Sarah Palin and the Politics of Motherhood

Posted by Danielle Bean in News on Saturday, August 30, 2008 3:05 PM

After John McCain’s announcement of Sarah Palin as his running mate yesterday, I followed discussions of the news with great interest—particularly those among Catholics.

The observations about the Sarah Palin nomination that I found most interesting were those that had nothing at all to do with abortion, the environment, gun control, the war, or typical politics of any kind. They were the ones that had to do with motherhood. More specifically, whether a mother of five children, one of whom is still an infant, has any business seeking the vice presidency.

A mom in the combox at InsideCatholic shares these thoughts:

My torn feelings come from the fact that she’s the mother of a baby not even a week older than my own four month old, and a baby with far more needs. And while I’m sure her husband is extremely devoted and capable, the next few weeks…and years, if she’s successful ... are going to be extremely difficult for that family. It’s a huge price to pay for making the McCain ticket more palatable to Christians and conservatives.

And Steve Skojec has similar reservations:

For someone who is so pro-life, why is she a governor-going-on-VP? She’s got young kids. Politics is a profession for workaholics, especially once a candidate is on the campaign trail. If she really is still breastfeeding, she won’t be for long! Why is this a good idea and how does it reflect positively on her family values?

In answer to a naysayer on her blog, Elizabeth Foss shares these observations:

I can’t imagine being Vice President. I can’t even imagine being the managing editor of a magazine, working from home, any more. And you know, I can’t imagine running a lacemaking business from my home either. But Zelie Martin did. And she will be canonized a month from now. I can’t imagine being a busy doctor while caring for several young children. But St. Gianna Molla did.

and Erin Manning points out that

the angry feminism that pits mothers against their children might benefit from seeing an example of how it is possible to take an active role in the world without neglecting the most important role of all, that of motherhood.

Finally, and most surprising of all, is that some of the disgruntled women who had their hearts set on Hillary Clinton as Obama’s running mate, are stepping up in support of Palin, despite their disagreement with her politics. From the HillaryClintonForum.net message board:

I am so thrilled with this choice, particularly because we need to end the sexism in the media and in politics. She is an amazing role-model not only for our children, but a standard bearer for women. She is the woman balancing career and family. She is the woman who has taken on the “old boys’ network” and challenged the status quo. I don’t agree with her on pro-choice, but I admire that she walks the talk and the personal values she displays.

What do you think? Without getting into the politics of Obama vs McCain, how should we feel about a mom running for the vice presidency?

Ladies, we are waaaaay off-topic here and this entry is old by now. Let’s keep talking in our more recent entries!

image credit: Creative Minority Report

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