Ah, well. I forgot - a sense of humor and any lightheartedness flies out the window when it comes to politics.
I thought I'd point out a few things, though, in the selfish interest of self-defense:
1. I didn't make a single negative comment about her children's names. Yes, it's implied that I find them different, and, when those two (of the five) are listed together, unfortunate. Not having the time to do a single scrap of investigating (see previous - and ignored - post about unfortunate computer situation), it left me wondering if she had a Duggar all-same-first-initial thing. Which is one of those idiosyncrasies that annoys me. But she doesn't. And I do quite like two of her other names. That being said, I've been known to rib relatives and friends about their name choices. (And strangers - I made big, big fun of Gweneth Paltrow and Celebrity Baby Blog is a frequent source of amusing scoffs.) And they return the favor. I'm sure many of you find my family's preference for traditional names equally distasteful.
2. Yes, Hannah is a common name. It was my one big hang-up about choosing it. But once Todd heard it suggested, he latched on with a ferocity that could not be dissuaded. I offered up alternative after alternative, but to no avail. He argued that we didn't actually know anyone else - friend, family, or relative - who shared the name. And then one day in an e-mail in which we were discussing names, he said he wanted Hannah so when he came home from work he could say, "Where's my Hanny-Fanny?!" At which point my heart exploded and I ceased offering up alternatives.
Of course, her first day at Gymboree, amongst a sea of other Hannahs confirmed my fear, but I've come to terms with that. So much so, that I'll be the first to laugh along and agree at our lack of originality. (Go ahead - write a post about it. You'll see!)
I'm sure Palin has equally moving, or at least interesting, explanations for all five of her children's names. And I'm sure she, like me, wouldn't be surprised if some don't share her taste.
3. I didn't make a single political statement. Not a one.
4. Do my politics line up with Palin's? No. Nor do mine line up with any other candidate out there at all period. Not a one. Many of you either weren't here way back when I first began talking about politics, or have completely forgotten that I've spent the vast majority of my life as a Republican.
But I've been pretty clear about the fact that the Republican platform and agenda began to diverge from my own beliefs in ways that became increasingly difficult to ignore. Clearly, the issue of choice is one of those that hits close to home for me. But so do others. Which is not to say my politics line up with the Democratic platform, either. I have some pretty big divergences there, too.
5. Yes, it was petty. Many sarcastic jokes are.
So if some of you want to read my one-line comment about two of Palin's children's names as some sort of manifesto, well, I can't stop you. But I can tell you that your ire is likely a waste of good time a passion... sort of like this post.
