Obama: “Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.
Somehow, given the choices of both Sarah and her daughter I suspect they don't view the life of their children as punishment.
I can't say I believe a 17 year old being in this position is ideal, but she made a choice and she's taking responsibility as is apparently the father. The support of the family is there and I wish them well.
Considering most Americans have been affected by this either themselves, with family or friends I somehow doubt widespread condemnation will follow among the majority of the American people. The positive (politically) is that Gov. Palin is the one who disclosed this herself and provided the convention is still on Wednesday night will have an oppontunity to direct the national conversation wherever she pleases. Without a doubt that will probably be the most watched speech of the convention. My guess is that the public will emphathize with her even more after that speech, whether she references this or not.
Obama just made a frantic statement:
“dont go there people! My Mom was 18 and not married”
He stopped there.
“I have said before and I will repeat again: People’s families are off limits ... And people’s children are especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin’s performance as a governor and/or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics.”
B. Obama, Monroe, Mich., 9.1.08