all that fuss about Bristol (Gov. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter)

The way conservative bloggers/ commentators, etc., are interpreting Bristol's pregnancy is staggeringly kind!! I mean, I am just stunned at the way in which Palin's daughter's pregnancy is being spun by conservatives, because if this was the "illegitimate" child of one of Obama's 17 year old daughters rest assured McCain supporters and journalists would be flooding the blogosphere with racist-sexist condemnations of the Obamas as incapable parents. (I believe McCain supporters would rip apart ANY Democratic presidential candidate whose 17 year old daughter turned up pregnant albeit the discourse on the pregnancy would be different if the candidate were white.)

I'm seeing a lot of critiques (by liberals) of Democrats/media/Obama supporters who utter disapproving, harsh words about Palin with regard to Bristol's pregnancy. Strategically, I don't think it will necessarily harm the Democratic Party or Obama's campaign if Obama's supporters, liberals and leftists continue to critique Palin using Bristol's pregnancy.

I don't necessarily believe a candidate should be eviscerated by the media and/or the public if their unwed teenager becomes pregnant. Nor do I believe the pregnancy of an unwed teenager is necessarily a function of bad parenting.

However, I do believe in applying the same standards across the board (an unrealistic expectation when it comes to Republicans, I know). If social conservatives would condemn any parent because their unwed teenager is pregnant, then Palin -- as a social conservative -- should be taken to task for her daughters moral "irresponsibility" and "sinful" sexual behavior. Governor Palin's ability to occupy the 2nd most powerful office in the country (and perhaps, THE most powerful office in the presidency) should be called into question if her conservative religious ethics fail to take hold in her own home.

Clearly, McCain's VP choice is indicative of his effort to draw extreme conservative/far-right Christian voters.

I wonder if it'll work.

Palin is frighteningly conservative on women's reproductive rights, but also on energy & environmental policy, the place of religion in schools, etc.,). Here's where I get stuck: she's still a woman. And fundamentalists Christians believe that women have a "place" -- and it ain't the highest political office in the United States.

What most intrigues me is what McCain's VP choice -- a white woman -- says about the powerful impact Barack Obama's, Hillary Clinton's, and their supporters, most especially women and men of color and white women, have had on the Republican Party but also the impact they (we!!) have had on history.

I believe Obama is an unstoppable force.
But I digress.

McCain's VP choice suggests that the Republicans know they can (will?) lose. They're nervous.
I dig that.

I think Palin is also meant to attract disgruntled Clinton supporters (embittered & enraged that HRC didn't pull the Democratic Party's nomination) -- particularly the white women among them by exploiting their racism (for example, the racist sentiment that led them to condemn Obama as an "unqualified black man" -- a sentiment that saturates anti-affirmative action rhetoric).