Presidential Debate...

[Shannon G]

Having just watched the debate, I have to say there is one statement made by McCain that bothered me, even though it was really not about the substance of the campaign, and I'm just curious whether anyone else had the same reaction. Well, more than one thing he said bothered me, but the others had to do with differences in substantive political views.

In talking about Sarah Palin, and why she would make a good VP, he stated (and I'm paraphrasing here) that she understood special needs issues more than just about anyone in the country. I freely admit that she obviously understands special needs better than someone like me, who does not have a special needs child. But it seems to me that there are a great many people around the country who are parents of special needs children, many of whom I dare say have more severe issues than Trig, and I thought it sounded somewhat insulting to those people to say that she understood special needs more than almost anyone else.

I admit that I have not read in detail the extent of any physical issues that Trig has or has not had so far, but I don't recall seeing anything that said that he had heart defects requiring surgery as an infant, as did my friend's son with Downs. And, while money does not fix everything, she can certainly afford any special assistance that may be needed much more easily than many middle and lower class parents of special needs children. So how does she understand special needs issues better than all these other people?

Maybe that's not what McCain meant, but that is how his statement came across to me, and, again, I'm just curious how others, especially parents of special needs children, felt about McCain's statement.

 

[LakeAriel]

He doesn't have a clue. He thinks Trig Palin is Autistic..Very different problems. I guess we shouldn't be surprised he doesn't know her either.

 

[famofsix]

Sarah Palin has a nephew who is autistic and her child has Downs

The issue is close to her heart I don't think she knows more than anyone else. However she would likely advocate more than anyone else in the past position of VP because of it.

 

[wilderness01]

He doesn't have a clue. He thinks Trig Palin is Autistic..Very different problems. I guess we shouldn't be surprised he doesn't know her either.

That had me confused as well. Trig has Downs which is quite different than Autism.

 

[phragmipedium]

I see where you're coming from. My more serious concern with what he was saying is that he was using autism as his example and the basis of his argument about how much better she knows than anyone else. Well, Trig is not autistic. Certainly having a special needs child will change your experiences and perspective, but McCain's big misspeak or mistake there really undercut the message he was trying to get across, I think. I can sympathize with Palin's nephew having autism, but it would have made much more sense for McCain to use Down Syndrome as his example if he were really trying to draw a distinction about Palin being compassionate toward those with special needs because of her own life experience.

Also, I am not positive, but I do believe Palin was supportive of cutting special needs funding in schools prior to having Trig. It's possible he has changed her and her politics, but it's a little upsetting that it should only matter or be important to you after it touches your life. Just my two cents - and FTR I am not a parent at all yet.

 

[beckmrk04]

I noticed, too, that he kept saying "autism" and said that Palin understands this more than anyone (or however he worded it). I thought it was odd.


What bothered me most is that he kept repeating the term "pro-abortion."

I am not pro-abortion, nor do I know anyone who is. Pro-choice, yes. I think abortions should be kept safe, legal, and rare.

 

[roadtripper]

Here is the NY times transcript of that part of the debate:
"And by the way, she also understands special-needs families. She
understands that autism is on the rise, that we got to find out what's
causing it and we've got to reach out to these families and help them
and give them the help they need as they raise these very special
needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know."

Her son has Down syndrome, which is a completely different disability. It may just have been an awkward transition, but I found this comment totally ignorant and pandering. As the mom of an 11 year old son with many special needs, I certainly know a lot more than I did when he was six months old--and that's about HIS disability. There is a fairly steep learning curve for parents, and from what I know she has been busy getting briefed by Henry Kissinger on Iran, race baiting, and fear mongering. Hardly leaves enough time to study Down syndrome.
So yes, I thought he was overreaching, to say the least .

 

[Shannon G]

Sarah Palin has a nephew who is autistic and her child has Downs

The issue is close to her heart I don't think she knows more than anyone else. However she would likely advocate more than anyone else in the past position of VP because of it.

I can agree without reservation that it s an issue close o her heart, and she probably does understand the issue more than many of us, and that this would give her a unique, and beneficial, perspective. What I really took issue with was saying that she understands special needs issues more than almost anyone else in the country. That just seemed like a slap in the face to many parents who have dealt with the same or worse.

 

[Anewman]

She is really weak when it comes to qualifications, he is grasping big time.

So having a nephew with autism make her qualified.
Living near Russia makes her qualified.
Her husband working for an Oil company makes her qualified.
She wears glasses...

 

[Charade]

Did y'all notice the PP that stated Palin has a nephew who's autistic?

I didn't know that. I just thought he was mistaken.

 

[Tigger Woods]

I see where you're coming from. My more serious concern with what he was saying is that he was using autism as his example and the basis of his argument about how much better she knows than anyone else. Well, Trig is not autistic. Certainly having a special needs child will change your experiences and perspective, but McCain's big misspeak or mistake there really undercut the message he was trying to get across, I think. I can sympathize with Palin's nephew having autism, but it would have made much more sense for McCain to use Down Syndrome as his example if he were really trying to draw a distinction about Palin being compassionate toward those with special needs because of her own life experience.

Also, I am not positive, but I do believe Palin was supportive of cutting special needs funding in schools prior to having Trig. It's possible he has changed her and her politics, but it's a little upsetting that it should only matter or be important to you after it touches your life. Just my two cents - and FTR I am not a parent at all yet.

Absolutely not true. Palin tripled the budget for special needs education. Google it ..

 

[beckmrk04]

Did y'all notice the PP that stated Palin has a nephew who's autistic?

I didn't know that. I just thought he was mistaken.

I didn't know that either, and I'd bet most Americans didn't know that- so even if McCain wasn't mixing up the terms, I'm afraid it's still going to look like he was.

 

[Tigger Woods]

I can agree without reservation that it s an issue close o her heart, and she probably does understand the issue more than many of us, and that this would give her a unique, and beneficial, perspective. What I really took issue with was saying that she understands special needs issues more than almost anyone else in the country. That just seemed like a slap in the face to many parents who have dealt with the same or worse.

That's not what he said. Here is what he actually said:
"She understands that better than almost any American that I know."
Does that still seem like a slap in the face?

 

[Island_Lauri]

Absolutely not true. Palin tripled the budget for special needs education. Google it ..

To those in Alaska who work with children with special needs, Ms. Palin’s pronouncement was surprising; the disabled have not been a centerpiece of Ms. Palin’s 20-months in office or any of her campaigns for office.

She signed legislation that would increase financing for children in Alaska with special needs — though she was not involved in its development — yet that state is the subject of two lawsuits that allege inadequate services and financing for those children, particularly those with autism.

“I never heard Governor Palin say as governor, ‘You have an advocate in Juneau,’ ” said Sonja Kerr, a lawyer specializing in disability law in Anchorage.

What lawyers, advocates and parents are seeking now, Ms. Kerr said, is to learn. “What is behind the announcement?” she said. “An advocate is someone who pleads another’s cause, so what is her plea going to be? To get rid of Medicaid wait lists so we can get kids services? To quickly pass the American with Disabilities restoration act? That is what I haven’t heard.”

Alaska, both by dint of its sparse population and lack of resources, has often struggled to provide care and educational services for its roughly 18,000 children with physical and emotional disabilities.

For years the state shipped thousands of children out of state for mental health services, a problem so acute that Ms. Palin’s predecessor created a program intended solely to get enough services in the state to bring the children back; from 2004 to 2007 the number of children sent out of state fell to 300 from about 600.

According to state documents, she cut the state’s Special Olympics budget in half.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/us...partner=rssnyt

 

[JonS99]

She is really weak when it comes to qualifications, he is grasping big time.

Considering Obama has done NOTHING in his political career of substance, the same can and should be said of him.

Of course if one wants to buy a 2006 Buick with low miles, he might be one to talk to.

 

[gaelic grace]

Absolutely not true. Palin tripled the budget for special needs education. Google it ..

I was just going to post this. There are alot of things that I don't agree with her on but she actually dramatically increased the budget and she did it before she had a special needs child. She has actually been lauded by teacher's unions and other groups on education that don't normally advocate for a Republican.

 

[Shannon G]

I see where you're coming from. My more serious concern with what he was saying is that he was using autism as his example and the basis of his argument about how much better she knows than anyone else. Well, Trig is not autistic. Certainly having a special needs child will change your experiences and perspective, but McCain's big misspeak or mistake there really undercut the message he was trying to get across, I think. I can sympathize with Palin's nephew having autism, but it would have made much more sense for McCain to use Down Syndrome as his example if he were really trying to draw a distinction about Palin being compassionate toward those with special needs because of her own life experience.

Also, I am not positive, but I do believe Palin was supportive of cutting special needs funding in schools prior to having Trig. It's possible he has changed her and her politics, but it's a little upsetting that it should only matter or be important to you after it touches your life. Just my two cents - and FTR I am not a parent at all yet.

In her defense, I can understand that the issue would become much more important only once it has touched your life personally - I think that's a natural reaction that most of us have as human beings. Issues are not necessarily a priority to us if they don't affect us directly. So, while I don't claim to know whether she cut funding or increased it (another poster stated that she actually increased it), I can understand that the issue would take on new meaning to her (1) in light of her nephew being autistic, and (2) after having a child with Down Syndrome.

Again, my only issue with his statement was the implication that she is somehow an expert on special needs, as compared to everyone else. I just think he would have been better off saying that her experiences gave her an understanding and compassion for special needs issues, without making it into a "She knows more" statement.

 

[gmboy95]

Expecting republicans to take care of special needs children is ridiculous!!!....They believe we should take care of ourselves!!

An autistic kid is just another leech of the public dole!!....lets be serious, Sarah palin doesn't even think rape victims have a right to a rape kit if they are offended against, without digging into their wallets!!

 

[BuckNaked]

Again, my only issue with his statement was the implication that she is somehow an expert on special needs, as compared to everyone else. I just think he would have been better off saying that her experiences gave her an understanding and compassion for special needs issues, without making it into a "She knows more" statement.

As an earlier poster noted, Sen. McCain said she knew more than anyone he knows, which is quite a bit different than knowing more than anyone.

 

[Anewman]

As an earlier poster noted, Sen. McCain said she knew more than anyone he knows, which is quite a bit different than knowing more than anyone.

Guess he just does not know many Americans with expertise in that area.