Are the attacks on Bristol Palin genuine or political theater?

Question

For myself, I cast no judgement whatsoever on this girl. I was having s*x when I was 17. h**l, I was having s*x at 15. If it were not for the fact that my parents were liberal Roman Catholics who would prefer the "evil" of condoms and explicit s*x education to the evil of abortion I could have easily fathered a child out of wedlock in much the same circumstances. Though I disagree with the Palins' theology, I still do not think they are somehow bad people for believing what they do (about God, anyway).

However, it seems to me that evangelicals (repubicans) have no qualms about casting aspersions and decrying others (e.g. liberals, socialists, muslims etc) as evil. Given that, the opportunity afforded to me as a staunchly anti-right wing ideologue to torment republicans by lashing out at Sarah Palin, through her daughter, has been too sweet to pass up.

This girl's decision to have this baby and her mother's decision to support her kid even as she is being seduced into the spotlight by empty promises of power represents, perhaps the most difficult thing, emotionally, that they have likely had to endure. I agree that as far as the choices that these women make regarding this situation go, it really isn't anyone's business.

However, that doesn't detract from the pure entertainment value of watching republicans squirm as their own intolerance is thrown back in their face.

For me, attacking Bristol Palin is theater. Are there any liberals/left-wingers who see a genuine issue in this Palin scandal? Are there any conservatives out there who truly believe that Bristol Palin somehow represents a moral failing of her mother?

Answer 1

Desperation plain and simple.

Answer 2

I feel no personal need to attack Bristol, but it's just so ironic and funny that the "abstinence only" education didn't work.  It's just like Mark Foley & Larry Craig, hypocrites who would look down on others if a (D) did what they did deserve quite a lot of derision.  Imagine if a 17 year old Obama child were pregnant, we'd hear about nothing else and how he apparently didn't instill family values bla bla bla.  

So yes, I think it's theater.  Liberals don't really care if she has a baby or donates it to science. It's her body and growth and ultimately is for her to deal with.

I hear a resounding HO HO HO coming from the north pole!

Answer 3

Political Theater and an attempt to use whatever they can find to debunk her mother since they have nothing else.

Answer 4

It seems odd that her daughter would risk her mother's career this way. It makes me wonder if Sarah was too trusting or had her head up her hindquarters. Does Bristol have a problem with her mom?

Beyond that, I'd simply say that the American people are being given a choice: Putting teens on birth control to prevent this kind of problem or opposing birth control like McCain/Palin do and have millions of teen girls getting pregnant and not going to college unless they come from rich families who can hire a nanny.

Answer 5

Too bad she wasn't allowed to have any s*x education, thanks to those republican values.

Answer 6

I'm sure a 17 yr old hearing rumors she had s*x with the entire hockey team, is a prostitue & ( the most vile rumor yet) is carring her father's child considers it genuine attacks!

Bristol Palin is a real human being!

It is tought enough for her to be going through such a trying time in the spot light, but to have liberal scum (NOT calling ALL liberals scum)  spreading vile libelous rumors about her.

It is like attacking my child because I attacked you.

- EDIT - King Midas

"She brought it on herself?"

Bristol is 17 yrs old.  She is not running for office.  You can blame her mother (although I think that is sexist) but you can't blaim her!

Answer 7

They need to divert attention from the fact that Obama is the spawn of a Marxist w***e and a Kenyan drunk.

Answer 8

Ok, I am not a fan of attacking peoples kids, but she brought it on herself.  What do people think when they run for the highest office in the land.  These people have people dig up every inch of your life and if there is any dirt they will air it in the media.  If she doesn't like it then she should think about going into another line of work.  Look at the stories about Obama, people think he is a Muslim because his father was one.  In that case I would be a methodist, baptist, catholic, instead I am a non believer.  

Answer 9

There is a genuine issue in my view but I don't condemn or even judge those people's personal life.  I think the very personal nature of some of the attacks are out of line and below my norms and standards, I don't believe I have to sink that low or that would ever serve my cause more than it damages it.

However at the same time like I said there is a real issue in all this. That issue is that the Christean right peddles ideas they can't even practice themselves and standards too high for even the most privileged layers of the population to live up to. Yet they want to force that lifestyle on everyone. That's what this is about in my view.

There is an overpowering element of hypocrisy in the whole affair. The Christian right seeks to impose fundamentalist precepts on the entire American population—by banning abortion, contraception, s*x education, the teaching of evolution, stem cell research, etc. Yet they blithely defend Governor Palin on the grounds that Bristol’s pregnancy (as well as Todd Palin’s drunk-driving charge and similar incidents) are proof that the Palins are just regular folks. As McCain speechwriter Mark Salter declared, “These things happen. This has probably happened to millions of American families.”

It is certainly true that every American family has its issues and problems, immensely exacerbated by the deepening social and economic crisis of the profit system. And that is precisely why tolerance, sensitivity and social support are required, rather than the punitive, moralizing and dehumanizing strictures of those who claim to derive all of the governing principles of society from a literalist interpretation of the Bible.

Answer 10

I think a lot of it is really from the republicans because the more she is attacked for that the more women will come to her aid.  It also distracts from the many real reasons to think she is a bad for america; supporting the bridge to knowwhere, wanting to allow creationism in our schools, wanting to drill in anwar, not believing in global warming, not having any international experience.