Is Sarah Palin A Mistake For This Nation?

No stones from me! I do not understand how you can say this. I believe every child needs a mom and dad. So how many vice presidents have been in office who haven't had children? Do you think the children don't need their dad as much as mom? While I agree that mothers are the ones with internal nurturing instinct, I don't think that the family will be lacking due to her position. Special needs children do require more attention and care. She seems to have a very supportive family, and extended family, meaning parents and other relatives whom I am sure would be there for her and her babies. I know my family is there for me and always have been. Family makes a difference. Now I'll pull the God card on you... see no stones LOL. I believe if God has called her to do this than nothing can or will change it. It will be successful, done for the benefit of others, as sacrifices always should done be for.

I must say don't make her baby seem like he has cancer or cerebral palsy or something. There are plenty of people with Down's syndrome that are perfectly healthy otherwise. Did you happen to see how many kids were with Joe Biden? And Obama has two small girls that are going to need their father just as much as their mother. Sarah's daughter is going to be getting married to the father of her baby, which isn't that young, really, when you consider our grandparents were getting married at the ages of 15 or 16. I think her kids are well-grounded and she will be fully able to be there for them. She's smart, and isn't afraid to stand up to people in Washington. I think it's great that we have someone that won't be so easily swayed by one party or the other, or who won't be pushed around by the politics that everyone else so easily backs down to.

What you are saying, really, is that any politician worth his/her salt has to be focussed and totally committed - wedded, even - to serving(?) his or her country/constituents. I think I agree that that is how it should be. Politics is (or should be) about conscientiously representing and serving the people you are elected by (and also those who didn't vote for you but, by the democratic process, you, nevertheless, represent). Unfortunately, many politicians only see it partly that way. Politics today often has rather more to do with egotism than with the concept of service. In the end, it is up to every individual to decide what is important in their lives and whether they will be successful in fulfilling their commitments in all of the areas. That confidence is also, of course, open to public voting. As voters, we are offered a number of candidates (let us be glad of that!). Our job is quite an onerous one and, unlike the situation where a worker is hired to work for a company by people who are (usually) trained and experienced in choosing the right person for the job, the 'hirers' in elections are people who are mostly untrained, inexperienced and with diverse personal agendas. It can get to be a dogfight and is, in any case, practically impossible to balance the issues of policies against the issues of job suitability. The current voting procedure leaves a great deal to be desired but it is the best tool we have, even though a somewhat blunt instrument. Casting stones (pebbles) was actually the way that they used to vote in Roman times. You would pick a pebble of the appropriate color and drop it into a jar. Your metaphor, I know, was of another kind but I have changed it with a smile If you are concerned that Ms Palin may not be able to balance her priorities successfully as VP, then by all means don't vote for her, even if you are a Republican. Personally, I would trust her to have thought about her priorities before running but I still wouldn't vote for her (if I had the option) BECAUSE she is a Republican and a self-confessed 'pitbull with lipstick'. Pitbulls are not the nicest of dogs (and I guess that she was aware of that when she made the remark), why would lipstick make them any nicer? They are not noted for listening to their masters (the electorate, in this instance). In any case, I am more in favour of the Democrat/Liberal ethos. My stone is cast.

If I'm understanding your opinion correctly, your not opposing her b/c she's a woman, a mom or b/c she has kids but b/c she has a child with Down's Syndrome. I can appreciate your concern and having known a family with a Down's Syndrome child I can agree that it is alot of responsibility. I look at it like this...she has been raising 4 kids while following her chosen political career and has also been raising the newest baby...the one with Down's Syndrome. I don't see that changing just b/c she's running for VP. The fact is she is obviously strong enough to handle it and as long as she can be there for the child it shouldn't matter. Ask yourself this, if either McCain or Obama get in office and, God forbid, something tragic happened to one of their kids would you expect them to step down as President to be there with their kids 24/7? You can't control what happens with your kids anymore than you can control whether or not your baby is born with something like this. As for her daughter getting pregnant, kids will do what they will. Whether she's running for VP or not her daughter is going to make her own choices. No matter how good of a parent you are sometimes your kids make bad decisions. I do give them credit for being up front about it, for her daughter accepting the responsibility and for the family standing by her. [b]**AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]

I don't think she is. People trying to focus on her personal life especially with her daughter. It is not her fault if her daughter got pregnant. She is only a normal mother that tried to discipline her daughter. But its her daughter's choice to be pregnant. And people should focus in that issue but focus on what can she contribute to the nation if ever she wins as the Vice President. We all have problem inside our home and we all have solutions for that, people just judge of what they see. We are in modern generation now. I consider men are equal to women. She is just running for Vice President, if you are aware there are Women President in other nations. Media were the one causing more problem about the issue of her daughter. What's the big deal? She's not the only teenager girl who got pregnant in a young age. It just happened she is the daughter of Palin. That was why people love to talk about it and just can't stop.

this is the only thing i have to say. mccain/palin believe country first. it kind of makes sense that she would run for VP because she believes country first. i think that it should be family first. if everyone put their family first then the we wouldn't have to worry about country first.

Actually, yes, I do think Sarah Palin is a mistake for this nation but for none of the reasons you mentioned. By the way, this is not the first time we've had the potential for a woman to hold this high an office, Geraldine Ferrara was the V.P. candidate in 1984. Anyway, I think we all should make our own choices regarding our families and children. It may be your opinion, which you have every right to, that a woman with a special needs child should be a stay-at-home mom, or at the very least have a much less demanding job than V.P. but that's something only she and her family can decide. No stones from me, you can be sure of that! Annie

This vp candidate has had more of her dirty laundry aired about her family than any other. ALL families have issues. We just happen to see hers. Do you remember when the BUSH twins went through their partying stage? I don't remember anyone calling for the President to step down and take care of his family. Are you worried that 5 kids might keep her from doing the vp's job or the vp job keeping her from doing her parenting job? I would think that the latter would be her own decision to make. I'm sure she talked this all over with her husband. Did we ask any male President's if they've talked this over with their wives? I think this country is so silly. We spend all this time telling girls that they can do anything that they want and then when they do it we tell them they should be ashamed of themselves. PS I'm a stay-at-home mom and I'm tired of the fighting among women. We don't need to make working moms feel badly so we can feel good. We are all given choices and we are all trying to do what God has intended each of us to do. We all walk different paths. We have to stop guilt-tripping each other and support one another. We are raising the next generation together.

I have to disagree with you. lot of families have children with downs syndrome or a pregnant teen.. Very few can afford for one the parents to give up their job to stay home for the child. In Palins case, her husband will be able to stay with the children . It does seem you are being sexist here.

I'm no American citizen but I am actually appalled by dirty politics which is universal. I have read those criticisms against Palin and maybe some have made their points but I just can't agree to all of them. Palin's family must never become a liability to her, no family should be. Every politician does have a family of their own and taking care of them is a priority but when one became a government servant, he/she is just adding another priority in his/her life and not replacing anything at all. It's the same with Palin. I admire that woman because even with the fact that her family will be exposed, she was still willing to go through it all because she wanna serve her country. Maybe I'm reading too much "Jeffrey Archer" novels, especially my favorite "Prodigal Daughter" which is about Florentyna Kane becoming the first woman, immigrant and wealthy President of the United States but I wanna give Palin a chance as well.

While not trying to be rude, Sarah Palin scares me a little. I watched some of her past interviews, and I watched the debate. I am not comfortable seeing her voted into office. I just would expect someone that is a vice presidential candidate to be prepared to answer the hard questions or at least maintain their composure and know how to respond appropriately when not knowing the correct answer. I'm scared to see what would happen if she is elected with Senator McCain.