With the announcement of the candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for Vice President, a firestorm of controversy has erupted over more than her qualifications for the job.    Whether gender equality or bias are at the foundation, the debate has shifted to determining whether a woman with a newborn, even more sparked since Palin’s son has Down Syndrome, would be able to hold a position of authority with a demanding schedule and furthermore, why would she want to?

From an online MSNBC article:

”To any critics who say a woman can’t think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I’d just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave,” the Anchorage Daily News quoted Palin saying last March, after the surprise announcement that she was seven months pregnant with Trig.

Some argue, however, that the discussion isn’t about whether Palin — or any other woman, for that matter — can juggle the demands of a high-powered job and a family, but rather why she would want to.

Interesting.  While race has been a huge hot button between the candidates, now also gender has played a role as well.  Is it a double standard to assume that a woman candidate would not be capable because she has a newborn?  I think of myself in the same circumstances…7 month old baby, special needs, two income household…what would we do?  I would have to go back to work (probably would have been working since month 3), we would find a way to make it happen, especially now that we may potentially have additional medical bills.  

It makes me mad that the media assumes that a mother could not handle the responsibilities.  I would assume at that level of power, she would have more access to resources than I could ever dream of.   Won’t the secret service be there anyway…I’m sure they could be trained to change a diaper.  I’m also mad that they assumed that the father wouldn’t be capable of raising the children without their mother. 

What’s your take, politics aside, what do you think of the criticism that Palin should stay home with her son?  What amount of time should a mother take after giving birth?  Is it a double standard: men vs women caretakers?