Opnion: Does Sarah Palin have a Work/Life Balance Problem? Without a Doubt!

by Erin Abrams (New York City)

The question on everyone’s lips this week is about Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska (formerly mayor of the town of Wasilla, AK), who was recently chosen as Senator John McCain’s vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket.

The question, boldly stated on cable news and quietly whispered about around office water coolers is this … What is a woman with five children, including an infant with Down Syndrome, doing seeking the vice presidency of the United States? And more importantly, is there some element of gender bias implicit in the question? Is there any inherent reason why a mother of five would have a hard time fulfilling the duties of the second highest office in the land? Or is it simply sexist to imply so?

I would argue that it is not inherently sexist or gender biased to question whether a mother of 3 healthy children, one pregnant child and one infant with special needs would have the time, energy and resources to devote to the second-highest public office in the land, and whether it would be in the best interests of her children to do so.

While the common presumption in our society is that a woman with such child-care responsibilities would not be able to serve in such a high office, this presumption is rebuttable and comes with caveats. First, I would not assume that such a woman was incapable of working outside the home. Certainly, many part-time jobs and full time jobs with flex-time and progressive work/life balance programs have been designed in recent years to accommodate working moms. However, the vice presidency is not one of them.

Second, this presumption could be overcome if such a woman was not the primary caretaker of her children, and her husband or another relative took on the primary care role. However, based on information released about Governor Palin’s husband, he is a oil field production operator and professional snowmobile racer who spends extended periods away from the home, and whose work requires that he spend most of his time out at sea or traveling at high speeds over frozen tundra. To say that he is a stay-at-home dad would bend credulity. At the Republican Convention, no mention was made of an extended family or network of friends who helped with child rearing tasks either.

Third, it is not the case that NO mother would be qualified for this job based on her gender and status as a mother. For example, one could argue that Hillary Clinton, with her one 28-year old daughter Chelsea, would not have been hindered in any way by family responsibilities if she had been chosen as the Democratic nominee for vice president. Similarly, Madeleine Albright, who served as Secretary of State during the Clinton administration, was a single mother of three daughters for much of her adult life, but her daughters were all adults by the time she ascended to her highest office.

If elected, John McCain, 72, would be the oldest president ever sworn in for a first term. He has had three recurrences of skin cancer, and his health is definitely a concern. Thus, many political commentators in both liberal and conservative forums have expressed concern with the possibility that Governor Palin could find herself literally a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Governor Palin is an arch-conservative who advocates for abstinence-only education, opposes a woman’s right to choose abortion even in cases of rape or incest, and reportedly does not believe in birth control. While these policy positions may be popular with right-wing Republicans, they also have implications for Governor Palin that hit a little bit closer to home.

For example, her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is eight months pregnant. She plans to deliver the baby, and marry the father, a fellow teenager. Say what you will about teenage pregnancy and the failures of abstinence only education, but if this teenage girl’s mom ends up serving as the vice president of the United States, she probably can’t count on receiving too much help with child care from her mother, who will be preoccupied with running the country.

Governor Palin’s convictions against abortion played a role in her decision to knowingly deliver a baby with Downs Syndrome in April 2008, while she was governor of Alaska. This was certainly a personal choice, and nobody should suggest that she should have chosen otherwise. However, as with all major life decisions, this one too has consequences.

While the desire to bring a special needs baby into the world is a private matter for the Palin family, it is undeniable that a child with Down Syndrome requires significantly more care and attention than a healthy child. Time and care that Governor Palin may be ill-equipped to provide if she becomes vice president, a job not known for its flexible hours or work/life balance accommodations for working moms.

Finally, given her moral opposition to the use of birth control in general, it is not inconceivable that she could become pregnant and give birth to a sixth or seventh child while in office.

At what point would it be considered not sexist but realist to say that, regardless of political convictions, a person like Governor Palin might have actual family duties and responsibilities that would interfere with her ability to serve as the vice president?

Disclaimer: The opinions of the author does not necessarily represent that of the management of The Glass Hammer.