Opening a possible can of worms here...

I realize that I could be opening a can of worms here, but this is my blog and I wanted to get my thoughts out about Palin and McCain. Disclosure: I will be voting for Obama.

*McCain says that he is impulsive. That if he makes the wrong decision that he just lives with the consequences. McCain met Palin only TWO times before he picked her for the VP slot. He says that he knew about Bristol (Palin's 17 year old daughter) being pregnant, that Palin's husband had a DUI 20+ years ago, and Troopergate. Somehow I don't think that he would have chosen a VP with all of those skeletons if he had really known about them. What kind of advisors is he going to pick if he becomes president? We just had eight years of impulsiveness so obviously that statement makes me worried.

*Being that he is the oldest candidate for President ever, Palin could easily become president. You never know what could happen to McCain. Her experience? She has been governor of a not-so-populated state for only two years and before that was mayor of a small town of 7000. Just because Alaska is closer to Russia than the rest of the US does not mean that she has foreign policy experience (sorry silly Fox News anchor).

*News came out that Palin's husband has been active in an Alaska sucession movement. Palin has also attended meetings. I wouldn't say that someone attending sucession meetings is someone that "puts the country first."

*The person that I feel awful for is Bristol. She isn't Jamie Lynn Spears. She is not used to all of the media attention. High school is hard enough...now the entire nation knows that she is an unwed soon-to-be mother.

*What we should be doing it talking about abstinence-only programs. Palin is pro abstinence-only sex education programs in schools. Uhhh they clearly didn't work. Maybe if her daughter knew about using condoms then she wouldn't be knocked up right now.

*Bristol is lucky in that she will have money and some support as an unwed mother. (I say some support because her mom as VP will be traveling all over the place and will likely not have a lot of time to help out). As governor of Alaska Palin voted against funding for unwed mothers. I guess Bristol is lucky that she is the daughter of a powerful politician.

*It is sad that people are asking if Palin can be VP when she has so many other things going on in her life. People wouldn't be asking a male politician if he could handle it if he had an unwed pregnant teenage daughter and a baby with Downs Syndrome. However, in our society, women are more likely to be the caregivers. That is why this discussion has been brought up. But my parents work with families that have mentally handicapped children and it is HARD. Palin has experience with her four other children, but this is completely different.

*I also don't think that Palin is a go-getter by going back to work three days after having her child. I am not a mother, but don't you need time to bond with your baby? Figure out how you are going to handle raising a special needs child? I hope that she did not do that because she felt pressured by male politicians to get back to work as quickly as possible.

*Pro-lifers are applauding Bristol's decision to keep the baby. While I respect the decision (that may or may not have been made for her), she is probably going to have to drop out of school to raise the baby. She can't legally marry (at least in most states) with the consent of her parents. Does having a baby mean that she won't be going off to college? Why do we want 17 year olds marrying just because they will have a kid together? I know that I personally changed SO MUCH during high school, all throughout college, and even in the years after college. Would they be getting married if she wasn't pregnant? Probably not.

Your thoughts? Feel free to comment, but let's keep it civil.