Tripp Palin…continued

I just read a comment on a blog that hits on some interesting points about Sarah Palin’s call to People Magazine, etc., to clear up some misinformation. The press was stating that both Bristol and Levi Johnston are high school dropouts.

• “Also, let’s think about this. Why would SP feel a need to clear it up with People and in her press release about the birth of Tripp that Bristol and Levi are still in school? Could it be because Levi should not have his apprentice job without a diploma or GED, or that Bristol should not be on Sarah’s gov’t insurance if she is 18 and not in school? It does appear that SP is anxious to make it clear that both are in school. Why?”

And from another blog:

• “So.. how is it again… that we know this then? Let’s review: It turns out that the alleged baby has an alleged great-aunt (who doesn’t even live in Alaska, but hey, minor details) who got an alleged email from the alleged grandpa and then somehow (this is totally unclear) talked to People.com. (So how was it, just out of idle curiousity, that alleged great-aunty got Saturday and Sunday mixed up? Was the initial email from Chuck “Sarah’s Water Broke” Heath wrong? Mistaken? Oh never mind. There’s no point in even asking.) Great-aunty has actually admitted that she hasn’t really TALKED to anyone in the family, but again… minor details.

• But then, today [Dec. 31st], just when I thought surely it could not get any worse, it does. People is now reporting that Gov. Palin called them today… and left a message. Hmmm.

• And on that message was the earth-shattering info that: Levi and Bristol are not really high school dropouts. Gov. Palin wanted everyone to know that. She wanted it to be abundantly crystal clear. She even says it right out. “They are certainly not high school drop outs.” Hmmm.”

I, also, read that there has been a lot of online traffic about the possibility that Levi Johnston seems to have entered his apprenticeship program ahead of a lot of other people who are on a waiting list. I don’t have any verification of that, however. Because Todd Palin (per www.themudflats.net) did not finish high school, maybe it isn’t, or at least, wasn’t, necessary to have a diploma to work in the oil fields.

Any way you look at it, Sarah Palin seems adamant about the “reputations” of Bristol and Levi, but is still incredibly silent about any details about her first grandchild. That’s odd….very odd to me. Still, the only proof that this baby exists is from statements from an out-of-state great aunt, and from the governor in a press release that finally came about 5 days after the baby’s birth:

• Bill McAllister, the governor’s office communications director, adds: “The governor’s office previously declined to comment to honor the family’s wishes that the event remain as private as possible. However, the high volume of press inquiries, along with some erroneous information that was published, prompted the governor to make a statement.

_____________________________________

Now that seems odd to me…..”previously declined to comment to honor the family’s wishes that the event remain as private as possible.” What? After you, SP, pushed the couple into the world’s spotlight?

But this part of the announcement also doesn’t ring true to me:

• Bristol begins her final semester of high school next week where she’ll get her last credit needed to graduate. She looks forward to continuing her record of good grades and high achievement. Levi is continuing his online high school work in addition to working as an electrical apprentice on the North Slope.

********************

Now that seems odd, too….Bristol traveled, albeit out of sight, on the campaign trail with her mother all of last Fall. She, also, was out of school for several months in the Fall of 2007 because of an extended case of mono, according to the family. So, maybe she is a real “high achiever” if she is on track to finish high school by only taking one class her last semester. I know enough about high school education to know that there is more to that story than meets the eye. If she has been doing independent study classes, the first thought that comes to my mind is that most of those classes are usually done at a remedial level as they are often intended to be used as credit recovery classes after a student has failed the class in the regular classroom. That may not always be the case, as with teen mothers, social issues, or illnesses, but graduating because of half of your schooling being done independently, would make me put a BIG question mark after the word “high achiever”.   Also, one must remember that all of online classroom work other than in-person testing, if required, can be done by someone other than the student.  All class submissions could be done by “a friend”.  By the Governor’s silence on the campaign trail as to how Bristol was still actively engaged in being in school set the example to other students in Alaska that actually being in the classroom was …..well…. not as important as traveling around the country on a political campaign? Or maybe babysitting for Mom who was on the campaign? I don’t downplay the possible education of being part of a Presidential campaign, but why did SP keep Bristol so hidden all that time? It does make me wonder, but so does just about everything SP does. Was Bristol writing a research paper on politics, perhaps?  Call me cynical, but I’m not a believer in that one.