I can see the argument that people who choose to be in the public eye can't complain about too much coverage -- though I disagree with the argument, I can see it. But this?
This is none of my business. And the only reason I know about it is because my awesome powers of literacy forced the information into my head before I could look away.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel sorry for the Palin family, especially Bristol. To be going through something like this so publicly must be difficult.
I wouldn't be surprised if Sarah Palin and Sherry Johnston have never met or spoken to each other.
@Gretchen: I dislike Palin as much as the next liberal, but "dragged her entire family into the national spotlight for her own career ambitions" = totally something that is only said about women. I don't hear such things about the Obamas and their kids.
There is plenty to hate on re: Palin, I still feel this is not one of those things. You don't vet your future in-laws because it's not your choice as to who your daughter ends up with.
In addition to which, I hate when they pull this kind of shit with my candidate (i.e., reaching for anything remotely unsavory to sully their name). What makes it ok here, because she's a Republican? This isn't her own hypocritical behavior.
And, the lady. Sure she's a criminal. But man, she's now the most notorious small-time Oxy dealer of all time, isn't she?
@rocknrollunicorn: This is EXACTLY why I can't stand Palin. She has historically thrown her entire family into her campaigns, including young children who are not old enough to decide for themselves if they want that much attention. She perpetrates the stereotype by living it!
I was not surprised to see her children around her when she accepted the nomination. That is something every candidate, male or female, does as a matter of course. But when her family was CONTINUOUSLY pictured with her at events almost daily I did a little checking. It seems this was a habit of hers in Alaska as well. She was often asked to make an appearance as governor and would show up with the entire family in tow - when no arrangements had been made for the family. It has also been reported in the Alaskan press that when she would be asked to attend an event alone she would insist arrangements be made for her family - at state and/or someone else's expense - or she would not attend.
I do see where you're going and agree with you. But I also know she is heavily courting the "family first" evangelical base and so she will drag her children out to appeal to this fringe whenever possible. Even when it isn't the best for the kids. And, as Yitzhak pointed out, Obama kept his daughters out of the public eye after one regretted family interview. Bill and Hillary kept Chelsea off-limits to the press and she was seldom seen with her parents in public during the Clinton years. I have always had this feeling that was Hillary's call and I respect her greatly for it.
Nope - Sarah thew her family out into the public eye when she used them on the campaign trail. With her daughter's pregnancy she pulled in the boyfriend (who was seen with the family at the convention and other events following) and, by association, his family. This is a can of worms she opened herself and it seems she had to know there would be consequences. And here they are.
@Gretchen: If she dragged them everywhere, then I apologize for insinuating that your comment was sexist. That is pretty shitty, to use one's children in that manner.
I still don't think this woman's drug dealing really has much to do with Palin, though. The only way you can keep your teenage daughter from having sex if she wants to is to physically restrain her, sometimes. Certainly there's an irony to the pregnancy itself and it makes Palin look like a moron for being on the "abstinence only" team.
However, I'm hesitant to judge people based upon the actions of their nearly-grown children because, unless those actions stem directly from a parent's abuse or something like that, I just don't think they are entirely a reflection on the parent.
In any case, whether or not you think you can directly blame the pregnancy on whatever Palin supplied in the way of sex education, the fact is that you can't handpick your teenage daughter's boyfriend. Ain't gonna happen. So she gets knocked up, you have a drug dealer as a in-law... honestly it has little to nothing to do with your own character, and nothing at all to do with your politics or your ability to do your job.
@rocknrollunicorn: Oh, totally agree. My daughter has a boyfriend right now that I would love to draw and quarter, and that's when I'm in a good mood.
What I've taken issue with is how, after news of her daughter's pregnancy came out, Levi was immediately drawn into the Palin clan and began making appearances with the family. I think Sarah had to know about his alleged drinking and drug use since it was all over his MySpace profile and Wasilla isn't THAT big of a town. People in small towns know LOTS of shit about everyone else.
So why drag Levi into the picture in such a public way? Why drag Bristol there, knowing once word got into the media about her pregnancy everyone would be on the trail of 'who's the daddy'? It seems to me if you know a few things or at the very least are suspect, you'd keep your kids under cover for as long as you can. But as I said in my previous post, she was out for those evangelical right-to-life folks who thought her pregnant daughter was "courageous". She couldn't resist and the political greed got the better of her.
This poor child is going to be completely haunted by the stupid things everyone even tangentially related to it has done for a long, long time. I hope that s/he can grow up out of the shadow of both grandmothers and not be a media joke.
Here is my take on this: The Alaska Sheriffs (or Police) must have *really* had it out for Palin to do this so close to the birth of her daughter's child.
From what I have read, Palin had all Alsakan govt. workers on a short string, threatening to get rid of anyone who crossed her.
This smells like payback.
I am worried about Bristol, she is 4 days late, and none of this was of her making.
@CecilMcCecil: First babies are often late, it's perfectly natural. I do feel sympathy for this girl, I think her mother's beliefs and position have imposed all kinds of horrible crap on her at a difficult time.
I don't think it's payback, if it's payback it would have leaked during the campaign.
@RedVelvetCake: How about sympathy for somebody whose parents are simultaneously right-wing fundies who won't allow her access to sex education of any kind, and also the mayor of the small town she lives in/governor of the state, therefore able to prevent her walking into a chemist and buying a surreptitious condom, if she even had the knowledge that she needed to do that? And I'd hazard a guess that it was well known that Levi was dating her, and who all her friends were, so it's not like she could organise somebody else to do it for her.
And I don't think we should slut-shame her for having sex when she's 17 and thinks herself in love, even if he does seem a bit of twit. Look at her father, it's not like she's got a great role model there who would inspire her to get something better than ol' Levi.
@SydneyGal: Thank you so much for saying all this SydneyGal. Teenagers generally want love, acceptance, sex and so forth and when the pool is small, the selection of one's "true love" is necessarily limited. No matter what we think of her baby daddy he could be the best there is in Wasilla.
Actually, I don't see the relevance!! Is Sarah Palin accused of buying or selling oxy? Is Levi accused of buying or selling these drugs? Then why drag their names through the mud this woman has made?
@mslewis: Sarah dipped her toes in that puddle of mud when she dragged her entire family, including her pregnant teenaged daughter, into the national spotlight for her own career ambitions. Naturally the father of her unborn grandchild and his family would be forced to center stage as well.
The relevance is this woman will be, in the near future, a part of the Palin extended family. That aside, there have been many speculations on Levi's real character concerning drug use through some pretty stupid postings he made on MySpace or Facebook, possibly both.
Sarah Palin wanted the spotlight. Now she has it and it isn't all rose-colored gels.
@mslewis: This is not going to be popular here, but: I kinda agree with you.
Palin was absolutely unfit to be leader of a sock drawer, let alone VP. I was staunchly for Obama/Biden all the way. So don't get me wrong--I'm not a Palin sympathizer.
But it's her daughter's affianced's mom we're talking about here. I'm not saying it's not newsworthy, and I'm not saying that Palin doesn't suck, but I just think a little perspective is in order.
@mslewis: I agree. We all have relatives and acquaintances that do things we don't agree with. Unless Levi and Bristol knowingly benefited from this woman's drug sales, and Palin knew about, but ignored the situation, there is no need for the story to be getting this much press.
Because if Sarah Palin gets elected in 2012, this lawbreaking piece of trash will be a member of the most powerful family in the U.S. Doesn't that worry you?
And yes, it reflects on Levi (and by extension, his baby-to-be) because presumably his mother raised him and may have passed on her (lack of) morals to her son.
@RedVelvetCake: Oh, give me a break. That is reaching, reaching, reaching. Sarah Palin's own values (which I don't agree with) and what she would do worries me. Her son-in-law's family will obviously never have any political power.
@RedVelvetCake: wow - ok, now THAT is a stretch. We are not talking about the Kennedys here, and the chance of this family becoming the Kennedys is incredibly low
12/26/08
I can see the argument that people who choose to be in the public eye can't complain about too much coverage -- though I disagree with the argument, I can see it. But this?
This is none of my business. And the only reason I know about it is because my awesome powers of literacy forced the information into my head before I could look away.
Not our business.
12/26/08
12/26/08
I wouldn't be surprised if Sarah Palin and Sherry Johnston have never met or spoken to each other.
12/26/08
There is plenty to hate on re: Palin, I still feel this is not one of those things. You don't vet your future in-laws because it's not your choice as to who your daughter ends up with.
In addition to which, I hate when they pull this kind of shit with my candidate (i.e., reaching for anything remotely unsavory to sully their name). What makes it ok here, because she's a Republican? This isn't her own hypocritical behavior.
And, the lady. Sure she's a criminal. But man, she's now the most notorious small-time Oxy dealer of all time, isn't she?
12/26/08
I was not surprised to see her children around her when she accepted the nomination. That is something every candidate, male or female, does as a matter of course. But when her family was CONTINUOUSLY pictured with her at events almost daily I did a little checking. It seems this was a habit of hers in Alaska as well. She was often asked to make an appearance as governor and would show up with the entire family in tow - when no arrangements had been made for the family. It has also been reported in the Alaskan press that when she would be asked to attend an event alone she would insist arrangements be made for her family - at state and/or someone else's expense - or she would not attend.
I do see where you're going and agree with you. But I also know she is heavily courting the "family first" evangelical base and so she will drag her children out to appeal to this fringe whenever possible. Even when it isn't the best for the kids. And, as Yitzhak pointed out, Obama kept his daughters out of the public eye after one regretted family interview. Bill and Hillary kept Chelsea off-limits to the press and she was seldom seen with her parents in public during the Clinton years. I have always had this feeling that was Hillary's call and I respect her greatly for it.
Nope - Sarah thew her family out into the public eye when she used them on the campaign trail. With her daughter's pregnancy she pulled in the boyfriend (who was seen with the family at the convention and other events following) and, by association, his family. This is a can of worms she opened herself and it seems she had to know there would be consequences. And here they are.
12/26/08
I still don't think this woman's drug dealing really has much to do with Palin, though. The only way you can keep your teenage daughter from having sex if she wants to is to physically restrain her, sometimes. Certainly there's an irony to the pregnancy itself and it makes Palin look like a moron for being on the "abstinence only" team.
However, I'm hesitant to judge people based upon the actions of their nearly-grown children because, unless those actions stem directly from a parent's abuse or something like that, I just don't think they are entirely a reflection on the parent.
In any case, whether or not you think you can directly blame the pregnancy on whatever Palin supplied in the way of sex education, the fact is that you can't handpick your teenage daughter's boyfriend. Ain't gonna happen. So she gets knocked up, you have a drug dealer as a in-law... honestly it has little to nothing to do with your own character, and nothing at all to do with your politics or your ability to do your job.
12/26/08
What I've taken issue with is how, after news of her daughter's pregnancy came out, Levi was immediately drawn into the Palin clan and began making appearances with the family. I think Sarah had to know about his alleged drinking and drug use since it was all over his MySpace profile and Wasilla isn't THAT big of a town. People in small towns know LOTS of shit about everyone else.
So why drag Levi into the picture in such a public way? Why drag Bristol there, knowing once word got into the media about her pregnancy everyone would be on the trail of 'who's the daddy'? It seems to me if you know a few things or at the very least are suspect, you'd keep your kids under cover for as long as you can. But as I said in my previous post, she was out for those evangelical right-to-life folks who thought her pregnant daughter was "courageous". She couldn't resist and the political greed got the better of her.
12/26/08
12/26/08
12/26/08
From what I have read, Palin had all Alsakan govt. workers on a short string, threatening to get rid of anyone who crossed her.
This smells like payback.
I am worried about Bristol, she is 4 days late, and none of this was of her making.
12/26/08
I don't think it's payback, if it's payback it would have leaked during the campaign.
12/26/08
I have no sympathy for anyone high-school age who is too stupid to use birth control and who mates with a redneck idiot.
12/26/08
And I don't think we should slut-shame her for having sex when she's 17 and thinks herself in love, even if he does seem a bit of twit. Look at her father, it's not like she's got a great role model there who would inspire her to get something better than ol' Levi.
12/26/08
And good point about the birth control.
12/26/08
Not shocking stuff for me, unfortunately.
12/26/08
12/26/08
12/26/08
The relevance is this woman will be, in the near future, a part of the Palin extended family. That aside, there have been many speculations on Levi's real character concerning drug use through some pretty stupid postings he made on MySpace or Facebook, possibly both.
Sarah Palin wanted the spotlight. Now she has it and it isn't all rose-colored gels.
12/26/08
Palin was absolutely unfit to be leader of a sock drawer, let alone VP. I was staunchly for Obama/Biden all the way. So don't get me wrong--I'm not a Palin sympathizer.
But it's her daughter's affianced's mom we're talking about here. I'm not saying it's not newsworthy, and I'm not saying that Palin doesn't suck, but I just think a little perspective is in order.
12/26/08
hypocrysy - let me show u it.
12/26/08
12/26/08
Because if Sarah Palin gets elected in 2012, this lawbreaking piece of trash will be a member of the most powerful family in the U.S. Doesn't that worry you?
And yes, it reflects on Levi (and by extension, his baby-to-be) because presumably his mother raised him and may have passed on her (lack of) morals to her son.
12/26/08
12/26/08
12/26/08
sarah palin: hypocrysy, you're doing it right
'cause she's a hypocrite, see? "we need to take a close look at the questionable characters around obama" ... oh right.
not to mention Real American Values: oxycontin dealing! teen pregnancy! no reproductive choice!
you betcha. man, hating sarah palin never gets old, does it?
12/26/08
12/26/08
Really? You've never heard of political dynasties? Can you really guarantee that Bristol and her Levi-spawn will never run for office?
12/26/08
12/26/08