Wherein CajunBoy and I both lose our minds a bit
Ordinarily, I would dismiss this kind of allegation as utter horseshit and cruel, but given her relative obscurity and the completely baffling selection of her as a VP candidate, I followed the links about this earlier and then went down a bottomless Google rabbit hole. I sat on it for a while and although it still seems far-fetched, goddamn if there aren’t some really, really weird things about this.
Let’s review some very basic facts:
- Daughter Bristol was reportedly pulled out of school for 4-7 months prior to the delivery for “prolonged case of mono.” Which was completely unreported in the local media. I know Alaska is nuts, but try to imagine any governor’s kid being absent from school for that length of time without any mention in the press, or by her parents. Notably, her absence from school has not been substantiated by school documents, as far as I know, so this may not be fact.
- Family picture at the holidays (2007). The expectant mother would be just about four months pregnant, if the May 18th due date claimed by Palin was accurate. Interesting arm position of daughter Bristol. The son isn’t there, as he joined the military about the same time someone in the family discovered they were pregnant.
- Picture of Palin on Super Tuesday, which was in early February, 2008. The expectant mother would be about six months’ pregnant.
- Just for contrast and shits and giggles, here is notoriously tiny Nicole Ritchie at six months of pregnancy.
- Announced pregnancy in March, 2008, when she was “about seven months pregnant.” Most women don’t announce until viability and given the risks of this ‘pregnancy,’ perhaps that is prudent. Except she is a very much a pro-lifer and, given the risks of her ‘pregnancy’ and her role as governor, some contingency plans would be needed if things went sideways, medically. Not to mention the fact that a high risk pregnancy requires a lot more medical visits in the early stages, and her scheduler would have to accommodate those. Yet “[e]ven close members of her staff said they only learned this week their boss was expecting.” No one could believe it. Read the article.
- Before giving a speech in Texas on April 17, 2008, while she was eight months’ pregnant, she starts having contractions and leaking amniotic fluid. Again, 44 years old, high risk pregnancy, confirmed Down’s syndrome, now seeing signs of possible premature birth. She does not summon a doctor or attempt to be examined by an OB-GYN in a city with five star, advanced medical facilities that are well-equipped to handle a potential high-risk birth. She says she telephoned her family practice doctor in her small Alaskan town (who is not an OB-GYN, but rather a family practice doctor specializing in child abuse who, in 2002, received a national award, recommended by the then-mayor, Sara Palin). Who apparently gives her the go-ahead to give a speech and fly home when she’s done.
- So she freaking gives the speech and then GETS ON A PLANE? Having contractions every hour? Doesn’t tell the airline or staff? Onflight staff do not notice any signs of labor or pregnancy? Women with uneventful pregnancies don’t travel cross-country in their last months, let alone WHEN THEY ARE IN LABOR and leaking amniotic fluid in a high risk pregnancy.
- Gets off plane nine hours later - which, by the way, had a layover in Seattle (another city with five star medical facilities), in Anchorage (yet more five star facilities), They landed in Anchorage around 10:30 p.m. Thursday and an hour later were at the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Baldwin-Johnson said she had to induce labor, and the baby didn’t come until 6:30 a.m. Friday.
- Except Baldwin-Johnson works at a completely different hospital in Palin’s hometown of Wasilla and is not listed as a physician (or an OB-GYN, because she isn’t one) at Mat-Su. Again, so we’re clear, Palin went to a different hospital than the one at which the doctor (who advised her she was safe to travel) works, and one that isn’t in her hometown of Wasilla.
- Somewhere, someone allegedly induces labor. If the leaking amniotic fluid wasn’t a concern enough to address for 18+ hours, let alone preclude approval for flight travel (the air pressure aggravates the dangers of infection and further irritation of the leak), and she wasn’t actually in labor when she arrived, why induce a premature birth of a baby with Down’s?
- I say somewhere because there is no record of the birth at Mat-Su. Even though widely reported press accounts suggest she gave birth there.
- Baby is born six hours later, the next morning. Six pounds, two ounces. Pretty normal birthweight for any baby, let alone one born a month premature, given the fact that in your last month of pregnancy, your baby is gaining half a pound a week. Just so we are clear, had the baby been born ‘full term’ (according to the governor’s claimed due date of May 18), he would have had an estimated birth weight of about 8.2 pounds, which is above average. So the “oh, the baby had Down’s and was underweight and that’s why she wasn’t showing at six months,” explanation is bullshit. There was nothing abnormal about the birth weight of this child.
- Three days later, announces (at work) that the baby has Down’s syndrome, that she has known that since early in the pregnancy. Why would a staunchly pro-life woman, who opposes legal abortions for rape and incest victims, screen for birth defects when there is ABSOLUTELY no chance that she would have an abortion?
- Gave birth to a premature baby with Down’s and was at work three days later. Oh, and she says she is nursing him. In her spare time, and apparently, that of others. She is now stumping for McCain.
- And while we are on that, before all of this speculation arose, Bristol was featured prominently on Megan McCain’s blog, holding Trig in nearly every picture. Today (8-31-08), however, there is nary a mention of her on Megan’s blog, only a few shots of her in the background, holding Trig, and she (and baby Trig) were conspicuously absent from the family shots onstage.
The only thing that suggests Sarah Palin is the mother of Trig is the Down’s syndrome, as it is strongly associated with older mothers. But what I really suspect is this: you would have to be an asshole to go down this rabbit hole and suggest what I (and others) am suggesting. Which is that this grandmother is lying about her ‘baby with Down’s.’ Such speculation will fuel the far right’s fervor against the far left. She is eminently likable in sound bytes and moderately accomplished, and attacking her and her family will fuel the right wing base and the perceived ‘women’s vote.’ If she is lying, it is for a noble cause, and if she isn’t, well, those filthy lefties are just ruthless Obama fanatics who would dare question such a personal matter.
Myself, I didn’t think I had a dog in this hunt, except I kind of do. She is campaigning on a pro-life platform and citing this as evidence of her commitment to “every life matters” (can’t wait to learn of her stance on the death penalty). I don’t doubt her commitment to her beliefs and I highly respect her devotion to Trig, whatever form that took. What is nagging at me is the possibility that her choices were imposed on her daughter, and, if what I am suggesting is true, that she is wickedly deceitful and calculating. And I have had more than enough of that.
Also, CajunBoy made me do it.
Daily Kos lays down a pretty compelling argument that Sarah Palin’s covering up the fact that her 16 year old daughter, not her, gave birth four months ago to her most recent child……….(read his post)
There’s part of me, the real cynic in me, that deep down wonders if this isn’t all some elaborate scheme cooked up by Karl Rove. You know, pluck a nice, sweet, somewhat competent mom-politician, but one with glaring flaws, and add her to the ticket knowing full well that the Democrats and the press are going to launch into a feeding frenzy over her numerous issues. Then, after she has to be removed from the ticket in disgrace, the Republicans can play the “Obama hates women” card to try to pull in more sympathy votes from Hillary’s death-cult of angry vaginal stooges.
Yeah, I’m that fucking jaded. But don’t put it past them for a second.
Via Cajun Boy
