Future Grandmother, Gov. Sarah Palin

Originally posted Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Gov. Sarah Palin is bound to get bruised in this process of running for national office, since every move will be scrutinized. The issue with her daughter's pregnancy is the news du jour. Another 48 hours it will be another issue. It's unfortunate Sarah's daughter and the dad-to-be got dragged into the spotlight.
The boy in this matter was not smart enough to realize that parents, who are lifetime members of the NRA, take the notion of shotgun marriages to a literal meaning. He might be fortunate that one of them is running for national office. I wish those two good luck — they'll need it as teenage parents.
The right -- including Gov. Palin -- is blind to a lot of realities. One of them is that young people have sex and unplanned pregnancy is one of the consequences. That might account for the tone from many commentators, which has ranged from smug moral superiority ("my child would never get knocked up") to shrill accusations of hypocrisy ("a lot of good that abstinence teaching did ya"). Those commentators fail to recognize that families don't always fit neatly into ideological beliefs and those who are too critical are just being cheap shot artists.
I wish no ill will toward the Palins and the young man. I only hope the Palins remain in Alaska and Sen. McCain enjoys a dignified retirement. I disagree with many of Gov. Palin's ideas and those in her party. However, the Palins don't deserve any scorn. They're very much a typical American family.