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Gov. Palin’s biggest asset is that she’s a real person. Not that I believe the other candidates are space aliens, but she is the first person on either ticket that’s not a Senator, does not have money in their background, and oh yeah, she’s a girl.
As the Politico reports, even some of the new revelations about what is going on her family may end up helping her, rather than hurting her.
Why?
Because the more things that aren’t going right in a family, the more people believe that “she’s one of us.” That she goes through the same kinds of struggles. In a day in age where people believe that politicians are detached from the rest of the world, Gov. Palin strikes us as someone that we can actually relate to—especially when we see pictures like the one above where she has a child in one arm and a blackberry in another.
How many mommy-bloggers can relate to that?
Biggest Weakness
The problem is that this woman has decided that she would pursue the Vice Presidency despite her family. She has already made a series of choices that we may not have chosen.
Subjecting Bristol to the Press
Up until this past week, her daughter’s pregnancy was known to her hometown, and no one else. Today, everyone knows that Bristol Palin is pregnant without being married. Regardless if it’s a good comparison with Obama- who said that he didn’t want his daughters to be punished with a baby—it’s still a whole lot more exposure than most single moms get. I can’t think of any parents that I know of that would put a job over family in airing embarrassing details about their lives.
Then again, today’s press seems to really love digging up DWI’s and the like, so I’m not sure that anyone’s safe here.
Abstinence
Journalists are pouncing all over the fact that Gov. Palin is pro-Abstinence Only education and that she also has a 17-year old daughter who’s pregnant. They claim it’s hypocrisy.
While they can make a valid attack that the Gov. Palin did not teach her daughter those values, the logical leap between Abstinence Only education and what happened in her case is flawed.
Bristol was in a comprehensive sex education class before her mom, the Governor, put into place Abstinence Only education. If anything, it’s a failure on the part of the comprehensive education, because even with teaching her “how to be safe” she still ended up pregnant. Oh, and let’s not forget the boy in this story.
Highest Calling
In all this discussion, however, we must keep the correct framework in mind. Like I was recently reminded, the highest calling for a woman is not to be a wife and mother. It’s not to be President of the United States or shatter glass ceilings.
It’s to know God and develop a relationship with Him.
Once she has that relationship right, and if He’s told her to do this, then He will bring it to pass.
My heart sure goes out to their family. What difficult decisions must have had to take place. It makes you wonder if that’s why McCain didn’t announce his VP running mate earlier…maybe she was still deciding. OR maybe he just knew timing is everything…
I see your points very clearly though and agree with you…but I admit to badly wanting this to work. I do hope God is in it…but find it hard to reconcile everything!
Thanks for linking to Amy at humblemusings, I’m anxious to read her post…
Marys last blog post..Very Encouraged at McCain’s Choice of VP
Several things strike me about this story. You say that: ‘Bristol was in a comprehensive sex education class before her mom, the Governor, put into place Abstinence Only education. If anything, it’s a failure on the part of the comprehensive education, because even with teaching her “how to be safe” she still ended up pregnant. Oh, and let’s not forget the boy in this story.’ The point is that neither education nor threats can guarantee any given desirable result. As Christians, we all have free choice!
I had three girls – brought up as Christians (by me) but with a non-Christian father. Drugs were of greater concern to me than teen pregnancies. But one of my daughters still ended up with a 13 year heroin addiction before, with a good deal of prayer, she kicked her habit.
The other thing is that we do have a tendency to *classify* sins, when to God ALL sin has only one classification: that is, falling short of his glory. Pregnancy outside of marriage is a *visible* sin, but let’s not forget that Jesus’ own birth was shrouded in the possibility of shame for his mother.
And finally, no sin, it would appear, has ever precluded anyone from being in service for the Lord: David, despite his sin with Bathsheba and her husband, was known as a Man of God. Mel Menzies – author of A Painful Post Mortem
Sorry I haven’t commented in a while… if you check out my new blog you can tell I’ve been busy. By the way, my old blog is bascially out of commission for now anyway.
As a woman who is, hopefully sooner than later, about to be a mother- the only thing on my mind in regards to this topic is how she is still going to be available to her husband, children, and home if she is helping to run the country. Close behind that is the issue I have with a woman being in such an authoritive position.
Still.. Mary makes a good point about not wanting to aide Obama into the white house simply by not voting for Mcain. I don’t know. I feel that I can’t vote for Mcain and I REALLY can’t vote for Obama. It would be nice if there was a real 3rd option.
Bethanies last blog post..Crib
This is a great article and it clarifies things completely.
Yes, I agree that I would not feel up to being VP if I was in her situation, however every woman is different. I think it’s sad that now her life has to be criticized by the press, as I don’t believe anyone deserves that sort of critique.
One thing I found really nice about her though was that video of her fixing her daughter’s hair and talking to the press at the same time. She didn’t simply ignore her child because she was being interviewed. The impression I got was that her family is still of primary importance. That’s the kind of leader I like to see.
I’m not saying Palin isn’t without faults and that this job won’t be difficult for her (it undoubtedly will), but I think her heart is in the right place.
militarywifeys last blog post..Why trust yourself?
@Mary: A lot of thinking, I’m sure. And if Gov. Palin is the Christian we’re told she is, a lot of praying as well. It’s hard not to catch the excitement and want it to work out.
@Mel Menzies: You’re right, of course. We all sin, and we all fall short. David’s sin may have prevented him from further service– it certainly weakened his influence in the kingdom, and caused him to flee because of the revolt of Absalom.
Those in positions of authority bear greater responsibility for their sin. The effect that Bill Clinton had on this nation was disastrous.
@Bethanie: I share your concern. Regardless of how talented she is at multitasking, she will be sacrificing some years of her children’s life. Especially if McCain was to go 8 years and/or she were to go 8 years after that. It’s cute to see kids, and having children shouldn’t totally preclude you from doing anything else, but I believe kids are the parent’s responsibility– not a nanny or a public schools!
@militarywifey: You’re right– each person is different. Each person has strengths and weaknesses, and perhaps she can handle it. But what will be the cost? I need to know more about how their family operates (since it’s not “standard”) before I can comment on that.