I listen to Dr. Laura Schlesinger when I can – I mostly agree with her, and have high respect for her on those issues where we are not in agreement. I understand her position on abortion and working mothers. Being on the other side of that debate is not a comfortable place. She has bedrock values on her side. In a perfect world, there are no abortions, and the working Mom is unnecessary.
Real life a little more gray. Just on abortion, she doesn’t accept that people drink, do stupid things, that women place too much faith in men, act impulsively, and the result is little darlin’s and ruined lives. And regarding working mothers, young Americans have very high expectations – they want that dream house very early on, the SUV and entertainment center, and having all that requires a working mom. I wish it were not so. They are too absorbed by material things – we all have too little time for family and care too much about ‘stuff’.
Since time immemorial, women have opted for abortion. If Roe v Wade is overturned, that will not change. I wish it weren’t so, but it is so, and I think it a huge mistake to outlaw abortions. In Dr. Laura’s perfect world, each baby would be wanted and planned for and would have a mothher at its side. But people aren’t like that.
So I take issue with Dr. Laura – she doesn’t deal with people as they are, but rather as she wishes they were. Her standards are unattainable in the real world.
But Sarah Palin is not your typical Dr. Laura caller – the woman knowingly had five children, one with Downs Syndrome, and has made a conscious decision to put the family on the back burner, to turn the baby over to surrogates, to expose her pregnant daughter to the worst kind of public attention. She’s ambitious – it’s the power of the ring.
Dr. Laura probably would not approve. And in fact she doesn’t.
addendum Jay mentions below that health care and housing costs have more to do with working Mom’s than dream houses and entertainment centers. I’ll accept that. Regarding surrogate caretakers for children, it was my experience with my kids that the hired help didn’t begin to care as much about the kids as I did. You can’t buy parental love. I’m politically incorrect, I realize, but I think them to be the hard facts.
Piece of Mindful 
Sara Palin offers a whole menu of substantive problems associated with her candidacy, but to me her private family life is not one of them. Her husband is equally responsible for their children, and together they should be free to make childcare arrangements without public scrutiny. This conversation would not be happening if the Palin with the penis was chosen as a VP candidate.
Your perfect world (where working moms are unnecessary) sounds like prison to me.
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It would be different if she were running for a party that did not espouse the exact values that she is trashing.
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I’m with Michelle. I don’t think a “perfect world” excludes women with kids from working. A perfect world would allow for single-income families; that is, wouldn’t force a parent who’d prefer to stay at home with the kids to work.
Also, it’s not SUVs and big-screen tvs that make most of us two-income families. It’s health care and housing costs.
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Many Americans want everything possibly imaginable, all at once. This will not hurt her political ambitions, nor will it do anything to wean Americans from overconsumption, overspending, overpopulation or greed. So predictably, excessively …Roman?
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What kind of sexist bullshit is this? Maybe Todd Palin is going to be Mr. Mom. As for the attention toward her pregnant daughter, perhaps it would go a long way if everyone would just STFU and let the family deal with it.
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I’m sorry, I’ve been out robbing what few trains there are left…Who is “Sara Palin”?
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Budge – are you serious? Telling 24 hour media to STFU? You really are an out-of-touch idealist.
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I have a sneaking suspicion this Palin stuff is all going to backfire if she gives a good speech tonight… or maybe I’m just scared that it will.
It should be noted, Dave, that many of the more scurrilous and pointless rumors are being bandied about by Republicans to make sure that they can victimize her as much as possible. I have not seen a SINGLE mention of her husband’s DUI on a liberal blog or by a liberal commentator. I have seen it mentioned by every Conservative commentator who gets the chance, however. They want to make sure to paint her critics as being as shameless as possible. It could be a good strategy.
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Steve, that still doesn’t mitigate the pathetic sexism that your father is promoting.
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Oh, bite me Budge. I’m making a point of parroting Republican talking points. It’s hypocrisy. You’re checkmated.
And don’t you ever, ever, ever claim you’re not a Republican again. You want to be above it, but you’re right there down there with them. You’re a sign carrier.
This night has two victories.
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Yeah, that means a lot coming from you, Dave. I think that criticism is better offered from someone who has some credibility on sexism and misoginy.
(Hint: It’s not you.)
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Mark, what an obtuse comment. How does my calling your post sexist have anything to do with my political affiliations?
Secondly, Steve, show me where I’ve ever been sexist or hate women? Show me!
You guys are full of shit. Mark tells us how he usually agrees with Dr. Laura. Really? How about her position on the war or religion? How about her position on patriotism? What about her position on porn and free-speech?
This post was put up simply as a red herring to call social conservatives hypocrites and was based on a pretense of pure bullshit.
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You’re conflating. There are two issues – one, I parroted pre-Palin Republican talking points to make the post. Read the damned post – I’m channeling Republicans!
Two, you reflexively support Palin because even though you deny it, are above it, disdain it, you’re a Republican and need a shiny hat to wear down there on the convention floor when you’re waving your banner.
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Non-responsive, Mark. I would make this comment about any woman in this context.
Oh, and BTW, are you a Democrat? Have you ever voted for a Democrat. You rail on about how the D’s and R’s are the same at the end of the day. Does your vote for say, Brian Schweitzer prove your a Dem? You’re being disingenuous.
One more thing. I’ve said that I left the GOP because of their pork barreling fiscal irresponsibility. I left because the Hamiltonians and the neo-cons took over the party. If the GOP goes back to the libertarian wing of the party I may join it again. I have never said differently. But don’t underestimate my disdain for how they have acted over the last 8 years. This has nothing to do with Sarah Palin.
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If my attitude about women and children is sexist, then so too is the Pre-Palin Republican Party. And that is what I quoted – Dr. Laura. Her positions on porn and free speech and war and religion are of no use to me, as she is no authority. But on children and working women, I treat her with respect. Though I may not agree she is a serious person.
I tend to vote Democratic, though you might note that I’ve been very critical of them for years now. I like Brian Schweitzer as a person – I have met and interviewed him on two occasions. I did act on my convictions in 2000 and voted for Nader, and am still conflicted, as Democrats, though not so extreme as Republicans, are not dependable and do take all of the fire out of reform movements. They are bland.
And lastly, I do not take you at face value, I don’t regard your pronouncement on your political affiliation as authoritative. I instead watch how you act and react, and you are reflexively Republican. your defensive attitude about Palin was just another bit of evidence. Preach away about libertarians and Hamiltonians, as I know where you mark your X when chips are down.
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That’s BS mark. I didn’t vote for Bush in the last election and I didn’t vote for Conrad Burns. But what I am is a conservative minded libertarian. You’re confused about things such as the difference between partisanship and ideology. Sure I defend many conservative positions of many Republicans. I have high regard for many members of the Republican Study Group in the house (and would vote for Jeff Flake or Mike Pence for President if they ever ran. Hell, I campaign for them.) That, however, doesn’t make me a member of the party. You’ve set a double standard.
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Read this closely – I’ll repeat it only one more time: I do not take you at face value, I don’t regard your pronouncement on your political affiliation as authoritative. I instead watch how you act and react, and you are reflexively Republican.
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