Two weeks ago Chelsea Clinton announced that she is pregnant at a political event with her mother. America was instantly intrigued and genuinely happy for her and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, but the insinuations from media pundits started coming in fast and furious:
"Could it put a bump in Hillary's 2016 plans," asked one ABC news program, "and is it sexist to ask?"
"Does the fact that she's going to be a grandmother, on top of some of the other considerations, factor in?" asked NBC News David Gregory.
Other reporters have asked, "Will Hillary give up her Presidential aspirations once she's a grandmother?"
Seriously? Do you think these questions would be asked if a man's daughter announced her pregnancy? Ronald Reagain was older than Hillary Clinton when he was elected at age 70. Was he ever asked if he would give up his candidacy because of a pending grandchild or his age? Was he ever called "Grandpa"?
She will surely be able to multi-task. After all, she was recently Secretary of State and once Senator of New York!
There definitely seems to be some pushback on a woman's role in childbearing. Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post put the current perception all in perspective a few days ago:
Often, having a baby or a grandchild gives one an unexpected pause. One day your nose is to the grindstone, blinders affixed to block distractions, and suddenly you find yourself mesmerized by this tiny human being who is wholly dependent on you. Career-shmeer. Whether mother or father stays by baby's crib, most mothers profoundly want to.
She goes onto say:
What also irks women is the sense that the "grandma" title, which seems to be favored over "grandmother," diminishes Clinton's familiar resume as a public servant. Even the word grandma connotes "old lady," despite the near meaninglessness of numerical age these days.
There is no doubt in our minds that Hillary Clinton will be a wonderful, doting grandmother, but there is another issue at hand. Her future grandchild will be proud that her grandmother could potentially be American's first female President of the United States, as will all of us.
Why do you think women are treated differently in politics than men?