Cindy McCain Discusses Governor Palin and the Republican Convention

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NewsHour Vote 2008 Coverage

Cindy McCain, wife of GOP presidential nominee John McCain, discusses the campaign and her husband's vice president pick, Governor Sarah Palin.

While Palin has faced criticism from some about whether she was correctly vetted, Cindy McCain calls her a "perfect fit" for the ticket pointing out that both Palin and McCain are reformers in the Party. Cindy McCain also highlights Palin's strengths as a family woman.

Cindy McCain also spoke at the convention introducing herself a bit more and talking about her own work with non-profits. She says her desire is to inspire people to help each other and not lean on government as much.

Quotes

"I'm so proud of my husband, first of all, for picking such a reform-minded, intelligent, independent, Western woman, more importantly. I love the fact she's from the West." Cindy McCain

"She not only can do her job, but she brings with her a different kind of perspective. A mother of a special-needs infant, that absolutely brings a different perspective to this whole discussion about human rights and the rights of others who are less fortunate." Cindy McCain

"I hope to bring what I do and maybe a little bit of inspiration to those who perhaps would normally be sitting on the sofa on a Saturday afternoon to come out and be a part of helping and solving these problems together, and not relying on the government to do so." Cindy McCain

Warm Up Questions

1. Who is Cindy McCain?

2. Who is Sarah Palin?

3. What is the role of the First Lady?

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think of Cindy McCain, what kind of First Lady would she be?
2. Why do you think Cindy McCain has to introduce herself to the convention?
3. Compare Cindy McCain to Michelle Obama, what do their differences say about their husbands as potential presidents?
4. Should the fact that Governor Palin is a working mother matter to the voting public? Is it sexist to talk about it?
5. Do you think Governor Palin will appeal to women voters? What kinds of voters will she appeal to?

Comments

Posted:
09/ 5/08 at
04:18 PM

John K : Is Sarah Palin\'s daughter\'s pregnancy relevant to the presidential campaign? Absolutely – it points to the glaring problem with her position of supporting abstinence only sex education. Perhaps Sarah and the religious right think that the young moral "offenders" (their value judgment, not mine) can "make it right" by getting married and living with the consequences. These particular "offenders" are fortunate enough to have a family support system robust enough to make that a viable option. These children are the lucky ones. What if the consequences had been an HIV infection instead of an ill timed pregnancy? It is not good public health policy to withhold information from our youth that would make them safer and reduce unwanted pregnancies. That Sarah Palin wholehearted adopts this approach in her personal life as a result of her religious beliefs is commendable, she is the real deal. When she advocates public policy decisions based on extremist interpretations of religious beliefs it becomes an important factor in evaluating her candidacy. Discussing this issue in relation to her own family is relevant. Sarah Palin is the real deal; she has a rigorous moral sense and lives by it. If even she can not make it work in her own family it is just not going to work for families who don\'t have her commitment and resources. We need to teach sex education, both why abstinence is a good choice and safe practices to protect our youth who choose otherwise. Having Sarah Palin as our next vice president could put a generation of children at greater risk of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.
Posted:
07/ 6/09 at
06:19 PM

KonstantinMiller : I have been looking looking around for this kind of information. Will you post some more in future? I'll be grateful if you will.

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Posted:
09/ 5/08 at
04:18 PM

John K : Is Sarah Palin\'s daughter\'s pregnancy relevant to the presidential campaign? Absolutely – it points to the glaring problem with her position of supporting abstinence only sex education. Perhaps Sarah and the religious right think that the young moral "offenders" (their value judgment, not mine) can "make it right" by getting married and living with the consequences. These particular "offenders" are fortunate enough to have a family support system robust enough to make that a viable option. These children are the lucky ones. What if the consequences had been an HIV infection instead of an ill timed pregnancy? It is not good public health policy to withhold information from our youth that would make them safer and reduce unwanted pregnancies. That Sarah Palin wholehearted adopts this approach in her personal life as a result of her religious beliefs is commendable, she is the real deal. When she advocates public policy decisions based on extremist interpretations of religious beliefs it becomes an important factor in evaluating her candidacy. Discussing this issue in relation to her own family is relevant. Sarah Palin is the real deal; she has a rigorous moral sense and lives by it. If even she can not make it work in her own family it is just not going to work for families who don\'t have her commitment and resources. We need to teach sex education, both why abstinence is a good choice and safe practices to protect our youth who choose otherwise. Having Sarah Palin as our next vice president could put a generation of children at greater risk of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Posted:
07/ 6/09 at
06:19 PM

KonstantinMiller : I have been looking looking around for this kind of information. Will you post some more in future? I'll be grateful if you will.