My Guess | The Blogora

Submitted by Anonymous on August 29, 2008 - 5:32pm.

Good pick and it looks like Dr. Dobson will be the first within the Evangelical Christian community to take the bait. This race just got really interesting....

Diane Rehm

Submitted by Anonymous on August 29, 2008 - 9:35am.

says Republican sources are confirming that Palin is the pick. Pretty dern interesting. Palin makes it more difficult for the Rs to sustain the "inexperienced" criticism of Obama.

True, but . . .

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 29, 2008 - 9:49am.

I wonder how many former Hillary supporters will bite, even though she's a member of Feminists for Life. Do we know anything about her religiosity?

More Palin factoids

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 29, 2008 - 9:53am.

"Non-denominational Protestant" (great, another theology-free Christianist), lifetime NRA member, vetoed anti-gay marriage law from the Alaska legislature, and says she has "gay friends." I think this was McCain's best choice, given the severe constraints his pandering to the Right has imposed, and it makes me a bit more fearful that he will win. *Sigh*

More factoids

Submitted by Jon Edwards on August 29, 2008 - 10:18am.

She is (or was) under investigation, I don't know any more details. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/01/sarah-palin-mccains-vice_n_1163...

Definitely a risky choice, but I agree it's his best option.

abuse of office

Submitted by Joshua on August 29, 2008 - 12:43pm.

Apparently the charge is that she used her office to get her ex-brother-in-law fired:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/08/palin-mccain-vp.html

"However, questions have now arisen over whether Palin used her office to try and fire her ex -brother-in-law from a state trooper's position. Palin asserts the charge is untrue, but the Alaska Senate this week approved the hiring of an independent investigator to look into the allegation."

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/mccainpalin_tick...

http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/478090.html

Mormons and Evangelicals

Submitted by Jon Edwards on August 29, 2008 - 8:02am.

There's not been much discussion of Romney among the major evangelical sources. Huckabee said some positive things about his stance on abortion, and the typical fringe groups are threatening to expose the "real truth" about Romney's past. But the heavy-hitters seem to be playing the waiting game.

After the Rick Warren show, evangelical leaders seem much more excited by McCain, but they're still looking for him to act on his promise to be a "pro-life president." Romney's abortion stance will likely trump every other consideration. If McCain picks a pro-choice running mate, Dobson, Tony Perkins, et al will probably call for boycotts on the election. Romney doesn't exactly make evangelicals giddy with glee, but he's not a boycott guy either.

it has been awhile but

Submitted by Joshua on August 29, 2008 - 7:49am.

I haven't been around evangelical political circles for awhile, but my sense is that they are more concerned with preserving "conservativism" and electing Supreme Court replacements for the upcoming retirees than they are about Romney's Mormonism. For many evangelicals, having little concern for doctrine or its implications, Romney probably comes across similar to the way a Catholic would. Just my guess I guess.

Another evangelical question

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 29, 2008 - 1:02pm.

When Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth fired their female Classics professor a few years ago, and limited women students to various homemaking courses, they said that a woman must not hold authority over a man. Would any significant number of the evangelical "base" stay home from the polls in opposition to Palin? Just curious. . . .

One example

Submitted by Joshua on August 31, 2008 - 12:05am.

http://ironink.org/index.php?blog=1&title=sarah_serpico_palin_and_the_ch...

I know theonomists freak you out Jim, but the one linked above provides a clear reply to the question you posed.

It depends

Submitted by Joshua on August 29, 2008 - 1:32pm.

Some evangelicals (the majority I would wager) would see the restriction of female authority over males being limited to the Church sphere of governance. In other words, those places and positions where the Church is recognized as governing would restrict women from holding authority over men. I.e., because SWBS considers itself an extension of the Church, they thought it Biblical to fire their female Classics professor.

Others see the issue of authority roles extending to all spheres of governance, and might therefore stay home (or vote for a third party) instead of voting for McCain/Palin. However, I would think that these same people that would stay home due to a female VP wouldn't be planning to vote for McCain anyway (but not because they think McCain is effeminate :-D).

you're right. . .

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 29, 2008 - 2:19pm.

Dr. Dobson just praised her. Ridge and Lieberman are "anti-family."

The Evangelical Response

Submitted by Jon Edwards on August 29, 2008 - 3:06pm.

National Right to Life is applauding her too:
http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/index.html

So is Concerned Women for America:
http://www.cwalac.org/article_751.shtml

There will be others. She will certainly energize evangelicals, despite being "soft" on gay-rights issues. But neither she nor McCain can generate the kind of grassroots excitement that accompanied Huckabee's campaign. This is still the Democrat's race to lose, and I think, overall, McCain may have overplayed his hand on this one.

and, even better

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 29, 2008 - 2:21pm.

Palin is a creationist. Now that the GOP platform seeks to ban even *private* stem-cell research, I wonder if that will become an issue. In any case, the scientific and medical decline of the US continues. But does Dobson know she's not much of a gay-hater?

I'm sure of two things with Palin

Submitted by Anonymous on August 29, 2008 - 3:02pm.

1) she's a pander-pick and 2) she has atrocious taste in names - the onomastaholic in me blanches at her boys' names: Track and Trig Paxson Van Palin and girl named Bristol - Willow and Piper are okay - I'm wondering, Track and Bristol - a NASCAR fan, perhaps?

kristin

Even Odder

Submitted by Jim Aune on August 30, 2008 - 8:29am.

Who wrote this? "If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?" --David Frum, at National Review Online. . .