MetaChat - this keeps getting stranger

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

01 September 2008

this keeps getting stranger Palin's 17 year old is pregnant. For real? For real? And McCain was all "nah, that's cool."
What is their vetting process? "have you shot a man in reno just to watch him die? no? then welcome to the ticket!"→[More:]And Obama can't say "well, here you see the results of abstinence only education" without being a complete douchebag. Me, I can say it since I'm not running for office.

post by: kellydamnit at: 12:31 | 43 comments

I'm actually more offended by the fact that they saddled the child with a name like 'Bristol.'

posted by jonmc 01 September | 12:37

I don't think this is a big issue. Palin isn't her daughter and McCain (for all his republican posturing) is republican lite.

Plus Bristol? Have they ever been? Do they know what the place is like. Do they realize what the place represents. And what Bristols is slang for?

posted by seanyboy 01 September | 12:41

I'm assuming her kid will be Vellum.

posted by kellydamnit 01 September | 12:43

I don't think this is a big issue. Palin isn't her daughter

No kidding. All the outrage over this is wasted. A pregnant 17-year old is not the end of the world, for anyone- the baby, the mother, or the office of the Vice Presidency.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 September | 12:44

I made a comment about this in the other thread.

Palin has issues like regular people do. Presidential candidates usually don't, since they do a good job of hiding them or vetting out the baggage. If Democrats are smart they won't say word one about this. They need to sit back and let the American people feel ambivalent about this or come to their own conclusions. But they won't. They're too stupid. They'll see blood in the water and attack. Then Americans will sympathize with Palin. I'm saying this as an Obama supporter.

posted by LoriFLA 01 September | 12:45

Meanwhile, I think we should have a Palin thread every day from now until the election. Why not.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 September | 12:45

If Democrats are smart they won't say word one about this.

Agreed. There's no way to attack someone's kid without looking like an asshole and Obama's not an asshole.

posted by jonmc 01 September | 12:46

A pregnant 17-year old is not the end of the world, for anyone- the baby, the mother, or the office of the Vice Presidency.

Agreed. My mother was 17 when she had me, and she was Catholic to boot. It's just more stuff that's all. More stuff to give certain people doubts.

posted by LoriFLA 01 September | 12:50

The Republicans have made some weird Veep choices. First, Dan Quayle the Howdy-Doody-lookin' rich kid draft dodger, then Dick Cheney-the WASP Luca Brasi and now this.

Obama's choice, well I was baffled at the choice of old-school-insider foot-in-mouth disease Biden, but now I think it's a stroke of brilliance. It sends a clear message to white middle america that Obama's not the type of guy to hold the occasional verbal faux-pas against a well meaning person. Think about it.

posted by jonmc 01 September | 12:57

I think it is kind of telling when so much of her politics is built on abstinence only education, no access to birth control, etc, and the entire presentation of her is built on "what a great mommy". Like, it didn't work for her household, but she wants it for the whole country?

posted by kellydamnit 01 September | 12:57

intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Where are these rumors? That's some wild shit to sling around, sounds like someone's been watching too much Rome. Seriously, was this announcement made in anticipation of rumors, or in reaction to them? Cuz if the answer's anticipation, whoever came up with that yarn should get a medal.

Then again, if some "liberal blogger" somewhere tweaked the GOP enough to call a press conference on what is such a private matter, then that blogger deserves a medal.

Maybe this is just part of the usual strategy of sideshow after sideshow. I mean, who really wants to hear McCain growl about his hundred-year war anymore? I mean, isn't it better to think about a newborn in the VP's house than about all the people McCain wants to kill?

posted by Hugh Janus 01 September | 13:21

Dear Democrats:

Please please please please leave her alone and let her implode on her own. This one's in the bag as long as turnout is high, and The One is really good at getting that to happen...so please, just get, like, an extra ten million people to the polls on your side and we're cool.

Kthxbye,

mdonley

posted by mdonley 01 September | 13:21

Plus Bristol? Have they ever been? Do they know what the place is like. Do they realize what the place represents. And what Bristols is slang for?

I hate to defend these folks but she's named after Bristol Bay in Alaska

posted by octothorpe 01 September | 13:29

I'm actually more offended by the fact that they saddled the child with a name like 'Bristol.'

She named her most recent baby, the one with Downs Syndrome, Trig Van Palin (in tribute to Van Halen). That is seriously fucked up.

Anyway, I look forward to this story dying a quiet death so I don't have to constantly get annoyed about how differently the media would handle it if Palin weren't a Republican who believes the Earth is younger than domesticated animals, farming, housing, furniture, and pottery.

posted by cmonkey 01 September | 13:30

Where are these rumors?

They were everywhere- including Metafilter (in the Palin thread).

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 September | 13:32

Oh and what mdonley said, just give McCain/Palin lots and lots of rope, make some pop-corn and sit back.

posted by octothorpe 01 September | 13:33

She named her most recent baby, the one with Downs Syndrome, Trig Van Palin (in tribute to Van Halen). That is seriously fucked up.

I'm secretly hoping McCain will win so Palin can have another baby whilst VP and name him Camp David.

posted by essexjan 01 September | 13:37

I would so get a kick out of that. And then 20 years later get another kick out of the kid rebelling by being America's most well known liberal talk show host.

posted by cmonkey 01 September | 13:40

They were everywhere- including Metafilter (in the Palin thread).

Well, I'll be. Talk about taking MeFi a little too seriously!

posted by Hugh Janus 01 September | 13:42

I never got that. I mean, the odds of a kid with Downs Syndrome being born to a 44 year old are way higher than to a teenager. that alone makes the whole rumor a bit silly.

posted by kellydamnit 01 September | 13:51

ej: LOL!

I wonder if Number One Observatory Circle (the official Casa del Veep) has enough bedrooms for five kids plus the Second Couple.

posted by mdonley 01 September | 13:59

No one can say Palin doesn't know what it's like to be an average american.

posted by Ardiril 01 September | 14:08

I just came to say that I really like the name Bristol.

posted by mullacc 01 September | 14:22

mullacc and Bristol, sitting in a tree- V-O-T-E-I-N-G.

I know, there's no E in voting; I needed it for the song!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 September | 14:31

Dick Cheney-the WASP Luca Brasi

Dear America,

We are tired, and would like Dick Cheney to come sleep with us already.

Sincerely,
The Fishes

posted by scody 01 September | 14:46

A pregnant 17-year old is not the end of the world, for anyone

I couldn't agree more. but then I'm all for sexual education in schools, for condoms, for a woman's right to choose. those who don't want sex education in schools, who don't want condoms to be available to kids in school who want them, who want Antonin Scalia to decide what happens to a pregnant woman, well, they're more than a bit hypocritical

let us not even imagine what would have happened if Obama had a 17 year old pregnant daughter. that'd be the fruit of a liberal terrorist couple not teaching morals to the kid, not to mention, you know, blacks, unwanted pregnancies, welfare -- attack ads and push polling by "independent groups" and "concerned citizens" do write themselves. it'd be BAD.

Palin's daughter's white and her family is very powerful, she'll be OK.

posted by matteo 01 September | 14:56

From the article:

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support," the Palins said.

Gag me.

posted by Doohickie 01 September | 15:40

... but Doohickie, she didn't mention god once.

I love this:

Are you offended by the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

SP: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.

I have a feeling that the fun is just beginning.

posted by Ardiril 01 September | 15:52

Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state.

Why do I picture Jesus Camp?

posted by Ardiril 01 September | 16:03

Trig Van Palin (in tribute to Van Halen

If the Van Halen thing is in the slightest bit deliberate she just went up in my estimation one million points.

posted by cillit bang 01 September | 16:52

I think it is kind of telling when so much of her politics is built on abstinence only education, no access to birth control, etc, and the entire presentation of her is built on "what a great mommy". Like, it didn't work for her household, but she wants it for the whole country?

But... don't you get it? her case is... different! Her daughter is not like all those other teenage pregnancies... this is... different!
*plugs in the anti-abortionist abortions thread*

posted by qvantamon 01 September | 17:05

Glad to see Obama treating this correctly.

posted by eekacat 01 September | 17:22

Obama has been totally decent about it. Recent MySpace trawling seems to support the "Trig is Palin's grandson" theory however. Huh.

posted by jessamyn 01 September | 17:44

In case you don't want to follow the link:

Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, was asked at a brief press conference in Monroe, Mich., about the suggestion by some Republicans that Democrats — particularly liberal bloggers — were trying to advance rumors about the Palin family. “Our people were not involved in any way in this and they will not be,” Mr. Obama snapped, his voice raised. “And if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they’d be fired, O.K.?” Mr. Obama said the pregnancy “has no relevance to Governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president.” He added that, “my mother had me when she was 18. How a family deals with issues and teen-age children — that shouldn’t be the topic of our politics.” “So,” he added, “I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories.”

posted by theora55 01 September | 19:52

I don't care is she's a scholarship/beauty princess. I don't care what she names her kids; I've heard a lot worse. The whole point of choice is that she gets to choose to be pregnant in her 40s and gets to choose to have a child with a disability. But I sure don't want her telling other women they have to have a child.

I have a handicapped brother, with low normal IQ, spasticity, speech slurring, motor difficulty. His life is so hard, and there's so little support. Thankfully my family's been able to provide for him since he can only work part-time due to his physical problems, and he works in low-paying jobs with no or few benefits. The family had to fight like hell to keep him on disability. Why do they want children born but don't want to help take care of them?

She's an odd choice, except for virulent anti-choice and 100% NRA ratings to please the fascists. Plus, being a woman, so a few disgruntled idiots can say "Obama isn't precisely perfect, and he disagrees with me on some minor point, so I'll vote like an ass." Sorry, I'm ranting...

posted by theora55 01 September | 20:02

Well, if we don't want to discuss her kid anymore, there's this.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/members-of-frin.html

she was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party. Like, the "we don't want to be a state anymore" group.

posted by kellydamnit 01 September | 22:45

Yeah, I think her being part of AIP is pretty cool. She's so likable in some ways, and so detestable in others. She's all human.

posted by Ardiril 01 September | 23:34

This seriously has train wreck all over it (Palin generally). I can't imagine how they can back down from this in any other way except "Gosh, we need to spend more time with our family in this time of private challenges."

The only question is whether it happens before Wednesday, and if not, how long after.

Then again, if some "liberal blogger" somewhere tweaked the GOP enough to call a press conference on what is such a private matter, then that blogger deserves a medal.

I predict this is only the first of many such wild overreactions.

posted by stilicho 01 September | 23:39

No matter what happens -- she stays, she goes, she wins -- it has trainwreck potential. She certainly has brought out the hate-hats from among the liberals. America's answer to eight years of lunacy is to fall flat on its face.

posted by Ardiril 01 September | 23:52

Recent MySpace trawling seems to support the "Trig is Palin's grandson" theory however. Huh.

I can't understand the point that link is trying to make. A teenage girl pretends that her brother's girlfriend is his wife in photo captions on her MySpace, and that's the smoking gun?

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 01 September | 23:54

She certainly has brought out the hate-hats from among the liberals. America's answer to eight years of lunacy is to fall flat on its face.

a) I don't understand what you're talking about at all.

b) I'm pretty used to righties playing the victim card. It gets old.

c) Hate-hats? Seriously? This is the least-properly-vetted VP pick since Eagleton, and the criticism is OUR fault?

posted by stilicho 02 September | 02:36

For me, the smoking gun is the photo of Sarah Palin seven months pregnant in 1989 with her son Track. She's huge. And I was going to link to the photo, which was on Daily Kos, but now the article is gone. Hmm.

posted by amro 02 September | 08:38

Thanks for the most thoroughly entertaining election cycle yet, America!

posted by goo 03 September | 06:27

← McCain's Wandering Eyes || I HATE TICKETMASTER! →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN