Why we’re perplexed by Sarah Palin

So, it's official: John McCain announced on Friday that he's picked a woman as his running mate, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. And while most of us here at Shine are normally thrilled to see a strong-willed, principled woman rise to such great heights in the halls of power, we're still all sorting through why it is we just feel so conflicted if not sometimes a little disappointed in this woman.

We're not talking about Palin's politics; we're talking about her as a metaphor. She's the latest example of just how complicated it is being a modern woman. She's a total briar patch of strengths, weaknesses, triumphs, and outrage. That's why we here on Shine have been busy blogging about all those things that impress us, infuriate us, makes us envious, and confuse us completely.

Sarah Palin is a self-proclaimed feminist role model. The way she sees it, she proves that any woman can work a high-powered job and ascend through the ranks, all while having as many children as you want and being a mother to that family. She's a state governor AND a mother of five -- that's absolutely impressive. I only have one kid, and I often feel like I'm barely pulling off the juggle from day to day.

But, the inevitable questions creep up about her ability to truly be a good mom to her kids, especially since news that 17-year-old daughter Bristol who is now five months pregnant with her high-school boyfriend's child came to light. Many women are left wondering: Is she really the amazing, do-it-all supermom that she claims to be? And honestly, does she really have to be?

This, of course, raises more questions for us:

• Should she really be throwing her hat into the VP ring at all with both a Down syndrome infant and a pregnant teen at home?

• Would she even be here if she weren't a "hottie"?

• Is Palin really thinking about the happiness of her daughter when it seems like she is forcing her to marry? Or is that just political spin control?

• Is putting her mom-to-be daughter in the spotlight making her that latest teen-pregnancy celebrity?

• If she were a man, would we be holding her to this standard?

• And -- most importantly -- is any of this really going to resonate with women voters?

So, go check out our stories and posts by some of your fellow Shine readers, and tell us what you think of our many questions. Does she leave you with some of the same ones we have? And does that affect your vote? Leave a comment or feel free to go all out and write out your own blog post about it.

Posts about Sarah Palin on Shine:

• Motherhood and teen pregnancy take center stage in presidential election

• Why do we judge working moms differently than dads?

• Sarah Palin: The "hotness" conundrum

• Is Bristol Palin the new Jamie Lynn Spears?

• Get her to the church on time

• Is Palin supposed to attract the women vote?

• What do we really know about Sarah Palin?