Palin Pregnancy Rumors Abound
If true, (and that is a big if) this story would be explosive. At the very least, with this rumor circulating in Alaska prior to her pick, this story gives some insight into how poorly McCain vetted Palin.
All we know for sure is that in the photo’s of Palin at the end of her second trimester, she does not look the least bit pregnant. However, I don’t think Palin should submit to a paternity test.
I am not one of those who follow the logic, “If she/he has nothing to hide? Why Not?” It strikes me as deeply unamerican to have to prove your innocence like that.
Wow, J…..if your balls get any smaller, you’ll be teabagging atoms!
I love seeing this kind of stuff spew from Democrat sphincters, especially after you glided back and forth on the Edwards pole (until he spunked you!).
I’m uncomfortable with this “story”. I vote to stay far, far away from it.
No way. This is good for you guys. You need to see what you all are made of.
Thermos, could you please please clean up your act? Surely there’s a way to make your point without sophomoric sexual references.
Yes, I suppose I could make up paternity rumors, but I lack the desperation and anger. Do you have any to spare?
Therm,
I’m not sure I want to know what that all means in English. From the tone I gather that you are not happy about me putting up this post.
I have to say I was conflicted about it, but part of what I’ve tried to do with this blog from the day one is to use a Republican editorial filter rather than a Democratic one.
I try not to buy into the built in disadvantages that we liberals place on ourselves and I just ask – what would Drudge or Fox News do with this story if it involved a Democrat?
That made posting this a no brainer.
You guys! Is this a gossip column now?
I’m uncomfortable with this “story”. I vote to stay far, far away from it.
Pandora finally showing an intellect.
Jason? Still far from it.
Unbelievable, this. Wait — it’s DE Liberal. Par for the course.
Perhaps some conservative can come up with something other than Hube and Dave’s usual hypocritical tsk, tsk-ing.
Maybe LARRY SINCLAIR is the father!!!!
That *would* tie up some “loose ends” for Bareback Obama….
Please provide evidence of this hypocritical tsk-tsking. Can you show a DE blog that brought up the “evidence” of, say, Obama not really being a natural born American — that is, a post that “just put it out there” and/or opined favorably about it? I can tell you that Newsbusters received TONS of tips about that crap and all were ignored and/or responded to negatively by the NB staff.
Just because there ARE blogs out there that posted that crap doesn’t mean us local ones have to give any credence to it. You just did. As usual.
Sadly, Jason, I disagree with your reasons to post this. It’s funny that Kos runs it when they were deleting Edwards Affair stories prior to Edwards admitting it.
This is up there with Christian Hudson’s post last week.
Hube, I suggest you read the post again. This is a post about the fact that rumors abound. Now look at the picture of Palin six months pregnant. Does that give you some impression of where these rumors might be coming from?
Therm,
Thanks for the text book example of what I was talking about with regard to having a more Republican editorial filter.
That is fair DPN, but I’m willing to take the heat.
Like I said in #6 – I never thrilled to have to do this, but started the blog because it was clear to me that Dems were fighting one-handed due to self imposed rules of decorum against Republicans who had no sense of decorum or even decency.
Have I sunk to their level? I don’t think so, because this post could have been much tougher on Palin.
But if you think so, just look where taking the high road has got us.
Jase: I suggest YOU read it again. Your “just laying it out there” scenario is almost as loathsome as opining favorably on it.
Thank you for your opinion. Anything else?
because it was clear to me that Dems were fighting the one handed due to self imposed rules of decorum against Republicans who had no sense of decorum or even decency.
Now we’re heading back into La La Land.
Adiós.
Freaky. Based on so many strange facts falling together (lying for 7 months about being pregnant, daughter looking more pregnant than mom in December family photo; strange labor & delivery circumstances), I believe this story is likely to be true…
Thermos – why is it OK for Repubs to speculate about Dem ‘horrors’, and not the other way around? This is potentially relevant.
Palin would seem to be a Republican equivalent of our loser Edwards.
I guess Hube missed the past ten years somehow.
I don’t think we should talk about this. Why all of a sudden are all these people experts on pregnancy and how a woman should look?
Good point, UI!
Democrats are so busy emptying uteruses, they probably haven’t seen enough full ones to really gauge this.
Suffice to say, all women carry different. This a non-story.
I agree. Let the check-out isle tabloids handle this.
And nice job citing 4 stable, unbiased media outlets.
Look up the occurrence of Down Syndrome in women under 20 and women over 40.
We’ll wait for your apology with bated breath.
You’re just jealous because no one would want to have your baby.
I think this comment from Daily Kos sums it all up….
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/8/29/17933/7330/143#c143
I know I’ve seen these one-line insults around the tubes before…Thermos is a regurgitator.
I strongly second pandora.
This is like the birth certificate. We may want it to be true but it is only rumors and suppositions and quite frankly, I dont care to put Palin’s daughter through this, regardless of whether she is the mother.
I vote this down.
Ben,
I will differ to my fellow contributors if anyone wants to take this down.
I will just note, for the record, that since John Edwards I am far less cavalierly dismissive of tabloid-y stories.
Look, I don’t like this story, but at least I’m consistent. I didn’t like the Obama is a Muslim story or the Hillary Clinton is guilty of murder story. How about the John Edwards is gay story?
So this site is no better, no less biased, and no less tabloid-y than Daily Kos and DU?
Way to keep it classy, folks!
Well, there’s at least one.
Anyone that posts on Delaware Politics (except rsmitty) has no room to talk. That pile of crap by Christian Hudson still remains on your site.
For me, this falls under the category of “who cares?”
Who cares if a family is so insecure that they want a grandmother to assume the motherhood of a child to protect the reputation of a 17 year old pregnant daughter?
Who cares if the governor of a state who embraces a pro-life stance finds a family pregnancy so embarrassing that she is willing to lie about it to an entire state?
Who cares if that alleged grandmother –willing to lie about something like a pregnancy –may someday be the person making decisions that hold the lives of millions of people in her hands?
Who cares if someone running for president of the united states chose the alleged grandmother –apparently rather than other far more qualified people –to be a heart beat away from the what may be the oldest president ever?
Who cares if the this calls into question the judgement and decision making process of that presidential candidate?
Who cares if the integrity of an entire presidential ticket is now in question?
Who cares?
I do –if it’s true.
Eh. Who cares about this anyway? There is plenty of political data on this woman out there that not only goes against the usual GOP ideology, that contradicts the current claims of her being a reformer, that even has her agreeing with parts of the Obama energy plan (windfall taxes, anyone?). This story isn’t much better than the birth certificate stuff.
I say we leave the tabloid reporting to Dominique and if it turns out to be real AND a real political issue then we deal with it.
My opinion only — you should make your own decision, Jason, whether or not to take this down.
keep going Jason, don’t back down!
Listen – I agree that some of the decisions made by Gov. Palin seem strange, like flying back to Alaska leaking amniotic fluid. However, being true to my beliefs – this is a decision between Gov. Palin and her doctor. I just don’t have enough information to make any judgments on her choices. It’s hard enough being a woman these days. You literally can’t win – if you don’t have children it’s bad, if you have too few or too many you get criticized and whether you work or not is criticized. I’m glad she’s able to find a way to balance her work and her family. More power to her.
What I don’t like about Gov. Palin is that she would deny these choices to others. I know she is anti-abortion, so she thinks the state should intervene in my reproductive choices. I’m not sure about her beliefs on universal child care, but if she follows the conservative line she isn’t supporting that either. So I think she’s a hypocrite.
If its true that the down syndromed child is actually her daughters we the public need to see the birth certificate. If she hid that prior to her being “selected” by a senile old man without having vetted her, that is another judgement problem for McCain.
Its one thing to be Gov and “hide your daughters pregnancy”, its another to be running for VP, the 2nd highest position in the world.
Its a shame that Edwards affair which was stupid at best and unbelievable for me a person who supported him. Edwards anti poverty and populus views were denied him at the Dem convention! I am sure the tabloids and the corporate media waited for the right time to make the situation known, to keep him from participating at the convention and speaking for the most vulnerable people in the nation.
Republicans want us to believe they have high morals. They cover up for all the “in the closet” gays now serving in Congress, Senate and in state offices! Instead of coming out of the closet and stopping the discrimination against gays, they continue to hide their own. Its reeks of hypocrisy.
The republicans are smart. They know they cant win with McCain unless they bring out those same old tired ass wedge issues that have been used effectively with the uneducated, dumbed down evangelicals and what they refer to as “their base”. Remember how Rove used these people in 00, 04 and once elected did nothing for their causes. They used them as tools, just as the democrats did in their convention. 9 evangelical ministers one of them the most crazy dimwit Joel Hunter closed their convention.
Republicans are looking to the “endtime fanatics” to bring more votes, and using Failin Palin to bring religious nut cases to their team.
There are many great organizations in Alaska who support campaign finance reform, no drilling in Anwar and are fighting back strong against Palin and her oil company lobbyist friends.
and she’s a dominionist!!! you must get the word out!!!!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/29/163234/559/495/579213
Judgment and poor behavior is the issue here not some sleaze mongering.
The issue is not dead and in fact new facts emerged today and are covered in this comprehensive review of the entire situation:
http://www.politicalbase.com/profile/jnail/blog/&blogId=3422
There are real issues here that need answering
JoeM: if the wingnuts say that Obama is not an american citizen (born in Hawaii), then why aren’t the dems saying: McCain born in Panama!
Panama is not a state, or a territory. If they want to continue that debate….bring that on!
Panama at the time McCain was born was a navy base, plenty of scholars stated that a “navy base” is not and cannot be considered “in” America or its territories.
anon,
Maybe because no one cares. I really don’t know. I was giving that DP link to refute Hube’s assumption that no DE blogs had touched the “Obama not a citizen” crap.
Reading this, and all the links (except one that didn’t work), I am struck primarily by the apparent fervent wishing by many commentators that the story is true because if so it would vindicate their feelings that all Christian evangelicals who are anti-abortion are notorious hypocrites who don’t actually ever try to live by their own precepts while enforcing them on others.
Then I’m struck by the amazing ability of that our commenters have for being able (having been trained by the tabloids) to spot a “baby bump” or the absence thereof. Truly, having watched many teenagers bodies change over the years, I am in awe of their ability to see a pregnancy.
Of course, we’d actually have to believe the following for this to be credible
1) That in the wake of John Edwards and the fact that these rumors were already swirling in Alaska for several months, that Sarah Palin somehow believed she’d get away with this, and that after having taken such an incredible risk to protect her daughter and her family she would take an even more bizarre risk of becoming the number two on the GOP ticket. Edwards, Bubba, Gingrich, McCain and dozens of other pols on all sides of the aisle prove it could have happened, but….
2) The fact is, the story HAS been swirling around for months, and we still haven’t seen a single piece of evidence that is not tabloid level.
What’s really scary here is not that parents might make a desperate decision to protect their family and unborn child–families get put in that position all the time regardless of their ideologies….
What’s really scary is that even though there is plenty to talk about regarding Palin’s inexperience and policy reversal, we’re now willing to publish and devour pictures of the governor’s teenage daughter with big crass arrows labeled “baby bump” pointing to her belly.
What’s really scary is that Barack Obama hasn’t come out and said, “You know what? This isn’t the kind of campaign I want to run: stop this shit right now.”
Yeah, yeah, you’re going to give me the old “GOP double standard” crap, and all that proves is that politics in this country has essentially abandoned human empathy and human decency, even if all the rumors are true.
Because if all the rumors are true it’s not a political point, it’s a bloody goddamn tragedy for a family.
jason, I really do believe you agonized over this one. But once you accepted the idea of a “Republican filter,” what you have admitted is simply that you can’t think of any better strategy for winning in the political arena than demeaning your own side to the same level as your opponents.
All of which goes to prove HG Wells’ dictum: “The first man to pick up a stick was the first man to run out of ideas.”
Let’s see, if someone else posts something on a multi-person blog, I am forbidden to say anything else about a reckless rumor. I wonder will your comrades feel the same.
The comparison of asking this with the accusatory tone with asking something directly relevant to the election is a false one anyway.
When you can show a gossip problem with one of my posts, we shall talk. I am sure it will happen one day, but the rarity proves my point. Some times we all get caught up in the moment. I apologize when I do. What about you?
Steve, Obama should say NOTHING! He should not even dignify this with any sort of response. Geez, can you imagine if he made even the slightest veiled reference?
Come on, it would explode. What’s really scary is if he actually took your advice and opened his mouth.
Let me take on this hypocrite stuff. If she claimed her daughter’s child instead of letting it be aborted, wouldn’t that show her consistent.
I would respect her and the first dude even more. It is totally consistent with Christian tradition and honorable.
The truth is that I doubt it. With that said, why would it be anyone’s business? That is what I despise about today’s politics.
I’m with pandora on this one, Steve. Fact is, Obama’s campaign has said nothing about this, and that’s the way it should remain.
As much as they may like to believe so, KOSers are not Obama’s campaign! 😉
Quoting Anon at #41:
“Panama at the time McCain was born was a navy base, plenty of scholars stated that a “navy base” is not and cannot be considered “in” America or its territories.”
Sorry, but you are wrong on this. In 1936, The Panama Canal Zone was administered in the same fashion as Guantanamo is today. Though on lease, the US had complete autonomy over the Zone. US law was in effect there at the time. By the same token, John III was born to US Citizens. That assures US citizenship.
Considering that I am older than McCain, and lived during that time, I trust that I have some credibility.
That sounds reasonable, Toma. I’d like to find some citations on this, but I’m going to bed. Hopefully, some industrious person will find the info and have it posted by the time I get up tomorrow morning at 5:30.
Hint, hint.
not sure on this one
Considering that I am older than McCain, and lived during that time, I trust that I have some credibility.
if you ask Mike W, he’d tell you age has nothing to do with it….
Jason,
This is a misogynistic story worthy of Protack.
Next thing we know, you’ll be sending out pink post cards . . .
Paternity? Isn’t this a question of Maternity?
tomahawk: with all due respect your age has nothing to do with this. There are consitutional attorneys who have a different view.
Gitmo is not US soil!….those are the words! Just because we can stick an american flag up on foreign soil does not conclude it is an american territory.
Review the Panama Treaty. At the time of his birth the treaty was in effect. Panama was never american soil or territory.
Why is it ok to believe the tabloids on John Edwards, is that not a personal family tragedy as well.? Edwards was of course wrong, and it must have been horrific for his wife and kids to deal with.
He was not invited by the Dems to the Convention because they considered his human tragedy a blight on the party. So Edwards the trumpteer for the voices of the voiceless was banished from the convention.
If this story of Palin passing off a grandchild as her own is true, tell me what is the difference between what Edwards did and what Palin (“may”) have done. Frankly I see no difference. Both are personal and family tragedies.However, people need their representatives to have a higher moral standard. These are problems of the common man, when in reality they are just as common as everyone else.
Just as the news media hounded Edwards and his family, and continues to do so….Palin should also receive the same scrutiny as Edwards did.
Why push Edwards to have a paternity test, (he is not in office or running for office, a private citizen.
Palin wants to be VP. of the US. go first, please.
Edwards was not invited to the Convention because he was an embarrassment. It takes a very great deal of hubris to carry on an affair while running for President and pretending that no one would know. It is a tragedy for his family and could have been for the Democratic Party. And while the tabloids were pushing that story for almost a year, Edwards did admit to it.
I have no idea if Palin has any issues here and neither does anyone reading this blog. We don’t do what the National Enquirer does, and until there is real data on this there isn’t much point to the discussion here, I’m thinking.
I believe the record will show that I was the first commenter to ask us not to go down “Misogyny Road”. (Those were the exact words I used Firday morning.) I reserved comment and opinion for one day to allow me to ruminate on this. I agree this could all be a scurrilous rumor. It certainly has a “9/11 truther” feel.
However, the 9/11 Truther’s theory has been debunked after serious consideration (i.e., in Popular Mechanics magazine, on the Discovery channel, and elsewhere). There are many open issues here.
-Many photos well after seven months seem not to indicate pregnancy and then all of a sudden two photos show about 30 lbs of weight gain. Photos can be manipulated.
-Her daughter is pulled out of school for nearly eight months and there are some interesting photos of her. Again though, photos are questionable as evidence.
-She gives a speech then hops an eight hour flight and drives 45 minutes leaking emniotic fluid. Apparently this is super dangerous.
-Plus nobody on the flight knew she was in labor or even pregnant.
-Why go to your hometown hospital given these emergency factors?
-And after all this: labor in Texas, deliver a Downs child in a po’ dunk hospital, back to work in three days?
OK -all of these may have very reasonable answers. I’d like to know what they are. This is not a baseless story.
Great points. I say teach both. Teach the controversy.
You know, don’t be afraid of this conversation. Healthy debate is so important, and it’s so valuable in our blogs. I am a proponent of teaching both theories – she faked it and she actually had the baby.
See, now you are just baiting me. You know my position on religion and science. It is a bank holiday. I refuse to get angry today! 🙂
Coincidentally, just like evolution and creationism “debate”, babygate also has the same interesting rub. One position is true and one is false. I know which it is in the former, the latter question is still unknown. Why not just answer the questions.
Cassandra: Too bad you don’t have teevee. Otherwise you would know that many people spoke out about Edwards and the timing of his babe! That was done to make sure his number 1 issue “poverty, health care and keeping our jobs”, was thrown under the bus by the blue dog dems with a stranglehold over the dem party.
Democrats are supposed to be a big tent party, JFK, FDR werent thrown under the bus for their indescretions. Eisenhower, Bush 1 had girl friends. This is another issue that is a wedge issue, making crap from crap.
None of this has anything to do with the fact that Russia is threatening war with America over the Georgia debacle! The real issues for america are not being addressed by either party, but a bunch of fluff and stuff that has nothing to do with keep the country safe. The dollar is collapsing the worst economy since the depression is upon us, and abortion and illegal aliens the topic of the day.
Neither party has room to talk both are engaged in a cover up of the real truth about the worst financial crisis in american history.
I don’t much care about conspiracy theories — TV or no TV. And, frankly, I think I get better quality information without the Entertainment Tonight qualities inherent in television news. Conspiracy theories and tabloid information just give folks an excuse not to listen to you, even if you have something serious to say.
John Edwards will be fine. He will keep speaking out (not officially for Dems for some time), he has his foundation to work with. He’ll keep working on his issues and after a decent amount of time, he will have reached a halflife that will make it acceptable for him to be seen with and speak for Democrats. Newt Gingrich is the model for this kind of rehabilitation.
From personal experience I can tell you that any attractive women gaining a “pouch” always has to contend with “pregnancy rumors.” It’s a fact of life, I guess.
Obama should say NOTHING!
You’re right–that’s what a good politician would do.
But what a great leader would do is remind us all to be better than that.
Silence, silence.
Ah, another politician.
Wrong, Steve. This rumor is not in the mainstream. If Obama comments on this it would be viewed as a “legitimate” news story thereby creating a huge media storm.
Now… if this does get picked up by the MSM then I’d expect him to comment as you suggested.
I’ll agree with that distinction, but I’ll hold you to this
If this does get picked up by the MSM then I’d expect him to comment as you suggested.
Agreed. If this rumor hits I’ll demand Obama reject and denounce it.
(If it turns out to be true – I hate typing this because I really want to stay away from this crap – he should, once again, say nothing.)
Fair enough?
I am interested in why the left-wing blogosphere is so eager to throw the bones on this one this early. If true, wouldn’t an early to mid-october scandal help much more than a giving the GOP 60 days to recover and spin. It smacks of irrational fear, the kind that hits when something jumps out of nowhere and you respond by reflex.
If untrue (95%)
Left wingers have jumped on a Wisteria (sp?) Lane style rumor and desperately slime the teenage daughter of a candidate who will whip evangelicals (such as myself) into a born-again jihad. Poor taste on the part of lefties energizes us “fundies” and the phone banks overfloweth. A VP choice that would have merely energized the bases sets them on fire.
If true (5%)
Palin is out, but doesn’t look like anything other than a mother trying to protect her child, at least to my side (Kos will paint her as Joan Crawford, but that is who they are). Bobby Jindal is looking mighty good after today’s hurricane coverage.
I had no idea lefties were so bold.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2944356420080901?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Bristol is pregnant. Bend over lefties. The fire is started…
I loathe McCain but my checkbook is out.
“It strikes me as deeply unamerican to have to prove your innocence like that.”
Yup. but when it comes to guns you presume guilt and scream that people should have to prove “need.”
Casandra! the democratic party left out the POOR! They only speak about the middle class (because thats where they believe their votes are). Edwards was the only candidate who spent time in Lousiana working with Katrina victims, spoke fervently about the poor and unions being trashed by republicans. His voice on that issue was missing, therefore no other speaker picked it up and ran with it. If you notice the majority of the poor support Obama, are the democrats talking over them, not to them. What happened to “inclusion”?
Edwards talked about the 150 million of the poorest of the poor without a voice…thats a hell of lot of voters who won’t be voting republican. Overlooking them was a mistake by the blue dogs now in charge of the party.
I have a friend who worked for CityYear (sort of an AmeriCorps) in Baton Rouge. She met Obama when he visited with kids displaced from New Orleans. Just because Obama went there without fanfare does not mean that he wasn’t there and that he was ignoring those affected by Katrina.
Please don’t confuse the current president with the next president.
A bit of a trip to the woodshed for you, J!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjwaqZfjIY&NR=1
A bit a trip to the woodshed for you, J!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjwaqZfjIY&NR=1
i love scrubs!
From NYT.com:
“Our people were not involved in any way in this and they will not be,” Mr. Obama snapped, his voice raised. “And if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they’d be fired, O.K.?”
Mr. Obama said the pregnancy “has no relevance to Governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president.” He added that, “my mother had me when she was 18. How a family deals with issues and teen-age children — that shouldn’t be the topic of our politics.”
“So,” he added, “I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02PALINDAY.html?em
shouldn’t you be passed out by now?
Nope… wide awake as a matter of fact… shouldn’t you have your head in a trash can sitting in the steps of the deck?
Popcorn bucket.
heh
lmao
dick