Palin’s move decidedly NOT kid-friendly
Todd and Sarah Palin with daughters Piper and Willow at a St. Louis Blues game in October 2008 (Whitney Curtis /Getty)
I have no idea why she quit. Maybe the investigations were about to shake loose something really ugly. Maybe she does believe it will be easier to pursue higher office unencumbered by the job of governor. Maybe she really is just tired of the scrutiny and stress, and is worried about her family.
I certainly find it plausible that she quit for personal and family reasons. But if she did, she made a really bad choice. It’s exactly the wrong lesson to teach her children. They may, may, get to see more of her now. But what have they learned? That when things get tough, you quit? That when you don’t like the way something is going, you can just pull out?
As a mother who struggles with kids who want to drop out of soccer camp after one day, or abandon mother-son piano camp because it’s boring (it was, and I was dying to quit too), it’s clear that kids learn enormously from our example. They watch our actions, more than listening to our words.
And this was not just an ordinary job. Or a tough volunteer PTA gig that suddenly seems overwhelming. She’d made a commitment to the citizens of Alaska. It would seem that there had to have been a middle-ground solution. If her family really was her concern, couldn’t she have started to curtail her national travel, talk to them about the challenge of the rest of the term, and how they could best get through it as a family? It would have been an invaluable lesson about the importance of public service.
I spent quite a bit of time and ink a few days ago suggesting that the media and political establishment were out of bounds in their treatment of Palin. (Pre-resignation) Rick Ungar made a compelling case that she needed to earn respect to get respect. I still believe she deserved and deserves better treatment than she’s been getting. After all, where would we be if we all decided the bad behavior of others freed us to behave the same way.
But I have to admit I’ve now lost considerable respect for Palin. Walking away hardly ever makes sense, and again, if she really is concerned about her family, she’s done exactly the wrong thing. And if her reasons for stepping down are different, then she’s damaged her credibility.
Claire
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I am not a huge fan but please stop attacking her.! All 15 allegations were dismissed. It is disgusting to see woman pulling apart another woman. She left because with all the press and bogus alleagations it tool time and money away from her job.I have a child with autis, she recently was at the walk in N York for autism. That sets a great example. All of you get off yuor high horses. She has more exp than our pres.Sh never said she had aspirations of the
POSTED TO FAST BEFORE I COULD FINISH, SHE WOULD NEVER BE PRES. SHE WOULD HAVE TO SACRIFICE HER PRINCIPALS.!Our gov’nt is run by lawyers who read nothing they sign. Have some classs and get off her back!
Good one Claire. I like the angle.
Mike Kravinsky
IMO her parenting skills are none of our business, especially from the very distant view most of us have. However, I do agree that throwing in the towel so far from the last round does not set a good example for anyone … especially for the young people of our country.
Claire, It’s odd. Normally, in these circumstances, I would be inclined to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Clearly, you are correct that this is an awful example for Gov. Palin’s children. But I always like to leave room that there could be an illness or some other important reason for her to walk away.
But that speech! Had the Gov. simply stood up, given us a cogent reason for her abdication (whether true or not), I would have given her the benefit of the doubt until I had a concrete reason to do otherwise. But what in the world was that speech?!? How can we have any respect for any leader who would say such foolish things? There is something “not right” about Sarah Palin. I had an allergic reaction to her right from the beginning – and no, not because she is a woman. This country has a number of highly qualified, highly intelligent women who are fully capable of taking on the biggest of jobs.
Sarah Palin simply never proved herself to be one of them.
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Her children agreed with her that how much you know! gET OVER IT ! Find someone else to pick on. I guess you think making fun of a disabled child by that blogger is cool its sick. Journalism sadly is gone!