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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Day 8: Where's Palin? Even a moose with lipstick (or is that a pig) could have learned enough about the lower 48 and foreign policy to answer a few questions from the press. Why is she being silenced by McCain? Peace
After following both conventions, I was amazed by the cultural differences of those attending. As Jonathan Alter of Newsweek stated, to be a repub, it helps to be white. It is my opinion that the Repub party as we know it is dying out, not just literally, but also due to their steadfast belief that they must cling to the past. What the world needs now is the US to lead in SCIENCE( global warming, stem cell, new energy sources which will not pollute the planet, enhanced safe food production, and methods to raise people out of poverty and hunger.) AND THE USA CAN DO IT! We have spent the last 8 yrs bombing, polluting, forcing more of the world into homelessness and hunger, in essence telling the world we will selfishly pursue our own interests! This must stop!
I am with you! How can God bless our country and honor what we do if we continue selfishly pursuing our own interests alone?
Great post!
From your mouth to God's ear.
I concur 100%, PM.
Choice is a wonderful thing PM. So why your silence on the gaping hole of no 'choice' with the errors of teen- males, with no supportive family, or that aren't quite ready, or simply immature?
Is this teen held to a higher moral duty to marry? What's the payoff to LEVI'S family; to keep their opinion quite or compliant.
Forced to embrace Sarah . . . and her daughter's CHOICE to have a child.
Amazing isn't it? Sarah's daughter was given a choice, but if the fair Sarah ever gets in the White House no other woman in America would.
Palin would like to deny women in the United States of American a choice she and her daughter both had. I applaud the choice and the supreme court decision that made that choice possible.
religion is rarely right.
I see the Palin nomination as a coup by the talibornagains.
They were sitting it out pouting until they got one of their anti-enlightenment idiots on the ticket. Now the most insane of some of them (some preacher guy in Knoxville) is prayiing for McCain to die soon. Yes. I am not making this up.
These are dangerous people who do not belong anywhere near the levers of powers of this government. They are dangerous because their political beliefs are theocratic, not democratic. We have already seen some of their harmful ways with Monica Goodling, John Ashcroft, with pork out the wazoo for "faith-based" kick backs.
I suppose we'll see which one of us is right about this. I hope you are. I fear I am.
This is a thoughtful analysis. Good for you! It's nice to see someone thinking in the midst of all this emotion.
It must be noted however, that it's entirely possible Brixton and boyfriend have been coerced into the marriage. And, when your mother is a rabid anti-abortion crusader, there is hardly a choice for Brixton to make. Remember, she's still a child and probably far from an independent thinker at this point. Had she had the opportunity to go to college, live life, and grow with experience, she may have made an entirely different "choice."
Sadly, I'm not betting on a happy marriage. If you've ever known people who were put in this position, you'd realize it generally ends up akin to a bad country western song. No matter how you slice it, this is still a very sad situation. They are still children having children and that rarely comes to good.
you are underestimating the ability of this group to live comfortably with internal contradictions
So, let me get this right. Their god and their christ defend the right of a dividing zygote to reach term and delivery. But their god and their christ find no reverence for the infant, toddler, child, son, daughter, mother, father already breathing and loving. Their god and their christ have little to no value for these beings... I guess that is why they are termed COLLATERAL DAMAGE... not human beings.
I just can't see how you are PRO-LIFE yet support war. The hypocracy is astounding. I guess Jesus Christ was not a christian. Lest we forget... he allowed no one to defend him, not even a word for himself. Well, I guess todays christians have more to offer this world than Jesus himself did.
Only the human mind can separate LIFE into worthy and unworthy. See, here again Jesus Christ is not a christian. Okay, I'll stop now... this could go on for days.
This is why there is nothing more dangerous to hamanity than religion. Remenber, it is man made! Have no teacher... Do not call me Rabbi...
What worries me about the (now, two) published comments by Sarah Palin re "God's Work/ God's Plan," (one refering to the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq, the second to her running for office on a platform of opposing abortion) is this: George Bush felt this divine calling, which prompted him to invade Iraq. On the one hand, there is personal spiritual connection and a life devoted to attempting to "walk the path," and on the other hand there is religious zealotry to the point of delusion. And dragging an entire nation with you. OK, say it WAS "God's Plan" that the USA send it's young men and women to their death in a crusader battle of Christian v Islam (or play for oil and military bases), maybe it's now "God's Plan" that a talented, inspired leader named Obama stop the blood-letting, bring our troops home, and bring some sanity back to the process. Or are we a country that can only "hear" extremist diatribe, and act just like the terrorists? We need international reconciliation, a calm and balanced approach, a leader for ALL Americans, someone who is not married to big oil and to the extremist Christian right.
Sarah Palin was the best choice McCain could have done. She is not going to make everybody become devout Bible readers. It is also time we stop trying to blame everything Bush did on John McCain. I think John McCain is a great man who sacrificed everything he had for this country. Some of you who only complain would never understand. I feel that John McCain would do more to get this country under control that a inexperienced Obama who if it was not for Biden would really have nothing to offer. Obama is sort of like the traveling pants, nothing in them. No I am not a right wing conservative. I know the last eight years was not what the Republican party is all about. The last two years with the Democrats in control was not so great either.
Because you sacrifice greatly for your country, does that mean you have the skills to be President? Yes, we can honor his sacrifice, but thousands of others sacrificed too in the same war! Some died and left families devastated by their loss. Is that NOT a sacrifice greater? The Candidate John McCain of 2000 could do as you are suggesting. The present nominee is NOT the same man. He has caved in on many of his principles to his party's preference for lobbyists, corporations, Christian right agenda and even tax cuts for the rich during war. He is no longer the maverick he was and Senator Obama has much more experience than you give him credit for. Read about it on his website
Very well written article - a measured, "vent-less" piece. I think a majority of Christians recognise that life does "happen" - we all fail in our faith one way or another. The most important tenants of Christian life is tolerance, love, forgiveness - I would hope that those qualities are what we focus on.
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