Sarah Palin: A Big Gamble for Religious Conservatives

It's getting rather tiring hammering Palin into the ground, especially when she will have ample opportunity soon to do it to herself, but there are some commentators and bloggers that have seemed to completely lost their senses over this.

Sarah Palin is not mainstream and her family is certainly not. The daughter thing does matter in that it gives an insight into the type of person she is and she is frankly not someone mainstream folks in the suburbs, the votes McCain needs to win, want living next door.

She does not appeal to older women. Frank Lutz did a focus group of older women and she was disapproved of by a two to one margin. Why is this? Older women have teenage daughters and in mainstream America if a seventeen year old gets pregnant, she has an abortion and goes off to college. She does not have the kid, she does not get married. That is not done. It is not even a consideration.

A friend of mine put it this way. There are three classes in America, mainstream, trailer trash and underclass. Mainstream deals with the problem as I stated. Trailer trash--the way the Palins handled it, which means that is their social class and being Governor of a state does not change that, and the underclass, which would just have the kid.

There's little doubt that social conservatives will play the victim card quickly, accusing anyone who questions Palin as being "anti-Christian." It has been the script for a couple of decades.

This is the defining moment for religious conservatives. They forced McCain's hand and he needed someone to satisfy the far right of his party. Palin is their candidate and when--or if--she falters, it will be social conservatives who will receive the blame. They want to run a culture war election as the culture war is in its last days.

I really respect this column, and the views expressed in this quotation:
"Too many evangelicals and religious conservative are too preoccupied with values and faith and pay no attention to competence. We don't apply this approach to anything else in life, including choosing a pastor." are exactly on target, IMHO.

Watching this disaster with Palin unfold is like watching a political Katrina.
It's dredging up so many personal wounds, personal grudges, and strong emotions that it borders on scary - and trust me, I didn't think that things could get stranger in this election season when I thought that "race" was going to be the dividing line (!).

IMHO, we're seeing the vitriol, the seething resentments, and the dirty little secrets of just how class-riven America really can be is becoming quite evident. In fact, it's hot and heavy on another region of this website as I type.

This is the logical outcome of the past 20+ years of 'identity politics' and it's nasty.
Maybe if people were a little more decent to one another, but when jerks on Wall Street are making $10 million and more by inventing fictitious 'financial instruments' and I'm expected to help bail out Bear Stearns, I feel a fair amount of resentment myself - so I 'get' that part of the culture wars.

But for all of us who have spent years and energy telling our kids that sex is nothing to mess around with, and that raising kids is a responsibility best left to fully grown adults with 'real' jobs, Mrs Palin's attitudes are not exactly the type of 'leadership' that I seek for myself or my family.

And every time the McCain campaign trots out one more talking head to decry the rough treatment of Mrs Palin, or act as if she'd been vetted, I just want to reach for popcorn because I can hardly believe my eyes.

I'm sure that Mr Putin and Osama Bin Laden are thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of Americans whining about how 'qualified' a woman who's been mayor of a town of less than 10,000, and then been governor or a state with fewer than one million, are falling all over themselves in hysterics.

I'm sure that there are plenty of people in US government and corporations who would **love** to 'guide' and 'advise' Mrs Palin.

It was unbelievably, tragically irresponsible of McCain to make such a reckless choice, but as the news comes out it does appear that he was pressured into it by GOP ideologues. This is precisely the kind of nonsense and foolishness -- along with Abramoff and the sheer meanness of Karl Rove -- that's completely turned off a 'former moderate' like myself from the GOP.

This mess is so weird that if it were a movie, no one would believe it.
But it's all about emotion.
And those won't solve the very, very serious problems that face America.

Frankly, I find the nomination of anyone (male, female, with kids or without) who's only served in federal office fewer than two years downright insulting. On some levels, I don't care what she thinks. This whole mess has made a mockery of US politics and it's embarrassing.

Putin and bin Laden must really be enjoying the show.

competance? If competance was an issue why did we get the Scarecro-W for EIGHT Years?!?

I think this is a long term gamble. They are getting her "out there" in order to truly exploit her 4 years from now. Get her name known (and her daughter's baby born), have peoople start tracking her political moves, and then when the next campaign starts (in about 6 months!) they will have her poised and posed. Parade magazine will have a few interviews and articles, Readers Digest will do a couple of "Diary of Parents with a Downs Kid", "Parents of parents: teaching a teen mom by example", and a couple of others will be sure to get her on their cover at least once a year. This will be followed by a very public rebuttal to the Sierra Club expose of her abusive policies in Alaska, and WWF's (no they are not wrestling anymore, that is wwe) article on her efforts to get the Polar Bears off the endangered species list. Of course, the NRA has already got their artciles written with photos ready for "American Riflemen". But Rolling Stone has a counter-piece on the many ways she has been a lousy politician with a bizarre family history, a poor environmentalist and a oil company lackey.

Well, at least her's is a new face - and easier on the eyes than Lieberman, Thompson, or many others.

She should fit in well with the hipocrits that claim God told them and of course Bush/Cheney to invade and kill Muslims around the world. Because Israel? is our best friend. What did these people miss in the New Testament? What we are witnessing is the final result of man worshiping man and not God. We truly will reap what we have sown

TeaLeaves,

Are you suggesting then that the only one fit to help run a country is someone from inside the Washington pool -- like Joe Biden? Haven't Americans been howling for decades about that?

Let's be honest here: anyone going into the White House is going to be on a steep learning curve, no matter how long they've toiled in Congress or the Senate. So why not give Palin a chance? The problem with choosing Bidens is that they're part of the "good old boys club", and have had decades of experience at playing with the lobby groups. This is the kind of corruption that America needs to move away from, and that McCain has fought against for years. In some ways, his choice of Palin is genius in that he is saying "I've heard your howls, and I'm prepared to move back into Washington with a young, uncorrupted maverick like Sarah Palin to help shake things up."

And as for vision, I've yet to hear Obama articulate anything that resembles a vision, other than "it's time for change". What change? What will he do? He still refuses to answer that question, as do those on the liberal blogs.

This whole discussion will be moot fairly soon, anyway. Palin will be devoured by the Democrats and their media friends, and McCain will have to dip back into the "good old boys club" to find a running mate who will satisfy the business-as-usual crowd.

BTW. I'm watching all this from an outside perspective. I am not an American, and do not live in your country. So I have no partisan stake in it. Just some interesting observations as an outsider.

I read this and cannot help but be struck by the long standing tradition of a double standard at play:

When a Democrat does something that appears to be a moral weakness or infraction, the Right rises up in moral outrage. When a Republican does something that appears to be morally questionable the Left does the same.

In the end, Left or Right, there appears to be no charity in the hearts of either. It is sad.

Barack Obama had the goodness to say that the Palin's family is not what our politics should be about. I don't see the Democrats raising as much a stir about this as I do many Republicans and media commentators. End this silliness. There are huge issues that face our country and the most important ones are international in scale.

It is disingenuous of the McCain campaign to suggest that sexism is at play when the media questions Palin's qualifications. The real issue is McCain's judgment.

The self-proclaimed maverick realized last week he had to kowtow to Dobson et al to stand any chance of winning in November. So he runs on a "Country First" theme but chooses as his running-mate a person with zero foreign policy experience, 18 months of executive experience running a state that ranks 48 or 49th in population, in the middle of a potential scandal about using her political office for personal reasons. The issue is not about her daughter's pregnancy; it's about a man keeping America safe who pick a running mate who by any objective standard is clearly unprepared to be commander in chief and, to add insult to injury, keeps her sequestered to hide the shame.

Competence really is an afterthought for men like Dobson. It seems that the same is true for McCain. He wants to get elected and will deal with the competence issue later. The gamble is that enough independents think like Lieberman and hope that nothing happens to the guy should he get elected.

McCain makes a mockery of Country First. It's The Base First.

I agree, it's dangerous for Christians to jump on the Palin bandwagon without ever investigating her record--which, from what I can tell so far, looks pretty good. Unfortunately, for many of us, there's no where else to jump. When no other option appears promising in an extremely hopeless-looking election year (for this conservative, anyway), I'm all too ready to make a leap of faith.

Sarah Palin is NOT running for president. Also, can someone please explain to me exactly how, if they are considering her due to her rigid view on abortion, WHAT EFFECT CAN SHE HAVE ON THIS ISSUE?

It's up to the supreme court judges, is it not? If we, as citizens, don't consider the glaring issues that ARE of immdediate consequence, we are going to suffer more than we already have in the last seven plus bush years.

The Iraq Invasion mr. bush & his admin. deceived the country into has cost thousands of lives, on top of a lie. Where are the values in this???

I cry everyday for our country, and for the loss of life.

Sillyme,

Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything, except for an 18 month political campaign. He doesn't even have any action points for a new vision. How does this make him more qualified to be in the White House than Governor Palin?

"Sillyme,
Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything, except for an 18 month political campaign. He doesn't even have any action points for a new vision. How does this make him more qualified to be in the White House than Governor Palin?"

Barack Obama has expressed opinions on the matters that are important during this election. He's stated on his website plainly what he would like to do about those matters. He's demonstrated that he can build a disciplined, motivated organization to defeat one of the most powerful political families in America. He's run an efficient, low drama campaign.

His temperament has been on display for months for all Americans to see.

He's made his first executive decision in full view of the public in choosing Biden as VP. The process for that disciplined and thorough.

Governor Palin has not expressed her opinion on most matters. The economy? The mortgage crisis? Georgia/Russia? NATO? The national debt? Afghanistan? Iraq? etc. etc. etc.

There's not even a contest between the two, and Palin would agree I'm sure. This is not for lack of brains/talent. It's lack of interest. This was not on her radar. She was not planning to be running for VP. Perhaps in the future, but she was entirely focused on Alaska. If she had designs on national office, she would have been boning up the last couple years. She was concerned with Alaska, as she should have been.

There is ample evidence on how you can expect an Obama administration to be run. There is also ample evidence on how you can expect a McCain administration to be run. It's up to you to decide which one will run it the way you think a president should run the office.

Yes a risk. However, with only 145 days of senate experience the Democratic party and followers are willing to put a man in the highest position available. Barack Obama, has a resume that would be thrown in the trash had it been compared side by side to John McCain or even Sarah Palin.

Obama, has never authored any bill to help his constituants, and over 100 times has not voted yes or no to votes that have arisen. What did he vote? present.

I'm not personally a McCain fan boy, never have been, but Palin seems to be the legitimate thing.

Points awarded to McCain and Palin:

McCain is a Hero. Served his country not only in the senate, but as a soldier, a POW.
McCain has been fighting both Democrats and Republicans on issues he felt where important, going against the grain at times.

Palin, a former Mayor.
Palin, a Governor of a state which boasts some of Americas largest Natural resources.
Palin has taken on the oil companies which, in the past have run Alaska.
Palin has a family. Yes a family not a poster family but a family with real issues and real struggles.

I realize that Sarah Palin is not a New Yorker, she doesn't live in a concrete jungle. But neither do the majority of the United States. She seems to bring a sense of realism to this campaign and this election.

Until now, I felt this election was not worth a vote. I did not care for Obama, I also equally did not care for McCain. However with McCain's choice for VP he has shown he is not looking for the usual Washington inside. My hats off to McCain for once again going against the Machine and stepping outside to find a solution.

I think what most supporters of McCain/Palin have been saying is "Give the woman a chance instead of trying to grind her into the ground with the heel of your boot before she even gets started."

Obama has little experience; Palin has little experience. Obama has had 18 months for the nation to get to know him; Palin needs some slack to establish herself too. Then let the voters decide.

What's been most outrageous to me is the media complicity in seeking to destroy, or at least poison, the Republican ticket by instantly smearing their VP candidate without giving her an opportunity to make herself known. It's been that Ivy League sneer plastered all over the faces of people like Wolf Blitzer and Campbell Brown that are most annoying: "Alaska? Pshah. What a bunch of nobodies up there." "Mayor of A TOWN OF 7,000? Good grief. What kind of resume is that?" (translated, "She hasn't paid her dues; she didn't train at Harvard; she comes from fly-over territory."

Hey, I'm not even an American. I'm watching this from up north, so I don't even get to vote. But what I've seen has certainly been a complicity between CNN, the most watched news organisation in the world, and the Democrats. Even most of their pundits are Dems.

So much for balanced reporting. (though I think John King is one of the few who are fair-minded and balanced)

I do not know Sarah Palin, However as a christian, tongue speaking, pentecostal, holy spirit fill, mother of 4 children I can relate to her a bit. I listen to people saying that sarah is a christian, even the liberal media blog is scared of her because she is a petecostal christian and maybe she speaks in tongue.
Sarah Palin as a christian I love her she is a beautifull women and a proud mother. I have nothing against her. In this blog I am writing and anybody who is reading this blog read my comment carefully, Sarah is not a real christian or if she is the way she claims, listen to my words she is a backslider running away from God, and I can assure You she is not a real christian. I know people will react to what I said right now. "George Bush" I knew he was never a christian but because the right wing evangelicals did not bother to consult with God they let satan gets it ways.
For the people reading this blog asked yourselves why as a christian spirit fill sarah palin would lie to the media & the american people. and gave that speech that is full of lies? was it for political purposes and self gain and ambition?. isn't lying a sin? and why compromising the word of God for self-ambition allowing the enemy to mess around her family? and why is it her house is not in order? all the evangelicals out there I suggest to you before embrace yourself to Sarah check with God first, she is a gimmick just like Bush.
And I do hope God will give her a conscience to quit the race, Otherwise it will a bad name for christianity which we already have. God will reveal all the evangelicals that are hypocrites and downright mean and agent of Satan.
Don't let issues like abortion gets in the way, that is the way Satan wants to inject himself, by distracting us and go backward instead of forward. That is a prophetic word I just gave And I do not mind If anybody want to contact me they can. Because I have the boldness and the annointing of the Lord upon me, I am not afraid of criticism.
May God Bless America and receive the Lord"s favor and forgiveness for all of the wickedness lies and hypocrisy in other words all the sins and hatred that we have in our hearts as christians for one and another. and be aware for all the wolves in sheeps clothing thus said the Lord!
and I hope people will go back to the comment and said that lady was right.

I hope that the American people are not so misinformed and shallow as not to realize what an ominous position the Republican hiearchy is willing to place the country in by impulsively placing Sarah Palin on the ticket as the vice presidential candidate.

Based on the speech she made, all I can surmise is that she has no real knowledge of anything. When people usually don't know anything, they do what she did, and that is say "nothing". I really don't understand the people who are so impressed by a speech that did no more than spout lies from a teleprompter and did it in such a vicious and "catty" and negative manner, not just about her adversary but about anybody and anything that she obviously neither understands or respects-- and that includes the people she claims to represent ?Christians and conservatives. Was Jesus Christ not a community organizer?

In this day and time mothers' with children with Down's syndrome are not a novelty, but if they receive adequate access to medical care and social services,education and support for these children without relying on the resources and input of "community organizers" and advocates who speak up for the rights of people with disabilities, then they are a novelty. That kind of novelty, I am sure Palin will become with whatever Republican financial payoffs and services she receives for her insincerity and hypocrisy.

I am the adoptive mother of a special needs child, and that aspect of who Sarah Palin is does not impress me at all. Furthermore, I am also the mother of a biological daughter who had a child out of wedlock who "chose" not to marry and went on to become a teacher who has a master's degree in education and a very well-adjusted now sixteen-year-old son. That particular family "issue" does not impress me either.
But I would be willing to bet a million dollars (it I had it) that if Obama's daughter or Chelsea Clinton got pregnant out of wedlock, those so-called ?Christians who support Palin would be having a field day in the media and at church services of condemnation too. They would be jockeying for all kinds of moral high ground.

I am one of the people who wonder about what choices Palin's own daughter will ultimately have other than possibly an ill-advised "shotgun wedding". I am just speculating, based on experience with self-righteous people who tried to force my daughter to marry my grandson's father (when she was not ready to marry) for the sake of some warped sense of morality and social appearances. I had enough respect for my own child to know that was neither a psychologically healthy nor fair position "to choose for her".

Before I retired, I was also a divorcee who raised three small children and worked full time jobs, and I have more than one college degree and I am a professional. So I am sure that if Palin is otherwise qualified, and I don't think she is) she could do the job. But I don't agree with her on any of the issues related to the economy, domestic, and world affairs, etc. Based on the last eight years of the Republican administration's performance, I don't see where the Republican Party supports my interests or the interests of the American people for that matter.

I am a Hillary Clinton supporter who is smart and objective enough to
(I now support Obama)not jump on the "I am a woman, she is a woman too" bandwagon. And I am sure that is the only reason that she was suddenly chosen to be on the ticket. She is being used and I am sure she will prosper financially from it,- win, lose or draw. And God help the USA.

And, Oh, by the way, I am also African-American, and God knows if it were not for coummunity organizers (abolitionists, civil rights workers, and such) I would still either be enslaved or at the least still riding on the back of the bus and drinking from "colored only" water fountains.

Just another suspicious citizen

Who has made public Sarah Palin's religious beliefs? People who do not give her a chance and judge her by the news media, are they doing what their religions say? Not mine, judge not lest ye be judged. She is a governor same as Bill Clinton was. Demeaning her is not what we do in my church.

Is Understanding a High Tech Civilization, more important than Understanding Sarah?

What do Religious Writings teach us about 9/11/01?

A Last Days Planetary Judgement Day Fire, will destroy the Ozone Canopy, and confirm that a Judgement Day Fire, will destroy Life as we Know it?

A few Humans, were Saved from the High Tech Noah/Atlantis Planetary Judgement Day Flood.

These Two Planetary Flood and Fire Events, are not 'Supernatural' God Punishments, but Misbred Human Events.

All Divisions of Humans, will result in the Destruction of our Ozone Canopy and the Planetary Fire Judgement.

Genesis Translated, with High Tech Science, will reveal the Mysteries of God, and the Truth of the Evil Killer Seed Human Life on Earth, not caused by God.

Colonizing Life on Earth, by our Human Ancestors called God, and Human Male and Female Clones in Gods Image, 'was' translated a Supernatural Mystery, by Natural Born Humans.

High Tech Humans today, can Translate Genesis, with the High Tech Science Knowledge of, Colonization, Fetus Reproduction, and Cloning.

The Fallen Human Heterosexual Born Humans, are Misbred Good and Evil Human Seed. God, our High Tech Born Peace Human Clone Ancestors, Do Not Kill or Die, and do have Eternal Physical Life After Birth.

The Good and Evil Seed of Cain, Seth, and Daughters, is 'the Mixed Seed', handed down from the Adam and Eve Colony, that Reproduced Heterosexual Body Birth Humans. No Human since gets a Choice of Seed, or Environment.

Genesis 1,2 is the Colonization of Planet Earth, with a Balanced Axis Eco System. 'God' Our Human Peace Ancestors, would not leave Two Human Clones on a Planet, to be the Caretakers of the fish, fowl, and animals, nor do they Approve of Misbred Heterosexual Body Birth.

Eternal Physical Life after Birth is a Truth, with High Tech Science Birth on Planets and in Spaceships.

What is Eternal Life After Death?