Sarah Palin Thread 329: How SHOULD Bristol's pregnancy have been handled?

Great Debates
1

I’m getting really irked by the screaming auto da fes about the alleged insensitive and exploitative and partisan handling of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. Since this is an honest-to-Barnhouse question I’ll put it here instead of in the Pit, but it was a toin coss since it’ll get heated of course (if it gains any currency at all). But again, I really and truly am curious to hear the answers of those who were offended.

Most people had no clue who Sarah Palin was before last Friday. (I can honestly say that I did- in a weird irony I’ve been saying her name as a probable VP nom since February but after researching her quickly decided “sure, she’s pretty and young and intelligent, but way too little experience and not scandal free- he’ll never pick her”.)

Suddenly, instantly, she’s the most famous woman in America. There’s little to really find out about her other than from a wikipedia article that was changing CONSTANTLY throughout the day as Wiki removed or reviewed all of the immediately preceding revisions (54 edits on the day before she was announced alone) and she’d done no interviews as VP nominee. The “is she Trig’s mom or grandma” tabloid rumors- which started IN ALASKA and were picked up immediately (along with the ethics investigation) by bloggers and rumor mongers and exploded- and THAT WAS ABOUT ALL WE KNEW ABOUT HER.

Then the revelation her teenaged daughter was pregnant. I don’t think you have to be rabidly partisan for the irony of an unwed pregnant teenaged daughter for a VP nominee who advocates abstinence-only education to strike you almost immediately, or the whole “she’s choosing to have the baby” stunner from a woman who is adamant that if she had her way there’d be no such thing as a choice (it’d be like saying “Granny has Alzheimers, but we’ve chosen to let her live”— there was an option?).

Now, if Biden had an unmarried teenaged unwed daughter then it’s very true: it would not have been nearly as big in the news. This is because

1- Everybody knows who Joe Biden is
2- He’s never advocated abstinence only education
3- He’s pro-choice
4- He’s got a TON of information about his congressional experience to talk about instead
5- He wasn’t suddenly released onto the stage with fireworks and marching bands while people stood around wondering “who the hell is this guy?”

So anyway, it was revealed that Sarah Palin has an unwed pregnant daughter. I absolutely admit that I found this surprising, ironic, and to an extent jaw-dropping. I also absolutely admit that in the grand scheme of things it’s completely a non-story and a non-issue.

And the absolutely hypocrisy. Yes, I know it’s tu quoque but it’s true nonetheless: does ANYBODY on the McCain/Palin side honestly, really and truly in their heart of hearts actually think that if it were revealed that were Obama’s oldest daughter a few years older and pregnant or that Obama himself had a lovechild or whatever, that the right-wing pundits and bloggers and media wouldn’t have an absolute field day with it? It’d be all they would talk about- that’s what they do! That’s how they earn their money! (And as for Obama himself, he responded “My mother was an unmarried teenager when she became pregnant, leave Bristol alone”- couldn’t have been any clearer- that was absolute class- yet he is to be maligned because his supporters were interested in a story?

And again and again and above all, it wasn’t the story in and of itself. If Bristol already had a baby, or if Bristol were to announce she was pregnant a month from now, it would not have been 1% of the story it is coming exactly the same weekend that her mother became a superstar who people were super curious to learn about. How in the name of the Three Blind Gods of Baltimore Gynecology could this NOT have been a huge news item?

I don’t get the surprise or the shock or the “woe unto thee oh Dems for picking on a pregnant girl” finger wagging (and that kid is already receding back into privacy). As mentioned by Bob Simon, Palin certainly wanted it mentioned her son was going to Iraq- and for excellent reason, it’s newsworthy, she’s pro-War, she can honestly say “I have the courage of my convictions, my own son is going over there”, so why the super shocker that Bristol was also huge news?

And another tu quoque but also relevant, McCain told a cruel and crude joke about Chelsea Clinton (a total civilian) when her father was president. Yes, he apologized for it— BUT, how can he now turn around and try to take the moral high ground about picking on teenaged daughters of politicians? It’s infuriating the double standard.

So anyway, back to the actual question that preceded the rant, for it is something I’d like to hear opinions on: how, realistically, should it have been handled? And for McCain supporters, do you really honestly think that your side wouldn’t have gone just as wild over an Obama side revelation equal to this? And if so, is it a compliment to the Dems that you expect us to behave better? (Hath not a Dem eyes, senses, podcasts, streaming video, are we not made curious by the same commentators and tickled by the same cartoons as thou?)

2

I don’t know why they didn’t announce the engagement first.

3

“Now, Governor, is there anything else we ought to know before we announce you as the Senator’s choice for VP?”

“Uh, yah, there actually is. My daughter’s pregnant. Uh, she’s 17. And unmarried. That’s a problem, huh?”

“No, not really. We’ll just first have to announce our firm decision to support Senator Obama’s family privacy policy, get out in front of that one. Then we’ll need a few days to meet the father–you do know who the father is, right? Not a close relative or anything, is he? Good, that’s very good. And you’ve got to decide how much exposure you want for your daughter.”

“Well, I let her run around in pretty much anything at home, unless it’s more than 40 below…”

“I’ll just bet you do. No, what I meant was if you want her privacy respected, and that’s my recommendation, we remove her from all public appearances–basically hide her so the FBI and CIA can’t find her for a month, and while we’re at it, hide all your kids from sight–and announce that family questions are none of anyone’s business, blablabla. Or–”

“Yah?”

“Or you could expose her to press scrutiny, but that can be hard on a girl, especially one who’s all puffed-up and maybe self-conscious about her appearance, or needs a little time alone with her boyfriend to work delicate matters out between them. Its your call, Governor. The only thing that won’t work is to try to milk your family for all possible publicity and at the same time protect your daughter’s privacy. Other than that, we’re good to go. And take some time to think this over.”

“Don’t need any. You know what I think I am going to do?”

4

Because even if the pregnancy was announced after the engagement, a little math would’ve brought the shotgun aspect out and the pregnancy would’ve been the lead anyways.

The best thing they could’ve done to handle it was to let it out and let it go. Gives the family back their privacy. Then they can honestly play the “respect our privacy” card. Their current strategy of bringing her out in public, then yelling at the press whenever a reporter so much as looks at her? Not as good.

5

Given that Mom knew that Bristol was pregnant and knew that she was a possible VP choice both before the VP announcement she had the following choices:
[ul]
[li]Announce her daughter’s pregnancy as much before her VP announcement as possible so that it was already old news and something that they were obviously not ashamed of.[/li][li]Try to hide it until t was not hidable - I guess until it was obvious from looking at Bristol or Mom was missing some appearence to go visit the new grandchild.[/li][li]Or announce it would gain the most public attention possible, when the public was most hungry for any information about you at all, in order to distract from and diminish other rumors involving your judgment and character. [/li][/ul]
IMHO the first was preferred, the second less so and a bit bizarre to consider trying to hide this forever, and the third, the one chosen, reprehensible.

6

The Republicans should have handled it by not being evil anti-choice and abstinence-only education bastards in the first place. Then they wouldn’t have so many of their own petards sitting around to be hoisted on.

7

It does have a Jerry Springer component. Perhaps she should go on TV and get DNA tests to prove who the father is.
I kid. It should have been stated to remove the shock. Then it should be ignored. I worry more about Sarah getting pregnant again. She never said god wanted her to stop at 5.

8

If my unmarried teenage daughter was pregnant and I had a special needs kid at home, my own choice would be to dial back my career to support them both. Not dial it up by accepting a promotion.

In fact, I did that - I switched jobs to one less demanding when my kids were born and have turned down promotions since that time to make sure that I was around for my kids. Brainiac4 is currently dialing back his work commitments because they are interfering with his family.

Nor would I thrust my family into the limelight and then depend on US magazine to respect our privacy and not try and turn us into The Jerry Springer Show. Or The Spears Family Reunion. Those magazines exist to sell copies, and if Jamie Lynn Spears sold copies (and she obviously did - she’s gotten more publicity since her pregnancy than she ever did before), Bristol Palin will.

Different kids and different families, however, have different needs. Different adults have different priorities. I respect the GOP for offering her the job despite her tough family situation - and I absolutely believe it should have been offered. I also absolutely believe it is within her rights to take it. However, accepting the job shows she is so out of touch with my own values, I cannot respect that decision - anymore than she could respect mine if I drove a friend in for an abortion (nor would I expect or want her to). Both are choices I think we have every right to make - but I also think we have every right to judge others for making them.

9

What **Dangerosa **and pseudotriton ruber ruber said. If it were I, I’d decline the nomination for the sake of my husband and kids. But if I couldn’t bring myself to do that, then prr’s script is spot on.

Don’t want to hijack this thread, but I’ve responded to this part (not just from you, but from others) here.

10

I can’t come up with any line of thought that doesn’t end with “… but then they certainly wouldn’t have chosen her as VP”. A better way would have been to strongly imply picking her a month or two or three ago, publicly flirting with her, and let this whole circus take place then rather than during their own convention. But if they had, then the press would have done the job they’re doing now, she’d have been Miers’d (yeah its a verb alright), and he’d have nominated somebody else.

Since we’re in maverick-think mode, and we’re boldly forging ahead on our gut … Why didn’t they at least throw People magazine a bone? People must feel kinda slighted. I mean they got THE exclusive interview with her (barf! yet another example of the contempt of McCain’s campaign for America’s intelligence), and Palin and the campaign knew about Bristol, and must have known it’d come out*. They could have let it out in that interview, People would have served it up in their chosen context (“Aw, isn’t that sweet! Jesus blessed you as a grandma!”), and on with the show. At least they could have come out on the right foot.

*I have to wonder if they are even smart enough to know that. They very well might have thought it could have been kept under wraps for the whole campaign. If they even thought it would last through the weekend, that still shows an incredible disconnection with today’s media reality.

11

Seconded. Good post.

12

Well… it seems like the announcement of her pregnancy was kind of a rebuke against the people who were hinting that her mother had faked her pregnancy to hide the fact that her daughter had a child.

I guess the best way to fight those rumors would have been to show the medical records that proved Palin’s pregnancy. If some enterprising reporter had found out about Bristol’s pregnancy later on, it would have been the icing on the cake (showing that the evil leftist bloggers were wrong and that Palin thought about her daughter’s welfare first by keeping her out of the whole mess).

The way it was done? Well… I can’t imagine “outing” someone in my family to save myself from trouble. But YMMV.