"Going Rogue," Sarah Palin, and Bristol's Pregnancy

Emily, I too have been reading the dribbles emerging from the soon-to-be-published Palin memoir. You're right that we mine her for insight on sexual politics, and I was particularly intrigued with the information that the AP published about Palin's reaction to Bristol's pregnancy and the McCain campaign's treatment of that pregnancy. According to the AP article, Palin felt that the statement prepared by McCain's team about Bristol "glamorized and endorsed her daughter's situation." As opposed to what? Debasing and shaming her daughter's situation? Making her into a cautionary tale? The attempt at making Bristol an abstinence spokeswoman who appeared on multiple national morning shows was far more glamorizing than any statements the McCain campaign made on her behalf.

I know how inconvenient a teenage daughter's pregnancy must have been for an anti-choice candidate who supports abstinence-only education. Perhaps public "endorsement" of Bristol's pregnancy would have seemed hypocritical for someone who espouses such socially conservative views. But humanity should win out over hypocrisy any day. Palin's already disputing the AP's summary of her book, so it will be interesting to read the full story on her reaction to the public handling of babygate when it emerges.

 

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Jessica Grose is the managing editor of Double X and the co-author of Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home. Click here to follow her on Twitter.

Comments

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Pro-Choice has many Stances!

By: Liberal Sista | Tue, 11/17/2009 - 16:59

I support a woman's right to make reproductive choices about her owm body. I am PRO-CHOICE.

Here is my stance....

I support SEX EDUCATION in PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Children/teenagers should be taught about being sexually responsible)
I support the use of BIRTH CONTROL PILLS (I believe if a woman wants to be sexually active, but is not ready to conceive, then birth control pills is an excellent option)
I support the use of CONDOMS ( To prevent STI's and the rapid spread of AIDS)
I support a woman's choice to terminate her pregnancy ( If a woman opts not to have a baby, then her Constitutional rights should be protected)
I SUPPORT A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO HAVE HER BABY (because unlike the hypocriticaL social conservatives, I do not mind if my tax dollars are used to sustain the life of a child, by providing them with food and shelter).

So please stop addressing Pro-Choice women as 'Baby Killers.' We are on the side of the Political Party who are advocating more domestic spending to sustain the life of the infants that you've prevented from being ABORTED! The term "Baby Killer" would only be relative is if the baby was carried to a full term, but died due to lack of food and shelter, not provided by the Republican's tax dollars of course!

Pro-abortion vs. anti-abortion

By: kcar1 | Sat, 11/14/2009 - 11:20

I agree with an earlier post that does not accept the label "pro-life" for the broad movement that uses that label because the anti-abortion stance co-exists far too easily with pro-death penalty, pro-war, and even pro-"enhanced interrogation techniques". There are many, many people who are truly pro-life but the movement as a whole is dominated by those who are not.

When it comes down to it, access to abortion is about leveling the playing field when it comes to fertility responsibility. Women have always born a disproportionate burden when it comes to childbearing (apart from obvious physical burden). Men have historically, routinely, and, until the last several decades, very legally refused to take responsibility for children born outside of wedlock and sex very often takes place in the context of a relationship with a big imbalance of power (the woman has limited or no ability to refuse) - so it is a form of structural discrimination against women. Men have long had "sex with no consequences" and there has always been "promiscuity" -- restricting abortion forces women to be the gatekeepers, the only responsible party, and bear of almost all of the burden of both "yes" and "no". The question is then is abortion the right way to level the playing field?

I don't understand why

By: norahc | Fri, 11/13/2009 - 18:07

I don't understand why pro-choice people are so squeamish about being called "pro-abortion". Why say "nobody is for abortions" when, according to the pro-choice crowd, abortion is only a simple medical procedure which harms no one.

Actually

By: Kit-Kat | Fri, 11/13/2009 - 15:14

So-called "pro-lifers" (many of whom support other anti-life policies, which is why I don't accord them the title they claim) call pro-choice people "pro-abortion," which is inaccurate. I don't know anyone who's actively in favor of abortion; rather, they believe it should remain legal and accessible so that women can make their own choice.

Anti-abortion activists also call pro-choice people "baby killers." I have heard them refer to pro-choice people as pro-death, pro-infanticide, and anti-life. Sometimes, they harass and attack abortion providers or women seeking abortions. Sometimes, they kill abortion providers. So, no, I don't think they get the label "pro-life." If you want me to call you pro-life, you also need to be against the death penalty, unjust wars, and torture, at a minimum.

And while it's all well and good that some people who are against abortion are in favor of contraception and meaningful sex education, the movement as a whole is against those things. So they aren't really as interested in reducing abortions as they are in making sure that women who have sex have babies.

anti-choice is accurate

By: pixie superhero | Fri, 11/13/2009 - 14:56

Tokidoki, calling someone "pro-abortion" is the opposite of truthful. You could call someone "pro-abortion-rights" and that would be closer, but no pro-choice person WANTS abortions to happen. (Planned Parenthood does WAY more to prevent abortions than the Catholic Church, or any abstinence-only proponent.) On the other hand, "anti-choice" is quite an accurate description of the people who call themselves "pro-life." They (and you) don't believe that women should have the "choice" to have a legal medical procedure at their own discretion. Therefore, they (and you) are anti-choice. They think the choice should be taken away and the options dictated by the government. What's ironic about the Palin situation is that Palin herself framed her daughter's choice to have the baby as just that - a choice. Which it was. In Sarah Palin's ideal world, NO ONE would have that choice. I don't know how you can frame this as other than "anti-choice."

anti-choice

By: tokidoki | Fri, 11/13/2009 - 14:42

I can't tell you how much I dislike this term. Pro-lifers (well, at least none that I know) don't call pro-choice people anti-life or pro-death. At worst they are called pro-abortion, which I think is at least truthful, if not a very positive spin on it. I'm pro-choice - a woman's choice to choose to have sex, whom to have sex with, to use contraception - I just think that once those choices lead to a new life, it's no longer simply her choice, as it isn't just her anymore. That new being wasn't created by her alone, she had help (a man), and will become a human being in its own right.

Beyond that, I think any mother with a pregnant, teenage daughter, wouldn't want that pregnancy glamourized. It shouldn't be shameful either, but there is a good medium in there. Whatever side of the fence you are on, it's not an ideal situation, but it is life - pregnancy happens - and you deal with it. While I don't think Bristol's pregnancy was handled the best way it could have been, I don't know that there was an easier or better way, in hindsight I'm sure Sarah Palin looks at and wishes things had gone differently. Can't blame her for that.