received a promotion, I would not want anyone to second guess the decision of my supervisor because I have children, with or without special needs.

Amanda Adams
September 03, 2008
Wow, I am glad I'm not the only one feeling this. My first child is special-needs (12 heart surgeries and counting) and was initially misdiagnosed with Downs. During my Downs boot camp between diagnosis and amnio results, I learned that most Downs babies have other birth defects besides learning disabilities. Many have heart defects. I've met a few at the hospital having heart surgeries at the same time as my son. The idea of not delivering at a hospital with a NICU shows that she was either woefully misinformed about her child's condition, or didn't prioritize in the best interest of this life she was so determined to honor . . . That seems contrary to her resolute respect for life. I would never have terminated my son either, and the option was presented, but once I decided to fight for him there was NOTHING that would stand in the way of me getting the best possible health care for him. I just don't know what to think of that. TX has some of the best hospitals in the nation, Alaska doesn't even have a strong children's hospital. Most CHD patients there go to Seattle for care. I actually KNEW who Sarah Pallin was from research I'm doing on children's health care and medicaid options in the different United States as a resource for my nonprofit. Her state is so small (in population obviously) that their health care system is relatively insignificant compared to some place like CA or even OH. . . Given that health care is one of the biggest concerns for voter, this area of inexperience is important. Aside from the impossibility of work life balance with that type of job, she just isn't experienced where it matters. She was the mayor of a town of 6000 less than two years ago. I've known women who've run bigger companies, bigger divisions of companies even. People say "she is experienced in real life" - clearly she's not balancing that very well. Yes teen pregnancy happens in many American families - my sister got pregnant about ten minutes after graduating from high school, but my mother didn't tell a soul about it, much less broadcast it all over the world. It's pretty convenient that this story is taking over space from the abuse of power investigation. So far, she has demonstrated with her own words or actions that she didn't know that it was unwise to deliver a baby with severe birth defects at a low-end hospital, that her daughter was having unprotected sex, that she had staff members trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired, or the daily duties of the Vice President of the United States. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she can spell "potato," but I imagine her harping on Murphy Brown about single motherhood. . . I'm all for morals and values, but believing something doesn't take the place of personal responsibility and setting priorities for your family. That said, am I being fair? Would I say the same if Palin was a man? YES! My husband quit work to stay home with our kids so I could build a career and have some security. If Palin's husband was not gone 3 weeks at a time working and was home filling that role and balancing out family, I'd have a different perspective on her ambitions. Still, someone who doesn't respect FMLA to use it when it's clearly necessary is unlikely to protect my rights that matter most to me. Maybe we can HAVE it all but we can't do it well by ourselves. It's almost like John McCain took an alphabetized list of the US States and tried to find the first one with a Republican woman governor. I definitely would have voted for McCain over Bush in 2000 or 2004, and I *might* have voted for him over Clinton, but I preferred Obama to both for over two years now. If Obama had picked Hilary, I would have thought it was desparate, but this is even worse. Like her or not, at least Hilary was qualified for the job. Palin's comment on the 18,000,000 cracks in the *** ceiling was insulting. It's like the Republican party thinks we're a bunch of literal "bi+ches" - dogs who are easily distracted when they throw us a bone. I'm not biting. And I am NOT a Democrat, I've been registered independent since my 18th birthday. If anyone was voting for Clinton just because she was a woman and considers Palin and adequate substitute, I'm afraid for our country. Wow . . .

Kate in 305
September 02, 2008
It will be a cold day when I hold up Sarah Palin as a role model for my daughter. We had a test early in our first pregnancy that made us confront the odds we would have a child with Downs (it turned out to be false positive) but I can tell you in that one week we knew our lives would have to change - and that was our FIRST! I am a working mother who juggles regularly - but have always had the ability to say "no" to a trip (or alter its timing) if demands at home dictated it. A Vice President does not have that luxury. And a President - I shudder to think. Curious - has anyone seen her dragging her breast pump on the road? - I even used mine with a transformer when work required I go abroad. John McCain still stood a chance with me - I was waiting until he selected his running mate. Now? I am insulted by his choice. My informal poll of other working moms is that they know a woman with five kids of 5 mos-19 yrs can't do this. It tells me that he didn't ask any working mothers who could have told him what the reaction would be. Funny, he should have reached out to Michelle Obama who tailors her campaigning to her daughters' schedules. As for the 17-yr-old and Sarah Palin's stances on abstinence...well I believe that is what they call being hoisted on her own petard. Perhaps her daughter was just trying to get some attention at home!

Trish44
September 02, 2008
Have great difficulty with her judgement..especially as one espousing family values and etc to have agreed to hit the NATIONAL stage where media attention and full scrutiny would be not only on her but her family especially in this circus of a political camapign . WHY would any willingly allow such scrutiny /exposure to include their child who was in the teens situation and get highlighted even more ..quite a stressfull situation and more than that young teen should have to endure but it was her parents who allowed and actually agreed to it. Have nother questionable for other Mothers too..She kenw she was carryig a special needs child, she was in Texas giving a speech when her water broke, she did NOT seek medical attention or *** that all was "OK" but finished her speech then took an eleven hour plane ride back home, by *** the nearest Neo-Natal facilty of large medical facility and instead went to more rural facility then tops it with THREE days of "bonding" with the "specia;l needs" new arrival and heads back to the office. UH, HUH? Not sure, but mothers are HUGELY important just after birth and that bonding process of mother and child is KNOWN to be a wellness factor from the start...I question her judgement, not sure she DOES truly juggle all those *** given credit for, there are few to nil REAL superwomen , rare indeed ..want someone to prove my *** wrong so I too could marvel McC's selection for it is HIS JUDGEMENT TOO on parade in this regard. Presently , am *** her lacking in judgement in very critical areas.

deemele1
September 02, 2008
I think McCain's VP choice speaks volumes about the man that he is. He is a man who claims to put country first because of his honorable service in the military, and yet he will do anything to win this election including putting a woman on his ticket for the mere fact that she is a woman. That's not putting country first, that's putting his own interests first! As a woman, I am highly offended with McCain's judgement or lack there of. The fact that he believed that Hillary Supporters, or any woman for that matter, would blindly vote for him because he put a mother of 5 on his ticket just goes to show that he actually has very little respect for women. The thought of Palin potentially being the president of the United States if, God forbid, McCain were to die scares me more then I can ever say. This country is in for a rude awakening if the War Mongerer and Mother of 5 duo are elected.

Kristin Bennett
September 01, 2008
Personally, I don't think she's superhuman. I think she and her daughter are paying the consequences of abstinence only teaching instead of sex education. I doubt any Hilary supporters would vote for her because they would take the time to look at what she represents. She is extremely conservative and does not support the rights of women. If McCain gets elected...I'll be applying to jobs overseas. Kristin

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