Is Sarah Palin One of Us?

Thank-you for this. I think you really got to the heart of the whole thing. Issues should be carefully considered when voting. I don't fit the box the hopefuls wish to construct so they can pin me down into their corner. I think many of us don't. I also don't care for the feeling of being boxed.

You're right, Kim. We need to vote the issues – and we need to investigate Mrs. Palin's stance on disability issues in the past – not give her our vote just because she has a child with a disability.

In her acceptance speech, she said that parents of children with disabilities would now have a friend in the White House. I wanted to hear more – not just the statement. Unfortunately for me, there has been nothing more than the statement, and the record of past accomplishments does not support Mrs. Palin's statement.

Well said. Like Deborah, I was frustrated that she threw out the statement that she will be our "advocate" without anything substantial to back it and was left feeling like it was more empty rhetoric. I was also a little concerned that she would use her son/family and their situation for apparent political gain.

I too will focus on the many, many other issues and proposed policies in order to make my decision. My hope is that others do the same.

Corrected my link URL…

Well said. Definitely a red herring, if not a red flag. In the political realm it's not 'selective' but 'elective.'
Cheers

Here Here! Amazingly well said!

Very well said, Kim.

But I will point out that Tammy has posted at least two articles regarding Sarah Palin here at 5M4SN.

Thank you for your wise and balanced post.

I really can't relate to Sarah Palin just because she gave birth to a special needs child. Her policies, and her party, are not about providing the health insurance and social programs that we need.

Plus I don't relate to her because most of us had to cut down on our work schedule or quit completely in order to take care of our special needs child – our husbands had to do the same thing many times. She prioritized her career from the get-go, not spending more than 3 days post-partum with her baby. Really, I doubt that she spends any quality time with her son while campaigning for the vice-presidency.

I found it very interesting to get a perspective from someone outside the United States. I would find it very difficult to vote for someone based on only one issue.

Fantastic post Kim!!!

As a Canadian, I'm also an outsider. But I agree completely with your points.

Love your post Kim!

The current status of the "I am for special needs children more than you are" battle is placing our families to be bargaining chips in the elections.

Instead focus on telling us exactly what you plan to do as an "advocate in the White House" don't just tell me that you will do it with nothing to back it up.

The issues on a grand scale are what need to be looked at to make a choice.

AMEN! I have yet to blog on the Palin issue because my post would detail the reasons why I WON'T vote for that ticket. And none of them have anything to do with an extra chromosome. And I have yet to see any Special Needs Mamas expressing those views. And that makes me very, very nervous.

Sometimes it's easier for us to listen to a friend from across the sea. You are so right. I don't/won't vote even solely on disability platforms…there is much that ails our country!

Hmmm… see, I do feel a special kinship with those who have special needs children. Different as our children may be, and different as we all may be, there's a common thread in our lives that nobody else understands. I personally like the idea of having someone in a high office with a special needs child. Doesn't mean I'll vote for them on that one issue alone, but I still like the thought of it. I guess if you're already voting for that person, it's a perk. If you're not, it's probably not going to change your mind (nor should it).

Thank you Carol, Deborah, Psychmama, Maddy, Sherry, Melody, Leila, Heidi, Susan, Krystal, Finding Normal, Nicole and Moose for your responses.

Given the publicity going on at the moment I'd swear the Presidential race was between Obama and Palin…

Melody – the only one I could find was Tammy's announcement that Palin had been chosen, but I'd be interested to see more.

Moose – I understand what you mean about the kinship – if it didn't exist, neither could a site such as this. My point was really about making assumptions about other viewpoints based purely on that kinship.

i am also an outsider but i endorse kims comments. any iniatives she comes up with on this issue are also likely to be within the constraints of her parties ideology, which, looking from afar, doesn't seem to be doing too well at the moment.

Excellent post. Although to be truthful I don't think there is anything wrong with voting for someone that you think will give your cause a boost. And on the other hand, if I knew that someone was a member of the Ku Klux Klan I wouldn't vote for them no matter how good their economic plan was or their social program stance.

And let's hope Sarah Palin is one of us. We are all people with dreams,hopes,loves,hurts, and issues. Perhaps we don't need to decide if she is one of us based on whether her child has an extra chromosone, but rather whether she is a human being.

Now voting on the hand is clearly a matter decided (or divided) by issues. And the Republicans and Democrats feel pretty opposite on every issue so my advice is to vote party line and quit pretending that there is actual thinking that goes into that process.

If only American voters would think through the issues as Kim does, I might have more confidence in the election process. Wish we could enfranchise Kim.

Hey, if anyone wants to fly me over to the US and pay me a chunk of money as a guest speaker, DO get in contact

Well said, Kim.

I don't want this woman within a mile of the White House. The only thing we share in common is two X chromosomes. Shame on her for trying to play the gender ticket. Gee whiz; I wasn't crazy about the idea of McCain to begin with, but I had a grudging admiration for his honesty. Now I think I've even lost that.

Well said. Thank you.

Do NOT lump me and Palin together. Her son has Downs, a diagnosis that is recognized, not only by doctors and the medical community, but by insurance. She gets more benefits than I do. There are all kinds of programs and schools to help her son and family. No one has called her a nutcase dealing with her son's doctors. She did not have to fight tooth and nail for two years to get a diagnosis, she KNEW before he was born!

My son has SPD, which is not in the DSM-IV, which means I get labeled nuts, crazy, munchausens by proxy, a bad mom, my kid cannot behave, my kid needs to be medicated, I should never take my child into public on a bad day all on a daily basis. I have very few people backing me up and minimal funding for his diagnosis. It took me two years and going through a few doctors to get where we are now, which is still pitiful. My insurance company barely covers OT for him and no ST.

What the hell,
I was looking for information for singles as I am but I am 69. I am worried that ss is not going to support me anymore. What can I do?
Do you think Socialized medicind is an answer?
I got lost in this email. I am not sure this is what I am looking for! I didn't want to submit a comment. I want results