Oh, for fuck's sake.

[apocalypsos]

To rebut rumors, Palin says daughter, 17, is pregnant.

This stupid bullshit makes my head hurt.

A few things:

a.) I don't believe the conspiracy theory that Governor Palin's youngest child is actually her grandchild. Granted, she seems to have been a really skinny seven-months-pregnant woman, and I know American politics is a really dumb soap-opera-in-progress, but STILL.

b.) Having said that, that means that Governor Palin got on a plane to fly back to Alaska from Texas while leaking amniotic fluid during the last stages of a very high-risk pregnancy. Her husband's excuse? "You can't have a fish picker in Texas." I hate that it's a personal situation that I'm pointing at here, and yet there is nothing about any of the decisions involved in that situation that is NOT profoundly moronic.

c.) Having said all of THAT, Bristol Palin being pregnant NOW does not actually do much to rebut rumors that she might have been pregnant THEN. Quite frankly, considering the pro-life movement usually has no problem implying that teen moms are sluts, you'd think they would realize that acknowledging she's pregnant now might make people suspect it actually lends credence to the theory. (Note: It doesn't.)

d.) "The despicable rumors that have been spread by liberal blogs, some even with Barack Obama's name in them, is a real anchor around the Democratic ticket, pulling them down in the mud in a way that certainly juxtaposes themselves against their 'campaign of change,"' a senior aide said. Yes, because if the Daily Kos presents this theory, it obviously means that Obama's campaign has something to do with it. Say, when can we go after McCain's campaign for all of those blogs that imply that Obama is a secret explosive Muslim candy bar born in twenty-seven different countries?

e.) Why am I even talking about this poor kid? She's obviously been through enough crap. God, I'm starting to hate this election.

Comments

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Quite frankly, considering the pro-life movement usually has no problem implying that teen moms are sluts

Oh, the ones who get abortions are sluts. Bristol's keeping the baby and marrying the father, so it's all good.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, you're right. I forgot.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Somehow though, something tells me things would be viewed slightly differently were Bristol non-white. Just a hunch!

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

I'm also wondering how this will play with the "family values" folks who declared THE END OF THE WORLD when Jamie Lynn Spears turned up preggo.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, but it's okay, see, because Governor Palin is their Great Vaginal Hope!

... oh, God, I did not just call her that. *headdesk*

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

The amazing thing about this is that, while it was just the liberal blogosphere attacking her daughter, I really did feel for Sarah Palin, having her kids thrust into the spotlight in such blatantly cruel ways.

Now I fucking hate everyone.

GREAT JOB, EVERYONE.

Is it November yet? I just want to fucking vote for Obama and then hide out until everyone stops sucking quite so much.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I know, right? I felt bad for Governor Palin before this story came out. Now I'm just like ... ugh.

There's also the added UGH that's my complete inability to imagine my mother accepting a vice-presidential nomination if she knew I was going to be thrust into the national spotlight during a very difficult time like a teen pregnancy. The fact that she knew and still accepted the nomination skeeves me out.

Two months. GOD.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

I don't feel bad for anybody but that's because I don't like "pro-lifers."

There's also the added UGH that's my complete inability to imagine my mother accepting a vice-presidential nomination if she knew I was going to be thrust into the national spotlight during a very difficult time like a teen pregnancy. The fact that she knew and still accepted the nomination skeeves me out.

Yeah, that's messed up. o_O

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, I think that's the only moment I've felt for her during this entire process, aaaaand then she managed to ruin it.

[minaloush.livejournal.com]

well, she might not have known. which would be both hilarious and sad - can you imagine trying to get up the nerve to tell your mom you're pregnant, then she suddenly surprises you with the vp thing? jesus.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Republican presidential candidate McCain was aware of Bristol Palin's pregnancy before he chose her mother for his running mate, the aide said.

So unless Bristol told him before she told her mom ... ;)

[fyrdrakken]

There's that, and there's the bit I ran across in this morning's reading claiming she went back to work three days after having this most recent baby. Neither one is really impressing me with her credentials as a mother, or her ability to juggle high-pressure job with her family's needs.

And god, do I ever sound like one of those "a woman's place is at home with her children" misogynists. But there's something especially bothersome about someone playing the pro-life "hockey mom" decent conservative family values card while doing shit like that...

[rosetapestry.livejournal.com]

... My head hurts.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yours and mine both. *passes you aspirin*

[rosetapestry.livejournal.com]

*takes three*

*goes off to find a dark corner somewhere*

[titti]

c) Only if you can't count. If she's due in Oct. and pregnancy is still 40 weeks, she got pregnant middle of January, so she couldn't have given birth in April. *g*

[rosetapestry.livejournal.com]

The yahoo article says she's due in late December... cutting it close on the timeline.

[titti]

I was reading CNN and said October, but then they have their math wrong if she's 5 months along. *g*

Even if she's due Dec 31, it's put the 40 weeks in late March. Add to that, that you can't even get pregnant for a month after giving birth - in fact, you aren't even supposed to have sex for 6 weeks(and having had 2 kids, I don't think you want to) - it'd be a pretty moronic claim to make.

Being politics, I'm sure it will be raised anyway. *g*

[frito-kal.livejournal.com]

c) The report says she's 5 months along - assuming that's 20 weeks, she got pregnant in April or at latest May. Still doesn't allow for her to have had a baby in May, but she's not due in October - if she's 5 months along now, she'd be due in December or January.

[titti]

Yeah, definitely a Snafu from CNN. I realized after I posted. I'm being told that Yahoo says late Dec is the due date.

[frito-kal.livejournal.com]

It's still (in theory) possible for her to have had one baby and then another, but much much MUCH less likely.

(Assuming she really is 5 months along)

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Not really. It'd be cutting it close, but she could still have pulled it off. And that's if they're not fudging how pregnant she is. (Which, if the family were covering up the original pregnancy, isn't much of a stretch.)

Of course, that assumes that the entire situation isn't batshit stupid. :)

[titti]

We'll go with the batshit stupid justification, because I can't see ANYONE taking that seriously, but obviously they did or it wouldn't be addressed this quickly.

Good to see that politics always confirm my cynicism no matter what happens.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, just wait. If McCain gets elected and Bristol's overdue, we get to do this all over again right around the time of the inauguration! *headdesk*

[titti]

You know, I feel sorry for the kid who not only has to deal with a kid of her own, a marriage (because she's now getting married), but also the news and stupid people.

If McCain gets elected, he won't give a fuck about the rumors (and that applies to all politicians).

[frito-kal.livejournal.com]

I can't stop laughing. This is the best election EVER.

(it's that sort of disturbed oh god I knew this was going to happen train wreck laugh.)

[hamadryad.livejournal.com]

Friended you because "I can't stop laughing" + your icon = WIN.

[frito-kal.livejournal.com]

At first I thought I'd used this one, which would've been possibly either WAY more or a whoooole lot less appropiate.

[hamadryad.livejournal.com]

Abstinence-only sex-ed in action, too.

[notrafficlights.livejournal.com]

Wait, you're only starting to hate it now? I don't even live in your country and I hate this bullshit.

In other news, lol, that marriage will totally last the test of time, I'm sure. She's been through a lot of crap but from the sounds of it, she's got piles and piles more to go.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was going to change that line but I decided to give myself a little leeway.

[ghostrunner7.livejournal.com]

You're only starting to hate this election?

[vivien]

Oh. My. God.

This shit is messed up.

[supesfan88.livejournal.com]

Ok, help a Politically ignorant Canuck here......what's the big deal?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Governor Sarah Palin, the woman John McCain picked for his vice-president, has five kids, including a teenage daughter and a newborn with Down's syndrome. Daily Kos (and some other liberal blogs, although that's the only one I've seen) theorized that it was a cover-up and that the newborn was actually the teenage daughter's secret baby. They have some anecdotes that sound questionable and a series of candid public photos taken of Governor Palin during her pregnancy that don't show her gaining any weight (or at least not making it very evident ).

Governor Palin then threw out the news that her teenage daughter is five months pregnant (and marrying the father). It makes it almost impossible for the daughter to have been the birth mother, unless you're really, REALLY pushing it. (But, if you love the conspiracy enough and believe they'll lie about anything up to and including the daughter's current state of pregnancy, it's possible. Barely, but still.)

[supesfan88.livejournal.com]

So...basically everyones nuts because she's a prolife republican tipper gore, and censor lovin and has a daughter thats unwed, teenaged and pregnant slong with a mystery child whos only a few months old?

It's called Hypocrisy - Where would politics be without it?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, there's also this line in the article:

"Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said."

So according to her mom, she gets a choice but nobody else's daughter should. Interesting, huh? *eye roll*

[supesfan88.livejournal.com]

so, I got it right -- basically she's (as is the republican party) a big FLAMING HYPOCRITE...*you have no idea how much I wanted to write lesbian :D*

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, the choice was probably adoption vs. keeping it, but at the same time, how many people get that choice even if they do decide to carry it? When you're young and poor and against aborting your baby, where's the help for you if you want to keep it? Oh, no, sorry, you welfare whore, there's a nice Christian family who'd like your baby!

Ugh. *headdesk*

[supesfan88.livejournal.com]

T'is true. We need more prolifers in the big houses.

[suaine.livejournal.com]

Okay, so the idea is that if the daughter had a baby that was pre-screened to be afflicted with Down Syndrome, no father in sight and herself being sixteen years old, the Palins would much rather instigate a huge cover-up to pass the baby off as the grand-mother's?

What are the bloggers smoking? We all know that a good portion of pro-lifers, anti-gayers and general fuckwads only like to believe abortion is evil when other people are doing it. The daughter could not be her little brother's mother, not because of math and current state of her uterus, but because if she'd been pregnant then? That kid would so not have been born. I would bet my soul on it.

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

Bristol.

She called her daughter Bristol.

Okay. I just hope she never watches a Carry On film. Come to think of it, that's probably not too likely, so we're good.

From CNN:

[pescivendolo.livejournal.com]

Palin backed abstinence education
Posted: 02:00 PM ET

(CNN) – Sarah Palin, who announced on Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, indicated during her run for Alaska governor that she was a firm supporter of abstinence-only education in schools.

In a 2006 Eagle Forum questionnaire, Palin indicated that she supported funding abstinence-until-marriage education programs instead of teaching sex-education programs.

"Explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," Palin wrote in the conservative group’s questionnaire.

That's all I have to say.

Re: From CNN:

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I will give credit, though -- from what I've seen at various links, most schools in Alaska do teach comprehensive sex-ed.

On the other hand, if that's what the poor girl goes home to ...

Re: From CNN:

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

the schools in the cities probably do. the schools in the villages? not so much.

and teen pregnancy is RAMPANT in the villages. but there, it isnt really a big deal. either you raise your baby and try and finish school, or a family member raises it.

Re: From CNN:

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. Boy, that sounds like fun. *sigh*

Re: From CNN:

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

oh, lemme tell you, it is a blast. in a school of 200 kids - half of which were elementary, there were usually 2 or 3 girls who were pregnant. and thats not counting the girls who already have babies.

but really, in the village, it's NOT a big deal. if you dont want it, a family member will adopt it. if you do, then you can usually get help to take care of it while you do school.

keep in mind, it's a totally different world in the villages. most kids dont leave. and if they do leave, they go to another village, not to Anchorage or anything. most of the time, a diploma isnt really NEEDED unless you want to work for the school.

i can think of 1 girl who was upset to get pregnant, but everyone else just shrugs and goes on. it's a weird place.

[frogmajick.livejournal.com]

I really wish that I could dismiss this as 'none of my business' because Bristol Palin's sex life, lack of, and/ or pregnancy shouldn't be my business. I'm not her parent, I'm not a resident of Alaska, and she's one of thousands of teenage unwed mothers.

However, considering Mrs. Palin seems to think my reproductive system is her business and the business of the state, I can't find it in me to feel bad for her when this hit so close to home.

Between the party, the media, and her mom's political position, I'm deeply concerned about what, if anything, Bristol Palin has gotten to make a free choice about.

[angry-geologist.livejournal.com]

One part of me feels dreadful for these kids- Bristol didn't ask for all of this, and to some extent, neither did her mother. Unexpected pregnancies are tough things to deal with, and I do respect her choice to keep the baby (jury's still out on the shotgun wedding), and I hope the choice was hers to make.

The other part of me is going, "Well, what did you expect?"