Many prognosticators and commentators have questioned Republican presidential nominee John McCain for his selection of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his vice- presidential running mate. Among the most troublesome criticisms is they say she will have little time to devote to her five children if she is elected.

Sarah Palin may just be the first politician on an executive ticket to be criticized in such a manner. I'm pretty sure no one worried about JFK's children. Have we ever fretted for Chelsea? How about the Bush twins, McCain's seven kids, or Obama's two young daughters? The answer is no. And why is that? Because all those men have or had women at home. It didn't matter if these women were working or helping save the rainforests. The media world trusted those women to take care of those kids. This has not been the case with Todd Palin, Sarah's husband and father to her five children.

Todd Palin has been minimized by our Ray Romano/Homer Simpson induced culture of bumbling, anemic Hollywood fathers. It doesn't seem to matter if he has been and continues to be a devoted father to those five kids. Apparently, he's a man and, therefore, unqualified for the job, which I guess means Sarah's unqualified for the vice- presidency. So she's got to stay home and make sure Todd doesn't burn the house down or send the kids to school in mismatched sweaters.

Todd Palin has been an oil- field worker and a commercial fisherman. He's won the Tesoro Iron Dog Contest four times. The Iron Dog is a 2,000- mile snowmobile race through the Alaskan wilderness. He came in fourth place in 2008, but that's only because he crashed and completed the last 400 miles with a broken arm.

I rode a snowmobile once…once. My wife and I doubled on a cushy trail in Colorado that ended with doughnuts and hot chocolate. The ride lasted for only an hour, but still it was a little traumatic for me. When I was in control of the snowmobile, we stuck to the trail and kept a safe distance from other snowmobilers. With me at the helm, my wife and I could enjoy the beautiful scenery and avoid the dangerous bumps and soft snow. I led us on a peaceful, pleasant journey through spectacular semi- wilderness. It was so nice; I could almost hear Bambi and his mother foraging in the forest.

This was not the case when my wife took control. Instead of waiting for the doughnuts with sprinkles, she did doughnuts in a snow- covered field. While I was hanging on for dear life, she was laughing maniacally looking for anything to get our snowmobile airborne. My wife weaved in and out of the other poor snowmobilers and scared Bambi all the way to Utah. By the end of the trip, I didn't need doughnuts…I needed a sedative. While my wife was screaming, "Let's go again!" I was screaming for a new partner - possibly one with blue hair and a heart condition. I haven't been snowmobiling since.

While my wife questions my ability to ride a snowmobile, she's never questioned my ability to parent. I get blisters when I type too much, but I can still raise my kids. Todd Palin works on oilrigs, fishes in rough seas, and braves subzero temperatures and Kodiak bears with a broken arm…for fun. I don't know Todd Palin, but I'm pretty sure raising five kids is the easiest part of his day.

A McCain- Palin win would be a victory for working- women everywhere, but it would also be a reaffirmation of the importance of fathers. I, for one, support that.