Motherhood and teen pregnancy take center stage in presidential election

From the Community…

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  Posted by ReneeJ Wed Sep 3, 2008 9:13am PDT

  How are you going to stop a seventeen year old from doing what they are determined to do aside from locking them up? Yes sometimes this has to do with bad parenting but most of the time it has to do with the person's decision. You can't control people. My parents raised me and my two sisters in a God Fearing and moral home and my sisters still got themselves pregnant. It wasn't my parents fault. And as for sex ed. It should be the parent's responsibility, not the government. For my kids I am going to do my best to teach them abstinence but I will love them no matter what.

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  Posted by Wed Sep 3, 2008 9:31am PDT

  c'mon now!! this the 21st century!! kids have been having kids for a verrry longtime,to compare her abilities of,parenting is pretty narrow minded.she's not a entertainer or sister to a entertainer.mothers,senators,on&on have been multi-tasking for a longtime now!is it the fact she successfully makes a good effort?!? or the fact she's not known to well for political stand point?we've had worst scandals over time in office[by men i'll add!]and as a mom of 6 boys,you try to keep them on the same page as you!!what do you expect her to do?!handcuff her daughter to her?!anyone who has kids, or went thru this knows what i'm saying!!we allow the school system to teach our chldrn allll about sex as young as the 4th grade,i'm sorry but that is alot of the problem,why are we letting school's show &teach everything about the act of sex& who,when,i truly think we[society] have created the mess.another thing what the hell is this crap of being a hottie?? who FREAKING cares!!don't you think finding out how she handles,views,abilities to vice pres.?don't our country have more problems than judging her personal life??i'm not tryin' to offend,but dang!,some of this is way out of line,most human beings;political,everyday joes do take offense from people who really don't know them personally!!! what makes you think she's not offended,i am from ak',live in fla.&i'm offended that people talk crap,especially when they have never been there,not all natives are drunks,dumb or inbreded!!! there's more damn ignorance,inbreeding,herein north fla.!!kids as young as 14 yrs.havin'babies,their parents doing drugs,drinking,not going to school to work the farms,all of that w/their kids!!sorry,but as long as she's for our country a better place my answer;NELLY:"ON THE GRIND",pay att. what he's sayin' u mite get it!!!!!

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  Posted by Whew Wed Sep 3, 2008 9:50am PDT

  I am so impressed with the women in this country for holding their values above their careers. Family should always come first and I don't care how loud we cry women's lib and women should have the same rights as men, when it comes to raising children women are the ones who take the bulk of the responsibility and mostly by choice. I agree with those that I have read in this blog and others, what woman in her right mind with 5 children under 18, would think she could possibly take on one of the most stressful jobs in the country without risking the emotional and well being of her family? What woman would want to see her children take a back seat to anything??? As much as I would love to see a woman in office, I just don't believe this is the woman. At least not at this time in her life.

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  Posted by JeanneMommy Wed Sep 3, 2008 10:00am PDT

  You have some good questions. But… why the double standard with Palin & her kids? If she feels she can handle motherhood and being VP, then she can. You even admit to your own double standard. As far as the issue with Bristol, that is a moral issue. I'm not going to agree 100% with ANY candidate. If anything, Palin will have the advantage of seeing how political policies affect our middle class families. Something no other candidate has.

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  Posted by Karlee S Wed Sep 3, 2008 10:33am PDT

  your kind of a b---- .

  i am pretty liberal but i am not hating on this woman like you are.

  jesus so she has diffuculites in her life, she obviously can deal with them.

  and obviously abstanatce education is a bad choice for sex ed, shouldn't the US know that by know. Teach real sex ed, not the "wait until your married" s---.

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  Posted by Suzer Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:14am PDT

  I'm not a fan of Palin, but this particular question pisses me off. If Palin's husband were the candidate, would anyone ask this? I don't think so.

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  Posted by Ro Ro Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:35am PDT

  I just think something smells fishy about the whole thing. This article only solidifies my concerns and that 'uncomfortable unease' in my stomach when I think about Sarah Palin. Shes not hoorrible, but she is not perfect, and possible, not even good enough for the VP position. These second doubts or 'little voices in the back of our heads' are the first sign that we might just have a good race on our hands.

  Im a democrat all the way, but will not be voting for Obama, as I do not agree with his points. I would have voted for Hilary. And some say now her votes will go to McCain as he has chosen a woman as his mate-- By the way, what a feisty move that was. Good, but only a hair away from downright stupid and shameful. Thats right.... dangle what most men will soon be calling a 'MILF' in front of America, and watch them go nuts. Hilary says women rock... and my republican boyfriend says "BOOOOOOO!"... but when McCain says it, he drools.

  Amazing.

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  Posted by Designerbagsonline.biz Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:38am PDT

  I mean come on, people. :) I am a 35-year old single mother of 2, with a challenging career. I believe women can have it all if they so desire. BUT, and this is a Big BUT,...helping to run the country with 5 children, 1 of which is not even 5 months old yet AND is a special needs baby, is what you call "biting off more than you can chew" and it makes the women that are striving to balance career and family and do it TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILTY look bad. The most important part of taking on challenges is that you understand what is expected and you make SURE you will be able to perform to the best of your abilty. Do any of you have any idea how many hours a week a politician, on the presidential campaigning trail, is expected to put in every week? It is exhausting. I am all for being a great Dad but a 5-month old Down syndrome baby needs his mother much more than she will be able to be there for him. It is a terrible injustice to her family to make this type of a commitment at this stage in her life. It is obvious her daughter was making adult decisions contrary to their core family values, which leads someone to wonder if Sarah Palin spends far too much time away from her God given role of being a mother. The key to success is balance and she is without a doubt a woman that, no matter what she will say on national TV, simply can not wear both hats successfully, ONE MUST SUFFER. There are only so many hours in the day. In her preganancy with her Down syndrome son, she was in the political spotlight when she went into labor and was at a speech. Rather than go to the hospital, she chose to stay and finish her speech and told people "I wasn't going to miss that" then after she finished, she jumped on a jet and went to the hospital and bore her son. Case in point, she is determined to complete anything which might further advance her career, even at the cost of her family. It is a shame that she doesn't want to put her family first. McCain really made a stupid decision. I think this is why he now has the name on all the blogsites,.. "McStupid" :) He truly is. There is no way the All-White conservatives will go for a woman who is a mother of 5, 1 of which is a 4 month old DOwn syndrome baby and one a pregnant teenager, to move into the white house? LOLL NO WAY I will definitely be standing in the voting lines, no matter how long to cast my vote for O'Bama. AMerica doesn't want more of the same and we defintely don't want McStupid / Palin. I think one good thing will come out of all of this, however. I believe voting turn out will be HIGH. People will have their voices heard this campaign! That's for sure.

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  Posted by dt Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:38am PDT

  WHOooooooo cares?!?! This topic is making me fall asleep its so overplayed. Her daughter is the typical American teen! I'm sure you've seen all the preggo celeb teens in the news. Its nothing new. It doesn't mean jack crap about how she will be as VP and I think people need to focus more on her business skills and what she will do for our country.

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  Posted by dt Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:41am PDT

  oh and btw, my parents were Majorly involved in my life, so was my preacher and my high school teachers at a Christian school. guess what?!? I had sex at 16!! It has nothing to do with how you were raised and the downfall of a parent. the bottom line is some teens will do it knowing all the details about pregnancy, stds, etc etc. and btw i made As and Bs so you can't blame lower class/bad education either

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