Campaign orchestrated news of Bristol Palin's pregnancy

John McCain-Sarah Palin manager Steve Schmidt warned reporters at the Republican National Convention that the American public might have a "harsh view" of them for continuing to write about Bristol Palin's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Huh?

Only hours earlier, the campaign had released a statement on the subject -- an announcement that projected the virtually anonymous 17-year-old into the international spotlight. Did Schmidt really admonish the media n ot to continue to focus on the private news his campaign released?

Absolutely, according to The Ticket's Andrew Malcolm, who claims the campaign staged every syllable and the timing of their debut. Malcolm was there with a video camera to capture Schmidt's performance.

Ticket video by Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Bob Williams]

What hipocrosy from the right. If this had happened to any other candidate from any other party the "swift boaters" would have been out in force talking about the moral decay and lack of parental guidance offered by the offending parent. Instead we get this holier than thou "don't touch the kids" BS. Why, because the right knows it makes them just like the rest of us. True human beings who have to deal with the real world and the real dealings of teenage children. As a father who has gone through this with my daughter and have a wonderful granddaughter to show for it, I find the Republican stance childish and totally misguided. By the way, I am an Independent, not belonging to either party.
Bob Williams

[Greg]

Yes children should be off, but that does not end the discussion. There is a lot more to discuss that does not involve the child, but the parents so lets stop kidding ourselves America. Otherwise we are no better than the next hypocrite. If we turn a blind eye to this then lets shutdown all the statistics about teenage pregnancy and all that please. Lets stop questioning those parents parenting abilities. Lets stop questioning the character of those teenage moms and dads.
But I know America. You can't do that so let the dice roll please.

[LMAO]

Actually,
1. Barack Obama's mother and father were married.
2. A 17 year old IS a child.
3. Your party is the one that goes around preaching family values to everyone.
4. Palin is not defending her child by telling the world she is pregnant. If that's her idea of defense, then we don't want her as VP.
5. Wasn't it YOUR party that referred to Chelsea Clinton as "The White House Dog"? Don't talk to me about misogyny.
6. Bristol Palin's pregnancy illustrates that the abstinence only policies that her mother espouses DO NOT WORK.
7. For a minute, make believe that it is not Bristol Palin, but instead one of Barack Obama's daughters who is pregnant. What would you think of those family values? I can hear it now- another black girl pregnant... who the baby daddy?
8. Wasn't it your party that referred to Barack Obama as Michelle Obama's 'Baby Daddy'?
9. Wasn't it your party that was viciously spreading rumors that Hillary Clinton was a lesbian during her husband's presidency? Was that misogyny?
10. The whole mess just illustrates the hypocrisy and failings of the right, and THAT is why it matters.

[egc52556]

Well with 2 newborn babies in the house, I expect Palin, her husband, her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend/soon-to-be-husband to already be awake at 3:00 am when the phone rings.

BTW, some of this discussion IS misogyny because some people assume that the Gov. Palin -- as the mother -- is her children's primary care giver. If she were a man these same people would assume "the wife" would take care of the little ones and the candidate would be free.

Not that I'm going to vote for Palin or McCain. The past years of Republican hegemony have sickened me. Obama's message, vague or specific, is on target: it's time for change.

Peace.

[Linda Root]

There was a brief moment before I researched who Sarah Palin really was, before anyone I know had heard about Bristol Palin's pregnancy, when I was proud of John McCain for nominating a woman, and ready to return to the Republic fold. Then I did my homework. I hope every proud, independent, forward looking woman in America does the same. I wonder if Sarah Palin's narrow and intolerant views on women's rights should disqualify her without even getting to the issue of her inexperience and her outrageous personal ambition. The great contribution she has made to this campaign is to expose John McCain for the anachronism his choice of Palin reveals him to be.

[Bev]

What makes you think that the decision to accept the nomination was not discussed among family members?

If Ms Palin's daughters are anything like mine they would say go for it.

She has a good head on her shoulders, she has proved she can hold office and have John Q public at heart, so I will give her and John Mccain a chance with my vote.

[D.M.CA]

To Sharron,
Did you not read ? It was MCain's campaign
that leaked the news about that poor child as stated by S.Schmidt .MCain's campaign manager.
I don't think anyone is telling Palin to go back to the kitchen.only that it was not a good idea to allow her daughter to be made a political tool for the Republicans!.
My, You are so quick to blame the Dems.

[j.a.m.]

The fury on the part of Obama's acolytes, including most of the media, underscores the genius behind the trap McCain has set for them. They're sputtering. They're just beside themselves. And they're falling into his trap.

[Lissa Allen]

Wouldn't it be terrific if we could all focus on the very real, very hard issues currently facing this country? For pete's sake, who cares about Bristol Palin? Really. At the end of the day, who really truly cares. No one but her own family and friends. that's who. When all the dust settles we'll all go back to our day -to-day lives struggling to get by and to help our own families. Then it'll be Bristol who? Funny, I haven't heard when the wedding is, have you? Intending to marry and setting a date like maybe tomorrow....is just talk. This is a silly argument and one that has been orchestrated brilliantly by the Republicans to take everyone's mind off the fact that Sarah Palin is in absolutely NO position to lead this country. That McCain lost control of his own moment to shine by making his own choice of a running mate. Put some of this into perspective for cryingoutloud before you get your panties in a twist (and yes, I'm a woman...so no sexual bias here....) We are not voting for an American Idol contestant.....Has she ever even been abroad? I understand she just got her passport last year. How does that translate to being able to successfully manage foreign affairs. She was the mayor of a small town with less population than most college campuses. She's made some state based oil agreements...ok....but how does that qualify her to really get her hands dirty. Most states don't run in the black. ...There are a lot of good mothers out there, people....lots of great moms....but that doesn't qualify them to lead the country or to dictate social norm.... She is not qualified folks. She wouldn't be where she is in any other state of this Union either other than Alaska. Why wouldn't a state wtih a majority of its residents being male....vote for a good lookin' gun toting, tight t-shirt wearing (yup..saw it with my own eyes....) woman. She's a perfect example of someone that has failed upward only because she's got a cute smile and the MILF look....As far as sexist...I think she wears it well and I think she plays it up. Beyond that, if your asking for fair pay for equal work..then please do lose the sexist (yawn) argument. It's not ladies night Harry's Bar down the street. Most of the world leaders are men and she will have to play in their club. Getoverit..... If you don't believe she's without experience, then explain to me why she's been quoted as saying, "what does a vice president do, anyway?" HUH? Did I miss the punchline on that comment? Maybe those of you who are willing to lay your futures and the futures of your own children in this woman's path should take stock of what kind of mothers you are. C'mon...gimme a break. Vote for someone who can lead this country toward a more positive and prosperous future, not a gun toting Annie Oakley. And as a woman, I'm so "over" reading comments from other women who stand up for her just because she's of the same gender. Please...I've never seen a more obvious example of how this country has dumbed itself down to the level of an average 13 year old. MCCain should be ashamed of himself for allowing this. And if you vote for her because she has 'values' then don't complain when you lose your home, can't afford to put gas in your car, breath the pollution, can't afford to rent, buy a car, pay your debts or find a job....at least you'll know that your American Idol is on the job.

[John]

What was John McCain thinking? Did he know anything about Sarah Palin before he chose her to be his VP?

It sure doesn't seem like it...

[Dan]

um, Eugenics was a republican movement in the 30's not a democrat creation.

[Shawn Bushway]

I don't think this issue should be played out via the press. What I do find hypocritical is posts from people like Rick that say the gd libs are making an issue out of this. It's hypocritical because had this been a democrat you would have pounced all over it. You would have asked if we wanted someone to be VP that can't manage their family or whose family values are less than perfect. But now that the shoe is on the other foot - all of that goes out the window. I don't think it should be dealt with this way regardless of which side of the fence you're on. But to suggest that the "gd" libs are doing something the GOP hasn't done, wouldn't be willing to do or hasn't thought about is absolute BS.

[Steve D.]

Sharron L.:

While I generally agree with you, this isn't something that can be reasoned away, however reasonable the reasons may be. That isn't the way it works in politics, and that isn't the way it works in the media. They've got their teeth in this thing now, and the public will stop and stare until the story loses their interest. The real blame, I think, belongs to a nation of drama addicts dying to see how the reality-TV of this election cycle plays out.

On the other hand, it does seem that Ms. Palin has her hands full, not only with a pregnant daughter and (presumably) a wedding to plan, but also having a newborn with Down syndrome. Perhaps she's just bitten off too much by accepting McCain's invitation to be a heartbeat from the presidency, however qualified she may be..

[Bud]

It's like - you just have to label me "liberal" or "far left" and then the argument is over?

Very shallow.

[Karol Vanderstoel]

I have a problem with McCain's choice of running mate for the following:

1. I believe it is very condescending for anyone to believe that women would vote for McCain JUST BECAUSE he picked a female for VP. They must not believe we have brains.

2. I thought we were trying to teach family values in this country. I don't believe in abortion and haven't since birth control came into existance. However, I do believe that if you have children and choose to have them, they should be your #1 priority. I believe that when you are in a very high office representing the people that that priority becomes almost impossible. In other words, who is going to take care of the two small children and possible a third now (grandchild). A nanny. How wonderful.

I believe Govenor Palin has accomplished much in her life. I've worked all my life and raised a daughter also, but did not seek a high position in government. I think this is a pretty tough balance and god -forbid if something happened to McCain how could she do that all. Is her husband planning to stay home and be a stay at home Dad?????

[Paul]

This just goes to show how shoddy the White House will be run once McCain (God forbid) gets into office. If he can't properly vet a running mate, how can we possibly trust him with a finger on the nuclear button?

[Tom]

For someone whose stance in public service is to deny high school kids knowledge about safe sex, i consider this just desserts. Her failed philosophy blows up in her face, and as a public we are supposed to turn a blind eye?

Please, someone should have showed this 17 year old what a condom was, and she wouldn't be in the mess.

[honey]

*raising my hand*

hilarious. "Seventeen years old is not a child"? WOW!

[Bud]

Good one Ed, I've completely changed my mind.

[George Burson]

Dear Sharron L.
Obama's mother did marry his father. Check out http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524,00.html . You have missed the point. The point is not Bristol Paline--it is her Mom. Of course the internet smears against Bristol Paline are totally uncalled for and are wrong, just as your lie about Obama's Mom is unjust. The point is what does this issue say about John McCain and Sarah Paline. For Paline: Why subject your daughter to this kind of publicity? For McCain: What does it tell us about his decision making judgement? And as for the media: Does anyone really expect that they would not focus on this story? If they didn't, the Democrats would claim right-wing biases--just like the Republicans are claiming the opposite in an attempt to diminish the story. A free press--it sure is a pain in the kneck when they don't report things the way we would like. I agree with Senator Obama--a candidate's kids should be off limits to the media (unless, of course, they commit a crime or seek out the publicity). If Obama wins the presidency his oldest daughter will be a teenager at the end of his first term. Does he (or any Democrat) really want her to be subject to this kind of press? Of course not, and that is one reason that I suspect he is not really happy with this issue. The Republicans have shot themselves in the foot with the selection of Paline as McCain's VP and the best thing the Democrats can do is stand back and watch.

[Ed Sommers]

We've been hearing a lot about "misogyny" lately. And it is turning out that one man"s "misogyny" is another man's figment of the imagination. Sorry to burst the bubble of those pointing accusatory fingers and calling folks misogynists at the drop of a hat...but just because a man expresses the opinion that Sarah Palin should consider the impact that her decision to accept the invitation to run for VP on the Republican ticket, could have on her daughter Bristol, doesn't mean the man offering that thought is guilty of "misogyny". Maybe he'd say the same if Bristol's father was the candidate instead of Bristol's mother. Maybe the observation is fair, in light of the fact the the GOP is holding out Sarah Palin as a paragon of GOP values. Maybe people should be held to the same standards, as parents, as candidates and as human beings, whether they are male or female.

I'm starting to believe that the correct abbreviation for the word "misogyny", is "BS".

[Randall Greenwald]

The point is not that people will or won't vote for the Republicans because of Palin's daughter, the point is this... If they KNEW she was pregnant and decided to announce Palin anyway, they were naive to think it wouldn't take them drastically off message. If they didn't know, then they're just incompetent – something you really want to show you're not after 8 years of George W. Bush. Either way it's taken over the conversation which is a true disaster for McCain.

[Kate]

Hasn't anyone else out there ever had a teenage child? They will do what they want to do, whatever you say, and even if you supervise them 23 hours a day. The best brought up kid in the world will go ahead and have unprotected sex, if the circumstances are right (or wrong). Some kids will, some kids won't. I know this from personal experience. So, give the kid a break, and the parents, too.

[Stan]

As the representative of the McCain party said today: "this election will not be about the issues...it will be about the personalities."

Haven't they done a swell job of taking everyone's attention off the issues that Obama raised during his speech? And why did they do this? It is simple: They can't win on the issues. All they have is distraction and blame. Nicely done, but it will not work, because the American people will WANT to hear about the issues, and they WILL.

[TimL]

The hypocrisy of the republican party and the right-wing christian leaders knows no bounds. I am glad to be rid of the corruption within this party.

The 17 year old with a baby is not an issue. What is an issue is how it has been handled by this so-called-mother. Not only does she have a disabled new borne infant to watch for and nurture she also has a daughter going through a rough patch in her life. She thought nothing of her family and took a power grab. She should be ashamed of her-self and the hypocrisy she lives.

As a christian my eyes have been opened to the leadership of the right. I will no longer be fooled by identity politics and morally bankrupt leaders. This is not the time for Republicans and their deceitful ways. Please vote for anyone other than the defunct McCain/Palin ticket.