Political Candidates - Don't use your children as props

Great Debates
1

This is aimed a bit at Palin and a bit at Obama, although Palin seems to be the more egregious of the two.

Rule for candidates: don’t trot your kids out on stage at every turn, for photo ops and then complain if the press (or the public) wants to know all about them. I think if you continue to put the kiddies out there then they should become fair game for the media. Even Bush seemed to know to go easy on having his daughters out in the public eye when they were younger, lest they face vicious media scrutiny.

If Palin keeps trotting them out as campaign props to try and sway voters, then when they get in trouble - and almost every kid is going to get into some sort of trouble - it’s tough to justify request for privacy.

Note that this goes for Obama, although I’ve only once seen his daughters on the public stage, as an “impromptu” moment during the DNC.

2

Funny, I’ve only seen Palin doing it “impromptu” at the RNC. Do you have a cite for other times?

3

Yes, of course. Here’s a photo of Piper out on stage during her speech to the Villages in Orlando.

4

Finally! I made a similar, even more derisive comment in an earlier GD thread and it went over like a freakin’ lead balloon. I figured a lot more people would be outraged, but no one seemed to give a shit. My main point was that I think it’s reprehensible, or, at the very least irresponsible. Hmmm, don’t like this candidate, how can I really screw up his/her life…if only I knew what the kid(s) looked like. I almost put a foot through the screen when Palin’s husband made the baby “wave” to everyone. No minor child of a celebrity or politician should be used or photographed for any reason is what I think, unless you just want to use your child and put him or her in possible danger (or embarrassing situations, as the VERY least.)

5

Here’s what I said in the thread on Palin’s speech at the convention. Not a peep from anyone in that thread.

I feel that minor children should neither be seen nor heard (not just Palin’s, but any other politicians or celebrities) and thought it was pretty dispicable (or at least tasteless) for her to introduce (pimp out?) her youngest children (obligatory camera pan) and then for her husband to have the baby “wave” to the crowd. I think it’s weird (borderline irresponsible) for minor children to be exploited in this way. Maybe exploited is too harsh a word, but, all I know is that if I were a celebrity of any kind, I would be way leery of letting the whole world know what my kids looked like!

6

I can understand including them at the conventions, because that’s a big party, a celebration. But while campaigning? it’s exploitative and shameful. And that goes for the candidates’ spouses as well. Yeah, I know you’ve got a spouse. But doesn’t s/he have anything better to do than tag along like Mary’s lamb?