The Palin Paradox: Does Her Candidacy Mark the Death of the Christian Right?
Sarah Palin's political and religious and religio-political background is the stuff of Christian right dreams. Raised in a Pentecostal Church, running for Mayor of town of 4000 by opposing abortion (is that a mayoral issue?), claiming to be its "first" Christian Mayor and ousting a 3-term incumbent (Lutheran, aren't they Christians too?), Palin saw "God's plan" in her political destiny as she later did in the war in Iraq. Her opposition to abortion is nearly absolute, allowing an exception only for the life of the mother.
Despite John McCain's consistent record denying women the right to make this most personal decision themselves, the Christian right never accepted him. Perhaps, it was because McCain does not have a fire-and-brimstone style, or perhaps it is because he did not accompany his anti-choice position with opprobrium against different lifestyles, or perhaps it was his embrace of the evil mainstream media. Or, maybe, they were not sure they really controlled him.
Whatever the reasons, choosing Palin erased all Christian right hesitation. Although he really wanted to choose Lieberman, McCain kowtowed to the Christian right and then one-upped them by going all the way for Sarah Palin. He was controllable. He went immediately from outcast to hero.
Enter, daughter Bristol's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. The Christian right had to make a quick choice (choice?!) -- either applaud the pregnancy or dump Palin.
By choosing to applaud the pregnancy, and to take the line of Steve Schmidt, "life happens", the Christian right ceded most of the claptrap they have been preaching for 30 years. No longer can they rail against big-town, or Hollywood, or Washington DC (read, experts) or New York (read, Jewish) or San Francisco (read, gay) "values" as the cause of peoples' "misbehavior" and social disintegration. No longer can they even call it misbehavior. No longer can they wring their hands about poor role models for children, about out-of-wedlock sex being a sin against God, about how books can be the devil's work.
No longer are testosterone and estradiol the devil's hormones; from now on, they are God's.
It is has been a tough few years for the Christian right. From the Reverend Teddy Haggard's secret gay life to Mark Foley's diddling House pages and the cover up, to Ralph Reed's (Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition dude) promotion of gambling... there is not much remaining about which they can claim righteous indignation.
What currency do they now have to rail against sex education in the schools as the cause of promiscuity? Or, vaccination of teenage girls against HPV (cause of both genital warts and cervical cancer that the vaccine can protect against) as leading to promiscuity? Or, even, the absence of Church and prayer as the cause for moral disintegration?
Because the Palin family had it all. No sex education in the Wassila schools. No vaccinations against HPV. If Mayor Palin could not get dangerous books out of the library, you can bet they were not at her home. A Pentecostal Church preaching righteousness, speaking in tongues -- and a bit of end of times eschatology just so they had something to look forward to in life.
What's left, then, for the Christian right is abortion. Although there were links of Tom DeLay to the abortions practices on the Mariana Islands (to keep the low-wage imported Chinese workers able to work), it never received publicity while "hot tub Tom" was still a prominent political figure the Christian right had to defend. And, Sarah carrying her Down Syndrome baby to term, and Bristol's becoming a mom at 17 rather than choosing an abortion enables the Christian right to retain its anti-choice message without a hiccough.
By being forced by circumstance to embrace Sarah Palin, the Christian right is acknowledging that "legitimate" families are not just the "mom&dad&buddy&sis" of the 1950s, but have morphed into a variety of shapes and forms that all need to be supported and accommodated.
None of this is to say, of course, that unwed teen pregnancies should not be discouraged. They should. Nor is it to argue that one parent homes should be encouraged. They should not. But, the fire-and-brimstone approach used by the Christian right to denigrate other peoples' circumstances should no longer have any currency.
Instead of accusing, perhaps we can be understanding. Instead of making up facts to fit our beliefs, perhaps we can look at the best information available, and start making some good policy. Perhaps, just perhaps, we can start a dialogue instead of a shouting match.
There was one overlooked part of Sarah Palin's announcement of her daughter's pregnancy. She said that her daughter had decided to carry the child to term. She later remarked that no one had pressured her daughter to do so.
I take Sarah at her word. Is it not wonderful, and will this not be a happier baby and marital circumstance, that they all had these unpressured choices? The issue is not abortion vs carrying to term, it is who gets to make that choice. Sarah Palin would have the government choose. My vote is for Bristol Palin.
I, for one, wish Bristol Palin and her husband-to-be a very healthy and happy child, a happy and meaningful life together, and a return to the anonymity they so richly deserve.
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Are you kidding? Hypocrisy is their bread and butter. So no, this is not the end for them. It is just the beginning of a new chapter. They have a new weapon and she can read a teleprompter really well and has the narrow-minded zeal and unbridled ambition to connect with the angry mobs. Sigh...
The only difference I see between Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney?
LIPSTICK.
We don't need another bully in the White House...
I'm not buying this spin in a skirt and I'm insulted as a woman, registered Republican, and checker of her real record and reputation in Wasila and beyond
Anti-science, anti-choice, creationist, at the age of 44 in this 21st century. Surely the world is laughing as they make the quantum leap in technology and this great empire implodes under the weight of trillion dollar debts and 19th century politics.
I think you nailed it at the end of the article. The beauty of choice is that the individual woman controls her own life decisions--not the government.
And we should call Palin's stance what it is--anti-choice!
"No longer can they rail against big-town, or Hollywood, or Washington DC (read, experts) or New York (read, Jewish) or San Francisco (read, gay) "values" as the cause of peoples' "misbehavior" and social disintegra
Wanna bet? These people have no shame at their hypocrisy and the situational ethics they consistently display are part of their nature. As soon as the Palin fad passes, they will be back to their standard line.
Abolutely correct ! The Christian Right don't care about logic or consistency - it's OK for one of ours, and absolutely sinful for one of yours ! Life happens - and guess what - gays happen ! They don't fall from space, every single one came from a straight family ! Think they're going to stop bashing gays ? When Alaska thaws out - oh wait....
An undereducated envangelical creationist who does not believe global warming is man-made and who belongs to a church that practices "prophesy". A "heartbeat away" from the nuclear trigger. Very, very frightening. Intelligent Americans need to freakin' unload on Palin and forget all the politically correct pattycake.
Logically, it is hard to argue with your thesis that, having now given the Palin family a pass for the very activity the religious right has condemned over the years they would be estopped from attacking their political opponents for that same activity. But, the flaw in that argument is the assumption that the religious right and their friends in the GOP aren't completely comfortable with the most outrageous double standards in their positions. You see, the Palin's are 'good, God-fearing people' for whom all events are all part of the right pageant of "God's plan." Their political enemies and non-believers are heathens who are being punished by God and whose actions "don't deserve" forgiveness and acceptance. No... trust me, if Sen. Obama's or Sen. Biden's family closets had been found to contain even a fraction of the number of skeletons found in the McCain's and Palin's, the GOP and religious right would be demanding the Democrats' immediate disqualification as a presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates while at the same time giving their favorites a full pass for the exact same behavior.
Please, have someone correct Palin about drilling in Alaska, drilling in Alaska would take us 10 years to install and then we would get 3 months supply. it's a joke......
Its not a joke for the Palin family or other residents of the state of Alaska who will get huge royalty checks for any additional oil drilled up there. Can you spell "Self-interest" boys and girls?
I think Palin is the future, not the death, of the religious right. They had a PR problem, they have fixed it with Hockey Mom. She softens the message. But in the end, she is still a theocrat of Hagee brand.
SaltySaltillo
I think Palin is the future, not the death, of the religious right. They had a PR problem, they have fixed it with Hockey Mom. She softens the message. But in the end, she is still a theocrat of Hagee brand.
Links with Hagee? Sounds like a goldmine to me.
Does Her Candidacy Mark the Death of the Christian Right?
One could only hope and pray!
Thanks for the great column. I come from the Bible Belt and have seen all too often allegedly loving Christians demonizing those whose lives don't fall tidily in line with what a Christian should or should not be doing. They say "hate the sin and love the sinner" but I know all too many alleged Christians who are most definitely hating the sinner as well.
How nice it would be to live in a world where no one judged anyone else and allowed people to work through their moral dilemmas without being criticized or demonized. And no one is served by codifying the new double standard:- that if a fundamentalist Christian stumbles, all is forgiven but if you aren't a fundamentalist Christian to begin with your stumble will be black mark to wear forever. Why, for example, is Bristol Palin lauded and respected and Jamie Lynn Spears thought of as a 16 year old slut? Something to think about.
As a gay man living in Texas, I know all about the 'hate the sin and love the sinner' being used as a not very subtle code for 'I hate you'.
I do think, though, that Palin may be part of a bigger slide by the RR back to their old obscurity. More and more often I see people ignoring the ultra Christians. I think they pushed too far too fast and without the big round numbers of the new millenium to scare people, many are just being freaked out by the Uber Conservative positions that are being taken.
I think we're on the cusp of a pendulum swing back toward the middle and maybe even over to the Left.
Sarah Cicada. Every 20 years. 1968 gave us Spiro Agnew, 1988 gave us Dan Quayle and 2008 gives us Sarah Palin. Almost cicadas, those screechy insects that emerge every 20 years to mate. 20-20 hindsight.
Anyone who goes to a Church or born in a Christian family or for that matter has a Christian name like Paul Abram is not a Christian automatically!!! Read the scriptures first before commenting on someone else's views.
BTW, do you think your newfound messiah is a Christian, just because he says so?
GO PUMA, GO PALIN, GO HILLARY 2012-2020
Paul, you are so right! Anytime, anyplace, for any reason, when the religious right (and the Conservatives who use and love them) bring up gays, gay marriage, teen pregnancy, abortions, or any other practice they 'disaprove' of, just say the words, "Life Happens"!
Because, as we on the left have been saying for years, it does.
The author remakes the case that talibangelicals may actually learn something from palin's dysfunctional candidacy and family life.
I disagree, their message of intolerance won't change because the preacher's flock must be kept afraid of everything or it could cut into the Sunday collections. And, if tthe sheeple make decisions like that for themselves, they might question the need for the pastor-dude in their lives. A little independent thinking will unravel the entire scheme
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