More importantly, I feel for the Edwards children that they have to go around their friends and classmates with everyone knowing about their dad's terrible mistake. They never asked their dad to run for office or become a celebrity. Many families have issues like this that are never known publicly.
The Edwards kids are the truly unfortunate victims to their dad's mistake. What
I am saying is that I can care less about John Edwards political career. Yet am madder than hell about what he is putting his family through.
Today my thoughts go out to the latest child victim of their parents political ambition, Bristol Palin.
Bristol Palin is a young girl who like many other kids, made a mistake. I know some would jump on this statement, but yes an unplanned pregnancy at 17 is a mistake.
Since her mother decided to join the Republican ticket it is safe to say that Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan will have less paparazzi following them because the picture everyone will be angling for is that of Bristol Palin.
The tabloid media, both national and international are going to make this kid's life miserable.
So I am left to ask. Is Sarah Palin naive in thinking the media won't mercilessly stalk her daughter? Or is she just incredibly selfish and only concerned about advancing her career?
The answer to that question will come out in the next 9 weeks.
I don't think poorly on Palin for her daughter getting pregnant. Yet, I think Palin is selfish for subjecting her daughter to what is going to be an awful media intrusion. For deciding to leave her daughter for at least 9 weeks during the pregnancy.
A good friend and great blog contributor wrote me an email yesterday and said something I have heard many parents say in some form or another..
"Your job as a parent is to protect you kids. That's like, your main job, your most important job."
Sarah Palin forgot this when she accepted the offer from John McCain and her daughter is about to pay the price.
For the record, I think the TMZ's and National Enquirers are all pieces of crap and any unfair or crude coverage of Bristol Palin will be condemned on this blog. Barack Obama has already said that 'kids are off limits' but lets not pretend we don't know what is coming for Bristol Palin. A tough situation of being pregnant is about to be much worse because of her mother's now nationally prominent position.
The reality is anyone who thinks that it won't turn Bristol Palin's life is going to be turned upside down is delusional and it could have been avoided if her mother put her family first and not her political ambition.
I have already heard people say, 'this judgement is a double standard for women. A man wouldn't get this kind of scrutiny over chasing his dream.'
To this I say, bullshit. I would criticize any man who decided to join a ticket under the same circumstances.
For the record I would also loudly criticize any man who decided to leave his wife with their 4 month old baby to run for Vice President.
Another little known act of Palin selfishness is the fact that people don't seem to realize the actual grind of a campaign. There is almost nothing as tough as running for national office and your time is consumed talking to reporters, talking to crowds, and travelling.
Yet Palin's newborn son is about to have an absentee mother for the next 62 days. Where is the values crowd criticizing this? She either won't see baby Trig (I have to admit a very cool name) or take Trig with her on the buses and planes as she travels to 2-3 states daily.
You can't call it bad parenting that caused Bristol Palin's pregnancy, but it's a selfish parental decision that is about to turn her kid's life upside down.
After tonight's speech Palin will surely be lauded as impressive and her performance and selection as that of a 'game changer'. As all these speeches have been. People in the crowd will be crying and say they just saw history.
Yet for me I will see just another politician who put their own life ahead of that of their family.
No comments:
Post a Comment