NPR media critic Eric Deggans’s take on the story:
I just listened to the broadcast. (It’s only 3 1/2 minutes long.) Nothing new here, to me at least, except for the facts that (a) Sarah Palin is among those accusing the liberal media of blowing this out of proportion, and (b) Rick Santorum thinks it’s a huge deal and should not be minimized.
IMO, (a) is not a surprise but (b) kinda is.
I thought “(b)” was most definitely an interesting development. I’m wondering if Huckabee will have to change his position on the situation now.
Also, the comments section at NPR is usually fairly heated because it attracts folks from all political persuasions. One of the few places I’ve found (aside from CC, of course) where you get a good mix of opinions.
Santorum is big on family and has young kids. He can relate better to abuse than Huckabee. He is also Catholic and not ultra conservative Christian.
Santorum is an ultra-conservative Catholic, however, and a member of Opus Dei.
And I don’t agree that he automatically relates to abuse any better than Huckabee, who is a grandparent after all.
Correction: Santorum denies being a member of Opus Dei but he has close ties:
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/101420/santorums-church-opus-dei
Or, Santorum has seen that Huckabee got more backlash than expected, and is not stupid.
This, in the Chicago Tribune today:
“Oooooo,” she says, rubbing her hands together.
Just wondering if I am the only person on cc who had never heard of the Duggars before last week. Nearly a thousand posts to this thread–wow. When I first saw the title to this thread, “Duggars in the news,” I thought maybe it referred to some minority or sect in a country overseas.
I’ve never watched the show, but I’d heard of them only because the large number of children they’ve had keeps them in the news. Every few years, I’d see a blurb about them having yet another child. I knew nothing about them other than that.
I mentioned them to my husband, and he had had never heard of them.
@MidwestDad3 - those are the Uyghurs you’re thinking of 
^Apparently, there is also a family in Tennessee (the Bates?) with 19 children who have been on TV. Who knew all you had to do was reproduce like rabbits?
The Duggars and the Bates are good friends. The Bates had a short-lived reality show that never really caught on. I think the families are too similar to both have shows. One of the Bates boys expressed interest in courting Jana, but she was not interested.
For those of you who watched JB and Michelle’s interview, did you see this?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mike-huckabee-simon-conway-duggars
^^Yes, I’ve noticed the Bates have a lot of threads on cc. 
I’ve watched the show for years. As mentioned earlier, while I can’t imagine having 19, and I don’t know if my parenting values can “approve” of having 19 (and being able to provide them the time and attention they need from parents), I don’t watch the show to see “the freak that is a family of 19 kids”.
I have appreciated some of their values. I have admired the organization that goes into the family though over the top (but maybe necessary). I think the kids are for the most part very nice, well mannered children, who love their family. I don’t agree or relate to their extend of religion or the type of religion but mostly I haven’t FAULTED their religion or beliefs - until recently.
And that’s why it bothers me so - years of watching and respecting and seeing them vehemently preach their beliefs in couples, sexuality, promiscuity , etc. - and more recently, to see them speak out, slam, preach against other sectors of human beings who are harming no one but following THEIR beliefs and personal “person” - for this all to happen? It upsets and disgusts me!!!
No one probably wants to, but if you’ve never watched you should take the time to review a few episodes - are they on Hulu or Netflix?? (seriously, are they???)
@abasket They were pulled by Hulu. I suppose you may be able to pull things up on youtube.
I’m not surprised that JimBob needed notes. In one of the first shows, Michelle was asked to say something about each kid, and after the first 4 or 5, she ran out of steam and ended up with generic statements like “she’s really sweet” or “he’s full of energy.” Despite some attempts to show her being interested in individual children, the overall message is that she’s more or less disconnected from the children once they’re weaned and handed off to their older “buddy.”
In a three or four generations I wonder if their area of Arkansas will have hundreds of Duggar descendants who need to be aware of lineage before courting.