Womenomics
ABC News' Claire Shipman and the BBC's Katty Kay on women, work and what it really means to "have it all."
Claire Shipman is Good Morning America's Senior National Correspondent. She covers everything from politics to international affairs to family issues.
Katty Kay covers American politics and society for the BBC. She can be seen in the US on BBC America.
Claire and Katty have a new book called Womenomics. For more information visit the web site www.womenomics.com
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There's Still Something About Sarah
September 17, 2008 1:28 PM
I'm still thinking about what George Will said on "This Week," as regards Charlie Gibson asking Sarah Palin about juggling the Vice Presidency and 5 children, and then asking whether that was a sexist question. George Will suggested that was not only inappropriate, but illegal if she were applying for a "normal" job. Perhaps. And I'm sure I would not want to hear that question were I applying to a sales job or at another TV station.
But politics is different. And certainly the job of vice president is far different. We're voting for someone to help run our country. And when the candidate calls herself a "hockey mom," and the campaign pushes that aspect of her identity to try to appeal to voters, it's a perfectly legitimate question. I think it's fair to assume she'd have a bit less ability to control her life and schedule in the White House than she has in the Governor's mansion.
That said, I don't think there's any question that she can do both, or that any woman who choses to can manage both. How well is another question--the answer based on smarts and talent as much as number of children. But I just don't think there's any point these days in shoving issues like this under the rug. It's one of the first things that occurred to so many of us who are her age and who have young children--how will she do it? And although I do understand George's point, I guess I'd argue first that politics is a different business, one in which the boundaries around personal lives were long ago removed. And second, that we're also well beyond the days when people have to hide their children, or pretend that these struggles don't exit. It's healthy for all of us to just have the discussion.
Claire
September 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (25)
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It is only a reasonable question if you would ask it as well of a candidate who is a father of five. I don't recall anyone questioning Bobby Kennedy as to whether his brood of 11 would detract from his attention to the presidency -- if my memory has failed me, please correct me.
To insist there is a difference is to be a sexist, no matter what code words one uses to cover it.
Posted by: we fought so you'd have a career | Sep 17, 2008 1:44:20 PM
Just stop it. This line of questions about her juggling job and family is stupid. Everyone knows she will have plenty of help at home, both family and hired help. She'l be vice president of the United States for God's sake. You think she'll be going home and fixing dinner for them every night? Get real. She'll have about as much in common with an ordinary working mom as roller skate has with the space shuttle.
The real question is- what knowledge and experience does she have that qualifies her to be POTUS if called upon do to so?
Posted by: DTP | Sep 17, 2008 1:44:51 PM
I think it is difficult for Palin or anyone to cry foul over questions regarding her family when she uses her son w/Downs and her 17 year old daughter as the poster for her pro-life positions. The McCain campaign released press releases on the children and then cried foul when the media inquired with follow-up questions. If you don't want your family in the mix, you should not use them as examples of your policies you are campaigning for.
Posted by: Paige | Sep 17, 2008 1:50:59 PM
Who really gives a rat's a** about Sarah Palin?????????????
Sarah is no different than any other mother, and to make her sound like some super mom is crazy!
The Republican women are swooning over this woman BECAUSE she is a woman! Forget about her knowing nothing about anything! Forget that Palin is not prepared to be president! She's a female and that's all some of you women care about. How sad! It definitely speaks to where some of your are in life.
Have you been living with your heads stuck underground?
Voting for Hillary made sense, voting for Palin is a disaster waiting to happen!
Posted by: Shay | Sep 17, 2008 1:54:26 PM
Of course its legit to ask her, she's a big girl and probably is not as easily offended as a lot of professional women, she's confident (that's good in case you weren't sure). Other legit questions for people running for office would be, "How many times have you cheated on your wife and lied to her, the gal you were with, and the country?" or "Would you feel guilty if while you were having sex with an young subordinate in your office, you found out crazy extremists were still ploting against our country and, you, as the commander-in-chief, were distracted?" I say ask them all any reasonable question- it is a job interview process, not an ego / rock star contest. These people will run our country, pick the best ones and forget all the crap we are projecting on them. Good grief ya'll. One more Dem. for McCain.
Posted by: Don | Sep 17, 2008 1:55:39 PM
Claire,
Your view point is NARROW!
Please DON't have any kids and run for the political offices.
You SHOULD be proud to have a woman on the national ticket. Oh,.. I got it! it's NOT Hillary. What a loser!
Posted by: Voter In America | Sep 17, 2008 1:57:09 PM
For better or for worse we have come to the point where we expect very little to be off limits when asking questions to our candidates for president and vice president. In this case I think the question is very fair. What is not fair is that the question be asked strictly to Gov. Palin. It should also be asked to her husband and in fact, his answers may be the most telling. I for one was disgusted the way they tossed that baby around the night of Gov. Palin's speech to the Republican Convention. I was shocked that she introduced her son who is going to Iraq and showed his face on global TV thus putting him and the people serving near him at greater risk. Both Sarah and Todd Palin strike as two very foolish opportunists.
Posted by: DMR | Sep 17, 2008 2:00:15 PM
Shay and they swooned all over Ronald Reagan and still call him the greatest President ever, they have always envied John Kennedy's public approval and that of the world as well. Still they try and claim Reagan won the cold war, forgetting about all the servicemen and women who stood the line from the end WWII and when the wall fell in Berlin. They forget loads but are quick to fall for cheap lines.
Posted by: polarbearkiller | Sep 17, 2008 2:00:38 PM
Candidates tax plans compared:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html
Posted by: Emily | Sep 17, 2008 2:01:42 PM
It was a dumb insulting and illegal in not just many states but most developed countries. Absolute garbage not journalism.
Posted by: s.b. | Sep 17, 2008 2:03:01 PM
To: Shay:
How does voting for Hillary make sense?
Does she qualify? Oh. Yes....
Working with Commie Law firm, Universal
Health Care (Socialist style) failure.
Failure to control/or not satisfy her man!
That ought to do it! Shay.
Good Luck with your Hillary!
Posted by: Voter In America | Sep 17, 2008 2:04:48 PM
PALIN = LIPSTICK ON A BUSH
Posted by: Ed from MA | Sep 17, 2008 2:06:23 PM
It sounds like when asked to be on the ticket that she jumped on it. I would have liked a response that indicated that she atleast took her family and her family's opinion into consideration. Where there any questions that were off limits to Hillary?
Posted by: Judy | Sep 17, 2008 2:08:51 PM
Since her ill-fated Charlie Gibson roll-out, Sarah W. McBush's popularity is rapidly fading.
There's nothing quite like the light of day.
Posted by: Ed from MA | Sep 17, 2008 2:10:28 PM
The sexism displayed in this election has been astounding. I've never been a "womens libber" and, oddly enough, don't care what race or what sex a candidate is - I have no burning need to see a woman president in my lifetime. However, it amazes me to see the blatant racism displayed by the Obama campaign and his supporters, as well as much of the mainstream media, but the minute anyone talks about that or dares to discuss the fact that both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have undergone far more scrutiny than Obama ever has, they are "whining little women."
Where is Obama's accountability? I'm pretty sick of him not having to answer the really difficult questions or owning up to his own lack of judgment (Rezko, Ayres, questionnaires that are his "staff's" fault, Wright, etc.). I'm also sick of him using the American flag (times 8 during his last speech) as a prop to further his own ambition during one of his well-rehearsed speeches. If this guy gets elected, I have no doubt he'll make George Bush look good, and that's saying something.
Posted by: traci | Sep 17, 2008 2:11:36 PM
It is the economy stupid.
McCain is taking in the polls.
His 10 pts lead after the polls has disapeaded overnight. He is now trailing Obama by 2 pts.
Palins popularity has dropped 12 pts in 3 days. McCain/Palin is on free fall.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html
His lies and inability to propose solutions are sinking him as was predictable. The Repugs are panicking.
This will be a landslide
comme November 4th.
McOldman is toast.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Sep 17, 2008 2:12:19 PM
VOTER IN AMERICA:
Good luck with MY HILLARY?????!!!!
You idiot! I said voting for Hillary made sense, which has nothing to do with Hillary being MY HIllary!!!
Your comment: Failure to control/or not satisfy her man!
YOu sound like the typical uninformed person, I hope you're not a woman!!!! Because you should know better than to say something as ignorant as that!
If Palin is your girl, good luck!
P.S. I don't believe in LUCK!
Posted by: Shay | Sep 17, 2008 2:13:02 PM
WAKE UP TRACI!
Posted by: Shay | Sep 17, 2008 2:15:52 PM
Come on, you gotta love democrats. You gotta love the idea that its not our fault if things go wrong. Its not Lehman's fault they ran their company into the ground. It's government. Its not AIG's fault they over extended bad loans, its government fault. Gotta be. It's not Wall Street's and the companies they represent who shipped jobs overseas and screwed up the economy, it's government. It's not our fault terrorists hate us, government didn't love them enough.
Who in the h*ll is Sarah Palin to ask me or any American company to take responsibility for anything. If my wife listens to garbage like that I'd have to get off the couch and do something. I'm not putting up with this sh*t, vote Obama and save me.
Posted by: HarleyDavidson | Sep 17, 2008 2:16:57 PM
unlike joe biden who left his young sons after losing their mother and siblings in a car crash to pursue his political career mrs palin has a huge extended family and a very supportive husband to assist her. i bet nobody ever asked joe biden, or obama who also has young children how they will juggle family and career.
go sarah we love you in. by the way the interview with her husband todd last night was absolutely awesome and i feel absolutely confident that this is one incredible, young, vibrant, joyous family.
Posted by: nevada | Sep 17, 2008 2:20:32 PM
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