Sinking Sarah

Governor Sarah Palin has endured a couple of rough weeks in the mainstream media. After a bold and successful start at the Republican Convention the forty-something mother of five started swimming in the deep end of the pool. Alaska was the shallow end of the political pool. The Vice Presidency is definitely the deep end for Governor Palin.

Senator McCain's polling numbers appear to be tracking with Palin's radioactive relationship with the media, though the failing economy surely has much to do with Senator Obama's rise in the polls.

According to conservative commentator Bill Sammon, she has appeared fearful a couple of times. He observed that she presented that "deer in the headlights" look in a couple interviews recently. Tomorrow night could make or break the evangelical-Christian-first-woman-Governor-of-Alaska for this election. She is being compared to Dan Quayle whose political future was destroyed by the liberal media, even though he was a very capable man.

Some of her supporters are comparing her to other politicians who they say couldn't do it either. They think Governor Palin should be cut some slack. That isn't going to happen.

Hugh Hewitt observed that liberals in the media are subjecting Governor Palin to "pop quizzes designed to embarrass" her. He asked the Governor what she thought about that and she said she welcomed the "quizzing" allowing that she is doing some learning as she goes. I was impressed with her answer. Here it is:

Well, I have a degree in journalism also, so it surprises me that so much has changed since I received my education in journalistic ethics all those years ago. But I’m not going to pick a fight with those who buy ink by the barrelful. I’m going to take those shots and those pop quizzes and just say that’s okay, those are good testing grounds. And they can continue on in that mode. That’s good. That makes somebody work even harder. It makes somebody be even clearer and more articulate in their positions. So really I don’t fight it. I invite it.

Tonight she has to find a way to appear knowledgeable about matters that she may not be completely knowledgeable about. She is new to this level of politics. She is not, however, new to politics.

During the Hewitt interview she was asked about her religion. Hewitt asked her if she thought the mainstream media understood her religious faith. She replied:

I think that there’s a lot of mocking of my personal faith, and my personal faith is very, very simple. I don’t belong to any church. I do have a strong belief in God, and I believe that I’m a heck of a lot better off putting my life in God’s hands, and saying hey, you know, guide me. What else do we have but guidance that we would seek from a Creator? That’s about as simple as it gets with my faith, and I think that there is a lot of mocking of that. And you know, so be it, though I do have respect for those who have differing views than I do on faith, on religion. I’m not going to mock them, and I would hope that they would kind of I guess give me the same courtesy through this of not mocking a person’s faith, but maybe perhaps even trying to understand a little bit of it.

I was a bit surprised to learn that she doesn't "belong to any church." I can see how this distances her from the public criticisms leveled at her about her pentecostal past. Simplistically, these critiques of pentecostalism resonate with some people in the public.

My view is that religion and life are wonderful, especially when they are fantastic. Hollywood shouldn't be the only institution capable of encouraging wonder. I prefer God's imagination to fiction and computer graphics.

I was raised in the United Methodist Church. I deepened my commitment to Jesus Christ in the pentecostal church. I respect those who find strength, peace and joy in that church, and I thank God for the maturity I have gained by pondering the theological reasoning of many pentecostal friends over the years. I am a member of our local Nazarene Church now.

Here's a possible response I thought about today to the above question:

Hugh, I welcome the critiques, parodies and misunderstandings of my religion. Some of it is hilarious. However, we should go beyond the mocking, parody and fun. Everyone knows that religion has a serious side. I receive comfort, guidance and strength from Jesus Christ. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide enjoy the same relationship. They occupy vocations of all types. In America we don't discriminate against Christianity, or any other religion. As Vice President I look forward to learning about, and respecting, everyone's legal spiritual beliefs and practices, even as I live out my own Christianity.

I'm praying for Governor Palin and her family. I'm also praying for Senator Biden and his family. I'll watch the debate tonight in hopes of finding reason to believe the United States of America is going to turn the corner and head in a more positive direction.

Shelved moralities

A Maine newspaper did a story this week on women and voting in the presidential election. The only organized political woman's voice in the State House is the Maine Women's Lobby. They claim to speak for all Maine women. They don't, of course.

They are, however, powerful. They installed their former leader in the Labor Department as Commissioner by hook and by crook. She was unqualified for the job. It was corrupt political payback, plain and simple. Laura Fortman is no more qualified to serve as Labor Commissioner than I am qualified to teach quantum physics. I fear they may have overly influenced the leadership of the Maine Republican Party as well.

The article includes comments by a GOP leader. While I appreciate the fact that he defended Sarah Palin in the news article he didn't tell half the story. He said, "The Palin factor has yet to play out fully in Maine." Fortunately he doesn't stop there. He continues, but stops short of telling the most important part of her story. He continues, "She's quite an outdoorswoman, her husband is a world champion snowmobiler ... I think she really connects with Mainers."

Having enjoyed my fair share of hour long interviews with reporters that end up featuring one sentence I will readily allow that he wasn't fully quoted. However, not mentioning Palin's pro family and pro life credentials is a fine-tuned strategy in the Maine GOP.

Driven less by the facts than by fear of our liberal media the Maine GOP has developed an allergy to conservative Christians. It's a hard thing to be allergic to your base. I hate the summer because my allergies kick up and I become hard to be around. Just ask my wife. My nose runs. My eyes water. I sneeze and have to blow my nose. I'm just not very pleasant.

This reminds me of the Maine GOP for the past few decades. They sniff along making excuses for their base, hoping we'll hide in a closet. They pretend we don't exist. And you know what, as a matter of showing up to lick stamps, put up signs, send money and do basic activism -- we don't exist anymore. Social liberals have effectively run the social conservatives out of the party.

The results of this failed political strategy on the part of Maine's GOP business-minded, low tax crusading leadership is obvious. The Maine GOP is fast becoming irrelevant. Perhaps someone needs to remind the leaders of the GOP that they have completely lost power in the State House, and the prospects for this election season are grim ... to say the least.

Collins and Snowe hold onto power using special interest money. They don't need the Maine GOP base to get reelected. All the special interest money at the state level is moving to the Democrats. We are fast becoming Massachusetts. Some Republicans have their hands out to the growing power in Maine -- gambling. I predict political defeat for any Republican who claims to be pro family while cozying up to the gambling lobby.

Probably the best hope is the Maine Heritage Policy Center. Their strategy is, however, weak because it is cold like money. That's because that is what they are about -- money, lowering taxes. That's good, but it isn't enough. The Maine GOP needs a heart. And the heart of the Republican message today is obviously upholding and defending traditional family values. Defending a common sense sexual ethic.

One GOP leader had the perfect opportunity while defending Palin to offer up a public apologetic along these lines. He didn't. Until we see leaders taking a principled and courageous stand on abortion and homosexuality the Maine GOP is, unfortunately, displaying its dedication to destruction.

Is there a Sarah Palin in Maine

I'm pictured here in front of the Ten Commandments that are posted at the front door of the Hermon Baptist Church. Paulie and I spent Saturday afternoon at their corn roast. Many men came up to me and thanked me for the League's stand. When Sarah Palin was mentioned there was clapping and VERY visible excitement.

Sarah Palin's nomination has me wondering if there is someone like her in Maine. There is no doubt that there are plenty of strong evangelical Christian moms here. They serve on PTAs, love sports and eat moose stew. Maybe there's a head selectwoman somewhere out there who could become our next Governor. Who knows.

It sure would be refreshing.

Sarah's pro family credentials are what has turned a morose Republican campaign into something vibrant and interesting. The lip stick sure looks good on this pit bull of a campaign!

Augusta is controlled by socially liberal special interests and money. What is needed is someone, a man or a woman, to come here as Governor who is truly socially conservative. If they are pro-family they will make the business-minded special interests happy. That is guaranteed.

This formula will do for Maine what Sarah Palin did for Alaska, and is likely to do when she goes to Washington D.C. According to all the accounts I'm reading from regular people in Alaska she went to Juno and cleaned house. That is what's needed in Augusta. She is loved by the people, and hated by the politicians.

I find that reformers like Sarah who go to the Legislature end up silenced within a year, for the most part. There are exceptions. But, that tends to be the rule. Maine isn't stuck in this ditch because there aren't conservatives in the legislature. We are stuck here because they are overwhelmed. They do what they can, but there aren't enough of them ... and the conservative public is disengaged.

Perhaps the energy price shock is going to shake this up. I pray this is the case.

More big government is not going to help. More welfare, largesse and Augusta solutions aren't going to make Maine strong.

We need a reformer like Sarah Palin!