(CNN) -- Sarah Palin: politician and mother. iReporters weigh in on the difficulty of balancing those two roles.



iReporter Christina Walker says its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child.



Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Go. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick, she has been closely scrutinized by both the public and the media. Palin has served as governor of Alaska for almost two years. She also has five children, including a 4-month-old son with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old daughter who is 5-months pregnant.



Her choice to run as the Republican vice presidential nominee has drawn both praise and criticism from the left and right alike. Now iReporters are asking:  Was it the right decision?



Some feel that Palin's choice to run shows poor judgment.



"I think she made the wrong call. It's not her time," said Andy Stably of Salem, New Hampshire. "Given her personal situation and her special circumstances, it does seem more important than the nomination she's accepting. I don't think that should be blanket statement for all moms. But the job she's about to interview for is the job of jobs, and it's going to require her to sacrifice what she has at home."



Stably has children of his own, and his wife works full-time. He says this experience has helped shape his views on Palin: "Doesn't everyone, male or female, think about the impact a job offer would have on their personal life before accepting the offer?"



"It's not a sexist thing," said Jeanette Lee, who is raising a 15-month-old baby of her own. "If my family was having these sorts of issues, I wouldn't be putting them in the spotlight and making them go through this publicly. For her to walk away from her baby with special needs just shows her character. I feel like she should pay more attention to her whole family."



"If her children were older, it wouldn't be an issue," Lee added.



Others feel Palin's family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president.



"I want my president to be my president. It is a difficult, sometimes thankless, and emotionally devastating job that requires 100 percent resolve at all times," said Carlton Madden, from West Monroe, Louisiana. "I think she has a lot on her plate ... I have no problem with a woman being president, but I'm going to hold her to the same standards I'd hold a man. If [Obama] had a pregnant teen daughter and a child with special needs, I'd have serious reservations about his ability to make a split-second decision, too."



Christina Walker, of Austin, Texas, who has a 1-year-old daughter, says her experience as a mom has led her to the same conclusion.



"I opted to change my career path so I could spend more time with my child, and I'm trying to manage both the career and the child," she said. "It's very challenging, and I'm not in nearly the type of stressful role that she would be in."



But some think Palin's experience as a mom would only make her a better vice president.



Carolyn Jasper of Shreveport, Louisiana, says Palin's experience as a mother makes her a better candidate because she knows what it's like to balance life and work and can understand the lives of "regular" Americans.



"I can tell you one thing about being a mom. You learn real quick how to work through all of life's huge problems and bring them down to a manageable size," said Jasper, who has three children of her own. "I do think she'll be more capable of understanding what the regular American people need from their government because she is a mom and a family person."



So is there a double standard at work? Some iReporters think so.   "Why aren't we questioning
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question: what is said about palin, answer: choice to run shows poor judgment. | question: Who is Sarah Palin?, answer: politician and mother. | question: What is being mentioned by others about palin?, answer: family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president. | question: what does ireport say, answer: its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child. | question: What do critics say?, answer: balance life and work | question: Who weighs in?, answer: iReporters | question: What is the mention given by some about palin?, answer: poor judgment. | question: What is iReport asking?, answer: Was it the right decision?