Invisible Pregnancies

I find Will Saletan’s statistical analysis cum speculation on the probability that other political daughters have been pregnant out of wedlock a bit offputting. Some things should be private.

But he does make a good point along the way:

Is Sarah Palin the first nominee on a major-party presidential ticket whose daughter got pregnant out of wedlock? Or is she just the first whose daughter didn’t get an abortion?

The reason you’re reading about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is that she’s taking it to term. If she had aborted it, you’d never have known.

. . .

Remember that before you judge or poke fun at Sarah Palin. She’s not the candidate whose daughter messed up. She’s the candidate who didn’t get rid of the mess.