Palin does not present herself as the exception, but as the rule

Terry Morris writes:

Here’s what I said this morning at another site on the subject of Sarah Palin and absentee momism (although I’m quickly growing weary of defending myself and others against these unfounded accusations against us):

[W]ho is saying that in order to be a good mother, Sarah (and all other mothers out there) has to be hovering over her children 24/7? I’m not saying that, and I would never say that.

But it ain’t like she’s working on the family farm here. She’s a high profile politician, which is something altogether different. Even as governor of Alaska she probably had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of quality time with her family. But as VP? Sure, she has her husband and her extended family who can look after the younger children while she’s fulfilling her duties as vice president, but children need their mother’s influence, on a personal level and on a regular basis, just like they need their dad’s.

Now, some are going to argue that she’s the exception. But one of the underlying points in her speeches is that she shouldn’t be the exception; that absentee career-momism ought to be more prevalent in our society because she and other career moms like her are the shining examples that women can accomplish, and be wildly successful at both.

I would add further that Palin does not qualify this position in any way, for example, by saying that certain women are both exceptionally gifted politicians and business executives and very good at dividing their time between family responsibilities and work-related responsibilities. No; the message is that all or most women are talented and gifted in these ways, but that the “glass ceiling” has prevented our realizing this. But not to worry, it’s about to be shattered, which will allow the brilliance of the light to shine through dispelling the haze we’ve all been operating in for hundreds of years with the glass ceiling still in place.

LA replies:

This is such an important point that I want to repeat it:

Now, some are going to argue that she’s the exception. But one of the underlying points in her speeches is that she shouldn’t be the exception; that absentee career-momism ought to be more prevalent in our society because she and other career moms like her are the shining examples that women can accomplish, and be wildly successful at both.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 10, 2008 01:37 PM | Send