Excuse me, you snotty, catty women: Bristol is not running for office, so STFU. Sarah is the woman that you envey, err, hate. So back off on the daughter. The future son-in-law lost his freaking job because of jerks in the media constantly pushing at every aspect of Sarah’s families life. If the media will destroy them because of who their mother is (and it isn’t like her mother is a bad person), then what makes you think that it would get any better after the baby? They may as well sell photo rights now, before some paparazzi drives them into a bridge trying to get the scoop. Why do you care? Jealous of Ann? Sarah? You make yourself look very petty with this.
[S: YOU’RE FUNNY. I CAN ATTACK AL SHARPTON, BARACK OBAMA, MICHELLE OBAMA, HOLLYWOOD DIRECTORS AND CELEBS, JIMMY CARTER, ETC., AND YOU DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT OR ACCUSE ME OF BEING JEALOUS OF THEM. BUT POINT OUT THE HYPOCRISY OF SUPPORTERS OF THE EMPTY VESSEL CALLED SARAH PALIN, AND I’M “JEALOUS” OF PALIN. HILARIOUS. OH, AND BY THE WAY, THAT’S SEXIST. APPARENTLY, WOMEN ARE OFF-LIMITS FOR CRITICISM FROM OTHER WOMEN. YOU JUST PLAYED RIGHT INTO MY HANDS BY EXEMPLIFYING WHAT I JUST WROTE, THAT YOU ARE A BLIND SUPPORTER AND A HYPOCRITE LIKE THE OTHER SO-CALLED CONSERVATIVE PALIN SUPPORTERS. I’VE PRAISED ANN ON THIS SITE MANY, MANY TIMES, BUT ON THIS SHE IS A HYPOCRITE. YOU CAN’T WRITE A WHOLE CHAPTER DECRYING SINGLE MOTHERS, THEN PRAISE AN ENABLER OF SINGLE MOTHERHOOD AS CONSERVATIVE OF THE YEAR. PLEASE LEARN TO READ, TOO. SHE IS A PUBLIC FIGURE, WHETHER SHE IS RUNNING FOR OFFICE OR NOT. SHE INSERTED HERSELF INTO THIS PUTTING OUT PRESS RELEASES AND AUCTIONING OFF PHOTOS. PERIOD. YOU CAN PUT DOWN YOUR GLASS OF KOOL-AID NOW. DS]

Smarty on January 21, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Keep on writing! You may be the proverbial skunk at the conservative party but its a good thing. We can’t say one should be married to have kids is the normal arrangement and then begin making exceptions for people we favor. If we make those exceptions, it reduces our credibility. We have to hold every one to the same standard or else what’s the point of moral absolutes. Palin’s daughter shouldn’t get a pass because her mother is nominally in our camp. In fact, that’s all the more reason to insist on higher standards. What we expect of others, we must also expect of ourselves.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Smarty, they are public figures as Debbie pointed out. If they were private individuals, Debbie wouldn’t care and neither would I. But public figures set an example for others and there’s the French phrase, “noblisse oblige” that comes to mind. Being famous also imposes on you a certain set of obligations. In the old days, the high born and famous all knew what they were. Sadly, that’s no longer the case today.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 1:55 pm

Except Bristol Palin knows who the father is! And I doubt she’ll be going on welfare. I like Sarah Palin. She got into an impossible situation and performed admirably.

lexi on January 21, 2009 at 1:58 pm

What Debbie just said is a woman has a right to comment on other women. I don’t recall reading somewhere that sisterhood meant being silent on their transgressions. Gender doesn’t mean a license to indulge others of your sex in a perceived wrongdoing. And character by the way has nothing to do with group characteristics – its a moral absolute and what goes for a woman also goes for a man. To say anything to the contrary is hypocrisy. If you denounce it only in others you don’t care for, you’re saying the rule is not the same for every one. And yes, I do believe every one is bound by the same rules that have to be followed by all, or there is no such thing as a moral society.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Lexi, it still doesn’t make single motherhood right. That’s not a behavior choice we want to endorse. To do that, we’d have to drop our insistence on moral standards. But then we’d no longer be conservatives.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 2:05 pm

At first I was going to blast Debbie for posting this (mostly because I was a little upset at her anti Sarah Palin one liners showing up in articles on other topics recently) but the more I think about it the more Debbie is right.
The only possible exception I can see is if Bristol and/or Levi are too young legally to get married.

i_am_me on January 21, 2009 at 2:17 pm

*******************
Miss Schlussel, Et Alii:
If I had voted for the Republican ticket, it would have been because of Sarah Palin, and not John McCain.
But, I chose to vote for someone who would stand by our CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES.
It’s the Republican Party’s own fault that they lost, for they’ve told too many lies and broken too many promises.
Mox nix.
Anyway, I’m a guy, which means I think like a guy.
Sarah Palin is a hot babe, winks when making a speech, lives in Alaska, can handle a rifle, and skin a moose.
With a combination like that, us guys ain’t got a chance!
Anyway, what’s wrong with being “sexist”?
Guys and gals are different.
As the French would say, “Vive la difference!”
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Official Bard of Clan Henderson
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400
NOTE: “My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan.”
*******************

writesong on January 21, 2009 at 2:21 pm

Hi Debbie,
From what you have written, it sounds like you think that Bristol is refusing to get married.
I am thinking that it is Levi that doesn’t want to get married and Bristol is trying to make the best of a bad situation.
So how would you handle it if your daughter got pregnant by a young man who refused to marry her?
[P: LEVI JOHNSTON TOLD AP HE PLANNED LONG AGO TO MARRY HER AND WILL. THE PALINS TOLD THE PRESS DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT THE TWO KIDS WOULD GET MARRIED. SO SOMEONE LIED. AND SOMEONE ELSE DIDN’T ASK, WELL, WHY HAVEN’T YOU GOTTEN MARRIED ALREADY/WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CLEARLY THE TWO ARE TOGETHER, SINCE THEY AUCTIONED OFF THE BABY PHOTOS TOGETHER. DS]

Perpetua on January 21, 2009 at 2:24 pm

I have mixed feelings about your recent comments about Sarah Palin. I do agree completely with your comments today, and would not add or change anything that you said. Of course there is hypocrisy and inconsistence in what is going on, and of course Sarah Palin has responsibility.
Since you have not addressed a post specifically to assess on an overall basis, the strengths and weakness of Palin, I think it would be going beyond your subject matter to give my own rounded point of view on Palin as a candidate; it is also premature. But the short response is that I don’t think she is any worse than other serious contenders, and she is able to draw crowd support; I view her attacks by the elites to be positive.
On the other hand though, I have spoken to several Republican women in my community who voted for McCain, who are really down on Palin, so there is that side, too. I don’t think she is stupid, although she probably wouldn’t break the IQ charts. On the other hand, Bill and Hillary Clinton are both clearly way above average in intelligence, and what does that get us? (Nixon was way above average in intelligence also, and was definitely a mixed bag).
There is also the consideration that by raising mass support, that support itself could be a conservative pressure on her.
[CF: WHEN SHE WAS RUNNING, AFTER INITIALLY SUPPORTING HER, I WROTE SEVERAL POSTS ABOUT HER TREMENDOUS IGNORANCE, ETC. THAT IS WHAT BOTHERS ME. SHE’S A COMPLETE IGNORAMUS. AND WHILE THE WORLD WILL BE BALANCED OUT WITH DUMMIES, I DON’T WANT ONE OF THEM AS THE SO-CALLED CONSERVATIVE FRONT-RUNNER AND LEADER. SHE COULDN’T EVEN ANSWER WHICH MAGAZINES OR NEWSPAPERS SHE READS EVERY DAY, PROBABLY BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T READ ANY EXCEPT US AND PEOPLE AND COULDN’T EVEN THINK OF THE NAMES OF ANY NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES TO LIE ABOUT READING. SHE SAID THE MORTGAGE BAILOUT WAS ABOUT HEALTHCARE AND CREATING JOBS? REALLY?
SHE WAS JUST FLAT-OUT CLUELESS ON EVERYTHING, COULDN’T EVEN NAME A SUPREME COURT DECISION OTHER THAN ROE V. WADE WITH WHICH SHE DISAGREED. AND SHE SUPPORTS A RIGHT TO PRIVACY WHICH IS THE WHOLE BASIS OF ROE V. WADE. SHE DIDN’T KNOW THESE THINGS BECAUSE SHE’S A LIGHTWEIGHT. AND WHEN YOU’RE A LIGHTWEIGHT AND A DUMMY, YOU’RE EASILY MOLDED, AS BUSH WAS. AFTER THE MCCAIN PEOPLE SPENT AN INTENSE WEEK WITH HER, THEY MANAGED TO MOLD HER TO SUPPORT A PALESTINIAN STATE, PRAISE CONDI CLUELESS, AND SUPPORT IMMIGRATION AMNESTY. THIS IS YOUR CONSERVATIVE? DS]

c f on January 21, 2009 at 2:25 pm

I_am, minors can get legally emancipated. And no – I don’t endorse having a baby out of wedlock and as single man, if I knew if I was involved with a woman and had her baby, I’d marry her and support her and our child. Its the right thing to do. Isn’t that what conservatives are always saying young people should do? Or has that now become different for Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin as an unmarried couple? I believe the old expression, which we seldom hear anymore, is it was referred to as “living in sin.” It says a lot about how much our society has changed that people see nothing wrong with having kids and not getting married to raise a family.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 2:27 pm

I couldn’t agree with your comments more Debbie. Both sides are now into the hero worship business and less into the substance of looking for people who can actually run the goverment. PALIN VS. OBAMA 2012, the battle of the gods.

Independentone on January 21, 2009 at 2:33 pm

I agree with Lexi that at least Bristol knows who the BabyDaddy is, she won’t be on welfare, and they will ultimately get married. I understand that the wedding will be next summer – makes sense to me up there in snowy Alaska. I have a 34 year old unmarried highly educated daughter. She will probably never marry. She wants a baby someday no matter what. Do I agree with her on this? Is it the best thing for the baby? NO – but it is not my choice to make. So, if and when this all goes down, am I to blame for my daughter’s choices – should I shun her and the bastard child? You talk tough, DS, but with no chance of ever walking in these shoes… I think ye judge too harshly.
[S: IT’S NOT ABOUT TALKING TOUGH. IT’S ABOUT BEING CONSISTENT AND NOT A COMPLETE HYPOCRITE WITH DOUBLE STANDARDS ABOUT SINGLE MOTHERS. AS FOR WHETHER OR NOT I HAVE A CHANCE OF EVER WALKING IN THESE SHOES–AND I’M NOT SURE WHETHER THAT MEANS HAVING A DAUGHTER AND/OR HAVING A DAUGHTER AND ENABLING HER TO BECOME A SINGLE MOTHER WHO IS STILL NOT MARRIED, WHILE I PRETEND TO BE A CONSERVATIVES FAMILY VALUES STANDARD-BEARER–YOU COULD MAKE THAT FALLACIOUS ARGUMENT ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ISSUE. I’VE NEVER BEEN A BLACK AMERICAN, SO I GUESS I CAN NEVER BE AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION UNTIL I’VE WALKED IN THOSE SHOES. I’VE NEVER BEEN A PREGNANT PERSON, SO I GUESS I CAN’T CONDEMN ABORTIONS. I’VE NEVER BEEN A MUSLIM HAMAS HOMICIDE BOMBER, SO TO CONDEMN THAT WOULD BE JUDGMENTAL. OH, AND NEITHER YOU NOR I HAVE EVER COMMITTED SUICIDE, SO WE CAN’T BE AGAINST THAT EITHER, RIGHT? RIDICULOUS. DS]

Sioux on January 21, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Someone lied. Telling people you’re getting married and then not following through on it betrays their expectations about you. There’s another phrase here and man, have I been calling them up today, “character matters.” It doesn’t matter if your mother is the Governor of Alaska or from the wrong side of the tracks. Your children should be expected to do what they promise they’ll do. Period.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 2:39 pm

Hi Debbie,
I still don’t understand your points.
Are you thinking that the fact the Bristol and Levi are still together is proof that Bristol doesn’t really want to marry Levi?
I am thinking the indications are that she is in love with Levi and hopes he will eventually marry her. Also that he is the father of the baby and she wants the baby to connect with the father.
Are you thinking that if Bristol wants to marry Levi then she should break it off with Levi until he marries her?
Are you thinking that if Sarah Palin had confronted them about getting married, it would have made the headlines somehow?
Are you thinking that Sarah Palin should throw her daughter and grandchild out of the house because she has failed to get Levi to marry her?
I am writing as a mother who wouldn’t know how to handle the situation, if, as I surmise, the problem is with the father of the child not wanting to get married.

Perpetua on January 21, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Good observation, Debbie. A Veep though is supposed to be faithful to the head of the ticket. I have a feeling we’ll know soon enough what her real views are. But her attitude towards her daughter and boyfriend being single should set off warning bells for conservatives. It not what you say, its what you do that ultimately counts.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 2:47 pm

And how long and what type of marriage would Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have? My guess it would last maybe 4 years at most. i don’t give a damn about Bristol and Levi as it is not my business.

Ripper on January 21, 2009 at 2:49 pm

Debbie, I’m in total agreement.
What gets me are the straw arguments “Waiting to have money/time/nice weather/the right caterer” and many more.
What could the two be waiting for? So what if the young “man” doesn’t have a job? The Palin people put out repeatedly that they would marry, as you so rightly point out. It’s time to pay the piper for what the little wolf did to Bristol, and for what Sarah promised the nation, and for what Bristol tacitly agreed to by not discussing the points.
I’ve seen this pattern for decades. Couples shack up; woman is with child; wedding plans – IF they are made – are for several months after the fact. I’ve known situations where the couple puts off the ceremony for close to two years because, after all, LOOKing good walking down the aisle is much more important than bringing a child into a two-parent marriage.
The truly Conservative solution?
1. J.P. wedding as soon as possible–possibly days, if not hours.
2. Church/temple blessing.
3. Wedding ceremony only after the previous two.
THEN the couple and their parents’ families can spend their lives’ savings on that dress, the fine hall, the jazz trio, the singer, and the post-ceremony trip to the Caribbean.
THEN such wasted money for self-congratulations is simply poor taste and wasteful, but not sinful and damaging to the child.
When I think of how, just a little over 25 years ago, my fiance and I paid for nearly our entire wedding for less than $1000, I gasp at the ceremonies of today. That figure included a JC Penney wedding dress and a one state-removed honeymoon in Milwaukee. And she was the loveliest sight I ever witnessed: my unimpregnated bride walking down the aisle of my parish church, smiling at me, in that catalog ordered dress. Our marriage has thrived because we cared to launch it with love and not ostentation.
You see, youngsters, once upon a time the point of a honeymoon wasn’t to relax on a beach to recuperate from all the work of a wedding ceremony months in the planning. The point was to begin the marriage and be together, secluded, AWAY from tourist spots. The point was to enjoy sex for the first time. Any “tourism” we wanted was in each other, not a beach. Why bother with anything scenic? The scenery I feasted on was once inside a white wedding gown. No beach or castle or cruise compared to God’s own gift to me.
[T: AMEN. IT’S LIKE THE STRIPPERS WHO CONSTANTLY SAY THEY ARE JUST DOING IT UNTIL THEY CAN PAY FOR COLLEGE, BUY THEIR HOUSE, OR SOME OTHER BS. DS]

Todd on January 21, 2009 at 3:16 pm

So Sarah and Todd Palin should have thrown their daughter out of the house? Why does anyone care about the Palin household anyway? They are not criminals, they are not on welfare, and they do not bother anyone. Let us get real – we have a neo Marxist, con artist, neophyte as commander-in chief (a fellow who ironically was elected by a combination of Jews and Jew haters). What will he do with the Iranians, North Koreans, with private sector job creation, etc? We will be unrecognizable after 4 years and not for the better. For us to regain the White House we will need a massive disaster of a Presidency to unseat him and do we want to wish that on our country? There are truly dark days ahead for us. Who gives a crapola whether Bristol and that jerky Levi wed?
[R: EITHER YOU DIDN’T READ WHAT I WROTE OR YOU’RE BEING INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST. THE WOMAN WHO ENABLED THIS SINGLE MOTHERHOOD IN HER DAUGHTER IS ONE OF THE LEADING REPUBLICAN AND ALLEGEDLY CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES FOR 2009. THAT YOU DON’T CARE IS TROUBLING. I GUESS SINCE WE HAVE A MARXIST ON THE OTHER SIDE, ANYTHING GOES ON OUR SIDE? IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHY NOT JUST GET A LIBERAL, SLAP AN “R” OR “C” (FOR CONSERVATIVE) ON HIM/HER, AND THAT CAN BE OUR CANDIDATE? I MEAN ANYTHING GOES TO RECAPTURE THE WHITE HOUSE, RIGHT? I GUESS YOU FORGOT THE CRAP WE GOT FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS B/C WE HAD THAT ATTITUDE EIGHT YEARS AGO. I ALSO GUESS YOU REALLY DON’T THINK SINGLE MOTHERHOOD IS A BIG PROBLEM IN AMERICA. STATISTICS SHOW OTHERWISE. DS]

Ripper on January 21, 2009 at 3:19 pm

“Why is this my business, you ask? They’re kids and they’re private people. Well, not actually, since they put out press releases to People magazine and everywhere else, engaged a bidding war for the photos of their bastard kid (which snagged them $300,000), and, as you’ll recall, during the campaign the two said they’d get married, which they have yet to do.”
As usual, let’s comprehend a little before frothing at the mouth and attacking the messenger.
Putting out press releases and getting paid?!? Don’t tell me this is a private matter, as Debbie said. You make it a public matter AND make money off it, you deserve the critiques.
For the record, I like Sarah Palin. She’s pretty hot! (sorry, I’m a guy) and seems like a very personable, charming lady.
Nobody is perfect, but you have to be consistent and there do seem to be some chinks in her armor, such as this issue, and others Debbie has listed.
As much as I like Ms. Palin, I feel I can’t really hold her up as a hero or support her for office. Sure, she speaks a good message, but Barrack Obama talks great, too.
Us conservatives aren’t going to regain the country by supporting the Sarah Palins. We should have learned that lesson by having Bush and McCain foisted upon us. We are going to regain our country only by supporting the next Ronald Reagan.
Preach on, my sista Debbie!!!!!!!

Jeff_W on January 21, 2009 at 3:27 pm

DS wrote: “WHO FUNDED, HOUSED, FED, AND OTHERWISE ENABLED BRISTOL PALIN FOR THE LAST 10 MONTHS WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT AND THEN HAD THE BABY?”
So, would a true conservative kick her pregnant daughter out of the house until she was married? Maybe if it was the daughter who was refusing to get married. But what if it is the man who fathered the child? Then what does a true to conservative do?
[P: NOT THE POINT OF THIS COLUMN. HE TOLD AP HE WANTS TO MARRY HER AND WOULD MARRY HER. AND SINCE BOTH OF THEM AND HER PARENTS TOLD US DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT THEY’D GET MARRIED, THEN I GUESS THEY LIED, A BIG LIE. IF THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED IN THE SUMMER, WHY DIDN’T THEY GET MARRIED WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT? A TRUE CONSERVATIVE WOULD HAVE SAID, “YOU TWO ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED, OR IT’S OUT OF MY HOUSE,” AS I NOTED IN THIS COLUMN. I THINK WE KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. IF THEY WERE HONEST THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET MARRIED, THERE’S NO LEGIT REASON WHY THEY HAVEN’T ALREADY DONE SO. DS]

Perpetua on January 21, 2009 at 3:34 pm

I refuse to get worked up over Bristol Palin and Levi “Redneck” Johnston and I am not into the purity of losing as you appear to be (and I do not mean that snarkily (sic) either). Rudy Giuliani had two failed marriages and I would take him over McCain and Obama any day of the week. You play to win.
[R: I SUPPORTED RUDY, WHO NEVER CLAIMED TO BE A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE AS PALIN CLAIMS. AS FOR PURITY OF LOSING, THAT’S THE DEFINITION OF PICKING PALIN AS THE NOMINEE. SHE WILL NEVER WIN THE WHITE HOUSE. AS FOR “PLAYING TO WIN,” WINNING IS GETTING A CORE CONSERVATIVE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. IT’S NOT DUMPING CORE CONSERVATIVE VALUES TO GET A DUMMY IN THERE. THAT’S CALLED LOSING. WE DIDN’T WIN WITH EIGHT YEARS OF BUSH IN THERE. HARDLY A VICTORY. AND HE LOST US THE WHITE HOUSE FOR AT LEAST 8 MORE YEARS. DS]

Ripper on January 21, 2009 at 3:34 pm

Good points, but I do have one question: where did Ann Coulter defend either Bristol or Levi? Unless you know for a fact that she left them out intentionally or have seen her defend them, you’re making stuff up.
The problem with this article is the cattiness. “High Falutin” name? Uncalled for. $150,000 wardrobe? Off point. None of this adds anything to what is otherwise a great article. Instead, it just makes you look small.
Why take that path?
[R: DID YOU READ WHAT I WROTE? I REPEAT: ANN WROTE A COLUMN CALLING SARAH PALIN–THE ENABLER OF SINGLE MOTHER BRISTOL PALIN–THE “CONSERVATIVE OF THE YEAR.” YET ANN WROTE A WHOLE CHAPTER CONDEMNING SINGLE MOTHERS. THIS IS HYPOCRISY. PERIOD. NOTHING CATTY ABOUT POINTING OUT THAT THIS COUPLE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS FOR A PRETENTIOUS, “HIGH CLASS”-SOUNDING NAME, YET THEY ARE SO LOW-CLASS THAT THEY DON’T HAVE THE DECENCY TO GIVE THE KID MARRIED PARENTS. YOU MISSED THE POINT OR DIDN’T ACTUALLY READ THE WHOLE SENTENCE. DS]

RobM1981 on January 21, 2009 at 3:40 pm

Perpetua, there’s always giving up the baby for adoption. That was done in the old days when single motherhood was a source of social shame.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 3:52 pm

Not to beat a dead horse, but the Bush family were never conservatives. The Bush family’s roots were in the Rockefeller wing of the Northeastern GOP Establishment and it was that same country club Establishment which foisted Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bob Dole, G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush and John McCain on us. We can also thank the GOP primary voter – the stupidest, most unimaginative voter in the world with his/her sense of primogeniture succession to the throne (they would probably give us Jeb Bush in 2012 if he would run). Say what you want about the Democrats, at least an unknown (or pretty much unknown) outsider like Obama or Bill Clinton did not have to get in line for the nomination. Also too many Republican voters get fixated on issues such as abortion – a procedure which is never going to be made illegal (again, in my opinion)in America.

Ripper on January 21, 2009 at 3:55 pm

My concern with your comments, Debbie, is that you are assuming that Bristol can control Levi,so therefore it is Sarah Palin who can control the situation.
The sad reality for most unwed teenage mothers is that they would like the guys to marry them, but the guys won’t. So what if it is Levi that lied about getting married and keeps putting it off? That would be the norm.
If the mother of the girl than kicks the girl out of the house, it punishes the girl but has no effect on getting the cad to marry her.
The strongest position that I can imagine the mother of the girl taking is that the girl cannot spend time alone with the boy until they are married. He could still come over to visit her and the baby, but not have sex with her. The girl could then move out so that she can sleep with the guy. Or trust her mother’s judgment and see if the guy decides to get married. This could result in the guy not coming around and not bonding with the baby.

Perpetua on January 21, 2009 at 4:11 pm

As a conservative grandfather of two, I agree with DebbieÔø?s comments regarding Governor Palin and her daughter.
There is no reason these two young adults couldnÔø?t have gotten married prior to the birth of their son. They could have had a small family ceremony and then a reception. And at a later date re-commit their vows at a large wedding with all the trimmings.
I live in the Pacific Northwest and I respect her accomplishment as Governor of Alaska. IÔø?m a committed supporter of Israel and would like to point out that Governor Palin has a flag of Israel in her office. That being said, I was shocked that she accepted Senator McCainÔø?s offer to be his VP. If she really is a conservative and was aware of national politicsÔø?and Mr. McCainÔø?s record she never would have agreed to run with him on the ticket. All you have to do is look at a few of McCainÔø?s positionsÔø?McCain-Feingold and immigration. IÔø?m a great admirer of SenatorÔø?s McCainÔø?s service to our country but I have a problem with his politics. Look at the way he treated his running mate after the election and now heÔø?s President ObamaÔø?s best friend.
With a lot of hard work and study of domestic and foreign policy issues, Governor Palin may in fact have a chance to be the 2012 Republican nominee. She did show her lack of knowledge and experience this time around.
If she does decide to run in 2012, there is no way she has a chance of winning. All you have to do is look at the electoral map and see the end roads Obama made in Republican states. He has a fundraising machine, will not take public financing and the media is too invested in him to not see him re-elected. To have a chance we would need Ronald Reagan and God bless him, heÔø?s not coming back.
Education is certainly important in all walks of life but Emerson wrote, Ôø?Character is higher than intellect.Ôø? I wanted to share an article written by Ray Kerrison titled, Ôø?Thank Best and Brightest for Crisis.Ôø? http://www.nypost.com/seven/12232008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/thank_best__brightest_for_crisis_145511.htm
The arrogant Ms. Couric and her peers didnÔø?t interview and cross-examine one of these Ivy League graduates about their involvement in our current economic crisis.

dances with trout on January 21, 2009 at 4:12 pm

Debbie:
Great post and very consistent with the facts!
To those who found a problem with the post:
Please read it again. Debbie doesn’t do selective ripping of any individual unlike many pseudo-conservatives or Democrats. If you have to agree with Palin on everything and find her behavior just because you “like her”, you’re no different from Obamaniacs who vigorously nod their heads whenever their messiah says anything whether it makes sense or not.

anonymous twit on January 21, 2009 at 4:12 pm

Dances, Sarah Palin is never going to win the White House. All the big GOP names, such that there are left in 2012, assuming Obama – is still popular are going to take a pass. My guess is the party will nominate a nobody who is going to be soundly beaten. The media and the pop culture are on his side. Plus, given that people like Obama the guy, that is a very tough combination to beat. Its going to be eight years, perhaps a lot longer before we see another Republican again in the White House. We have to be prepared for the worst and while its possible Obama will be a black Jimmy Carter, we can’t count on lightning striking twice.

NormanF on January 21, 2009 at 4:26 pm

The liberal media savages Palin’s family, therefore they are public figures?
Or the liberal media savages the Palin family, and they defend themselves, or try to manage the PR, therefore the kids are public figures?
Or should only barren women, or women who aborted all their kids run for office?
Get off Bristol’s back. She doesn’t deserve this.

Smarty on January 21, 2009 at 6:07 pm

Hi Dances with Trout,
You have the best practical answer:
“There is no reason these two young adults couldn’t have gotten married prior to the birth of their son. They could have had a small family ceremony and then a reception. And at a later date re-commit their vows at a large wedding with all the trimmings.”
The problem is falling for excuses and promises and delaying the wedding. If he won’t marry her immediately when the pregnancy is discovered, he is unlikely to marry her later.
So by Sarah Palin falling for the excuses and promises, she set a bad example for other parents who may face the same situation. The right thing to do is:
1) demand the wedding immediately, and
2) say if their is no marriage, the girl may stay at home only if she no longer sees the boy.

Perpetua on January 21, 2009 at 6:10 pm

Unfortunately, you are 100% correct, Ms. Schussel. I’ll say right up front that I am a big fan of Ms. Coulter as well as Sarah, but this is pretty disappointing.
However, since neither of us are privy to the precise inner workings of the Palin family, I am open to a plausible reason why they have not married yet. That may be idealism, but so be it.

Matthew on January 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm

There’s a difference between single mothers and simply “unwed” mothers.
To me the definition of single mother is a mother raising a child ALONE. No boyfriend, no man, no father in the picture, and no extended family either. That’s my personal definition. Alone means “alone” ….you’ve got absolutely no support coming from anyone.
Clearly, that’s not Bristol Palin’s situation.
Bristol Palin isn’t single. She’s engaged. She has a fiancee. You might disagree with the date of the nuptuals, but I don’t see how you can call her “single” when the fiance, the father of her child, is actively involved in the raising, and the planning an upcoming wedding…which isn’t happening soon enough for Debbie Schlussel.
Again, how is it that an engaged woman with a fiance is considered “single” ????

Maxine on January 21, 2009 at 8:37 pm

Hey Debbie: I seem to remember Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davis, shacked-up with Kris Kristofferson, and a variety of other men. Patti Davis openly took drugs, admitted to having abortions etc.
I guess that makes Ronald Reagan a bad role model ???

Maxine on January 21, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Bottom line, these people have to live their own lives–so I don’t care if they wait to get married–I believe they will, but I will be watching to see. The point is, “the hell with tap dancing to please every critic about the timing of the wedding! Where did they say it would be BEFORE the birth?”
I think your pointing out the hypocrisy and inconsistency on being against single moms, as a lifestyle choice that is destroying our society in general–yet naming Palin as some wonder woman is right on.
However, some people (VERY few) actually do make such mistakes (unwed teen pregnancies) and yet live up to old fashioned moral good values. In my business I sign just about as many child support checks as I sign payroll checks–some employees pay for more then one mom!
Yet, I have also seen the RARE decent one who marries his girlfriend and lives out a real commitment/marriage lifestyle.
Palin is/was a weak flash in the pan–good for SNL skits and breathing some excitement into MeCain’s dead campaign. She is through in national politics–but let’s just wait and see if these kids do grow up–get married–and live out a real marriage lifetime commitment. I pray for them that they will. Beyond that–give them some space!
On a related note–I like the upshot of this policy–see this linked article from the Det Newsistan–
Monday, January 19, 2009
Genesee County: Flint dad must wed child’s mom or pay for birth bills
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901190361
and we need more of it! Oh how it enrages the bleeding hearts.

BB on January 22, 2009 at 12:05 am

First of all I am glad there was no abortion and abortion was not an option. I believe no one is above sin and we all succumb to temptations in our lives no matter who we are or what we say. It is those times of struggles and uncertainty that judges our character. As two young high school kids these children succumbed to temptation. They were raised in Christian households and knew what they did was wrong. However, they also did the right thing and did not have an abortion. Remember Obama’s line of “punishing her daughter with a baby” regarding teen-age pregnancy. They are rectifying the situation they are in by raising the child together, so far. I really don’t know why they haven’t gotten married. I also believe a woman shouldn’t be trapped into marriage as some men do to get women with them by pregnancy. Yes there are guys that are so insecure or manipulative that they will get a girl pregnant pressuring her to be with him. And girls and women do the same thing. That will only compound the problem. If the guy is a dolt and she is intelligent why should she waste her life with an idiot? We make mistakes and sometimes we have to assess a problem then make the best decision from those circumstances. I have a good friend who had a similar situation. She had to finally divorce the creep after a child and a failed marriage. She tried to stick it out but he was a LOSER and physically assaulted her. She finally went back to mom and dad and got student loans and got a university degree and is a RN. She makes over $40 hour and her overtime is ridiculous. Her family raised her right, she made a mistake to get pregnant and her ex-husband was a loser, but she had a strong family that loved her and made sure her life would be all right. She was an aberration to single motherhood, but is possible. However her daughter has missed out on what a responsible father is. The daughter won’t understand how important a father is to raise children. She knows from her mother what sacrifice is and how hard a life she had to go alone. Doing it in reverse. Having a child before college.
There is a difference between entrenched, “institutionalized” single motherhood that is a mindset in urban communities or poor rural areas. Many boys and girls in inner cities or poor rural areas dont have fathers. A good father will keep a family in line and make sure they behave. Liberals have enabled more single motherhood by lessening the role of traditional marriage. Liberals will give them a check, Section 8 housing, transportation vouchers, pre-school, healtcare and anything else they want. So what happens is the father is institutionally irrelevant to the woman and her child. The ramifications are a child that isn’t raised by a father and has behavior problems that become societies problems. That is when it matters to everyone because those problems become our problems through higher taxation. Problems Ann mentions. It then get repeated over and over.
If we speak about generalities the Johnston/Palin child should have more behavorial problems. Specifically this child has a good extended family support, live in upscale settings and probably will not suffer the consequences of the average single mother if she goes alone. So I think generally Anne is being a hypocrite, however specifically it may not matter. If the family doesn’t take a public dime then I could care less what they do with their lives. On a societal level it does matter because they can lead others to follow and those followers become delusional they too can have the same results and fail. Which Hollywood stars wrongly portrays to society. Is Sarah Palin a hypocrite for allowing them to live together? I dont think kicking them out or force a “shot gun” wedding is right either. This is their life. Sarah Palin should be concerned her daughter gets higher education regardless of her situation. It might take longer and be tougher for Bristol Palin, but they have the resources to make it happen. I believe if they truly have a loving family those kids will succeed. Single motherhood or teenage pregnancy may not be the optimum but it is not a death sentence either.
Debbie “jealous” of Palin? Please. Put Debbie Obama and Palin on Jeopardy and I would bet the house on Debbie. Debbie v. Michelle Malkin on Jeopardy and that would be tough.

californiascreaming on January 22, 2009 at 1:58 am

I like Sarah Palin, but Debbie is right on this one. Saying, “I’m gonna get married” is like Geithner saying he was gonna pay his taxes. Someone once said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”

Upway on January 22, 2009 at 7:23 am

I think that starting families without being married is the “thing” today. I have two daughters that have families and are not married but instead live with the fathers. The oldest has been with her mate for 9 years and they have three kids, stable jobs, house etc. When asked why they are not married they answer “why get married to just get divorced”. Many of their friends are in the same type relations. Apparently it is something they were preached to about in the school system. Since they file joint returns I imagine they are considered married by “common law”.

BG on January 22, 2009 at 8:24 am

Sarah Palin is a major reason we have Barack Obama as President.
I know of many moderates, some of them Democrats, who didn’t care for Obama–and his relationship to Wright, Ayers, the empty rhetoric–and were leaning toward McCain. However, when McCain picked Palin as his running mate, they lost all confidence in his judgment. They couldn’t justify voting for a 72 year-old candidate when his VP was an ignoramus.
We just had a know-nothing as President and that got us our current socialist, Islamist loving President, who will do all he can to weaken our national security and abandon Israel.
Conservatives without substance, like Palin, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, are the biggest allies the left has; they make it hard to rally middle-of-the-road-types to the right. Debbie Schlussel and Michael Savage tell the truth many conservatives don’t want to hear. Palin is an embarrassment to the values for which conservatives stand. Making heroes of people like her distract and discredit good ideas.

4infidels on January 22, 2009 at 8:27 am

I don’t understand you blaming Sarah. If we judge her values, she’s not a single mother, she’s raising her kids as best she can. She can’t make them do anything. As a father of three I know. You try your best, but they are there own individual. Anne is taking about Sarah. Not her children. You are like Bill Maher. He hates marriage and kids. He will never know how hard it is to raise a child or you for that matter. Following your logic, why not throw all the parents in jail when their kids commit a crime.

Jim on January 22, 2009 at 10:57 am