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PoliticsDaily’s ‘Woman Up’ Blog Attacks Sarah Palin’s Parenting Skills

by Tommy Christopher | 1:07 pm, November 19th, 2010

» 36 comments

Seeking to make hay out of Willow Palin‘s Facebook misadventure, among other things, Bonnie Goldstein, Editor of Politics Daily’s “Woman Up” blog, writes that the Palin teens “lack supervision,” and that “Sarah Palin may want to budget a companionable nanny for the older children.”

While we predicted that some would level this attack, it seems counterintuitive that a blog devoted to women’s issues would not only see the Palin kids as fair game, but would then perpetuate the sexist notion that parenting is the sole purview of the mother. Todd Palin’s name never comes up.

Goldstein begins by describing Palin’s team of advisers (husband Todd does rate a mention here), then goes in for the kill:

As long as she’s hiring, Palin may want to budget a companionable nanny for the older children. (The Palins’ youngest, Trig, and his baby nephew, Tripp, presumably have paid child care.) Eldest daughter Bristol has said she is lonely in Los Angeles while she’s away from home dancing and practicing with no family around to look out for her, and back in Wasilla (notwithstanding the attention from next-door neighbor Joe McGinnis), Bristol’s 16-year-old sister, Willow, doesn’t seem to have much supervision either.

She goes on to explain the TMZ-reported Facebook chat heard ’round the world, but doesn’t mention the headline-making slur. (She characterizes it as “ill-considered and hurtful things about the sexual history and/or weight of other posters.”) Why bury the lede there? Would it have distracted too much from the portrait of Sarah Palin as maternal failure, and villain of the piece?

In what has to be an unintended irony, Goldstein prefaces her account of the Facebook feud by saying, “The unedited, unscripted moments of a 16-year-old grizzly baby are best left out of the spotlight.”

Whatever your beliefs about Sarah Palin as a politician, or a media figure, she’s never applied for the job of America’s Mommy. Even the members of the press who belonged to the supposed left-wing cabal that was “Journolist” agreed that this line of attack was off-base and off-limits. Ezra Klein, founder of the controversial listserv, said in a Journolist email, “By all accounts she’s a wonderful mother, and devoted to her fifth son. Leave this be.”

Whether you support Palin or not, especially if you don’t, attacks like these only serve to buttress the former Alaska Governor’s case that the vicious “lamestream media” is out to get her. To quote Jon Stewart, “Don’t make me feel sympathy for the Palins.”

Note: Tommy Christopher also writes for Asylum.com, which is owned by Politics Daily parent AOL, and was also a founding contributor to Politics Daily.

Seeing 2012 From My Window

I’m disgusted by you libs. Do you REALLY want us to start taking stock of your parenting skills?
roxsteady

You’re kidding right? This hillbilly trash has brought all of the negative publicity on themselves. Let’s start with Todd who’s child rearing skills have resulted in his early grandfather status. Palin has been whoring her children for a national audience since she hit the stage. And the minute one of them steps in it, she becomes the victim? Now Bristol is whoring herself on tv for coin and the minute it’s pointed out that she’s being out danced and out classed, she becomes the victim? Notice the pattern? You can say what you want about the President and the First Lady but, they would never allow their daughters to be exploited for money on some tacky tv show. The Palins are hillbilly hooples!
stoogedudes

ENOUGH ABOUT SARAH PALIN!!

Can we just stick to criticizing her poltics and not her personal life or her family?

I will say this, she seems to be a lot better a parent than a lot of people I’ve seen in my lifetime. I know PoliticsDaily is a political website, but if they are looking to criticize someone’s parenting skills, may I suggest Dina Lohan, or perhaps Britney Spears?
Seeing 2012 From My Window

Speaking of disgusting liberals, enter Box of Rox!
SWWT

I’m sure your family would look great under a microscope, roxsteady. (I know mine wouldn’t, realistically speaking.)

Just give them a break, parenting is hard and there’s no perfect way to do it. You might want to try it some time.

Also, stop making me feel sympathy for Sarah Palin!
Harry Flashman

roxsteady said:

“You’re kidding right? This hillbilly trash………”

So, she’s not from the hallowed ground of New York or Chicago or California and is a “hillbilly”? And Bristol Palin is a whore for coin because she’s in DWTS? Your statement drips with the hatred and hypocrisy that makes the left look like fools, bubble-wrapped hypocrites that point and squeal first and think later, if at all.

Does that make all the women who are on DWTS whores? Or just Bristol? Is Palin the only politician to “whore” her kids on the national stage when running for office? Or has every politician in modern times done it, left and right? They’re all bad parents, right?

More pathetic, nut-scratching, navel gazing deep thought from the left.

Gak.
lane

Wow. I actually read the article and the venom and verbal attacks were incredibly childish, condescending, trivial and ugly. We all know people like Bonnie, there own lives are a mess, and they attack others. The Palin kids are ADORABLE, trig’s smile lights up a room. Give me a break.

The worst thing the media violates is talking about kids. Kids are OFF LIMITS. When Chelsie Clinton was mocked on SNL, everyone but SNL knew it was just wrong and vicious. She needs to ‘woman up’, apologize, and stop judging woman. How ironic and disgusting.
gobarbara

The problem is…that she is so incredibly self-rightous and puts everything down – two pages in her book insulting the kids on American Idol! The reason people are uncomfortable is because of her hypocrisy of shoving her kids in our faces and then complaining about it. Most people who are flawed or have had issues to handle in their lives are compassionate and self-effacing because they know what it is like to deal with stuff. But she thinks she walks on water, and that is what people are appauled at.
Just4thefax

Fact: Liberals are scared that Britol will win it all and have fashbacks of Sarah coming close to being Vice President.
Fact: Liberals still bouncing off the walls about the Palin family!
DonnaK

gobarbara, I think that because she is so incredibly self-righteous, that is why people are questioning her parenting skills. If she had made an attempt to protect her kids like most politicians do, then she would have something to complain about. It just seems like she has to have a foe to deal with, and if she doesn’t she makes up something. To most people her behavior and her families are just appauling for people that want a serious run at the White House.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dona-Barone/1060506711 Dona Barone

The problem is…that she is so incredibly self-rightous and puts everything down
______________________________
I think therein lies the rub.

$arah is all about conservative christian values such as parenting and loving neighbors, etc…….her kids are a train wreck.

Unwed pregnancies, Military service OR jail time, drinking, potty mouths, obsessed with designer clothing and freebies, thinking that any opinion is merely jealousy about them being nouveau riche…..these kids aren’t on any righteous path…they barely go to school.
Tommy Christopher

Seeing 2012 From My Window said:
I’m disgusted by you libs. Do you REALLY want us to start taking stock of your parenting skills?

What “you libs” are you talking about? The only liberals mentioned in this article defended Palin.
SWWT

gobarbara said:
The problem is…that she is so incredibly self-rightous and puts everything down – two pages in her book insulting the kids on American Idol!

Because she does it…. we should do it too?

Look, if you were a parent and you had the media and people on the internet monday morning quarterbacking your parenting decision (regardless of whether your parenting decisions were right or wrong), would you find it reasonable to complain about it?

Once again, please stop making me feel sympathy for Sarah Palin.
paulmdoro

Seeing 2012 From My Window said:
I’m disgusted by you libs. Do you REALLY want us to start taking stock of your parenting skills?

This “lib” agrees that it is wrong to bash Palin’s parenting skills or Bristol’s appearance on DWTS.
stoogedudes

paulmdoro said:
This “lib” agrees that it is wrong to bash Palin’s parenting skills or Bristol’s appearance on DWTS.

This one too.
paulmdoro

stoogedudes said:
This one too.

Oh my gosh. That’s like a whole handful of “libs” who side with Palin on this. Michelle’s head is going to explode. Not all liberals bash Palin on all things all of the time.
Jelperman

I saw this on Twitter:

“Willow Palin’s homophobic slurs aren’t her fault. She’s just lashing out because she’s 16 and hasn’t been able to conceive yet.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

Know what the difference is between Sarah Palin’s mouth and vagina?

Only some of the things that come out of her vagina are homophobic or retarded!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lars-Svensen/100001028197161 Lars Svensen

PoliticsDaily is much like limpy TPM. They both constantly fret & fume that Sarah Palin supporters are openly straight.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Westover/1496648721 Tony Westover

*LOL* Calling someone a faggot makes your parents bad now somehow? What if you’re the parent of someone who had an abortion? Does that make them a saint?
Big_F-ing_Deal

If Sarah Palin is going to question the First Lady on her patriotism people shouldn’t complain when people question her parenting skills.

She is a reality show star now and that’s WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FAMILY ON A REALITY SHOW!!!
(EXAMPLES: Lohans, Kardashians, Osbournes, Gosselins)
paulmdoro

Big_F-ing_Deal said:
If Sarah Palin is going to question the First Lady on her patriotism people shouldn’t complain when people question her parenting skills.

This is a good, fair point. Each should be out of bounds.
Big_F-ing_Deal

Also, how come the three Palin girls have fat faces when their parents have such nice cheek bones.

Do chubby cheeks skip a generation?
LibertySister

I say we start commenting on Obamas little girls and there looks.
I wonder how the left would freak out and change gears on that…

I know the left and the jokers on SNL and other loved liberal shows attacked the Bush daughters and called them names.
But Always the same with you liberals… attack everything you can about the person and the family but skip the policy discussion.
Seeing 2012 From My Window

TC says:

What “you libs” are you talking about? The only liberals mentioned in this article defended Palin

Rox, Donna, BFD
Seeing 2012 From My Window

Paul,
When I said Libs, what I meant was whenever someone IS questioning her parenting, it’s a lib, not that ALL libs are doing it. I do appreciate that some of you are sane.
Seeing 2012 From My Window

Personally, If the first lady says for the first time in my adult life I’m proud of my country, I think she opened herself up for the criticism. No?
avoidswork

LibertySister said:
I say we start commenting on Obamas little girls and there looks.I wonder how the left would freak out and change gears on that… I know the left and the jokers on SNL and other loved liberal shows attacked the Bush daughters and called them names.But Always the same with you liberals… attack everything you can about the person and the family but skip the policy discussion.

What is the relevance/context of your comment? More people (including those referenced in the article) determined the Palin kids are OFF limits, not on.

Yet your (Palin-like) grammar suggests attacking the Obama girls. WTFrak?

BTW, Malia and Sasha are not posting poor grammar, tasteless stuff on FB like the Palin girls are. In addition, neither are on TV exploitation rounds such as DWTS or SP’sAlaska.

My guess is that MamaGrizzly Michelle has taught her girls better than that. Like turn the other cheek and ignore the stupid stuff people say about your family.
bundesheer

LibertySister said:
I say we start commenting on Obamas little girls and there looks.
I wonder how the left would freak out and change gears on that…

I know the left and the jokers on SNL and other loved liberal shows attacked the Bush daughters and called them names.
But Always the same with you liberals… attack everything you can about the person and the family but skip the policy discussion.

Because that has never happened right? BECK YOU MORON. And don’t pretend you don’t listen to him religiously. All rednecks do.
sarainitaly

roxsteady said:
Let’s start with Todd who’s child rearing skills have resulted in his early grandfather status. Palin has been whoring her children for a national audience since she hit the stage. And the minute one of them steps in it, she becomes the victim? You can say what you want about the President and the First Lady but, they would never allow their daughters to be exploited for money on some tacky tv show. The Palins are hillbilly hooples!

So, I assume this means you also disagree with Obama’s grandmothers parenting skills, since Obama’s mother was unwed and 17 when she got pregnant with Obama?

I assume this means you believe Obama has been whoring out his daughters, since they were paraded on the national stage all during the campaign?

I think you mean to say that the Obama’s exploited their daughters by allowing them to appear on national magazine covers, and appear in interviews with tacky shows like “Access Hollywood”.

So…. you saying the Obama’s are hillbilly hooples, too?

You’ve called the Palin girls whores – should we call Obama’s mom a whore?
http://www.mediaite.com/online/sarah-palin-would-like-president-obama-to-grow-a-pair-of-cojones/#comment-108163

Tommy asks what Libs? Libs like these:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/willow-palin-should-not-be-attacked-for-calling-someone-fggot-on-facebook/#comment-216881
sarainitaly

Bonnie Goldstein should be ASHAMED of herself. What a gutter worthy piece of junk that article was.
Pablo

bundesheer said:
Because that has never happened right? BECK YOU MORON. And don’t pretend you don’t listen to him religiously. All rednecks do.

Bullshit. Cite it.
Jelperman

LibertySister said:
I say we start commenting on Obamas little girls and there looks.
I wonder how the left would freak out and change gears on that…

I know the left and the jokers on SNL and other loved liberal shows attacked the Bush daughters and called them names.
But Always the same with you liberals… attack everything you can about the person and the family but skip the policy discussion.

I say we on the left start commenting on your piss-poor spelling -it’s their not there, moron. The reason Bush’s daughters were ridiculed is that they got caught using fake IDs to buy booze, then tried the “Do you know who I am?” act with the cops. Obama’s daughters, like Chelsea Clinton, are well-behaved.
Harry Flashman

Big F-ing Deal asked:

“Also, how come the three Palin girls have fat faces when their parents have such nice cheek bones.”

Isn’t their grandmother an Eskimo or other native American? Don’t Eskimo or Innuit women generally have rounder faces? Thinking things through again, I see.
Sunnyr

What a crock of luke-warm horse shit! Progressives/Liberals don’t NEED parenting skills because they ABORT their babies before they even have a chance at life. And the ones that don’t ABORT raise pathetic trash like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Kim Kardashian. STFU about Sarah Palin’s parenting skills, you ignorant twit, unless you can prove how great YOUR kids are! Effing asshole!
timcajun

stoogedudes says:

ENOUGH ABOUT SARAH PALIN!! I agree!

Can we just stick to criticizing her poltics and not her personal life or her family? What politics and yes, get the brats off the tv and stop promoting them!

I will say this, she seems to be a lot better a parent than a lot of people I’ve seen in my lifetime. I know PoliticsDaily is a political website, but if they are looking to criticize someone’s parenting skills, may I suggest Dina Lohan, or perhaps Britney Spears?

Dina Lohan, is she running for office and wants to be a fake christian? Spears, didn’t she have a teen whore that got knocked up also? Before the sheep follow, make sure they are worth following and yes there are some conservatives that are good choices!
alex020588

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