CHARLOTTE EBY | Posted: Sunday, September 7, 2008 12:00 am
The uproar surrounding Sarah Palin helps make the case that Americans, as a whole, aren't entirely comfortable with a woman on the presidential ticket, no matter what they might claim.
Palin, a first-term governor from Alaska and a self-described hockey mom, saw a level of intense scrutiny after John McCain picked her as a running mate that has not been seen by any political candidate in recent years.
Most of that can be attributed to the fact that Palin is not well-known by the political and media establishment, let alone the American people.
But Palin's life choices also came under scrutiny in a way we haven't seen for male candidates seeking higher offices.
For example, no one questioned whether Democrat John Edwards would spend too much time away from his young children when he was picked for the vice presidential slot by John Kerry in 2004 or either time he ran for president.
But the public has questioned Palin's decision to return to work after having a child earlier this year and what kind of toll the campaign might take on her five children.
No one seems to be criticizing Barack Obama for running for president even though he has two young daughters.
Palin supporters will blame the media, saying it's been too hard on a successful working mother. But Palin's family life is still something the public is curious about, showing the country still hasn't come to terms with all the roles women fill in the home and in the workplace.
Republicans are upset that some of the coverage of Palin's family has centered on her 17-year-old daughter being pregnant. They had to know, however, that it would be of interest to the public, especially when Palin has been vocal about her opposition to abortion and has pushed for abstinence-only education.
Her proponents like to tout the fact she went ahead with her pregnancy even after learning her son had Down syndrome. Pro-life advocates see that decision as the ultimate proof she shares their values.
To abortion activists, Palin's devout pro-life stances have been a call to arms.
In the days after McCain picked Palin, Obama began airing ads in Iowa and other states criticizing McCain's declaration that he wants to see Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, overturned.
EMILY's List, a political group that supports female pro-choice candidates, commissioned a poll to gauge Palin's support among women voters, which showed women like Palin less the more they knew about her positions on issues such as abortion.
In a strange twist, it's the social conservatives who are supporting Palin's decision to forge ahead with her political career instead of choosing to stay home with her children, and liberals who have pushed for women's equality arguing that Palin should spend more time with her kids.
It all comes back to the idea that the country isn't as progressive as it thinks it is when it comes to gender roles. Women are constantly judged for the choices they make to balance work and family or not to have children because they want to focus on their careers.
The fact that the country is so consumed with Palin's personal family decisions when male candidates aren't held to that same standard shows the country has a long way to go before reaching equality.
For all the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, as Hillary Clinton likes to call it, that ceiling is still holding strong against many working moms.