Things seem to be going pear shaped for the Republicans. Pear shaped with a little bit of a baby bump in fact. Besides the obvious interruption of the RNC due to hurricane Gustave, it has been announced that Palin’s ‘17-year-old unmarried daughter’ is pregnant, throwing fuel into the fire of mockery over McCain’s decision to choose the Alaskan Gov. as potential VP.

As I have said before, the quest for presidency is not just about the candidate, but their family, values, image AND policies. Whilst personal affairs really shouldn’t apply to politics, they do. You aren’t just voting for a person, but their personal values and beliefs which will in turn affect their decision which can be life changing, so we need to get it right.

I believe that as a party founded on conservative values, the Republicans can’t afford to have someone with such a tarnished background on their team. I think unmarried teen pregnancy is hardly conservative, regardless of the gender of the candidate. As I learn of each titbit of Sarah Palin’s life and credentials, I am losing more and more faith in her capability as VP. From what I have read, Palin does not have the executive experience nor the values which are in line with McCain and the Republican Party. I can understand why some people are comforted in the fact that Palin is a mother and therefore must understand young American families, but we must reflect on her own family.

I have looked at coverage of this news by several media outlets. For example, CNN (television) placed a large focus on the news of Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy. As I ordered and ate my dinner over the space of half an hour, the footage was still playing as Obama and McCain’s response is reported, images of the family are shown and the focus on ‘unmarried’ is repeated.

Meanwhile, The New York Times online has published a two page article today, with a main focus on Sarah Palin being a strong and tough woman. A state representative from Oregon states in the article, “She’s already proven herself as a very good multi-tasker...she comes from a great family and it just shouldn’t be an issue.” Palin’s love and support for her daughter is also express as well as Obama’s response. It does not mention McCain’s opinion.

In comparison, The Wall Street Journal online is bias, drawing on citizen opinion including retired social workers and other mothers. In contrast to the NYT, the WSJ suggests that Palin is NOT capable of being a mother and the VP of the United States simultaneously. In the article, one woman states "when you're campaigning for vice president, you're on 24/7. Who's watching the baby? And what kind of nurturing is going on in that 17-year-old's life if she's pregnant?" The WSJ article also points out that this news will present ‘kitchen-table conversation’ with issues such as sex education. There is little mention of Obama’s reaction and Sarah Palin’s feelings. This topic can be twisted several directions, as shown by these different media companies. Can one mum learn the ropes of leadership, support her pregnant daughter, care for her family including a mentally ill child AND campaign for vice-presidency?