Hey, leave those kids alone (unless I need a photo op)
OrangeDood
...unless I need a photo op
Analysis by Ted Anthony
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. - For two days, the chorus from Republicans on TV news
and in the halls of the convention has been resounding: Back off and
let the Palin family be.
Yet Wednesday found the following scenes unfolding:
Sarah Palin's pregnant, unmarried 17-year-old daughter and probable
future son-in-law stood in a nationally televised, politically
packaged airport receiving line to meet and greet the Republican
candidate for president.
The extremely cute and bubbly Piper Palin, 7, made her debut on her
mother's behalf, appearing in a video on John McCain's daughter's
blog. "Vote for my mommy and John McCain," she said, giggling as
Meghan McCain grinned.
Bristol Palin and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Levi Johnston, appeared
together as part of the GOP political narrative at the convention
Wednesday night.
Consider this: On Wednesday morning, a teenage boy from Alaska stood
in a receiving line on an airport tarmac, being glad-handed by the
potential next president of the United States - because he got his
girlfriend pregnant. And TV cameras were lined up in advance.
The mind boggles.
"Either the children are out of bounds, and you don't put them in the
photo ops, or you complain when somebody wants to talk about them. You
can't have it both ways," said John Matviko, a professor at West
Liberty State College in West Virginia and editor of "The American
President in Popular Culture."
"Right now, it looks like they're being used by the campaign more than
the media are using them," he said.
Sarah Palin has asked the media to "respect our daughter and Levi's
privacy as has always been the tradition." Yet Palin has packaged
herself as a PTA member and "hockey mom" - culturally loaded terms
calibrated to evoke appealing images of middle America, the middle
class, exurbia and strong 21st-century family values.
Barack Obama said flatly that the Palin kids should be "off limits,"
but he has engaged in the same thing - though to a much lesser extent.
In July, he and wife Michelle appeared on a four-part "Access
Hollywood" interview with daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Obama
later expressed regret about that decision, saying, "I don't think
it's healthy, and it's something that we'll be avoiding in the
future."
Nevertheless, the Obama girls appeared on stage twice at the
Democratic National Convention last week - once to talk to their
father via video hookup after their mother's speech, and again after
Obama accepted the nomination during the convention's climactic
moment.
But remember: Behind all the political machinations, these contenders
for the country's highest office are human beings and parents. And a
parent is no more infallible than a candidate.
Peach
> Hey, leave those kids alone
> ...unless I need a photo op
To me, *not* the same thing....and all about politics. (Photo Ops vs.
Media Lambasting) Non-issue, on *both* sides. Both candidates need to
create the look of being human...not a big deal.
Peach
PrinceGunter
I think if a candidate is against teaching birth control to teenagers,
and her own frickin' teenager gets pregnant ... then it's certainly
beyond being a "non-issue."
Peach
Gee, I think you're in the wrong thread. But thanks for playing!
Peach
Trevor Zion Bauknight
<3093ba53-3754-438c...@q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Peach <straw...@lpbroadband.net> wrote:
So as long as the media coverage is cute and positive, it's okay, but
let somebody say something about somebody's poor choices, and they're
being vultures. Got it.
--
Trev
NikonNurse
"Peach" <straw...@lpbroadband.net> wrote in message news:3093ba53-3754-438c...@q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Here! Here!
Dysdiadochokinesia
Truth hurts, huh? Your inability to respond speaks volumes.
Peach