Yeah, I don't care for either reference - it was funny on SNL during the presidential primaries, but it's a joke...right? I really think the term is inappropriate in terms of political preparedness.

Nothing like Political Genetalia to persuade voter's!

G O D help America.

Geeze... now we're reduced to good ol' cat fighting... hiss...meow!

"My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mother-in-chief."

-- Michelle Obama

________________________________________________________________

Weren't those the words of the First Food (do as I say not as I do) Lady?

Cat fight.............. wait while i make some popcorn.. dont wanna miss this..

Madison From NY

Michelle Obama wasn't running for public office, her husband was. Motherhood is the most important job there is, but achieving it doesn't mean you're qualified to hold public office, see: Palin, S. (a mediocre mother AND a failed officeholder.)

Michelle Obama seems to be a wonderful mother. Her daughters look like they're crazy about her.

It's all that matters.

Madison From NY

"My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mother-in-chief."

-- Michelle Obama

________________________________________________________________

Weren't those the First Lady's words?

And Michelle Obama was running for what office?

She did not run for office. This woman wants to use motherhood as a campaign plank. Big stretch there madison two completely different situations.

But she doesn't mention her divorce and her current husband's 2 divorces.

Ok being a mother has absolutely nothing to do with being a good governor. The comment is bogus.

@gerabear- You are right. But when your husband is a public figure like Michelle's (Obama) ran for office she represents too. For example, Why do you think everyone was commenting about her "fashion sense?" When you become a Public Figure YOU are Public. Not private.

Michelle Obama may not be running for office but she certainly CAMPAIGNS a lot...I think that throws her in the middle of the discussion. I don't see how being or not being a mother would be a reason for someone to tip the scale one way or the other towards a candidate...that being said....Why would someone say Michelle Obama must be a wonderful mother because her children LOOK like they adore her? S Palin's children LOOK like they adore her too....yet others CHOOSE to call her a bad mom.....Poor taste & nasty remarks.....it just adds to the ugliness of this whole campaign season...

This is a rant, prepare to be offended, or look away now.

Ladies, I am saying grow up, and stop this blathering and simpering about the joys and significance of motherhood. It is important, it is not a "job" anymore than it is an obligation. No one MUST have children, it is a choice. Being a mother does not make anyone more qualified for anything, except maybe being a mother. And no one, hear me, NO ONE, should have any say over how each one of us makes that choice. We are allowing our individual freedoms and rights to be taken away from us with every loudmouthed, (predominantly) white, male who thinks we need to be put back in our "place", with our only purpose in life to be sperm recipients and incubators. I cringe when I hear the "tough talking" females saying things like "man up" and "put your man pants on", etc, then in the next breath think they can dictate the reproductive lives of all women because of some religious bias. WHEN will we become a society of people who have mutual respect for one another as equals and as individuals? Why do the Angles, O'Donnells, and Bachmanns of the world think they are being "strong" when they resort to childish sounding bullpucky? Do they think that by being mouthy and disrespectful they are being "tough"? Where is respect for individual choice? Why are women campaigning to push a woman's "place" back 100 years? And talking like smart mouthed little children in the process? The same jack-butts who argued that improvements to our health care system were being "shoved down our throats", now are shoving their religion down everyone elses throats! But that is ok, because how DARE anyone dis "GOD" and Christianity!!! Shall we talk about revisionist History? Thomas Jefferson is to be shelved because he was too "revolutionary"?? Unbelievable, the level of ignorance, selfishness, self-rightousness that the neo-idiots are getting away with and intelligent people are afraid to speak up. If this nation goes the way of the Tea Baggers, we earned it by being complacent for too many years.

I'd argue that being married and and a mother would qualify her more than a single woman who has never had children. It is difficult to see how she can even understand the needs of families or how they actually work nor the ability to negotiate real relationships. It also speaks volumes of either selfishness or ineptness. Most woman are not truly mature in their understanding of families until they raise one. However, being married twice also shows a lack of being able to negotiate relationships. In my book, neither of these women may be qualified and it is greatly apparent they lack social skills neccesary to run any state. Too bad for OK. These women are poor choices.

Finally, a 'rant' of reason! I totally concur. It seems that we have forgotten how to honor each other and that is truly unfortunate. Women have so much power that they give away - what a force we would be if we all stood together instead of reading from the male playbook. What is this teaching our daughters?

And if there was a person unfit to be a mother or candidate - it's Palin.

What an insulting suggestion that not having children makes a woman less qualified to be governor. And to Ragster - what an apt name - what a ridiculous comment. Not everyone can have children. And, some women opt not to. It is neither selfishness nor ineptness. How sick that you think that is a qualification for governor. But, after having read the rest of your post - just how sick in general. You have no idea why a person chooses to marry or not; or why some divorce or not. You are the poor choice. I pity your family.

Ragster, I will argue that you couldn't be more wrong. You cannot discount women who have no children, either because they cannot or chose not to, as being less qualified to do any job. We have all been part of a family, even if dysfunctional, and understand family dynamics at some level. I am neither selfish nor inept, my choice to not reproduce does not speak volumes about anything. Perhaps not having children is the less selfish option, how would you know? I believe for me it was, as I don't believe I would have been a good parent. You cannot make that judgement on people you do not know. As an employer, mothers are not the best employees as they are the least reliable, and that is a completely objective statement based on attendance records and time sheets. That doesn't mean I don't hire women who are also mothers. Most women are not turly mature in understanding families until they have raised one? How about men? Are men simply mature because they are men, regardless of status as father?

Getting into what I believe is not a truly relevant debating point in the first place, I'd like to point out that women who choose not to have children may be more qualified simply because they may know themselves better; and in a society where women are still regarded, to a large extent, as nothing more than baby machines, these women may be stronger for having stuck to that decision. They may also be more disciplined to take actions they think are necessary when it comes time to make hard decisions. Because deciding not to have a baby in this society is very often a very hard decision to come to.

That said, whether or not someone is a mother or father has no bearing on whether or not they can lead or be governor. Since when have we ever heard two guys duking it out over being a better candidate using the reproductive card and saying they are the better candidate simply because they reproduced?

In tandem with this new aspect of sexism in politics, we have the women who chant 'man up' in debates against male opponents. What the hey? If a man criticized some aspect of a woman's sexuality or femininity, it would be in the news cycles for days. The 'man up' remarks are equal to the use of the B word or other gender-related slang descriptors, generally used to shut up or intimidate the person called the name. In some circles, that's not only dirty fighting, it's a form of abuse.

If women are going to run for office, they have plenty of material, in the form of ISSUES, to use when explaining to voters why they are more qualified than the other person. They need to stay on point and tell people what they are going to do for THEM, not throw back to stereotypical labels and perceptions. Geez, it's hard enough for women to break into politics and be taken seriously as it is - using 'man up' and motherhood are ridiculous ploys. The candidate relying on her 'motherhood' status shows herself to be petty, desperate, socially and gender-bigoted - not a viable candidate for governorship. That's my opinion - as a woman.

skeptic, you rock.

Really interesting how conservatives have so many double standards when it comes to their candidates. Vitter, Ensign, Sanford? If they repent and say they are sorry, no need to step down from office. Sarah Palin with several children including a newborn baby with down syndrome should be at home according to fundamentalists--unless she is running as a Republican.

I have a hard time concluding that business experience is necessarily qualification for public policy. It's obvious most Tea Party candidates don't even know the constitution let alone the law (rule of law) they love to rant about. To claim that being a hockey mom is a qualification is absurd. what happened to conservative males and their raging hormone theory about women? Oh, that's right, it's the men's hormones that are raging when an attractive woman appears on their T.V. screen -- whether female anchors on FOX Political Organization with low-cut tops or Republican candidates like Palin, Bachmann with flirtatious winks and what have you.

These kind of comments and reasoning just makes the right-wing look even nuttier as the campaign season has gone on. And it's an insult to the truly professional women in America and single working mothers who bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan every day.

Being a mother is the best choice I ever made. Yes, it was a choice, but please don't say it isn't a job anymore than taking care of an elderly parent or an ill spouse is. When you take your responsibility seriously, it is a job. It doesn't necessarily make me anymore qualified to run for a government office, but it shouldn't be held against me if I decided to run.

I will be so glad when this election is done. What really needs to happen is some reform that only allows campaigning for 60 days or less before an election. Just think what could have been done with all the money that has been spent on various campaigns and the ads for those campaigns.

I am not a Mother, however I disagree that being a Mother is a JOB. The definition of a job is : A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as ones trade, occupation, or profession and/or a position in which one is employed. Having children is a CHOICE and I agree that it's difficult, but again it's a choice, just like anything else in life. People don't have children to pay their bills, or go on vacation, so again, it's not a job. I have chosen not to have children, simply because I don't want the responsibility, and that's exactly what Motherhood is....a choice of mothering another human, which is the ulitimate responsibility.

sickofidiots, no one is trying to disrespect your choice to have a family, but a job is something you apply for, interview for, and are compensated for. Women have been mothers for aeons, we refer to the females of all species as mothers. I do not consider taking care of my elderly surviving parent a "job", it is something that is done. I take care of the household finances and arrange all appointments, etc - I do not consider my self the bookkeeper nor the secretary, it is not a job, it is what I do to make the house run. Nothing at my home or involving my family is a "job". I am tired of women who act like no one else ever gave birth or raised a family. It isn't a career choice, it isn't a job, it isn't unique, it is what the female of all species have done since the dawn of time. Some women are better at it than others. If refering to motherhood as a "job" is what it takes for mothers to respect themselves, fine. It is unfortunate that women can't respect themselves in the role of "mother" without the need to attach "career choice" and "job" to it.

My husband and I waited 7 years to start a family, in a way it was a lengthy interview between us. We applied by agreeing to consciously have a child (granted, we didn't need the approval of an outside person, but not all jobs are between more than two people - I know a bunch of legal assistants who only work with the lawyer who hired them), and the payment has been the joy we get daily from being a part of her life.

You wouldn't tell someone who volunteers at an animal shelter or a long-term care facility or the Special Olympics that what they're doing is not a job because they choose to do it and they don't receive "payment." By the way, I've done those things too, and considered them a job, even though I received no money, because I used my skills (both mental and physical), set goals, and accomplished those goals, as well as receiving a great deal of satisfaction and happy feelings. Money isn't the only form of compensation.

Sickofidiots, the original point of this vine was that motherhood does not make anyone more (or less) qualified for public office, or any other job, career, or occupation. And no, volunteer work is not a "job", it is working for the greater good without monetary compensation. It is altruistic, a good thing to do that more of us probably should do. I have done my share, putting in many hours at a nursing home as a volunteer, while still holding a JOB. I use my mental and physical skills and achieve goals all the time, at work and not at work, doing so is how we all survive. We are all very happy that you have your family and that you planned it all out so well, good for you, really, I am not being sarcastic. That does NOT make being a mother a job, it is what is done for the survival of the species.

First mother,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oh never mind

I thought this article was going to be much more interesting. I thought someone was going to question the others motherhood. Then I would have to say, on either isle, that this would be inappropriate and that that candidate mind as well go home. Yet this was not true. This is just another stupid article!

Good morning children,

Allow me to inject some perspective from someone who lives in Oklahoma. Jari Askins is a hard working democrat. She has worked in the business world and was very successful. She has also been a state legislator and is currently the Lt. Governor. She is very qualified for the job. She has never been married. Likewise SHE HAS NEVER BEEN DIVORCED.

Mary Fallin is a career politician. She has a degree in early child development (so does my wife) and has consistently voted to cut funding for children's programs which benefit poor and at-risk children. She has always been a rubber stamp for the GOP. Whatever they want, Mary will vote for it. She stood by George Bush II to the bitter end. Always faithful.

Mary is attractive and an excellent speaker. In this arena where politics and political races are more beauty contests rather than based on the issues, Mary has a clear advantage.

Mary was also Lt. Governor before winning election to congress. While Lt. Governor Mary went through a very messy divorce from her first husband. Stories vary but one fact remains consistent, during a particularly stormy portion of the divorced Mary unburdened herself to her Oklahoma Highway Patrol body guard. There was a hug and allegedly a kiss.

I knew the young man in question. He was a nice fellow. We worked several security details together. He was providing executive protection for the Lt. Governor and I was provided executive protection for another elected official. He had a wife and family and his whole career before him. When the story made the papers he was put back in uniform (executive protection is commonly plain clothes) and shipped off to the boondocks to chase speeders.

For some reason this topic is verboten. Mary ran two of her previous campaigns on the slogan "Faith, Family and Freedom". Really? "Faith and Family" Mary?

Mary is a nice person, we have spoken to each other on occasion although I doubt she would remember me.

I'll be voting for Jari Askins.

The case can be made that if a person was not a successful parent, then their management skills would be less than adequate. If a person never has been a parent, then it would impossible to use parenthood as a measure. A non parent would have to be evaluated solely on their work record.

Carly Fiorina won't stand a chance now and Christine O'Donnell is out of luck, too,

Salt Grass - what makes a successful parent? We cant even define that in tangible terms.

For every "good parent" you give me, i'll show you flaws that could dispute it.

The kids of these politicians would never be able to say "actually, my mother sucks and frankly, her ability to control us is piss poor"

even if that were the truth.

Being a good parent does not make a good leader, but an obliviously rotted parent would be a sign of a bad leader. Parenting is just one measure, but if you are comparing apples to apples then it would be applicable. Comparing a parent and non parent on that measure does not make sense.

Salt Grass - I would hope any candidate is judged on their work record - parent or not. And, judging them on their parenting skills doesn't make sense. Parenting is not the same as governing.

It seems as though both women have excellent credentials. I guess Oklahoma needs to decide if it likes big government and the federal government continually overreaching or not.

George Bush rode his Daddy's reputation AND millions into office, your analogy is ridiculous.

I think it was because Sean Hannity gets chills down his spine and his legs, when he looks a lovely Sara.

Because liberal women are more sophisticated, more intelligent and know how to run the government. Or maybe it's because they devoted their life to a lie and the only way to justify it is to marginalize women on the other side.

How come conservative women like Sarah Palin are making it on their own?

Too bad you have to list Palin in your example. She didn't get elected VP, she quit as governor of Alaska. Hard to say she has "made it".

Don't pull down LEGITIMATE conservative CANDIDATES with her!

Sarah Palin quit her job as governor of Alaska in search of $$$$. She's got them & will use them to get elected. I don't suppose she'll need to call herself "Mama Grizzly" with all that money.

"How come conservative women like Sarah Palin are making it on their own?"

She really wasn't until the Mass Media sensationalized her into our entire culture.

Now all the continual donations from all the morons out there flow into her bank accounts like a river flows into the ocean.

Now that you've made her obscenely rich and powerful, she will stomp all over her pions.

Steve - I don't see anyone marginalizing women who have children. Just the ones who don't. Your sick comments about liberal women seem to come from a bitter man who couldn't get one.

ooohhh.

what a shot.

right to gut.

or maybe a little lower.

Its ok W Goin, Im sure he isnt a fan of Birkinstocks.

Banish the phrase "man up" forever, go to the Unicorn Hunters site, found at Lake Superior State University. These are the folks who have been "banishing" overused phrases from the English language for many years now. The list of banished words come out every New Years Day. The list is for fun, but it does call attention to people too lazy to frame their own thoughts in their own words.

Spoken like a true Democrat. Your party should be proud.

Spoken like a true Republican. Always generalizing when you know damn well not all Democrats are not all commie pinko lefties. ;-)

Democrat. Republican.

It's still the same wolf, just in a different sheep's hide.

Only together can they completely destroy our country.

Well said. I love it. Thank you.

Bgrngod - well said and I too love it. Sorry Barry - you just said it best! :-)

as long as she's not acting on her tendencies...hate the sin not the sinner.

As an American, if she had those tendencies she would have every right in the world to act on them, regardless of your feelings on the matter, Pat. Have we all gone bonkers and forgotten that individual liberty applies to EVERYBODY, not just people you agree with? Good grief!

I do believe patHuntingtonNY was speaking tongue-in-cheek. Because deeply felt, passionate views are the only views that are allowed any air time any more. I may be wrong, but that's how I took it.

Good point. I hope you are right. But you can understand my jumping to the conclusion that Pat was serious.

Siegfried (!) my insightful one! That - I am sure - was the ENTIRE reason for bringing the issue up... but the news media won't touch it with a ten foot pole. I can think of no other reason to point out that Askins is not married / has no children other than to insinuate that.... well... you know... no man in her life... AS IF that is a qualification for running for public office!

Obviously you're right. This was not an attack on the lieutenant governor's motherhood, it was an innuendo about her sexual orientation.

Siegfried - spoken like a true idiot. Not all or most single females over the age of 40 are lesbians. But, maybe they claim to be around you so you won't bother them.

Siegfried, Florida Big Bend

Ecce Homo-2116150
Hammerdale

I thought the the same thing when I first read it. In fact, I thought that was the ONLY reason the issue of motherhood was brought up. I was wondering why everyone was talking about motherhood.

Amen!!!!!!!!!!

When did being single at her age start to mean anything more than being single?

Sounds like you've never known a liberal OR owned a dog.

Q: What is the difference between a liberal and a puppy?
A: A puppy stops whining after it grows up.

Hopefully true. However, after the puppy grows up and we've become so accustomed to the whining, we can adopt a Republican...preferably a conservative breed...to carry on.

Unfortunately, as we've been witness to, their whining doesn't stop when THEY grow up.

Don't act shocked when your little republican pooch pees on your leg. A dog has a pretty keen sense of an owner's intentions.

You completely missed it, jimmyshark. You should seriously consider a halt to that favorite pastime of yours...jumping yourself.

I didn't mention anything about a Republican pooch...just a Republican. And true to form, here you are...whining. Doubt I'd let that poor little replacement into the house anyway...they're notorious about walking away from the messes they create.

That shock collar of yours a bit too tight, eh? Must have been because of a few too many belly flops.

And the GOP is the party of christianity - in all of its glory.

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians; Christians are so unlike Christ." - Gandhi

Patience and tolerance? You've never met my mother. I think the only thing that motherhood truly insinuates is sexual activity.

I think the patience and tolerance comment is funny too... That's a trait shared by both genders... aka Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Ronald Regan, etc. etc. No bonus points for patience and tolerance...

Excellent and so true.

I guess OctoMOM will be the next govorner of California with that kind of reasoning.....(geez....)

The country is going to be run by Catholics and Mormons. LOL

It doesn't. What you have here are "traditional values" and "I am like you" nonsense being pushed as some kind of like-ability lure for folks who react (and vote) with their gut.

Amen (from an atheist)... it is obvious that this late in the election season, both sides are just throwing out what they can to see what sticks for all those last minute undecided voters. But I am with you, a pretty silly litmus test to determine my Gov, Rep, Senator, etc...

Oh well, it will all be over soon.

Implied in a statement like Askins is that people who have kids are somehow more qualified for certain activities (here that activity just happens to political office) than those who do not have kids (regardless of the reason).

As a conservatarian who has made the conscious choice NOT to have kids, I am sick of this "cult of parenthood" where people are considered heroes simply for doing what humans have been doing for tens of thousands of years.

I am a parent because that was the choice that I made when I was 25. People who think less of people who are not parents are undereducated and misinformed. Nonparents help the world maintain a sense of balance and sanity. We can't get along without nonparents, just as we can't get along without people who are parents. I don't feel a sense of smug superiority toward people who have made a choice (or have had the choice "made" for them) to not be parents. I celebrate and embrace their ability to contribute to our world.

Jay S. in OK:

I agree that the motherhood comments were thinly-veiled anti-gay comments. That was my first thought when I read them . . .

See....you just clearly tryin' to start trouble.

"You will see more women candidates like Fiorina and Whitman"

Good goddess, I hope not!!!

Allen - Omaha

Yes I am :)