Conservatives love Palin because she has a Downs baby and an M-16.
That about sums it up. Sort of.
Little known fact: Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt. She has been known to throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.
Sword salute to Hot Air.
Mary Victrix
Mary Victrix 
I still don’t know all that much about Sarah Palin other than what’s been floating around, but with what I have seen I like her. With Obama & Biden on the other ticket, it’s a no-brainer anyway.
Besides, I saw a picture of Palin on a Harley.
Biden rides a bicycle. Wearing a helmet. The dweeb.
No. Brainer.
Not to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm over Palin… but I observe that the working mom has slowly become the icon of the “so called ‘Conservative Catholic’”.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m happy that McCain picked someone pro life (though I think I will still “write in” for Ron Paul). However, I think that the “wascally wepubwican ” neocons are slowly moving the goal posts to the left each and every news cycle.
I guess it’s just in my nature to be pining for “roll-back” and not mere “containment”. It seems to me that over the years, due to the ever dangling ‘pro-life’ carrot… many orthodox Catholics have slowly morphed into what we now call ‘conservative Catholics’. In this sense, ‘conservatism’ has replaced ‘orthodoxy’.
The Palin choice baptizes the working mom for many good pro-life Catholic mothers that I know in my immediate circle of friends. And so… this will help to slowly validate sending their children off the local public school (the economics of most Catholic schools are modeled upon ignoring Humanae Vitae, at least here on Long Island).
So while this may seem like news to be elated over… I don’t really think it’s such a great thing.
I think that ‘conservative Catholics’ need to begin studying just what it IS that they wish to CONSERVE? The abortion issue is an EFFECT of something… not the root cause of something. The root cause is how we look at man and woman and marriage and family through the light of all eternity. We will not win this battle of culture wars until we are willing to rebuild the culture… and we are not going to do that with the working mom.
This may well help McCain win the election. It will not help us win the so called ‘culture wars’.
PASCENDI,
Jokes aside, I agree with you. I’ve been a pretty staunch republican over the years. I guess I’m pretty slow on the uptake because it hasn’t been until fairly recently that I’ve come to the conclusion that both parties have the same basic goals and operate under the same principle – to gain or hold power no matter what. In principle there seems to be some differences between the two parties, but in practice we have a one party system. Not much ever changes no matter who gets elected. Also, I have no illusions that McCain is committed to the pro-life cause. The fact that he was even considering pro-aborts for VP proves that he isn’t, and the fact that he chose a pro-lifer only demonstrates that he merely considers a pro-life running mate more advantageous than a death-eater.
But I sometimes struggle with deciding if it’s better to vote on principle, or to vote in order to hold back, for as long as possible, the seemingly inevitable crunch. I’m also quite inclined to write-in Paul as a protest vote on principle, but, practically speaking, it’s a wasted vote. It isn’t going to get Paul elected, nor is it going to affect the direction of either party. The real effect is that if enough people write in Paul, it may help to get Obama elected. McCain might be a sappy populist, but Obama is scary nuts. I’m not sure if I’m willing to allow my grey-area principle to empower a militant anti-Christian.
As far as Palin is concerned, she isn’t a candidate that will restore Catholic culture, but, so far, she does seem to be a step in the right direction. From what little research I have done on her it appears that she is staunchly pro-life, even opposing the popular ESCR, for example. There are many good things about her, and many things that invoke reservations as well. (There are also some things about Ron Paul that invoke reservations as well, by the way.) But to me overall, as it stands now, she’s the best candidate of all of them. I wish she were at the front of the ticket. (Perhaps McCain will fall off the inaugural podium or something. 🙂 What we need is someone that will not be greatly influenced by the entrenched party power system and who will act on principle. Is Palin such a person? I have no idea. I’d like to hope that she is though.
Like I said though, I struggle with these questions. I’m not yet sure how I’m going to vote, other than being certain that I won’t vote for Obama.
This is just a thought. I don’t mean to be cantankerous.
I don’t think a working mom qua working mom offers an answer either, and I have thought about the impact that this candidacy could have on Palin’s family; however, it seems that Palin entered public life without having ever planned to do so, and has spent time and energy trying to do what is right because the good ol’ boys would not.
I am as cynical about politicians as any one else, but the woman, though not Catholic, is pro-life without admitting exception, pro abstinence, and pro marriage. She has never backed down on these points, even for political purposes.
Take a look around. Conservatives have never been as excited over a candidate since Regan, and this in spite of the fact that she is more pro-life than Regan was. I don’t think this is taking the party to the left at all, even if McCain is at the top of the ticket.
I wish we had a Catholic candidate who was under none of the illusions of either “neo- conservativism”or “traditionalism,” but until then what are we to do? I for one–and I do not intend to imply that one is in any way compelled to agree with me–am not going to throw the Supreme Court to the pro-aborts for the next 20 years.
LOL re: McCain falling off of the platform! Gosh.. I don’t klike the guy… but I hope THAT doesn’t happen!
Well.. all good points, Steve & Fr. The problem for me is it’s not just SCOTUS… but lower court appointments as well. THAT is the only thing which gives me reservations about voting for Paul.
I DO think punishing the Repubican party has a value though. I believe in corporal punishment for political parties!
I must agree that her (Palin’s) motivation for entering politics is a bright spot.
Also, if Obama wins… he will be in for 8 years because of the media “love fest” which will never end. So it would be at least 8 years of Marxist, leftist, “I hate America” pro aborts running things.
But I have my 9 year old son Greg telling me that if I vote for Ron Paul… I will be “doing the right thing for the right reason”. He is being a smart alek (chop busting) of course… he knows he is quoting Fr. Angelo.
This will also be my eldest’s first year voting.
The whole family is watching this one even more closely than the first GW term.
I expect we will be spending extra time on our knees at my house.
Ave Maria
Well, Palin WILL be sacrificing her family life. A male P or VP also sacrifices his family, I feel certain. But, we’re used to the maternal nurturing mother who holds down the fort at home and keeps the household functioning while the father is out earning the b&b. In this case, the husband will have to be a stay-at-home Dad and, by nature, they’re not as nurturing than mothers. I see them in homeschooling groups where the mothers are out working and the dads are home with the kids. They seem to play a lot more which is nice but there’s definitely a different atmosphere set. So, in the case of Palin, when some national issue hits the fan, she WILL have to put her family’s needs in second place for 4 to 8 years. I, for one, don’t think I could make that sacrifice. I child goes from elementary to graduating highschool in those years … time will not stand still for her. The kids will grow up without her there for some of it … maybe for much of it. That’s tragic even though she certainly seems to be a breath of fresh air for most of us from a political standpoint.
I do waffle between voting for McCain or penciling in, say, Ron Paul. I keep thinking how Blessed Mother Teresa says we are not to strive to be successful but to be faithful. So, what’s more faithful? Voting for McCain or voting for Ron Paul? Yes, we know voting for Ron Paul will not be *successful* but sometimes God brings about His will or draws the nation to a deeper faith when we finally hit rock bottom … like having O’Bama in office.
Yet, we all know that if McCain gets in office, he will be voting for hopefully conservative supreme court justices, as Father mentioned, and with Palin by his side, will hopefully veto some anti-life legislation.
No matter how we vote, we vote for some level of evil. This is heartwrenching for Christians.
sometimes God brings about His will or draws the nation to a deeper faith when we finally hit rock bottom … like having Obama in office.
But, in His justice, He sometimes also allows us to be successful in our depravity. Obama could be elected just in time for our economy to take off. He could undo 30 years of pro-life work in a day and at the same time be hailed as a hero for bringing us into prosperity. (And the way that the economy is moving, the timing would be just about right.) I, for one, would rather work at turning things around than to be responsible for helping our society to hit the “rock bottom” that Obama might bring. Somehow, it doesn’t seem that the Clinton administration inspired deeper faith in Americans, for example. Administrations could set even lower standards than Clinton’s, but I really don’t want my family to experience that first hand.
make that:
and I really don’t want my family to experience that first hand.
For what it is worth when Palin became mayor of Wasila one of the first things she did was to ask the librarian how she could get rid of some books with bad language in it. I don’t know any more details than that, but I assume that she was concerned about what was inappropriate for children. Seems to me she is more mom than politician.
I don’t think you would hear from her anything devaluating stay at home moms.
I also read that she has a crib in the govenor’s office and discreetly breast feeds her youngest during meetings. No daycare.
Well, that’s good news! (Palin taking the child with her and not doing daycare.) I did watch the convention last night and was impressed with her. My husband says she’s a former Catholic but now Evangelical. People can say what they want, but these Evangelicals do seem to *put their money where their mouths are* more than most Catholics we know. I’m hoping the tides will begin to change for Catholics … I’m hoping that a new generation of orthodox Catholics will begin to climb these ladders, if you will, and change the business and political cultures. I suppose it will mean that they will have to be willing to sacrifice family life as they take on these more *powerful* roles …. so, if the culture becomes accepting of the baby tagging along while the parent goes to work, then maybe it can all work out. But, I know for me personally, I could attend meetings and functions (albeit, these were town things cuz I had left my job) with a baby literally at the breast, but I could not bring along a toddler or preschooler! They are very disruptive so she will then need to rely on others to help out. Maybe the Oval Office will get a playpen and a nanny to follow her around.
I’m assuming her family would move to DC and her husband would not be able to continue his current profession. This can be tough, too, although he surely must be on board with this. It’s not a traditional way of life which makes it hard for some of us to invision.
I hope, were she to get to the Oval Office, that she remains more ‘mom’ than politician. I don’t foresee how that’s possible but I’d love to be pleasantly surprised! We will all have to pray that this becomes the case. Maybe it will change many tides in our Country … a politician who doesn’t compromise her values and who can remain an involved, connected parent. (And clean up the libraries, movie industry and internet while she’s at it!!)
I just watched her speech. She did quite well. You might even say she WOW’ed them.
Though I have never been enthusiastic about McCain… I will evidently have to abandon my plans of writing in for Ron Paul.
BTW, I LOVED Huckabee’s speech. I would have voted for Huck easily.
What I would REALLY love to see is a young and energetic Ron Paul. Someone who actually believes in the US Constitution and the principle of subsidiarity. Pro Life… of course! That would be as close to a Catholic candidate as ever.
Why is it that pro-life conservatives seem to ignore the Church’s social teachings?
I wonder if folks realize that there is a connection between the contraceptive mentality and gigantic government? Who can raise a large family on a single income when the Federal, State and local governments are forever picking your pockets?
Ave Maria!
Last night on CNN, Paul Begala referred to one of the candidates as “Change Incarnate.”
Three guesses as to whom he was referring to.
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