Mass. GOP delegates accept Palin pregnancy as typical American family challenge

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Members of the Massachusetts Republican delegation reacted Tuesday to news that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's 17 year-old daughter is pregnant by saying that it shows the Palin family faces the same challenges many American families cope with.Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R)

Despite former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Belmont) being passed over for the job, the Massachusetts Republican delegates gave Palin, the governor of Alaska, high marks Monday, and said Tuesday that Bristol Palin's pregnancy didn't change that opinion.

"Families across American deal with challenges daily," Jack Roy, a delegate from Haverhill, told PolitickerMA.com. "They are facing a challenge and we should respect their privacy."

"She's no different than the rest of us," said Michael Scully, an alternate delegate from Grafton.

Scully said the media is trying to use the issue to split the conservative base. "A lot of people are trying to turn it into something that's intended to divide," he said. "It shows that the media doesn't understand the conservative base.

Roy also said that children shouldn't be used for political gain. "Children of nominees and candidates, regardless of their party, should be off limits," he said. 

"It's typical of what all American families go through," said John Cruz, a delegate from West Bridgewater. "It's the 21st century. Wake up."