Last evening Palin's unmarried teenage daughter's pregnancy made the news. This election's getting more and more interesting I thought.

Reading various articles and comment boards today, it's clear there's quite a range of opinion on this particular bit o'news.

While I pretty much side with the view that candidates' kids should be left alone by the media hounds, and should be allowed their own wide-margin of privacy, I also believe that this kind of news does shed light on a candidate and is therefore fair game. It's not really anyone's business what the daughter's planning to do with the baby, or who the father is, or stuff like that.

BUT... for a governor whose idea of sex "education" is only the teaching of abstinence in Alaska schools and who represents at highest level a party known for promoting and boasting of "family values" the whole idea of a pregnant kid seems way out of line. Obviously a parent cannot control everything a kid does, but I do believe that a kid's behavior DOES reflect family and parents.

Some say that kids' actions should not tarnish the parental glow, but why not? If the kids are not within control of the parent, which certainly might be the case, is it not the fault of the parent? I know I may be setting myself up here for the future but I do believe it is. If Palin's in this situation was she not a good enough parent? Where did she lapse? Was she not around when her daughter needed her? Did she not teach her about the birds and the bees? Do we not attribute good things kids do to their parents? If so, why not the less-good things too?

It is fair to ask these things of someone who would be VP.



By the way, did you know that Palin got her passport only last year? Now there's something I wanted to hear: a VP who's well-traveled and familiar with many other customs and ways of life. Both Kuwaiti and German.