You don't have to be engaging in personal attacks against a candidate's family, to ask about the relationship betweeen the candidates personal choices, and their positions that will affect ours.::::::::
Barack Obama is, of course, to be commended for taking the high road over issues of Sarah Palin's family. And it is true, that attacks on any family member of a candidate are inappropriate.
At the same time -as Rachel Maddow recently pointed out on her radio show - Sarah Palin is clearly the pick of the Religious Right. And if any group has recenty made the personal the political, it is that group. In addition, it is difficult to talk about a whole host of isues that impact upon women, families, and children, without dealing with personal decisions. If John McCain's inability to remember how many houses he owns reveals his attitude towards the economy, Sarah Palin's personal choices reflect upon her attitude towards a whole host of public policy issues.
We do not know whether Palin and her husband allowed their children to learn about contraception and avoiding STD's. We do know, however, that Gov. Palin advocates for a world in which all of our daughters will have less ability to make informed choices about their own reproduction.
Sure, it's great that she embraced her daughter in her decision to carry the pregnancy to term. That might not be such an easy decision for poor families. If knowledge is power, a vote for Palin is hardly a vote to empower women.
Amy Fried is the author of "Escaping Dick Cheney's Stomach," and is working on her next book, "310 Million T*ts: Why 21st Century Politics are All About the Women." She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, and has been an advocate for (
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