Thursday, September 18, 2008

It's noon in Iowa, do you know where your children are?

Most of us are probably too young to remember the PSA from the '70's, or was it the '60's, that asked, 'it's 10pm, do you know where your children are?'

It was pretty effective, though it did seem to distinguish those who knew where their kids were, or at least thought they did, and let's refer to these people as the good parents, and those who handn't a clue as to what junior or juniorette was doing at that hour, the people we'll refer to as the bad parents.

Cue to the noon rally in Iowa for the McCain-Palin ticket. We have begun to recognize the gild is coming off Sarah Palin's lilly. Her interview with Charlie Gibson last week over at ABC News showed her to be stretching in a number of areas, her use of the McCain's high powered lawyers to seek dismissal of on ongoing investigation into Palin's firing of Alaska's top cop show her to be as political as any other elected official, and her placement at the butt of jokes across the media landscape show her to be truly a deer in the headlights.

So I'm going to take on both yesterday's news, and the politically correct position of not questioning someone else's parenting skills. And here's why.

At every event I've seen Sarah Palin attend these past 3 weeks, her husband Todd has been by her side. Good move, shows family values, shows a family together, shows a team to the public.

Here's the politically incorrect part. When Sarah Palin says it's inappropriate to ask a female candidate for office, one with five children, two of whom are under 10, and three of whom ostensibly should be in school, who's taking care of the children, I tend to agree. Raising a family is a family matter. It's a responsibility often shared by parents, in those families fortunate enough to have two parents. And in this case two working parents, reportedly home each night with the children, helping them with schoolwork, assignments, taking them to hockey practice, etc.

But wait. If Todd Palin is alongside wife Sarah in Iowa, who's watching the kids. Don't they have school in Alaska in September? We can give Trig a pass this time, as he's probably too busy breastfeeding to worry about elementary education these days. But what about the other Palins, the girls with the hippie names, the ones who should be in school, home in Alaska. Who's taking care of them while mom and dad are away.

How does this work with family values.

Or does it take a village, after all.

First dude, or first dud. Dunno, but something's not adding up right here.

And I'm waiting for someone in the travelling press to ask about it. That is, presuming anyone with a press card can get anywhere near the VP team.

Let's stay tuned, and keep those impertinent questions coming. Free press is a basic right. Doesn't the first amendment actually precede the others in order?

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