Guys, who cares whose baby it was?

[OmahaBlueDog]

Barack Obama is more interested in seeing that baby get cradle to grave medical care.

Barack Obama is more interested in that baby having access to collegiate and other educational opportunities, regardless of economic standing

If that baby is a special needs child, Barack Obama is more interested in seeing that counties and cities are funded and have the teachers available to give that baby the education necessary to be as productive as possible in society.

If that baby was born to a teenage mother, Barack Obama is more interested in seeing that single mother get tax relief, assistance with child care, and job training.

Let's focus on what matters.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I don't even know what this baby-talk is really all about....

But I don't really need to - there's plenty of RELEVANT Palin stuff to talk about.

[Labors of Hercules]

16. It's about a lot of things:

honesty, integrity, basic human decency and judgment.

[OmahaBlueDog]

27. OK, taking you at your word...

Basic human decency and judgment: How would it not be decent or human to raise your teenage daughters child.

Honesty and integrity: This, if true, would be a family matter. I thought one of the reasons we all wanted Obama to be President was that we believe in the right to privacy. Should this rumor be true, it's really no one's business but Mom and Daughter's.

[Labors of Hercules]

honesty:

She fabricated a story in order to maintain her standing among social conservatives.

integrity: She counted her own political position greater than the well-being of her family.

decency: she ostracized her daughter, taking her out of school for 4 1/2 months, keeping her at home and refusing to allow her any social interaction because she was pregnant.

judgment: Do I really have to answer this???

[NikolaC]

55. We Don't Even Know If This Is True

I find it strange that some are making these assumptions on little to no evidence. That is something that the Pugs do. We need to leave her kids out of this. It really is no one's business but the Palin family's. If you want to go after her, then it's great to do so on the issues. IMO, this story will be nothing but bad news for the Dems if it is pushed any further. Personally, I hate it when Republicans try to push stories like these, we can do better than to play their game on this one.

[Mojorabbit]

50. It would be a major news story

if it were true and she had lied and we would win the election. Other than that I don't care.

[Life Long Dem]

47. How about McSame's honesty, integrity, basic human decency and judgment.?

I would look at our priorities first.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Thanks. We needed that.

Your thought process very nicely captures what Obama would say.

[DefenseLawyer]

3. What does that even mean?

"Let's focus on what matters" Focus what? Our idle internet chatter? I swear some of you folks give yourselves way too much credit.

[tekisui]

7. Yep.

We can sputter on about whatever the hell catches our eye. Most of the time we are never noticed. Whether we are right or wrong. Sometimes we change a story, but most of the time, this is just for our own amusement. And, I never fail to be amused.

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. Let's direct our idle chatter toward thoughts and activities to help Obama get elected

..instead of gossiping like we're all discussing a copy of "Globe."

[DefenseLawyer]

23. I'm pretty sure you can focus on anything you want.

I haven't taken part in any of the "mommy" talk myself, but the fact that others have doesn't impact my ability to "focus". But I'm sure everyone appreciates your instruction as to the proper use of their spare time.

[OmahaBlueDog]

25. Hey thanks!

You know, if you don't like what I have to say, there's about another thousand threads out there.

[DefenseLawyer]

29. Oh I'm sorry

I didn't realize civil disagreement bummed you out. I will gladly leave your handwringing festival. My bad. Peace.

[OmahaBlueDog]

33. .. and also with you

Peace, that is

[billyoc]

4. I swear, the bloggers from "OK!" magazine are laughing at us.

;(

[JVS]

31. What is this "OK!" magazine of which you speak and what is causing their laughter?

What should we do? Why do you frown?

[demwing]

5. In fact, if it proves to belong to her daughter

it could backfire on the Democrats. Because then Sarah Palin would be the woman that puts her money where her mouth is, politically. She's a mom, willing to sacrifice her career to protect her daughter, and avoid an abortion.

Does anyone really want to debate THAT point?

[DefenseLawyer]

11. Uh, yeah, plenty would.

If she pulled some kind of crazy soap opera stunt like that, the campaign would be over. Maybe fundies would spin in the way you have, but no one in the mainstream would. That is not to say that I think any of this talk is worthy of anything more than, as I have said, idle internet chatter. But it is silly to say that IF it were true it would be a plus for her. Come on now.

[demwing]

18. Well, in 2000 I would have thought it silly

that a no-nothing wannabe redneck could get sent to the Whitehouse TWICE.

[OmahaBlueDog]

22. You don't get it DL

Put yourself in the mind of a "values voter" -- a member of the Evangelical, conservative Christian base. These people believe that any action that prevents an abortion is sacred and heroic. That is how they would spin this if the rumor were true, which I doubt.

[DefenseLawyer]

26. Guess what?

Members of the evangelical conservative christian base aren't voting for our guy. Their "spin" on anything doesn't impact the numbers at all. And certainly their "spin" on what some people choose to post on an obscure (in the big picture) political website is so inside baseball as to literally impact nothing. As I said, you may be giving yourself a little too much credit.

[OmahaBlueDog]

32. Many of them were not organizing or contributing to McSame until this pick

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10419628

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10419710

Evangelicals were not energized until this pick because they did not believe McSame was committed to their values. Now they are convinced. He finally got the long withheld James Dobson endorsement.

Ok, I'm giving myself too much credit and this is all meaningless message board posting. You're reading it. Really -- go read something else.

[JVS]

37. Only the absolute nuttiest fundies would hide the kid's maternity.

this is not the 19th century, not even in Jesusland! It's already the 1950's there.

[OmahaBlueDog]

41. I never said Palin wasn't a nutty fundy, but..

let's just say our families have obviously had different experiences, and leave it there.

[JVS]

42. People wouldn't sympathize with a family that did that anymore

They'd consider it horrible to hide the teenage daughter for months.

[elocs]

13. Yep, potential for a big time backlash. There is more than enough clear evidence

that Palin is not qualified and is a lightweight.

[OmahaBlueDog]

14. Lots of families with pregnant teen daughters have Mom & Dad raise the baby

It's an old story in America. It's like Bill Clinton lying about "that woman." It has no impact on my family or finances.

[demwing]

20. I agree. The worst that could happen

is that she looks like alot of other Americans that have done the same thing through history, and we find ourselves wishing we had back the time we spent following the story.

[JVS]

34. To stand behind the daughter would be protecting. To let the daughter know that she's...

guilty of bringing shame to the family to such a degree that she must be hidden from public for months and the origins of her baby must be made a dark family secret is not protection, it's abuse

[Midlodemocrat]

51. I would. In a fucking heartbeat.

That kind of duplicitous behavior in a family ALWAYS backfires. It speaks volumes about her regard for Bristol, the alleged mom of this baby. In other words, Palin has none. Zip. Nada. Zero.

[fadedrose]

6. I wish Barach was president when I was born

but 70 years ago, he wouldn't have stood a chance. We have progressed!

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. You had FDR

[fadedrose]

17. Yes, and how my father loved him.....

But he was busy getting people out of food lines and sleeping on the streets, and fighting war on two fronts....no time for him to get into education and the other things people need.

Harry Truman was in the process of starting National Health Care of some sort, then Ike came in - Ike was a great man, but the Reps who chose him to run put a cap on all the stuff FDR did and what Truman tried to do. They are still trying to end SS :)

[dkf]

10. Its a mystery to be solved.

People don't like when things seem to make no sense.

[OmahaBlueDog]

19. It's probably just me, but there are lots of other mysteries I'd solve first

Let me ask you this. OK, you solve the mystery and the rumor is true. So what? You don't think millions of American parents haven't done that -- moms & dads, aunts & uncles.

And it's been pointed out here -- this would be a helluva cover up, and there'd be too much chance for a leak.

I'd rather focus on why Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be superb leaders, and why America doesn't need an ill tempered, 72 year old cancer survivor with a barely qualified replacement running America.

[dkf]

24. Look, I don't really care, but its an interesting story.

And basically all she has is an interesting story.

[OmahaBlueDog]

40. Apparantly, you're in good company

I just don't see it.

[dkf]

46. I'm not hot on this trail. I'm more freaked out over how much of a fundie nutcase she is.

[dflprincess]

35. It would be a helluva cover up - but one they could get by with

because who's going to look worse - the parents who tried to protect their daughter or the people who insist on publicly humiliating a teenage girl for having a baby?

[Fearless]

45. It's the little things that make elections...

Dishonesty is dishonesty. She has said already on numerous occasions since Friday (not to mention in AK before that) that the baby was hers. If it's not, and that may be a big if, then we see a serious lack of honesty, which portrayed by the right people and kicked around the MSM will doom the campaign. Underhanded, yes. But the alternative might be her as president... further right than Reagan and appointing SJC justices.

[dflprincess]

49. Given the MSM we have

do you really think it's Palin who would come out looking bad? And even with a different media, there is no way people (outside of the most moralistic fundie nuts) would see this as anything but trying to protect her child. It isn't like she's covering up for her daughter killing a couple people in a 7-11 robbery.

I can't stand the witch, but I don't want to see the daughter put through anymore. Given the family she comes from I'm sure her parents have already made her life miserable enough.

[moxie_1]

53. I don't want to see the daughter put through anymore either

I can't stand the witch, but I don't want to see the daughter put through anymore. Given the family she comes from I'm sure her parents have already made her life miserable enough.

Same here. I'm curious and love a good mystery too, but this analysis isn't innocuous. Not so so much because the rumor that she was pregnant, but using her picture, wherein she looks thick in the middle, as a reason.

Ouch.

Girls that age are so easily and deeply hurt by things like that. It was disgusting when people blew off Chelsea's feelings, and I don't like it much in this case, either.

[Fearless]

54. To consider the daughter's feelings...

If I were her and it were my baby I'd rather be able to live my life and not live a lie. But that's just me. Saying you don't want to put her through any more is like saying that you don't want to put the child of abusive parents through any more by taking them out of their home.

[gravity]

12. The desire to find the easy smoking gun against her

[Bread and Circus]

15. Um...participating in a hoax is aka a lie. We already have 2 liars in the WH

we don't need more.

[OmahaBlueDog]

21. Let's not be naive

Even if it's a lie, it's not a lie that impacts you or your family any more than Bill Clinton lying about cheating on his wife. There's plenty of truth not to like about her. Why not focus on that?

[Bread and Circus]

56. If I killed my dog for shits and giggles it wouldn't affect your family but yet....

it might give you a clue that I'm a sadistic bastard. Or if I liked to bite the heads off of canaries it wouldn't affect your family directly but it might give you some indication I'm not fit for public office. And finally, if my daughter got pregnant and I created an elaborate hoax to cover that up, I'd be a liar and even though it might not affect your family directly, it should give you some indication that I'm not to be trusted.

Sorry mate, but lying matters even if it doesn't "affect me directly".

[OmahaBlueDog]

59. Again, I'll cite the Clinton argument

If you killed your dog or bit the head of a canary, you might be sadistic. You've certainly done harm. You could be Ozzy Ozborne, but I digress. It might make you unfit -- I'd agree with that. Note, however, that public officials blast hell out of deer, pheasant, wild turkey, mountain goats, and bears and -- outside of PETA -- no one raises an eyebrow.

Clinton lied to a Grand Jury about an affair he had. IMHO, the lie never harmed the public. It harmed Hillary and his family, but it was none of anybody else's business (except, possibly Gennifer Flowers). Many Republicans took your view, and impeachment was launched.

If the daughter was raped or abused, and Palin covered it up, then I'll agree, there's an issue. However, if her daughter became pregnant through consensual sex, and the family chose to handle it this way, I don't see how that lie makes her untrustworthy (note: I think she's untrustwrthy for 10 other reasons I can readily think of, but that's merely her politics). It's not like she's lying to cover up criminal behavior, and it's not like she's lying for personal enrichment.

[Bread and Circus]

60. Every time a man (or a woman) lies a piece of the world dies.

[JeffR]

28. It's Jesus's baby.

The Bible tells me so.

[Beregond2]

30. Are you kidding?

A woman who wraps herself in all that Focus On The Family self-righteousness stages an elaborate deception to hide the fact that her unwed teen daughter got pregnant, and you think that is irrelevant? Could she be any more dishonest and hypocritical? Can you imagine if a Democratic woman candidate did that?

[OmahaBlueDog]

38. Honest question: Have you ever listened to FOTF?

They have unwed teen moms on pretty frequently, and they fawn over them because they didn't have abortions.

We are presenting ourselves as the party of healthcare, the party of tax cuts for families, and the party of education. My original point is whay aren't we talking about that instead?

[depakid]

36. That's Kerry and Dukakis talk

How'd that work out again?

[OmahaBlueDog]

39. Kerry and Dukakis were considered weak because they didn't hit back when hit

How are we hit here?

[Fearless]

43. The point is that true or not this "scandal" could potentially undercut their base.

Which could prove very helpful. I'm not saying it isn't underhanded. But I'm willing to accept that if we can get 3-4 liberal judges on the SJC and not ones that will set back civil rights into the 1950's. We don't have to like ourselves for the actions we take but we have to live with the results of inaction if we don't.

[depakid]

44. It was because they didn't forcefully attack and take the offensive

Instead, they thought good people" ought to take the "high road"

-and get rolled.

[Top Cat]

48. We need to stop talking about an innocent baby. Let's get back to the real issues at hand.

Winning the election.

[bananas]

52. Who's the father?

Is her husband the father?
Republicans say the father should pay for care of the baby.
So who's the father?

[Nine]

57. Why would you even speculate on that?

Fine, I know we're not supposed to call people trolls, but I just can't take this anymore. Who are you people who keep hinting at incest? What is your motivation? Do you have any reason to think that? I think the official Palin story is a crock, but I'm basing my opinion on actual facts, not pulling things out of thin air.

[CarbonDate]

58. People who read Enquirer.

Or People magazine. People who are concerned about Brad and Angelina's baby. Or Anna Nicole's baby.

In other words, a hell of a lot more people than any of us would prefer to imagine. But also people who vote.

It matters, whether we care to admit it or not.