- The Vice Presidency is not a difficult position, as it carries with it, by default, virtually no formal power.
- The salary of the Vice President is $208,000/year, not counting benefits; her husband does not have to work in order for the family to be supported at a very high level of comfort.
- Her husband can easily fill in for her.
- Most conservatives' views on gender roles and child rearing have been flexible for many years to accommodate situations where the wife is capable of significantly outperforming her husband, and they choose to have her be the bread-winner.
- If McCain makes it through two terms, 3 of Palin's children will be adults, and a fourth will be almost ready to start college.
This "controversy" only exists because Obama's supporters and apologists have a completely caricatured view of social conservative views on family life.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I agree that the VP does not do much. I would also add that Joe Biden went to be a Senator even though his wife died in a car accident leaving him to be a single parent. This seems far worse than a married woman who has help raising her children.
"[they] have a completely caricatured view of social conservative views on family life"
Not to mentioned fairly sexist notions of who is able to care for children.
Todd Palin is a SAHD already.
But somehow that doesn't seem to count, now does it?
Only women can care for kids; men, well, it's just best to keep them away lest they molest them or something.
Well, they'll denounce his decision to be a SAHD as an act of irresponsibility, then when confronted about it, they'll claim that they were just being ironic in their use of social conservative gender role ideas.