Can a Working Mother Of Three Be The Vice President?

This is a question which has been debated in the media and by people since Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain’s choice for his running mate. Now we find out that she has a pregnant 17-year-old, an infant with Down syndrome, three other kids as well as a husband. The question still remains, can Sarah Palin be mom, wife and vice president of the U.S.?

From the New York Times:

When Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska was introduced as a vice-presidential pick, she was presented as a magnet for female voters, the epitome of everymom appeal.

But since then, as mothers across the country supervise the season’s final water fights and pack book bags, some have voiced the kind of doubts that few male pundits have dared raise on television. With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try.

It’s the Mommy Wars: Special Campaign Edition. But this time the battle lines are drawn inside out, with social conservatives, usually staunch advocates for stay-at-home motherhood, mostly defending her, while some others, including plenty of working mothers, worry that she is taking on too much.

Ms. Palin was selected by Senator John McCain in part to draw female voters, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Geraldine A. Ferraro did before her. But Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Ferraro ran for president and vice president when their children were grown, meaning they were survivors of — not combatants in — the bitter debates over whether and how to combine work with motherhood.

People will debate whether Sarah Palin can do the job or not up until the election. While I may or may not vote for John McCain, I still think that Palin deserves the opportunity to prove that she is a credible candidate and I believe that she is. Yes, there will be controversy, but this is shaping up to be a very interesting election which will likely go down to the wire. Thoughts?