Amen and pass the ammo, Heather. We wimminz, we're so darn scary...

I would have to choose Hillary only because of the mature, responsible woman she has already raised through such adversity. Michelle seems equally as good and I know nothing of Pelosi's children. The last person I would want is Palin. I want my child to hold out until at least 10 before he starts having sex.

Wow ... so this is where we are???

I agree with your sentiments. But still.

Michelle Obama and Todd Palin.

Yeah, it's sexist.




But I'd choose Hillary.

[headdesk]

Are those claymation action figures available as a set?

I'd definitely take my car to Mr. Palin's garage, no doubt. And why would anyone possibly be offended by such a question?

lemme think about this...

Sarah Palin? Are they serious? THE Sarah Palin with the formerly unwed knocked-up teenage daughter? The Obama girls are both cherubic and cheerful; granted they still have some growing to do. Chelsea is a smart, articulate, self-possessed young woman. I'd go with any of the dems, of course. Even Nancy Pelosis has the stuff similar to some daycare professionals I've known and respected in the past. Not that being the mother of a teenage pregnant girl is a deal breaker, but being the homophobic, aeral wolf-shooting, evangelical, pro-life, pro-death penalty, racist, fear mongering, lying, and ignorant mother of pregnant teenage girl is a deal breaker.

All that aside, WTF?

Are you kidding me? I think the four of them SHOULD open a daycare, but together, as friends! That'd be bi-partisan as HELL, no? Can't outsource daycare, either.

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

zing!

Ghost writer:

I believe you forgot about shooting polarbears.


Good post Heather. Rated. I'm not depressed though. These ladies are in top possitions. Even twenty years ago...

Well, yes this is exactly how the media (& mostly everybody else) views women. [The misogyny was rampant and not covert on Hilary and Sarah] We've come a long way baby in only the last 40 years here in the U.S., but now we're hanging on by our fingernails to all that we've managed to achieve. As England decides to allow Sharia'h law, we've got bigger fights ahead of us. Thanks Heather. rated.

I'm with you sister.
Rated.

You know what's really interesting? There's at least a 50% the poll writer was a woman.

My daughters asked me very recently about sexism, and wanted to know Why did "they want to make us look bad?"

I had to answer: Because they're afraid of us. Because they're afraid of us.

That is just weird and disconcerting. Mr. Dave runs Tyler's daycare and does quite a good job so these women can continue running the country or state in which they live. Can't see Mr. Dave as Secretary of State. He's a nice guy but the Koreans probably don't need lessons in making puppetr from paper plates.

What's funny is that even by conservative standards, Palin should register as the "baddest" mom b/c she has worked so much during her children's babyhoods. I know Clinton took most of Chelsea's young life off, and obviously Michelle Obama is doing that now. I don't know about Pelosi. I mention this only to show the hypocrisy of the right. (PS I always thought it was so absurd that Clinton got reamed during her husband's first campaign for her "baking cookies" remark. The truth is that she, not Marilyn Quayle, had been the stay-at-home mom during the pre-school years.)

This makes my brain hurt--although I don't know why I'm surprised. I don't know why I'm surprised. I don't know why I'm surprised . . .

That poll reminds me of something that would be around in the 1950's, but here we are today, 50 years later. To say that those in power (In all areas of our society, except maybe NOW!) are misogynistic in nature, is an understatement, and the good ole' boys are still ruling the roast. As a male, this kind of crap irks me to no end. "We've come a long way baby", Yeah right! Rated.

What a load of sexist bullshit.

And it's nonsensical sexist bullshit too. One doesn't have to be a good mother - or a mother at all - to run a successful daycare. And the kind of politician one is is unrelated to the kind of parent one is. Mike Huckabee is an incredibly misguided politician, but he's probably a good dad.

There are people who are going to ensure that when you play the association game women will be associated with mother or children, or die dtrying.

I am Woman, hear me roar! Let's just keep it up. This crap
has had 10,000 years in the making so it ain't gonna change
overnight, Night being 100 years or however long the
Women's Movement has been happening.

Palin as a baby-sitter? Sure if I wanted my kid to end up pregnant at age 17 by a high school drop-out!
Anyways- I don't really see this as all that sexist. There were previous polls about which presidential candidate you would most likely want to 'have a beer with' (GW Bush won that poll if I recall). I am a non alcohol drinking man, and I don't consider that poll to be sexist neither.

Holy crap. I'm hoping this is one of the reasons USN&WR has circulation which is worse than my 98-year-old Great Aunt.

If this is how they need to frame women - if this is how they need to relate to women, then I don't need them in my life.

Who let you out of the kitchen? And why are there shoes on your feet?

first it's sexism. but have you noticed how quick others(mostly women) are to pass judgement on all four of these women. what is that called? what do you call that? seriously. i suppose you were one that believed corporate america was responsible for the chimp attack. and the car repair poll...that''s next week.

It is depressing.

I started getting US News at home the last few months as a free subscription. They should be paying me for receiving that piece of garbage.

I'm sitting this one out. But I'd pick Barack if I wanted someone to tell how my car works, Todd if I wanted it to go faster, Bill if I just wanted to be screwed by my mechanic, and Joe if I wanted to be made to feel stupid for bringing it in. But that's just silly.

My 1st impulse - NOT Sarah Palin!

Why? because she chose to continue a pregnancy with a special needs child (I would have not), then dashed around the country campaigning. I respect her choice, but I question her commitment. I don't think her priority was alligned with that choice. Bonding with her baby should have been #1.

Bristol's pregnancy? Sarah is in obvious denial for thinking sex education doesn't belong in the classroom.

Otherwise, she did great & for that, she changed to my #1 pick. My parents would have been shamed, & me, a disgrace to the family, "What will the neighbors think?"

In Palin's shoes, "What will the WORLD think?"

Children are attracted to attractive. Add a wink & her smile to that cutesy look, & she's projects warmth & trust. Having 5 of her own, she's at ease with kids & they pick up on that. Of course, the same can be said for Michelle, & her smile lights up the room.

Hilary: She's too emotionally tired, & rightfully so. It was an agonizing journey!

Nancy: I think she's too tough. I could see her saying, "Challenge me? Just try it!"

Barack Obama can fix the car - if he screwed it up, my boyfriend could fix it later!

Rated.

I won't put any of my little preciouses in daycare!

You make a good point.

It is sexist, yes. But Michelle and Hillary are running neck and neck. I believe they both know a bit about balancing work and life, and how sometimes, it seems too exhausting and not-worth it, but then get up and tackle the whole mess again the next day. I don't know enough about Nancy Pelosi, but I'd at least let her babysit my kid, in the unlikely event that it ever became necessary.

But there is no way on God's Green Earth that I would give Sarah Palin the care of a dog I liked, let alone my child if I had one. I think parentally speaking, she's an absolute chowderhead. Her own daughter is a walking advertisement of how abstinence only sex ed doesn't work; she had her younger children out on the campaign trail with her, missing a lot of school, she took a long airplane trip when apparently on the verge of labor with her youngest child whom she knew would be a Downs Syndrome child in need of specialied care at birth, and she herself in a late-stage, higher-risk pregnancy. I believe in freedom of religion, but find her particular denomination pretty extreme for my taste.

Michelle Obama is highly educated yet she said in a recent interview that she would be spending all of her time make sure her kids are comfortable in the White House. At a time when we need brains in addition to Mom's Apple Pie - wouldn't it make more sense for her to be dishing out some critical intellectual feedback vs. appearing on the next cover of Vogue?

Thanks for calling this out and giving a simple explanation of why it's offensive. Sadly, some simpletons still need just that.

"Thanks for calling this out and giving a simple explanation of why it's offensive. Sadly, some simpletons still need just that."
-----
Silkstone -
If something offends me, I can identify it all by myself - no explanation required.

What I find offensive is being called a "simpleton."

Maybe that chip wouldn't be so heavy if "who would you choose to fix your car?" had another choice to pick, so
Here ya go . . .
e) President Hillary Clinton

"And ironically, by virtue of you opposing this bit o' fluff by writing about it, even to the point of posting the cutesy picture, you merely further the inanity of it all. Hell, half your commentors stillpick one, even after your prompt as to what their correct answer to the poll should be. Apparently they either
a)disagree with your premise or
b)they can't help themselves. Viva la revolucion!"
---
Token Tarheel,
My answer is a) disagree with your premise.
If further clarification is necessary, read my response to Silkstone.

Obviously the other commenters who took the time to respond in a serious manner weren't offended either. To be honest, as I skimmed the comments, the "offended's" responses went right over my head. The display of sensitivity makes a mockery of your points.

I found my first job in the "Help Wanted - Female" classifieds. When I retired, I managed a department. Intelligence, work ethic & talent contributed to my success, not my outfit.

I cook dinner in an apron, & it really turns my boyfriend on. He fixes my car, builds things & his tool belt turns me on. And, that's the way I like it.

I guess I haven't been here long enough to "label" the sensitive crowd, but I'll be sure to avoid them in the future.

The reverse question ought to be: Who would you rather bring home to your children and say THIS is the man I trust to make decisions about your future including protecting your right to choose, making sure you have an education and a job and sending you to a war that has no basis or foundation in reality:
a) George HW Bush
b) George W Bush
c) Sarah Palin
d) John McCain
e) NONE of the above

I'd go with E all day long. Glad we have Obama. Rated.
c)
c)

Sounds like USN&WR is feeling a bit threatened these days.

I'd go with Barack as my babysitter.

Yes, you have hit it on the head. I noticed that poll too and couldn't believe it. If it were a man, they would and have said "Which would you rather have a beer with?" Why couldn't they ask something like that with a female politician? Or, did they really think about what they were saying. I didn't waste my time on it.

I read the results for the demographics. Then I know which demographic that particular media outlet is pandering to.

Sarah Palin running a day care is like Caligula running a nunnery.

Frightening.

I am also a little thrown by people feeling the need to answer this sexist question, but even my husband, who I don't believe is sexist, took a minute to recognize the inherent sexism in the question. And truthfully, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that a woman did author the poll, since we are our own worst enemies.

But yeah, it's sexist and ridiculous.

Elsewhere I offered this analogous question:

If you wanted to hire a Walmart greeter, do you think John McCain, Robert Byrd, Ted Stevens, or zombie Ronald Reagan would do the best job?

For what it's worth.

Linking a career woman - especially these carer women to day care and child care is sexist. The analagous sexist trope for men would be

Which dad would you like to have cheating on your Mom?
1. Barack Obama
2. Bill Clinton
3. John McCain
4. New Gingrich

Well I usually enjoy Sandranolongermillers post but this time her sexism is just too much for me to bear. By adding Obama to a list of known philanderers she perpetuates the tired old stereotype that all men who seek public office are narcissistic scoreboard romeos.

I understand that it is sexist to ask this question about only women, but if we continue to treat childcare as less important than foriegn policy, or pretending to run a pretend state like Alaska then our policies will continue to put more value on what destroys us than what sustains us. I think childcare is hard work , honest labor and a pre-eminate issue in peoples lives. Given that the question is who should RUN the daycare center, the answer is easy Michelle Obama has the most experience as a Manager, and is familiar with the issues facing the industry. Clinton would be a close second Pelosi could sue us for ageism and Palin wouldn't get an interview.

Blair you miss the point. I am not belaboring the trope that all men cheat b/c I believe it, I am belaboring to show how belabored is the trope that all women can or should be associated with motherhood and childcare.

ok. here's one. octomom or nancy pelosi?

Wow. Far too many commenters so far (and I've started only skimming after a few pages) have missed the point completely.

Who would I want running my kid's daycare? An educator. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of these women are. None of them.

Not that they couldn't learn to - most of them seem capable and intelligent. (And we all have opinions on who isn't.)

I happen to think I'm a great dad, but I confess to knowing bubkus about teaching kids things like how to express themselves with finger paints. (That, and Barney drives me into a teeth-grinding rage.) How good a mom any of them might have been is not an indicator of how they might instruct children in the finer points of using the potty.

And we're talking Daycare people. There is no sex education for Palin to get horribly wrong. There's diapers to change - and who wouldn't want to see Hillary elbow-deep in poopie, just for the expression on her face.

Oh, and to the people who responded to the comments that anyone who need to have it pointed out to them that this was offensive was perhaps mentally below average, with "I'm not stupid!" you remind me of my favorite feminist joke:

How many militant feminists does it take to chang--THAT'S NOT FUNNY!

Fudo--Whatever. You're wrong on so many points...like this one:
"Who would I want running my kid's daycare? An educator. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of these women are. None of them." Unfortunately, educators don't run daycares in this country. Wish it were so, but it aint.

hello, ghost

you say I'm "wrong on so many points" though I don't think I made more than 1 or 2 - and you only bring up one.

unfortunately you're perhaps misinformed - my son's daycare is run like a school - separate classrooms for each age group, and they proceed to a new classroom each september. Oh, and it's run by educators - much of the staff have teaching degrees.

So there.