Last week, we featured an early Mother’s Day interview and cover story with Michelle Obama. This weekend, it’s Sarah Palin. A lot of readers feel very strongly about both issues — they object to the order, and they disapprove of featuring one or the other, among other things. The reaction is so strong, in fact, we are going to publish a sampling in the magazine of the many letters we’re receiving in an upcoming issue. Senior Editor Carol Clurman considers herself fortunate enough to do both interviews. “It may be apples and oranges — one’s the first lady, the other isn’t — but since I met them within weeks of each other and discussed the same topics, it’s impossible not to compare the two moms,” Carol says. In addition to the obvious circumstantial differences — one lives in the White House, the other in a simple house her husband built in remote Wasilla, Alaska — Carol found that the two mothers have very different parenting styles. Obama’s very traditional: family dinners every night, piano and ballet lessons, and no TV during the week. (By the way, many readers were upset about us calling the first lady by her last name — it’s not disrespectful, it’s just standard style for media outlets on second reference.) In the Palin household, however, there is no dinner table, for starters — just an eating counter in the kitchen. Hunting and snowmobiling are favorite family activities. As for rules, Palin says she and her husband, Todd, tell the kids not to read the blogs, but that’s almost impossible to enforce. Oh, and one more thing: When Carol interviewed the first lady, she was told her daughters, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, were strictly off-limits. At the Palins, no restrictions at all. All five children were there, along with her grandson, not to mention the man behind the woman, Todd. Read both stories and make your own conclusions, but we’d like to hear from you. To chime in on whom you’d most want as your mom, Obama or Palin, vote at our poll here.
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I’d definitely be all for getting rid with the West twins, as they have dragged down The Flash comics over the past few decades. For that matter, I would also jettison Linda Park, as I’ve never ever warmed up to this character whatsoever. Wally would be retconned as being a single guy. And why do not they call the character JESSICA Quick in its place of Jesse (which is the MALE spelling in the name). It could be way more feminine. And also concentrate more on her marriage to Rick Tyler, aka Hourman. Even during their time in the JSA, I in no way saw any connection or chemistry concerning them whatsoever. Zero!
@J Coolidge
Hmmmmm…from your checklist, you must be able to be in all places at all times keeping tabs on your children before they do anything wrong. Bet you’re able to stop a speeding bullet too! The rest of us just don’t have that Super-woman ability. The children of Governor Palin are learning their life lessons the hard way, as many of us have.
@Patricia Hauze
Palin is a QUIITER and an OPPORTUNIST! and about as intelligent as a turnip.
Sarah Palin? Hmmm…let’s see, The son goes into the military because he committed a felony (cutting brake lines on school buses). Daughter caught on youtube doing heavy drinking, and then has baby. Next daughter, Willow breaks into a house where drinking and whatever takes place. Yeah, that sounds like someone is doing a good job. No wonder she brought her younger children to places that they aren’t invited (governer’s dinner for example)
Very offensive and extremely politically slanted to have Sarah Palin on the Mother’s Day issue. Shame on you!!!
@Kathryn
I agree with all you’ve written. The posts that USA Weekend posted were blatantly slanted towards Mrs. Obama. This is disconcerting as I’ve always enjoyed reading this publication, but now will reconsider if it’s worth my time.
I really found the articles on Mrs. Palin and Mrs. Obama interesting. Mrs. Palin seems to evoke such vitriol for being a successful wife and mother. Her family is not perfect and she does not try to hide how typical they really are. She is a very intelligent, smart woman who has done very well for herself and those around her seem to have a problem with that. I find Mrs. Obama to be well staged and controlled. I understand the thought behind keeping the daughters out of the public eye, but this was an article on mothers. Interesting.
I really found it interesting how the papers response article biased towards Mrs. Obama. Interesting.
In today’s USA Weekend, you publish 6 responses: four are anti-Palin, 1 pro-Palin and 1 pro-Obama. This, by definition, is biased. The photo of Michelle Obama is lovely, but without her children appears hollow. Whereas, the photo with Governer Palin with her children is authentic. The Palin haters would have left scathing responses had she appeared on the cover without her children! As for leaving her position as Governer, after her VP run, she wasn’t going to accomplish much, she knew this. Rallying the GOP is right where she could make her mark as well as show us who she is and what she stands for. Shame on people who frown upon people who take charge of their lives, and institute what “change” means to them.
Just a comment on the debate between the Mother’s Day covers…better a woman surrounded by her family than a fashion shot of an admitted flag burner in a designer dress
@AKRNC
The Manziel family has no direct connection with Sarah Palin. She has been booked to perform at a venue owned By the Manziels, by a seperate entity who leased the building, and paid for her to perform. She has never stayed with the Manziel family….So maybe you should check your facts.
Why did you have to ruin a great issue with Palin? She is a joke and a fraud on so many levels. Don’t encourage this woman to use her family to further her politics.
Now, about Mrs. O. I loved the cover and I loved the article. She is a class act and represents women in such an honest way. She is the real deal. If Obama screws up, she will kick his ass. I love knowing that we have an intelligent, well informed honest woman. We finally have some integrity in Washington. Awesome lady. Sincerely, M. Jenkins
I rarely comment on articles I read in print, but I wanted the staff of USA Weekend to know how putting Sarah Palin on your cover, especially on Mother’s Day, bothered me. In my opinion, she shows how mothers can put their own interest in front of her children. If my daughter had gotten pregnant in high school, I would not have run for any office, much less a nationwide campaign. Mrs. Palin knows, right or wrong, how the press is. I cannot imagine how difficult that was for she and her family. And then she quits as governor of Alaska. To me, she made an promise to be governor for a certain term and by quitting, she has shown her family, Alaska, and the world that it is okay not to fulfill your obligations. My feeling is she quit because she can make more money elsewhere. Money, unfortunately, for politicans is where the priorities are. As the mother of two daughters, Sarah Palin is not someone whom I wish emulate. There are some many mothers in the world who work quietly, behind the scenes to uplift their families and communities. I plan next year to send you some candidates. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment. I also want to take this opportunity to say I, most times, really do enjoy your paper.
I like it and suggest to read my friends also..
Jitendra Kumar
JK
Thank you for highlighting one incredible American mother after another. Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin may be different in many ways, but they are both mothers who love their families. The reactions (over-reactions?) to Mrs Palin are sad, but also American. In general, the press is not a place I go to for honest, indepth coverage. But your magazine brings a smile and is something I enjoy every Sunday. Thank you again.
The fact that her Dad stated that she wanted to leave school because she did not like living and working around Native Peoples both in Alaska and Hawaii really questions whether we should add racial bias to the long list of violations and these comments about Sarah Palin being honored on Mothers Day by USA weekend.
WHAT A TOTAL WASTE OF PAPER TO PUT SARAH PALIN ON THE FRONT PAGE OF YOUR MAGAZINE AND USE HER AS A ROLE MODEL FOR A MOTHER.
THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL WORKING MOTHERS THAT COME HOME AT NIGHT WORK THEIR FANNIES OFF TO MAKE A WONDERFUL HOME AND RAISE DECENT CHILDREN WITH GOOD MORALS, AND DO WONDERFUL JOBS ON TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN TO BE GOOD CITIZENS AND PEOPLE. NOT TO MENTION THAT THEY DON’T MAKE 12 MILLION IN A FEW MONTHS OR QUIT SCHOOL AND GO FROM ONE TO ANOTHER. THEIR HUSBANDS ARE HARD WORKING MEN WITH WONDERFUL FATHER TRAITS. HOW DARE YOU USE THIS WOMEN WHO IS A LIER, A MONEY HUNGRY PIECE OF TRASH TRYING TO WORK HER WAY INTO OUR SOCIETY OF POLITICS. WHO HAS RAISED HER KIDS WITH NO MORALS AND COULD CARE LESS AABOUT HER FAMILY. I WILL NEVER HAVE YOUR MAGAZINE IN OUR HOME AGAIN.
WHAT AN INSULT TO MILLIONS OF MOTHERS OUT THERE.
Choosing Sarah Palin as a mother “role model” is offensive, disrespectful and reckless. Sarah is a PROVEN liar, cheat, thief and bully (which has all been proven) and most know she is in the spotlight for tons of money and the fame she can milk off her followers. Great mothers always put their family and community before themselves. Need I list all her violations and lies against many, including her constitutes in Alaska? Even though she is for and against some of the same things we are, blind followers should check Sarah’s facts compared to her babble, lies and winks and then donate time and money to back a true, proven human being.
I do not think that Sarah Palin deserve to be on the front cover in USA Weekend for Mother Day. It should have been the first lady not a half term governor. I know, you put the first lady the week before. There are a lot of women that should be on the front cover but not her!
I do not want USA Weekend in my house any more so I will be changing Newspapers.
not quite sure how she is gracing the covers especially after what i read on aldenclinic.com
Why would you think Palin is worthy of your cover on MOTHERS DAY…Shouldn’t you have had our 1st lady on the cover on Mothers Day???? Yes her children were off limits because she wants to PROTECT her children unlike Palin who exploits hers. She has a family that needs her, especially her special needs child. I am not saying she should have had an abortion…as many conservatives say liberals think, I just think she needs to be there for her family and be a MOTHER. Why should anyone admire her. She should have waited to run for VP to protect her pregnant teenage daughter…that might make her a good mother. How about family dinners…your young family has not been in the same room for how long? The Obama’s have family dinners and no TV during the week…while the Palins let their family do what ever. So why not put the right family on the cover..Palin in just a woman who is after the big bucks…just what has she done since she quit her job as governor? I will ask my newspaper to leave my USA in my trash..I am done reading it.
As a mother, I found it very irritating to open the paper and find your coverage of Sarah Palin as a mother to be admired — at least that’s why I assume you used her. She’s not a role model for me and should not be for others either. She’s a woman who walked away from her job at Alaska’s governor because, apparently, the grass was greener somewhere else. That a “golddigger” in my book. So, it seems, not living up to obligations is a role model attribute now. She spends more time away from her family than with them, or so it seems with all her book signings and public appearances. Her husband makes very good money in the Alaska oilfields ($50+ straight time and time and a half for overtime!) but apparently that’s not enough to keep her closer to home and her family. She wants to appear ‘folksy’ but photos of her home look more like she’s an elitist San Francisco resident or east coaster. Where are the quilts, Sarah? I think she’s effectively pulled the wool over the eyes of many including you!
As the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama deserves the Mother’s Day cover. Period. Enough of divisive partisan politics and media efforts to pit one against the other. No matter which party is in power, our country has only one president and one First Lady at a time. When George Bush was president, would First Lady Laura Bush been denied the Mother’s Day cover honor in favor of an out-of-office Democratic woman? I don’t think so.
I didn’t read the article on Sarah Palin and don’t intend to because I find her offensive as a person and a mother. She should not be on the cover of the Mother’s Day issue of your magazine or any other magazine.
I found your leading comments on Sarah Palin to be highly partisan. How can you equate getting your own family in one room for a photo, 6 people who are highly dependent on you, to passing health care reform. You do know, don’t you, that there are 100 senators that had to not only get in the same room, but 60 had to make a vote which could change their political careers. It is not funny and not a good analogy to what Sarah is doing and it trivializes something very important to most of us.
I can appreciate Sarah’s difficulties in raising her family, but these are all choices she made, to be in the spot light and make millions from it, perhaps putting her family second. Maybe she needs to get more help, she can afford it. Her challenge is nothing like passing health care reform.
SARAH PALIN-THE WORST EXAMPLE OF AN IDEAL MOM !!!SHAME ON YOU USA WEEKEND MAGAZINE !!! IT IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE TO US WOMEN AND MOTHERS TO HAVE SARAH PALIN FEATURED ON YOUR MOTHER’S DAY ISSUE !!! SHE IS AN EXTREMELY FAR CRY FOR AN IDEAL MOTHER AND WOMAN !!! SARAH’S #1 PRIORITY IS MONEY AND POWER !!! SHE PUTS THAT IN FRONT OF HER ROLE OF BEING A MOM !!!
@AKRNC
SARAH PALIN IS A GREAT MOTHER!.
@CliffNZ
Well said. I applaud your ability to separate the politics and look at these moms who are famous and good in their own right.
I would love for more readers leaving comments would leave the name calling somewhere else. There’s really no need. Just because you don’t agree with someone does not mean they are crazy, evil or stupid. Before leaving a comment, maybe we should imagine our moms are going to read them and edit accordingly.
The irony of having a mother who exposed her daughter’s pregnancy to the national press rather than wait four more years (not to mention the fact that she had a four month old special needs child at the time) to possibly run for VP or President just shows how well this woman has fooled the media. For all of those who speak about this nonsense called PDS or that people who dislike Sarah Palin are either jealous of her, wish she had aborted her son, can’t stand the fact that she has a loving family, etc., you couldn’t be more wrong. Where in the world does it say that liberals want women to abort all children? As someone who is pro-choice I stand solidly behind whatever the woman chooses, whether it is to keep her child, give it up for adoption or terminate her pregnancy. But I guess it sounds better to some to accuse anyone who doesn’t like Palin of wanting her to have terminated her pregnancy, although the intelligent in the country can see right through the nonsense.
This woman hasn’t even been spending time with her own special needs child. Tell me, would a good mother ignore her child to make money? No way. In fact, the major complaint among working Mothers is that if they could be home with their children, they would, but they cannot afford to. Her son, Trig, needs her far more than anyone else in this country. She is just out there earning her millions by fooling all her followers into thinking she’s one of them. Tell me, all those people who say “she’s just like us”, when is the last time you flew by private jet? ordered two bottles of wine at a cost of over $220? left your special needs child for months to hob nob with the wealthy criminals in Texas? Look up the family by the name of Manziel in Giddings, TX that Sarah stayed with, their past is well documented. Sarah goes where the money is and ethics go out the window.
To have this woman on the cover with her sham of a family is just a sign of journalism gone wrong. Is it really too much work to investigate what Palin has actually done and not done over her career and since leaving office? By this choice, I’d have to say that sadly, the answer is yes.
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF UNBORN BABIES WHO WILL NOT BE CELEBRATING MOTHERS DAY THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THEY WERE DENIED THAT CHANCE, THANKS TO ABORTION.THERE IS NO REASON TO PERFORM LATE TERM ABORTIONS, WHEN A C-SECTION WOULD HAVE ACCOMPLISED THE SAME THING, & THOSE UNWANTED BABIES COULD HAVE BEEN PLACED WITH COUPLES DESPERATE TO ADOPT A BABY.OTHER THAN AN EMERGENCY, THERE IS NO GOOD EXCUSE.THANK YOU SARAH PALIN, FOR THINKING OF SOMEONE BESIDES YOURSELF. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!,
I REALLY ADMIRE SARAH PALIN AS A MOTHER(AND I’M SURE TRIG WOULD AGREE).IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH EASIER TO ABORT TRIG, AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE EXTRA CARE, HE WILL REQUIRE. BUT SARAH PALIN DID NOT DEPRIVE TRIG OF HIS CHANCE AT LIFE, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.IN MY EYES, SARAH PALIN IS A SUPERMOM, I SALUTE HER HUMANITY,HER UNSELFISHNESS & HER LOVE FOR HER CHILDREN. BABY TRIG IS A LUCKY LITTLE BOY, TO HAVE SARAH AS HIS MOMMY!.GO, SARAH!!!.
Sarah Palin on your cover you got to be kidding me.You over looked all the worth while mother’s to put her on your cover.For shame.
Very ironic that the cover of the latest issue uses the photo of Palin NOT holding her alleged youngest on her lap. How dare USA Weekend use this holier-than-thou brainless wonder, who as the article points out, can barely keep up with her own children, as the poster mom for Mother’s Day!
I love Sarah Palin and her family! They aren’t perfect, but they are seeking the will of God despite all of the ignorant hate toward them. Sarah is so positive and encouraging =)
Wow, must be one of the original Alaskan’s with PDS, way before Sarah Palin was known in lower 48. But why deride us? What has Sarah Palin done to you? I don’t need ‘pity’. I googled and bing Sarah Palin and conclude my mothering skills are Palinesque.
This is rather odd: “When Carol interviewed the first lady, she was told her daughters, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, were strictly off-limits.” — for a mother’s day article! Wow. There’s one picture of her in a purple dress (sans children).
The more I learn about Palin the more I’m liking her in general. She seems less rigid and more into the “team work” that being a family is about. But most of all she’s great at admitting in the article how her husband is her helper – and she acknowledges and knows how lucky she is.
Those who hates Sarah Palin are extreme far left liberals who are the advocates of islamist terrorists who want to destroy United States
That was a fun read. I don’t understand why some people seem unable to disagree with Sarah Palin’s politics without also insulting her personally. No woman is the perfect mother – I’m sure she would readily own up to that. In fact she has made it clear that a lot of her own achievements would not have been possible without the support of family and friends. I think Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin can both be commended as mothers, without politics entering into it. They each deserve appreciation and respect for being super-moms. Well done USA Weekly.
Sarah rocks
Sorry, you are deluded if you think this woman is a super mom. Having lived in Alaska for over 20 years, her issues are clearly known by most. She’s a great actress but……..for those of you who would rather her be your mom, well, so much the pity on you all.
I really appreciated the Sarah Palin story, and have to admit, I didn’t real the 0bama story. I figured that a Palin story that wasn’t negative would draw a lot of fire from those with Palin Derangement Disorder.
I very much enjoyed the Sarah Palin Mother’s Day issue. Thank you for very fair and balanced piece and conveying the Palin family fairly.