Sarah Palin and her baby Trig
Without Trig, Governor Sarah Palin’s infant son who has Down Syndrome, what might discussions about her being Senator John McCain’s running mate be like?
Gov. Palin’s older sister, Heather Bruce, has an autistic child, an article in today’s New York Times notes:
Before her son was born, Ms. Palin went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that his arrival would not compromise her work. She hid the pregnancy. She traveled to Texas a month before her due date to give an important speech, delivering it even though her amniotic fluid was leaking. Three days after giving birth, she returned to work.
But with Trig in her arms, Ms. Palin has risen higher than ever. Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, says he selected her as his running mate because of her image as a reformer, but she is also making motherhood an explicit part of her appeal, running as a self-proclaimed hockey mom. In just a few months, she has gone from hiding her pregnancy from those closest to her to toting her infant on stage at the Republican National Convention.
No one has ever tried to combine presidential politics and motherhood in quite the way Ms. Palin is doing, and it is no simple task. In the last week, the criticism she feared in Alaska has exploded into a national debate. On blogs and at PTA meetings, voters alternately cheer and fault her balancing act, and although many are thrilled to see a child with special needs in the spotlight, some accuse her of exploiting Trig for political gain.
But her son has given Ms. Palin, 44, a powerful message. Other candidates kiss strangers’ babies; Ms. Palin has one of her own. He is tangible proof of Ms. Palin’s anti-abortion convictions, which have rallied social conservatives, and her belief that women can balance family life with ambitious careers. And on Wednesday in St. Paul, she proclaimed herself a guardian of the nation’s disabled children.
“Children with special needs inspire a special love,” Ms. Palin said, echoing the message she had shared at the shower.
For sure, they do; take it from this special needs mom.
And too, special needs kids need concrete and pragmatic and real answers, need policies and legislation (how about fully funding IDEA and restoring the ADA……..) and understanding that truly makes a concrete difference in their daily lives, throughout their lifespans.
Tags: alaska, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, Baby, baby shower, disabilities blog, disability, down syndrome, Family, family blog, Health, housing, john mccain, Parenting, pdd-nos, republican, sarah palin, special needs
60 opinions for Sarah Palin and her baby Trig
Barbara
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:45 am
Talk, as they say, is cheap. I’m sorry, but the Republican party is not a friend to those who need any sort of help.
Leaders in the Republican party have longed said they want to make government so small, it can be “drowned in a bathtub.” To that end, they have worked to make the government debt as big as possible, so there will be no money left over for anything but the military and debt service. Considering how much the debt has grown in the last eight years, they are well on their way.
That means, much, much less money for social services, for education, for health services. And when the economy is in bad shape as it is getting to be, much less money for private charities that might be able to fill in the gaps a little.
I understand thinking that since Gov. Palin has two special needs kids in her life, she certainly must be “on our side.” But that doesn’t necessarily follow. The pundit George Will has a grown son with Down Syndrome. Anybody remember ever hearing him advocate for special needs?
I wasn’t a literature major, but isn’t that one of the elements of tragedy — the character who can’t apply the lessons of his life?
Ed
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:18 am
Good post and I like what Barbra said.
Being a special need kid won’t assure you special caring parents any more than living in a country with the resources to provide for special needs will assure you that’s how their resources will be used.
I’m sure Palin cares for her children very much but she may be very limited in what her party will support her on with regards to aiding in the care of special needs kids other than her own.
Joe
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:04 am
Special needs funding in Alaska increased by 175% in 2007.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/09/newest_palin_smear_she_cut_spe.asp
Chuck
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:10 am
“To that end, they have worked to make the government debt as big as possible, so there will be no money left over for anything but the military and debt service. Considering how much the debt has grown in the last eight years, they are well on their way.”
Under a democratic legislation for the last two years nothing has changed. Under a democratic president and a democratic legislation, how will debt be reduced and services receive more money? Isn’t that one of the elements of tragedy — politicians who can’t apply the lessons of life and history?
Fearless Females
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:14 am
You are right! And I liked what the NY Times wrote. I had once blogged about this very same problem: she seems to care more about her career than the well-being of her kids—her kids didnt even know that the baby was going to be born with Down syndrome until after he was born–why? And if kids are off limits to politics/debates (as they should be), then why did she throw hers into the ring–to win people over and win votes. So, so far, it’s disturbing!
Leila
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:24 am
She uses her kids as props to get more votes, shamelessly. When it was time for her to bond with her newborn, she didn’t think twice before returning to work 3 days after his premature birth. It boggles my mind. She could have worked from home at least on the first few weeks. I doubt she even tried to breastfeed the poor baby.
Ed
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:42 am
Joe said:
“Special needs funding in Alaska increased by 175% in 2007.”
In the white house her party will be less willing to allow their ill gotten gains to be spent for issues they as a party have not shown an interested in.
Mcain like Bush isn’t even showing the interest for military veterans health care. Where the Republicans plan to use resources has already been well defined for many years and they aren’t showing any dramatic desire for change.
mayfly
Sep 8, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Hmm Barack Obama said he wouldn’t want his daughter’s punished with a baby for a mistake she’d made. Sarah Palin welcomes her daughter’s child into the world.
Sarah Palin welcomes her Downs syndrome child into the world. Barack Obama’s philosophy would say that he wouldn’t want anyone punished with an autistic child.
Raising an autistic child is hard. I am for a cure and against much of what ND stands for. But I’ve always treasured my daughter and seen her a nothing but a blessing. You can call Palin stingy, but how you support someone who calls a child a punishment is beyond me.
sonia
Sep 8, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I’m not sure where Joe got his numbers from but Sarah Palin actually lowered funding for special needs by 62% her first year in office.She is using her kids as pawns all of them and she should be ashamed of herself what kind of mother puts her needs ahead of those of her children
CS
Sep 8, 2008 at 12:53 pm
“Hmm Barack Obama said he wouldn’t want his daughter’s punished with a baby for a mistake she’d made.”
If true, that was not a very nice thing Obama said and perhaps he meant it differently than the way it came out. I make that mistake all the time as a lot of autistic people are often misunderstood.
“Sarah Palin welcomes her daughter’s child into the world.”
I’ve wondered if it is true she waited until the 7th month to tell anyone? If so, why? When my wife became pregnant, we waited until 2 months to make sure she didn’t miscarry in the first couple of months before we told anyone outside family. But Ms. Palin waited apparently. Why did she do that? We can only speculate of course but it does seem unusual to me.
“Barack Obama’s philosophy would say that he wouldn’t want anyone punished with an autistic child.”
Well I guess then since your putting words into his mouth I can put words into yours:
“I am for a cure and against much of what ND stands for” I guess that means you believe there shouldn’t be inclusion, educational and vocational supports, civil rights protection nor autistic people in the world. Does that sound fair?
Joe
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Leila said:
I doubt she even tried to breastfeed the poor baby.
I have no idea why you would think that, but maybe that should be added to the list in the article below:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/separating-palin-fact-from-palin-fiction/
Joe
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:17 pm
sonia said:
“I’m not sure where Joe got his numbers from but Sarah Palin actually lowered funding for special needs by 62% her first year in office.”
I actually provided a link, which in turn provides another link to Education Week. Where’s your information come from?
Barbara
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I’m curious. Where did you hear that “Obama’s philosophy would say that he wouldn’t want anyone punished with an autistic child” ? Because I don’t think he’s ever said anything of the sort. If I’m wrong, please list a link or other source.
If you google the remark when Obama said he wouldn’t want his daughter “punished,” it was part of a town hall-type question and answer session and what he was saying was that kids should be taught that sex should not be something done casually but at the same time, kids also need to be taught about STD prevention and pregnancy prevention. What he clearly meant by “if my daughter makes a mistake” was “if my daughter has irresponsible sex.”
“Punished” was certainly not the best choice of a word — but let’s take into account that he was talking off the cuff. If you listen to everything he said, it seems obvious to me that he’s saying every child should be a wanted child.
How can anyone disagree with that? I mean, my husband and I made sure our child was wanted by making sure we didn’t have him before we were ready (that is, married and settled down). Is there anything wrong with us using birth control?
CS
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Joe,
Education Week did not supply a source for their calculations the last I checked. Education Week is also a right wing publication that is connected to our current VP’s wife, Lynne Chaney.
Weekly Standard shouldn’t really be used for a source anymore than the Nation for a story like this until they can provide the proof. Not saying its not there, but it wasn’t there with the link you provided when I checked it a few days ago.
jonathan
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Fully fund the IDEA? More money for special education? We already spend 60 billion a year on special education from what i have read, a 60 fold increase since the education for all handicap was enacted in 1975. What would happen if the federal government paid 40%. Where would there be money for social security, welfare, defense, highways, fixing infrastructure if we spend money on special ed and the costs keep going up at the same rate. And for what? What disabled person has the IDEA ever helped? What has it accomplished except for division between parents, Local public schools, jamming our courts with frivilous lawsuits and maybe the IDEA has helped some ABA therapists become richer and helped a few attorneys make some money who have run out of ambulances to chase.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:40 pm
The NYTimes article mentions something about breastfeeding (during conference calls)—–I hadn’t realized that Trig was also premature. One thing I was surprised at was Palin flying and giving a speech in the later stages of her pregnancy:
Joe
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:42 pm
CS
Do you trust the WSJ? See the last paragraph.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122083992345509015.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Although it does say Gov. Palin didn’t help draft the legislation, but note that Alaska does have a line-item veto.
Regan
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I posted a comment about the increase in special ed funding in another post,
Fr. NYTimes
Ms. Palin recently signed legislation that rewrote the state’s school financing formulas, in the process dramatically increasing the budget for school districts that serve children with extreme special needs. “She had no role whatsoever” in the development of the legislation, said its author, Representative Mike Hawker, a Republican. “Her role was signing. She recognized the importance of what we did and endorsed it.”
————————
‘Thought that was worth reiterating, since she’s the Governor and acts in an executive capacity, but legislative action is through the legislature, in this case via the,
Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force, which worked for 3 years prior to making the recommendations forming the basis of AK HB 273, signed into law March 27, 2008.
Sponsor Statement: House Bill 273 .Education Funding.
“Relating to school funding, funding for student transportation services, the base student allocation, district cost factors, and the adjustments for intensive services and average daily membership calculations; and providing for an effective date.”
Base Student Allocation (BSA) : HB 273 will increase the BSA, which was current at $5,380 per student, by $100 per year from FY2008 levels for the next three fiscal years, from $5,480 in FY2009 (+22.3 million) to $5,580 in FY2010 (+$22.8 million) and $5,680 in FY2011 ($23.4 million.).
Intensive Needs Students: Currently, school districts receive 5 times the base student allocation (BSA) for each intensive needs student. The bill increases that amount to 9 times the BSA in FY09 (+$35.4 million), 11 times the BSA in FY10 (+$18 million) and 13 times the BSA in FY11 (+$18.3 million).
Other clauses relating to pupil transportation cost adjustments and district cost equalizations.
What I believe can be fairly stated, as is done by Rep. Hawker(-R), is that Governor Palin did show support by not vetoing the bill or otherwise bouncing it back to the legislature, but the active leadership and advocacy was in the legislature and the work of the Task Force commenced prior to her tenure.
Club 166
Sep 8, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Regarding George Will, I do remember reading several articles by him regarding his son, Jon.
He has served as a pretty darn good model of acceptance, long before it became a political rallying cry:
http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_human_rights/Jon_Will_s_Aptitudes.shtml
He has also pointed out how “eugenics by abortion” has become de facto practice in America:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will041405.asp
Joe
Regan
Sep 8, 2008 at 2:40 pm
The Politics of IDEA Funding
By Andrew J. Rotherham
October 9, 2002
“The politicizing of IDEA funding has hindered rather than advanced a solution to the finance problem and distracted from other important reform issues in special education. Congress and the president can advance the debate by investing more in special education, but doing so based on policy instead of politics.“
Club 166
Sep 8, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Joe,
Thanks for providing links debunking the myths surrounding Sarah Palin.
I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about her, but there’s two things that I do know:
1) I think she deserves a fair shake regarding things she has actually said and done, and that she shouldn’t be tarnished by untrue myths about her or “all the evil things that many other evil Republicans have said or done”. Although running as a Republican, she’s proved that she can buck the party structure, and that although she’s no Noam Chomsky, she’s not totally in line with what every other Republican says, either.
2) Being a woman in politics (or any other high profile/high power position) is difficult (that’s just my perception as a male seeing my colleagues-feel free to correct me if I’m wrong).
She’s finding her own way to balance family and work, and I sense that many are holding her to a higher standard than they would a man. This, too, upsets my sense of fairness. Who’s to say her husband won’t stay home for a few years if she becomes VP?
Joe
Regan
Sep 8, 2008 at 2:47 pm
IDEA Funding Coalition Offers Proposal
Plan would make funding mandatory
The IDEA Funding Coalition developed this proposal in April 2002. Participating in the coalition with the National Education Association are the Council for Exceptional Children, American Association of School Administrators, Council of the Great City Schools, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the National PTA, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals , National School Boards Association, American Federation of Teachers, and National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.
Regan
Sep 8, 2008 at 3:00 pm
About Sarah Palin
Anne Kilkenny, resident of Wasilla, Alaska (this has been checked and verified by the newsfolk–she’s a real resident.)
Take it for what it’s worth as a starting place if you feel like corroborating the information. It’s gone viral, so if you don’t see it now, you’ll probably hear about this article and/or Ms. Kilkenny later.
cs
Sep 8, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Joe,
I remember John Edwards being crucified by the press for running for president after he announced that his wife had terminal cancer. The question shouldn’t be whether a man would be asked theses questions, but rather why wouldn’t a man be asked. I took paternity leave when my child was born.
Ms. Palio has made her family a reason for her qualification to be the 2nd in charge. Therefore, everyone has a right to examine that record. Do you think any parent, regardless of sex shows poor judgement leaving a newborn to return to work after 3 days? If she had no choice i could understand. But i dont think the Gov. Of Alaska has such a poor maternity plan.
Joe (club166) whats the real issue here? Obamas plan is comprehensive and put together by disabled people. Why do you hesitate to support a comprehensive plan in favor of a practically non existent one. Do you believe McCain is likely to reach out to the disability community like obama has? And if so, why hasn’t he to date. Tell us why you support this ticket other than you liked a speech. What plan do you support? Obama been on record for over a year. When is Palin going to take questions from reporters? Why are they hiding her? Is she prepared for national office if McCain has to sequester her to have his staff assumingly “educate” her? Is she really the most qualified woman in the republican party?, or the most likely to fire up the religious right? Didn’t Dan Quayle get picked for the exact same reasons? Is this really the message we want to send to the world, our children, that in America its more important to be “right” than thoughtful and think beyond one’s own selfish interests.
Joe
Sep 8, 2008 at 3:42 pm
CS
I don’t know what John Edwards’ wife’s situation has to do with anything really. I personally didn’t have a problem with him deciding to continue to run, even though there’s not much I agree with him on politically.
Regarding leave, if it’s like other elected positions I know of, the amount of leave/vacation time is up to the elected official. From what I’ve read and seen about her so far, she may have felt an obligation to go back to work for the people of Alaska.
And Charles Gibson will get the first of what I’m sure will be many interviews between now and election day.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5747205&page=1
ASDmomNC
Sep 8, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Good Lord, I will be SO happy when this election is over.
Swing voters like me are about to go insane, trying to sort through the rhetoric and mudslinging. I’m just not even going to vote. I quit. Bah.
Club 166
Sep 8, 2008 at 4:25 pm
cs,
My “problem” is with my internal sense of fairness. I don’t recall any male candidate in recent memory being asked about what time he did/didn’t take off around the time of the birth of his children. And from the looks of it, there seem to be a LOT of patently untrue myths being slung around regarding Palin. That’s just not right, no matter how much her views are anathema to yours.
I started out in the Obama camp for a variety of reasons (and my support extended to yard signs and monetary support, as well as talking him up to whoever I came in contact with, except patients, where putting any political views out there would be unethical).
I am somewhat on the fence now, but think it’s a positive thing that Palin seems accepting of her child. If she had hid her child during the convention, everyone would have said she’s ashamed of him. She put him out there and said this is my beautiful child. I see nothing wrong with that at all.
I do think that policies and what people have actually done does matter. In a time where she was cutting a lot of budgets, she signed bills increasing funds significantly for special ed. I would like to see more info, but I want as accurate info as possible when making my decision. My conservative friends think I’m a closet liberal, and my liberal friends think I’m an evil Bush loving conservative. Such is the Independent’s plight. I don’t put people into boxes just because of the party banner they run under.
Joe
Emily
Sep 8, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Club 166…since she’s the one who bore the child, I guess that’s the starting point for the differences between the mother and the father in this case and whether or not he or she took time off and whether or not people instinctively perceive those things differnetly. Having borne three and having returned to work in the case of two in a matter of days, I can say with certainty that the health of the mother alone is better served with down time for herself and with her infant in the post-partum period. It just is. The father simply hasn’t been through that intense and powerful physical experience and simply isn’t having the prolactin-oxytocin-bonding experience that the mother is having. That experience won’t end up being what nature spent millennia evolving if the mother and child are separated in the beginning for lengthy periods.
If this were adoption, as you are likely aware, the case might be different and people might instinctively view it differently. Sleep deprivation aside, I would have been in far better shape with a new infant to return to work within days if I hadn’t borne that infant myself. Kay Bailey Hutchison adopted an infant, but I can’t recall whether or not she immediately returned to work or took family time or what people’s reactions either way were.
That has nothing to do, however, with whether or not I’d vote for Palin. She appears to me like W in a beehive, and that’s ’nuff for me. That’s not a box, that’s hell in a handbasket.
Emily
Sep 8, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Joe, I guess I could have just called you “Joe.” Also, I meant “differently” there.
Cliff
Sep 8, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Well, to be quite frank, I’d be grateful that she signed the measure increasing the funding. That’s not exactly a given in a heavily Republican western state, or even in a western state with a Republican governor. With a line-item veto, it would have been well possible to strike it down.
I have to admit to being somewhat in the Obama camp and having fallen out sometime thereafter, though nowhere near the McCain camp either (arguably farther from it!). Or, for that matter, their VP’s; while I think it is unforgivable that people haven’t openly taken Biden to task as the Democratic-side architect of the Iraq War and for supporting the excessive jailing of those involved of minor offenses, I’m no fan of Palin’s regressive social policies and her support for a broken economic system. Mind you, in a McCain administration, she frankly doesn’t matter that much: McCain himself has said he considers the role of the VP to be one of going to funerals and checking on the health of the President. At least Biden theoretically matters, which only turns me further from Obama.
(Though I have to admit it the theoretical of Sarah Palin receiving the Presidency on the more-likely-than-usual death of McCain is weirdly fascinating and scary. What happens when a self-avowed hockey mom becomes President? I’m not one to think she’d be totally inept, but I imagine that a lot of things would change. Similar effect to drawing a total outsider into the Presidency slot.)
As to heading back to work after three days… hey, it’s just of hard to make that judgment call. Being governor comes with the pressures of the executive branch (yes, even in Alaska. They’re not that weird up there, you know!), and there are certain things one needs to be able to respond to. I guess it’d feel a bit different depending on what she was doing, but having worked with the executive branch in my Nevada in fairly close range, the work builds quickly.
Jennifer
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Fearless Female,
Without getting into the politics of the matter, I thought I’d address one small part of your comment, regarding Gov. Palin telling her other children that Trig has Down syndrome.
To be fair, I have no idea what sort of pre-natal care Gov. Palin received, and I realize that pre-natal care is different today than it was when my brother was born with Down syndrome 21 years ago, but my parents did not know Patrick had DS until a week after he was born, when he was readmitted to the hospital with severe dehydration due to the muscles in his mouth being too weak to nurse effectively.
Also, I suspect that only parents of multiple children with and without disabilities can address when and how they chose to tell their other children. My parents waited a month or two after that yet and simply told me (I was 9) that Patrick would learn slower than me, and left it at that for a year or two.
sherry
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:47 pm
FYI - Trig was not premature. She was 36 weeks pregnant which is considered full-term. At least, it was when I was pregnant. I also heard somewhere that she is breast feeding. I can not remember where I heard it. I just think that we need to focus on issues and not on ANY politicians families. The media frenzy has been quite disgusting the past two weeks.
Club 166
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Emily,
There being two Joe’s responding to this thread, it’s probably clearer to refer to me here as Club 166.
I agree that the whole maternal bonding thing would be ideal. But I am also sensitive to the whole “Women have to work twice as hard to be thought half as able” thing, and I can see where a female executive wouldn’t want to show “weakness” by taking maternity leave. Not saying it isn’t right to take it, just that I understand where she might feel pressured not to.
Clff,
As to the likelihood of McCain dying in office, with a 96 year old mother still alive I don’t think it’s overly likely, though it certainly is more likely than a 46 year old dying in office (though the 72 year old doesn’t smoke, yet the 46 year old still reportedly does).
Sherry,
Like you, I’d like to stick to the issues.
Joe
CS
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Where are all these people who complain about Sarah Palin’s treatment when Barack Obama was being called a Muslim, when the false rumor, reported as real news on Fox that he attended a Madrassa? Where are these folks when the Tennessee Republican Party was running ads emphasizing his middle name. Where are they when every day, for more than a year, conservative talk show hosts have been emphasizing his middle name so as to scare people that “Obama” is not one of “us”. You think Palin has been treated unfairly? Look on any comment thread out there on a news story and see how often you read the word “chimp”. Give it to Obama, he’s not whining about it.
Look at the latest Republican convention where Palin joins in the racial scare mongering by mentioning that Obama is a community organizer. What image do you think rural America is taking from that? Community Organizer? Could it be conjouring up images of urban, black, robble riser, even like an Al Shaprton type? Hmm. I think McCain’s campaign manager Rick Davis had it right when he stated:
““This election is not about issues,” Davis said. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.”
and for those that like to think of Republican news as legit, here is the reference from one of your sources:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/03/obama-to-chide-mccain-camp-over-claim-election-is-not-about-issues/
Are we going to allow this to happen again!? Elect someone that is completely incompetent because we allowed them to play to our fears?
Sherry, its a minor point but 37 weeks is considered full term. Sarah Palin made her family an issue because she references her choices as a mother that gives her the “bona fides” to the christian right. Ms. Palin made that issue so you should take it up with her.
CS
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Club 166,
I haven’t read any issues that you have discussed other than you like the fact that a mother didn’t hide her child and accepted it? Is that the platform that sways you?
Ok, lets talk about the issues. What disability stance do you think McCain is better for disabled people than Obama?
Do you believe the above issue is very important?
Cliff
Sep 8, 2008 at 10:46 pm
For one, the defense of Obama has been carried out by plenty, myself included in certain cases (such as, yes, the Muslim myth. Though it’s just as problematic to treat it as a substantiative matter; his effectiveness as President should be separate from personal religion anyway). And it’s clear there are substantial related issues with race (though you could argue that, in this particular day and age, there were specific benefits too).
As to “community organizer”; no, I don’t think that was a racial implication, you’re overreading that in my humble opinion. Obama himself uses that term and touts it as a form of experience quite often. A more legitimate criticism, to me, might focus on the importance of community organizers, but it does bring to life how many people that qualifies for the highest executive office.
As noted, this is a game of personalities, more than anything. Neither candidate has tried to change that, and it could be argued that it would be impractical to do so. I wish it would, though. For one, it’d obsolete the whole “experience” question, which would be nice…
Cliff
Cliff
Sep 8, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Oh, right.
As to their platforms, I suspect Obama would be better on the whole between the two. Neither candidate is going to promote a disability agenda as aggressively progressive as I’d wish for, but with Obama you’re at least looking realistically for some service funding. Which is something.
And McCain’s age… even if there was an argument to be had there, it wasn’t one I was really implying out of “more likely”. I wasn’t saying it was likely at all.
Cliff
Club 166
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:41 pm
CS,
I have tried to stay away from the political issues while getting info on Palin, and am just trying to get accurate info. I do think that she is fresh and a reformer (I also think Obama is fresh-both of them are “outsiders” for the most part). I think that is good. All systems need to be shaken up a bit now and then.
I like Obama’s stated views on his website concerning disability. This is what appeals to me the most, and yes, I think that that is important. Other than the written statement, though, I have not heard anything from him verbally on the matter. In some ways it strikes me like a political party’s platform. Written to attract votes, meant to be ignored later. I hope not, but perhaps we’ll see. I like Palin’s proven record of taking on oil companies and implementing ethical reforms. I think that a McCain/Palin administration would be much more open and ethical than the Bush administration has been. I have some reservations regarding Obama’s ability to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans. His votes track much more closely with Democrats than McCain’s do with Bush, especially on important issues. The fact that McCain has a history of bucking his own party over the years appeals to me.
Palin is too Alaskan to make a disparaging black comment. There are too few blacks in Alaska for Alaskans to notice or care. Issues of discrimination in Alaska revolve around the native American population, and she’s married to one, which I also like. And since she’s been with him for about 19 years, I don’t think she married him for political gain. :)
I don’t have a firm view of what Palin would do. In all likelihood, her influence is probably not going to be major. But she is married to a native American and has a special needs kid. Does this qualify her? No. But I think it makes her more likely to be sensitive to issues concerning minorities and disability, and to bend the ear of a President McCain, if he’s elected.
As both McCain and Palin have children in the military, I also don’t think that they’re going to want to deploy troops unnecessarily. It’s been a long time since the President or Vice President have had active duty offspring. I do think this will make them think twice.
Unfortunately personalities seem to take on great importance during political campaigns. Like Cliff, I wish this weren’t so, and that issues were all that was discussed.
In terms of smear campaigns, you seem to be saying that because some on the right have disparaged Obama, that it’s not only acceptable but necessary to spread lies about Palin. I hope that’s not what you meant. I have actively countered falsehoods regarding Obama to people I talk with. Spreading malicious gossip is just wrong, no matter how much we disagree with people.
Joe
Rachel
Sep 8, 2008 at 11:50 pm
To all independent voters: Please don’t give up on the process! It’s a wonderful thing to be able to vote. A lot of folks in other countries don’t enjoy this right. Also–if you don’t vote, you’re letting other people make decisions for you. Such as who goes onto the Supreme Court, whether sympathy will or won’t be shown to the vulnerable (poor, elderly, young, neurologically diverse, etc.), whether we will have federal & state bureaucrats appointed who DO or DO NOT take seriously their obligation to help people solve their problems…etc. Yes we all have only one vote but all those ones can get added together into a much larger total!
Club 166
Sep 9, 2008 at 12:00 am
cs,
While I’ve enjoyed the humorous sendups on your blog, what I’m waiting for is Saturday Night Live this week. Now that should be funny!
Joe
CS
Sep 9, 2008 at 6:08 am
Joe Club166,
“Other than the written statement, though, I have not heard anything from him verbally on the matter. ”
Joe, have you looked for them? I have several extended clips of him answering questions and expanding on his views during campaign stops. I’ll post them on my blog. I also have clips of McCain saying he will not support some of the issues Obama has taken that are important to the disability community. I’ll post those as well.
Club 166
Sep 9, 2008 at 6:36 am
cs,
Thanks.
Joe
Barbara
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:59 am
For Joe: If you’re making up a list of candidates with children in the military, don’t forget to include Biden’s son, “Beau” (that’s his nickname, don’t remember his real name).
Every day we learn something else that makes it more obvious that even though many find her very charming, Sarah Palin is not ready for the vice presidency. Yesterday, she showed she didn’t know anything about Frannie Mae and Freddie Mac, even though they’ve been in the news for quite a while because of the fall-out from the bursting housing bubble.
Like everyone else commenting here, I care a lot about disability issues. But if we’re all honest, we must admit that people running for the two highest offices in the land have to be judged on a broader scale than just disability issues (and that’s not to say I think McCain/Palin is stronger on those issues, because obviously I don’t). The economy, foreign relations, the environment, and the list goes on and on, all also effect people with disabilities, because they affect all of us.
Joe
Sep 9, 2008 at 9:30 am
Not everyone thinks she misspoke about Freddie and Fannie.
http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OWRlYTY2YWUzMDRkMjJlZmIzNjQ0YjFlZWU1ZjJhMzU=
Joe, the less.
Leila
Sep 9, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Joe, sorry but Pajamas Media is a major rightwing source.
My doubt about her breastfeeding, is that you DO NOT establish a breastfeeding routine in 3 days. Three days is what it took for my milk to finally go down - before it was just the colostrum.
AAP recommends at least 6 months of breastfeeding. In many countries, 6 months is the minimum maternity leave (with pay) because of that, not to mention baby bonding - most mothers in the world cannot afford a breast pump either.
It just feels that Sarah did not really celebrate her baby - what with hiding the pregnancy for several months and not being careful on her last couple of weeks and that airplane flight - and she didn’t spend much time bonding with him either. But she surely used him for her political benefit.
Leila
Sep 9, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Joe, and the Wall Street Journal - a source you trust - also shows that Sarah Palin lied about the Bridge to Nowhere:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB122090791901411709.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_leftbox
She’s still lieing today on her speeches. Shameless.
Joe
Sep 9, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Re: Bridge to Nowhere
Talk about your topic drift.
I don’t think it’s a lie to say she eventually said no to the bridge. In fact, at one time the Alaska Dem. Party praised her for doing so.
I’ll let others have the last word in this thread, but I will say Gov. Palin and Sens. Obama and Biden have at least one thing in common: they all were for the “Bridge” before they were against it. Sens. Obama and Biden voted for it in the Senate instead of spending the money for Katrina aid.
Leila
Sep 9, 2008 at 2:26 pm
And talk about her fiscal responsibility: billing the State for the nights she stayed at home.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnews
More on Sarah’s fiscal “rectitude”:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1839724,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-nation
Leila
Sep 9, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Joe, face it. She was a big advocate of that bridge. When it became a scandal, then she backed out but still used the money. The fact that she’s misguiding voters, trying to make them believe that she said “thanks but no thanks” from the very start is so blatant that it required major and quite conservative newspapers such as the WSJ to correct her misstatements.
sherry
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Lelia,
About the breastfeeding issue. How many kids do you have? I found that breastfeeding my second baby was completely different and much easier than my first. My milk came in before I left the hospital (less that 48 hours) with the second baby. I don’t know why this is such a big issue for some people but I also heard a report that she returned to work after 3 days and brought the baby with her. Come on, she is the govenor. She has some flexibility. She probably was not putting in full days at the office and could surely manage a lot of her responsiblities with a computer and phone at home. No one has said that she just left this baby for 10 hours a day when he was 3 days old. It does take a couple of weeks to establish a breastfeeding routine but if the baby was with her at work than it is very reasonable to think that she could do it. This being her 5th child would mean that she is a pro by now. I felt like an expert with my second baby compared to the first time around.
sherry
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I also saw some video about Alaska that showed her walking to her office from her house. If she lives that close to her office then should could return to work and take care of her family too. I will try to find it again. It was on one of those blogs that was posting old videos and pictures of her trying to prove that she was not really pregnant with Trig. LOL
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:47 pm
The San Francisco Chronicle argues that McCain-Palin ‘08 are using the same “script” as Schwarzenegger ‘03:
She’s described as “Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington”; whether she is, will unfold in the weeks to come, or maybe not.
Regan
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:19 pm
The Chronicle also says,
.”…Stuzman says that much will depend on the coming weeks, and how the media persists in its reporting of Palin’s story.
“We’re in the infatuation stages right now,” acknowledges Stutzman, who says her interview with ABC’s Charlie Gibson this week will be a watershed moment - as will her upcoming debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden…”
About interviews with Charles Gibson this week, including schedule.
Vice-President candidate debate
Thursday, October 2 from , Washington University, St. Louis, MO
also,
Three Presidential candidate debates
1: Fri., September 26, 9 pm EDT at University of Mississippi–domestic policy
2: Tues., October 7, Belmont University, Nashville, TN–Town Hall meeting format.
3/final: Weds., October 15, Hofstra University, NY–foreign policy
sherry
Sep 10, 2008 at 12:37 am
“Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years. ”
This quote is from factcheck.org.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 10, 2008 at 1:05 am
“Infatuation” struck me as the right word—–sherry, thanks for noting that.
The Perfect Career
Sep 12, 2008 at 12:20 pm
[…] liberal) describes her experience at the McCain/Palin rally on Wednesday. She concludes: “Palin Power” isn’t just about making hockey moms feel important. It’s not just about giving abortion […]
This and Last Week’s Top Posts
Sep 13, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[…] Sarah Palin and her baby Trig Without Trig, Governor Sarah Palin’s infant son who has Down Syndrome, what might discussions about her being Senator John McCain’s running mate be like? […]
Palin on Curing “Dreadful Diseases,” Not on Disability
Sep 18, 2008 at 3:33 pm
[…] a speech on Monday in Golden, Colorado, Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin noted that, along with energy policy and government reform, “special needs” would be […]
Kentucky
Oct 26, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Obama is such good buddies with Planned Parenthood it should scare everybody! Palin thinks all Children are important regardless of Disability! Planned Parenthood was founded by Margerate Sanger a believer in Eugenic’s! In fact alot of Pro Abortion Democrates and thier Hollywood buddies act like they would NOT have a child like Trig! To me that says alot!
Looks Like the Special Needs Mommy Wars Aren’t Over
Nov 13, 2008 at 12:15 pm
[…] And, more particularly and pertaining more to this blog, is she a leader—a model—for special needs mothers? […]
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