I would ask, as a supportive mother...Who is going to help her daughter when that baby comes? This girl needs her mom now more than ever! I agree with the OP that perhaps she should have waited until 2012? Also, I thought her daughter was sick with mono that is why she wasn't in school for 5 months? Turns out, she wasn't that sick:( Did she drop out of school? this is truly a sad story, but I don't think it will garner votes for McCain, I think it will actually take votes away:( I respect Ms. Palin for supporting her daughter but I think that the last thing this country needs is a poster kid for having a baby at 17... I also read on another blog that her husband has been arrested for a DUI? What was Mr. McCain thinking?

Why would Palin take the VP nomination when she knew that her pregnant daughter would be subjected to worldwide censure if she did? Why not cut the kid a break and wait until 2012 or 2016 to go national? We all compromise our lives for our kids - turn down the promotion that requires a move, cut back on optional overtime, even stay married when it's not so easy. Palin chose to put her ambition ahead of letting her kid get through this in a better way, and I question what that says about her.

Why is it okay to trash the children of politicians? Are these kids someone seeking or courting the media? Is she the only pregnant teen on the planet? Then lay the hell off the spawn of politicians - unless you're going to dig through every Democrat to go along with every Republican.