The Return of Sarah Palin, Sans the Emphasis on Culture and Morality

Published January 27, 2009 @ 02:15PM PT

Palin This was inevitable, right?

Former Republican VP-candidate and current Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has launched a political action committee (PAC), no doubt spurring rumors that she's looking forward to entering the 2012 race for the GOP Presidential nomination. The PAC, aptly named SarahPAC, has their own site. (Editorial note: Damn...we were hoping that when she made this inevitable step, Palin would have gone ahead and named the thing "Joe SixPAC.")

Incidentally, what's curiously missing from SarahPAC's Web site is a lot of the culture warrior rhetoric that she was so keen on during the election, especially when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage. Who remembers these wondrous statements from the hockey mom?

"I am, in my own, state, I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that that's where we would go because I don't support gay marriage." (CBN, October 2008)

"But I will tell Americans straight up that I don't support defining marriage as anything but between one man and one woman, and I think through nuances we can go round and round about what that actually means. But I'm being as straight up with Americans as I can in my non- support for anything but a traditional definition of marriage." (VP Debate, October 2008)

(And this one, courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign...)

"Sarah Palin not only supported the 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment banning marriage equality but, in her less than two years as Governor, even expressed the extreme position of supporting stripping away domestic partner benefits for state workers. When you can’t even support giving our community the rights to health insurance and pension benefits, it’s a frightening window into where she stands on equality."

Oddly enough, however, SarahPAC has no language about same-sex marriage, or any of the other cultural issues (choice, immigration) that have come to partly define the lip-sticked pitbull. Instead, SarahPAC highlights energy independence, economic security, reform of government, and health care. Are we sensing a repackaging of Gov. Palin for 2012?

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Comments (19)

Sarah Palin is a great American. Don't you bad-mouth her. She's the last best hope for this great nation.

Just kidding.

Posted by Clay Burell on 01/27/2009 @ 02:22PM PT
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I mean her her no harm. KNow that. I do not like hr, would not vote for her, but I do not hate her, and feel that many here only mean to inflict hurt and anguish on people like you. PEACE!!!!!

Posted by steve tabarez on 01/28/2009 @ 08:33AM PT
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Sarah Palin is much too conservative for ever to become President. Even as governor of Alaska, I see her position too extreme, thus wrong.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 01/27/2009 @ 03:30PM PT
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But those homosexuals are causing all the problems in America, dontchaknow?

Discrimination against LGBT today is the same as discimination against black people was in the past. Gender should not be a defining role in law or government, just the same as race should not be. They are people and citizens of America the same as I am.

Posted by Nicholas Strong on 01/27/2009 @ 04:17PM PT
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Why is disagreement viewed as hate?

Posted by Jay Critchlow on 01/27/2009 @ 06:10PM PT
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My bad, Jay. This is Ben from Change.org and I wrote the "hate" headline that appeared on the Change.org homepage. That was wrong of me, and I should have been more specific. I just changed this to "discrimination," in that Palin has historically been explicit about her discrimination between heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

Posted by Ben Rattray on 01/27/2009 @ 07:48PM PT
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I don't think disagreement is viewed as hate. What I do find curious is that as Governor and VP candidate, Palin was never shy about weighing in with her thoughts on same-sex marriage. Now, it appears she's testing the waters for a 2012 run, and she launches a PAC that doesn't mention anything about the "family values" she was so happy to talk about on the campaign trail? Seems like repackaging.

Posted by Michael Jones on 01/27/2009 @ 06:33PM PT
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Does anyone actually believe she is capable of running in 2012? I thought she was WAY out of bounds as a vice presidential candidate... Presidential candidate is pretty much unimaginable for me.

Posted by Luella - on 01/27/2009 @ 11:09PM PT
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Well, she got about 500,000 people on her FACEBOOK, that was reported yesterday.
Mrs. Palin has figured out every possible way to bilk ALASKA, now she is taking it nationwide.
A PAC is a slushfund, it´s legal money laundering. I see alot more designer clothes in trashbags for Mrs. Palin and the MANTAN for the first dud, Todd will flow like water.
I think Mrs. Palin handling all this new revenue is going to be a problem for her, no matter where she stands on actual issues.

Posted by Deo Deo on 01/28/2009 @ 01:59AM PT
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I agree with Luella. She is not Presidential material AT ALL. Everything she has pulled and is still pulling makes me ill. Just because she's not speaking about an issue doesn't mean she's changed (she just wants people to think she might have). I can't stand the woman she's a mess and has not one clue when it comes to public speaking let alone running for VP or Pres. in 2012. Please some one tell me this is a bad joke.

Posted by Andrea M on 01/28/2009 @ 02:03AM PT
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u see, i must i have to comment that sarah palin has to go back to her drawing board and do a lot of work before presenting herself to the american citizens,to annouce her readiness for presidency. i watch her through out the campaign,she is a likable person to watch, no doubt.but when it comes to a concrete view, she still has a lot of problem with that.she can buy the minds of americans,if she is ready.

Posted by edeh stephen on 01/28/2009 @ 04:01AM PT
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While I agree with most of Sarahs' stands, (She drastically cut government waste, forced oil companys to increase citizens payment for their oil, went after corrupt politicians) Her stand on gay marraige is not acceptable. The fact that her website is not outspoken against it is not evidence enough to assume any change in position. The rabid opinions voiced here about her however, suggest You people may have her confused with Tina Fey. Sorry folks, no book banning, no "I can see Alaska from My house!" no confusion over Africa the continent vs South Africa the country. She is not too conservative to be president, the problem with "conservative" presidents lately is they have not been conservative. I know plenty of conservatives who support the position of gay marraige and even more who want to end DADT.

Posted by Charlie Reed on 01/28/2009 @ 04:48AM PT
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what I think is that we are too caught up with what the GOP is doing, and not setting benchmarks, and timelines for congress, and our democratic president to begin acting on their "committments", and "support". It's easy to get energized about our percieved enemies, but much harder to hold our "friends" accountable for their action, or inaction, isn't it? Let's shift the focus!!!! It serves no purpose except to incite rhetoric, and vitriol.

Posted by steve tabarez on 01/28/2009 @ 08:31AM PT
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To Charlie Reed, Hi and...this is the second time I am writing , the first one just didnt make it out so forgive me for spelling etc, I am rushed here. ....
I think the rabid opinions RE Palin may be warranted.
You may want to re look into the book banning issue. Palin made a point to tell us that she never tried to ban the Harry Potter books- That was her response in the form of a red herring. No, she never looked into the Harry Potter books, she looked into PASTOR, I´M GAY. She looked into two books, BOTH about homosexuality. She is very good at the smokescreen. A pro.
As for confusing her with Tina Fey, I can only say that in most cases Fey used Sarah´s transcripts VERBATIM (as in the couric interview skits), but yes, for the Russia skit Fey added the word HOUSE. Sarah Palin did not say YOU CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM MY HOUSE. Palin said, and the campaign generally said, YOU CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM ALASKA THEREFORE I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Yes, Fey, added the word HOUSE to illustrate the sheer absurdity of the premise! I think Americans were GAULED by that statement.
After senior McCain staffers leaked the DUMB, DIVA, WHACKJOBS stuff (i.e. AFRICA) it was learned that the source that took credit for the leak was bogus, the stories stand. Staffers, ANONYMOUS, maintain she was a handful. Is it true, who knows if she didn´t know geography, but considering all the other faux pas ans gaffes she made, IT COULD BE TRUE. I can tell you a number of equally silly mistakes she made. THINKING man and dinosaur roamed the earth at the same time, thinking our forefathers wrote the national anthemn...the list goes on. I am sorry, Palin is just not the sharpest crayon in the box. I dont hate her for it and I am not afraid of her because of it, I DID FORM AN OPINION; THOUGH!
Another heads up, the christian conservative movement, of which Palin is a part of, believes homosexuality is something to be cured. The bible calls it an abomiation, and that is Palins view.´Some conservatives overlook it, look at Andrew Sullivan who was conservative for years and IS openly gayit doesn´t fly in the world of Sarah Palin or the church that was burned down. Of course, they were SAYING that GAY LIBERALS came into Alaska and burned it down because of Palins view on homosexuality. Utter nonsense.

Posted by Deo Deo on 01/28/2009 @ 09:06AM PT
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Deo Deo; rabid opinions of human beings are rarely warranted. I do think Sarah was thrust onto the national scene too quickly. There were gaffes made by all, and Hers were blown out of portion by press who had already picked the nations' president. Obviously Sarah is not ready for national politics. If they nominate her in 2012 it will be as a sacrificial lamb. No candidate will beat Obama in 2012 that has already been decided. I wish Sarah well and will always defend her to the irrational, but as a libertarian republican I would rather have a candidate is a staunch defender of natural rights. (gay rights and all others)

Posted by Charlie Reed on 01/28/2009 @ 02:07PM PT
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Obviously Sarah is not ready for national politics.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Ok, well, that is my only point here. As they INSIST she IS, I must insist she is not. It doesn´t hurt to keep up on it.

...you are right, RABID OPINIONS are not often warranted, we could all be more open minded. Thank you.

Posted by Deo Deo on 01/29/2009 @ 12:21AM PT
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Hopefully Palin won't run in 2012

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28947084/

Posted by Chris . on 02/04/2009 @ 03:02PM PT
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</embed>

Send Gov. Palin a note thanking her for her support of the DOP.

Posted by Ted Nunn on 02/20/2009 @ 01:46PM PT
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Ignore my previous post... I was trying to embed a gadget.
Peace,
Ted

Posted by Ted Nunn on 02/20/2009 @ 01:47PM PT
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Author

Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.