Capitol Hill Blue Forums Capitol Hill Blue Opinions CHB Columnists Banging Sarah Palin's daughters

Actually yes, abstinence works very well. Getting your kids to do what you say often doesn't work though. I'm going to suggest that those kids knew a condom would prevent pregnancy. They chose not to abstain from having sex and they chose not to use an easily obtainable prevention device. They probably chose to drink and use drugs too. Generally speaking kids aren't all that bright. That is still no reason to single them out and attack them on late night TV. There may be a few young ladies who actually choose to abstain, Bristol Palins message may not fall on completely deaf ears. I see no situational irony here, just some kind of mean and small minded people making dirty jokes about children.

But what exactly IS Bristol Palin's message to those impressionable young ladies?

Unfortunately, I don't see it being: "Whatever you do, don't get pregnant, because that has ruined my life."

She seems to be the perfect spokesperson FOR unwed teen pregnancy: "Get knocked-up by your boyfriend, and you too can receive widespread fame, admiration, support, a high-profile job, etc.

We need some REAL unwed mothers going around to junior high schools explaining how a baby has derailed all their plans for the future, ended their social life, broken up their relationship, damaged their body (if PG too young), and so forth.

Bristol makes it seem glamorous!

Actually, I did see an interview with Bristol Palin shortly after the baby was born (and the wedding called off) -- and the message I got from her was more on the order of "I did this to myself and I can't whine about but, oh, man, I wish this had never happened."

She seemed like a young woman who knew exactly how much one bad decision had cost her, and I felt quite sorry for her - knowing how easy it is to make that one mistake.

I would go so far as to say most of the straight people on this site probably could have been caught the same way - or their children could have.

The point remains that the joke was made about the daughter in the ballpark. That wasn't Bristol. That was a much younger girl.

Yes, I saw Letterman's "apology", that wasn't really an apology at all. That was a mistake. He may have felt he was standing up for "his people" and taking responsibility for a writer's mistake, but the way he expained it away made him seem arrogant.

It would have been much better with a little bit more of an explanation (like "My writers thought Bristol was the daughter in New York, and nobody checked that.") Plus way more Mea Culpa, as the executive producer of the show. A sincere apology directed to Willow for the misunderstanding would have also been a step toward civil behavior.

Don't know if we saw the same interview, but certainly I saw something similar, because I came away with the very same impression. I was far more inclined to compassion than ridicule.

The feeling I get is that she is doing what she has to do to stay above water. After all, she's living with Mom and Dad. A job really isn't in the picture for a 17-year-old mother. The father is...whatever. I would not be surprised if she's not doing this "abstinence tour" as a way of keeping a roof over her head - whether that means making money or making the 'rents happy.

She's got more choices than a lot of 17-year-old mothers - but that's still not a lot of choices.

It shouldn't have really surprised anyone that she wasn't the daughter at the ball game.


Actually, that's what she is and what she was doing. Her life was high school and baby care; she had broken up with what's-his-name, all her plans had changed.

She's preaching abstinence, yes. But she's not telling anyone that having a baby is glamorous, or a breeze. That would be worth yelling at her about.

This is better. I did it; it's my fault; I apologize first of all to the daughters.

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The intended target is an adult who made adult choices after the age of consent of sixteen in Alaska. There is no “child” as the intended victim.

Bristol's mother's political advancement thrust her, and the rest of the family, onto the world stage, once on stage; there is no turning back.

Surely it was a family decision for Sarah to become a VP running mate. The family decided to move forward; there are consequences to becoming famous.

Bristol Palin is not some unknown from Wasilla, Alaska. She’s famous the world over.

I'm not trying to justify David Letterman's crude joke, I'm simply trying to explain, once you open Pandora's Box and become famous, there's not turning back.

...unless your Kristie McNichol. Who?

I submit that, that was unintentional. I submit the joke was meant to be about Bristol.

No one in their right mind would make that joke about a fouteen year old.