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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Don't worry, they still have abortion and gays. Gays not so much in the future but that'll take a few more Presidential cycles to be neutralized.
And flag burning.
Don't forget flag burning.
Absolute truth!-Republican [Christian right ] Hypocrisy!
When it's inner-city kids: they are whores and its RAP music's fault..
When it's a "Christian" Republican's daughter: "they made a mistake" and "leave then alone"..
No I say: Attack them!...co
These same "Christians" are fervently pro-war, have no problem with "death" and "war" as Govenor "Sadistic-
Who the hell does she think she is? - I'll quickly answer that - Dysfunctional mother-Functional governor.
Women should not let themselves be used! - there is absolutely nothing "historic" about being "chosen" for VP. Hillary Clinton ran a historic election; she was'nt questionably "chosen".
Who was Sarah b4 she smiled and "soccer-'MoM'ed" her way to Mayor and Gov.? - a "Six Colleges in 5 years Alaskan nomad", a ZERO NADA NOBODY (as they descibed a 'LOWLY' community organizer profession).
This embarrassment to women, MUST not be allowed to be the 1st woman to do what my Mother and your Mother could not do! - The contrary, will be a mockery of the capabilities of all women.
AXXXX
Absolute truth!-Republican [Christian right ] Hypocrisy!
When it's inner-city kids: they are whores and its RAP music's fault..
When it's a "Christian" Republican's daughter: "they made a mistake" and "leave then alone"..
No I say: Attack them!...co
These same "Christians" are fervently pro-war, have no problem with "death" and "war" as Govenor "Sadistic-
Who the hell does she think she is? - I'll quickly answer that - Dysfunctional mother-Functional governor.
Women should not let themselves be used! - there is absolutely nothing "historic" about being "chosen" for VP. Hillary Clinton ran a historic election; she was'nt questionably "chosen".
Who was Sarah b4 she smiled and "soccer-'MoM'ed" her way to Mayor and Gov.? - a "Six Colleges in 5 years Alaskan nomad", a ZERO NADA NOBODY (as they descibed a 'LOWLY' community organizer profession).
This embarrassment to women, MUST not be allowed to be the 1st woman to do what my Mother and your Mother could not do! - The contrary, will be a mockery of the capabilities of all women.
Right on!
That's Funny. I never heard anyone refer to inner city unwed mothers as "whores", except for some left wing blogs (wink, wink) and male African American rappers. And those rotten stingy self-serving Christian right-wingers pay taxes and support those unwed mothers, as is necessary. Do you?
Nice job Paul. Thoughtful piece. I hope you're right. But there sure seems to be a lot of deeply believed hypocrisy in the Christian right. But maybe, just maybe, they'll have less rocks to hide under now. (On a side note, can we stop calling them Republicans? The people that made that party are long gone at this point.)
Great hypothesis,but just because logic says they can't, they will because they know no other way and don't want any other way......
No Gospel understating christian could ever vote for the Republicans.
Jesus is a Liberal.
Jesus is peaceful, tolerant, charitable and loving.
Do you really imagine that Jesus Christ would be fighting for the 'right' to kill unborn babies? After He said "I have known you from the womb..."? Do you really think that after all of the warnings in scripture about men laying with men, against sexual depravity, that He would be fighting for the Gay agenda?
You are right in saying that He is loving, and He is certainly forgiving. But being forgiven involves repenting, not continuing on in sin and reveling in it.
I, as a Christian, only follow what was supposedly said by Jesus. "All the old has passed away." What Jesus said was "Love each other, treat others as you would want to be treated, let those without sin,......
He who is without sin, cast the first stone.
What country would Jesus invade?
Who would Jesus torture?
You show the depravity of fake Christians who fail to understand the Gospels, but know the old testament and revelation by heart.
But Paul, they have no shame. You can easily picture a Republican wearing a $300,000 outfit calling Barack Obama an elitist. Or a Republican website dedicated to the proposition that the Internet is evil. Or a Republican waking up in the morning at the apartment of his gay lover and calling in to Sean Hannity to rail against gay perverts.
I wish you were correct that these wackos have painted themselves into a corner but experience suggests otherwise.
"But, the fire-and-brimstone approach used by the Christian right to denigrate other peoples' circumstances should no longer have any currency."
Since when have the facts ever gotten in the way of the Christian Right and their holier-than-thou, self-righteous frenzy against common sense and normal human behavior? They don't have to acknowledge or accept anything, they have already made up their minds and refuse to be confused by the facts.
If the Christian Right can swallow all the Repub slime of the past 8 years, there is no reason to assume that they will suddenly open their eyes for Sarah Palin. They accepted her pregnant 17 year old daughter without even missing a beat. They are in love with their own sanctity and the sound of their self-righteous voices.
Excellent post!
Zealots weather hypocrisy like any other subject that does not fit into their mindset. They ignore it, or use the ultimate get out of perdition free card "God works in mysterious ways".
Yes, this goofy Christian right wing has highjacked America long enough. Let me state loudly and clearly that they have misrepresented many reasonable people of faith who embrace tolerance, acceptance, and understanding. They have been called on the rug. If they cast that first stone now, they will take down one of their own.
The so-called Christians need to stay out of politics..
"Her opposition to abortion is nearly absolute, allowing an exception only for the life of the mother. "
I believe even that exception is not allowed in Palin's anti-abortion stance.
I wondered about that statement because I thought she said "No Way, No How, Abortion".
Since I've only seen this point made obliquely (as in "imagine if the Dem candidate had a pregnant teenage daughter!") I wish someone would get to the heart of the matter. The Christian right isn't just accepting that "life happens" - quite a loaded phrase, that - in a situation like Bristol Palin's. It is in fact, as Martha would say, "a good thing" from their perspective that this child's pregnancy will increase their own number. Not so much when the teenagers getting pregnant are not like them. You can't even rightly refer to the cognitive dissonance involved, since there really isn't any: more white babies=good. More black babies=bad. As simple as it is sick.
Obama says that if a child is born alive, but was intended to have been aborted, it should be allowed to die with no life support.
That is the beginning of the end my friends.
He never said that. He voted against denying late term abortion, because a baby born alive was then considered viable and every step should be taken to keep it alive. A viable infant was considered a person. He never voted for killing babies born alive. This is more of the same stuff, such as somebody hearing he was a muslim. More stupidity.
So he voted against keeping a viable infant alive? This is somehow better? No thanks.
Link, please.
I'd read more articles on this subject because I am truely confused. I grew up believing that sex before marriage was a sin against God. Whenever I see or think about the Christian Right, that's the first thing that comes to my mind. I was sure that after all that preaching for the past fifty or more years about the purity of being a virgin on your wedding night and those that were not were will not walk through the kingdom. Newt Gingwich devoted an entire forum on the subject in which he targeted the moral values of African American teens and their out of control pregnancy without marriage. So why the change?
Bravo.
It's amazing how these right wing evangelical fanatics railed against and demonized the "Hollywood teenage pregnacies", but PRAISE the pregnancy of Palin's daughter.
No one is praising teen pregnancy; we are impressed with the families reaction to it.
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