if sarah palin were a man . . .

In the interest of fairness, I say that I am a political liberal, that I have rarely voted for a Republican candidate in an election, and that I am inspired by Barack Obama. Yet I look at the McCain-Palin ticket and find that I, well, I don't hate them.

Sarah Palin is someone with whom I disagree on issues that are extremely important to me. Yet she is my age and I admire how far she has come. She has a big family, and she has a special needs challenge. I have a great deal of respect for what I know of her personal choices, even though they may not be the same choices I would have made. She is coming under criticism for running for vice-president when she has five children, one with special needs and one a teenager with a baby on the way. "What kind of mother is she?" I've heard. I confess that it is difficult for me to understand why a mother with such a young child would want to be thrust into such a time-intensive job--but her current job as governor is probably just as time-intensive, so perhaps there won't be much change.

If Sarah Palin were a man, no one would be saying anything about it. How many men have run for vice-president and been criticized on the basis of how their campaign or possible seating in the position would affect their children or their parenting? If Sarah Palin were a man, her family's challenges would be a source of admiration for her wife.

This does not make me want to vote for McCain-Palin. However, it makes me nervous about listening to the Democratic challenges to her fitness to govern. If we attack her as a mother, then we cloud the issues that are significant to the nation.

if Sarah Palin were a man, this would be a non-issue.