by Ian Punnett
It was all about family on the first day of “Sarah Palin for VP” national roll-out.
As part of the “get-to-know-her” PR push from the McCain campaign, the Palin family story and photo-ops illustrated the political spin: Gov. Palin is a rock-solid Conservative with the Right values.
For example, she got a late-in-life bonus baby and it was joyous occasion. Also, when the tests came back that the boy would suffer from Downs Syndrome, the Pro-Life Palin never even considered abortion. With her rugged husband and adorable family at her side as the cameras snapped away, the first day of the Sarah Palin Story was picture perfect.
The first smudge on the image doesn’t amount to much--yet. Yes, the McCain people confirmed, they were well aware of allegations of ethics violations against Gov. Palin for using her office to have her former brother-in-law fired from the State Police force and those accusations just aren’t true. Sarah Palin rose to prominence because of principles and the McCain people are confident that there was nothing to these charges.
Saturday there was another funny little tidbit that doesn’t amount to much on its own. Sarah Palin is a devout, lifelong Christian who smoked pot at least a few times when it was legal to do so in Alaska. The McCain campaign knew all about it but didn’t see that as problem.
Then it was revealed that Sarah Palin’s husband and oldest son are not registered Republicans. Now, how somebody is registered may not have anything to do with how they vote and I respect “Independent” voters because I am one myself.
But there again was the pattern. To the McCain campaign staff, the fact that governor’s “First Dude” was not a Republican was something that they were aware of and only accentuated Palin’s reputation as a fellow maverick, somebody out of the box, a woman who does not fit the Republican mold.
And now the new non-news story that Gov. Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby, a young man she intends to marry in her senior year of high school and raise the child with.
Again, the Conservative spin here I keep hearing is that this is not a story of teen promiscuity by the teen daughter of an abstinence-only, Evangelical governor, the headline should be something like “amazing family sticks to their Pro-Life principles.”
And that’s as may be but, one more time, we’ve also been told that the McCain people knew all about this for a week but didn’t feel it was important.
So, what do we have?
We have an ethics-driven governor under investigation for an ethics violation.
We have lifelong Christian who smoked weed until it was made illegal.
We have a staunch, lifelong Republican governor with a non-Republican family.
We have a conservative, Evangelical Christian, abstinence-only mom with a pregnant 17-year-old daughter.
What else does the McCain campaign know about Palin that they haven’t told us about yet?
What other odd admissions are next?
Sarah Palin is a faithful wife who has been known to go to movies alone with an old boyfriend from time to time?
She’s a non-drinker who has been investigated for moonshining (until it was made illegal)?
There are one or two nude photos taken by an old boyfriend floating around?
The old boyfriend was Barack Obama but the McCain people didn’t think that was relevant.
Maybe it’s all out now.
But only the McCain people know for sure.


I bet there's a lot of Repub AND Dem men who are hoping for nekkid pix of Gov Palin...
scrapalatteIan! You forgot to mention that her hubs got a DWI 24 years ago. That matters in this race too, right?
At least Sarah doesn't hang around with the known domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, racist Rev Wright and Father Pflager, and slum lord Tony Rezko.
As far as Troopergate goes, Sarah couldn't win. She know for a fact what a psycho evil trooper the guy is, but now that you are the person who could rightfully have him removed, your hands are tied because you have a family connection with him. But rather than being allowed to let him sink his own ship and just stay out of it, you are now the Governor and your chief of security wants to know if anyone has ever threatened you or your family. Turns out this sorry excuse for a trooper is also extremely racist and despises native Alaskans and has verbally attacked your husband as well over the years. When you tell the security chief he instructs your husband to talk to the man in charge of the troopers about it. Then THAT sorry excuse decides to use it as ammo later when he's a disgruntled former employee.
If weed was legal, what's the problem? I doubt it would show up in a drug test now.
I am staunch in my beliefs, I am not registered, nor is my husband.
Abstinence only programs don't work. Got it. My son just went through sex ed in fifth grade. The dialog that happened at home regarding our expectations of him the future were more important than the nuts and bolts he received at school. If the liberal public school is going to teach one thing, and your family believes something else, it is the parent's responsibility to reinforce their belief system. Sometimes hormones get the best of those darn teenagers. And yes, it should be celebrated that this young girl is going to have the love and support of her family and that they didn't wish the pregnancy away down a sink.
Sarah Palin is tougher than Chuck Norris. She will do one heluva job for us.
05:06 AM CST