THIS JUST GOT SERIOUS

In recent days the Sarah Palin experiment has shifted from amusing novelty to scarily possible. If recent opinion polls are anything to go by, rather than dismissing her as the inexperienced, anti-queer, anti-reproductive choice Bible basher she is, swinging American voters seem to have taken to idea of the Alaskan governor as the next US Vice-President.

Some conservative female commentators in particular are scornful that the ‘sisterhood’ (or their homogenous stereotype thereof) are not heralding Palin as an example of feminism in action. But over the years women who support the right to accessing safe, legal abortion and IVF technology have derided men who would deny them such hard-fought rights – so why wouldn’t they speak against a person, in this case another woman, who shares this agenda? Remember, in Palin’s world even rape victims who fell pregnant would be obliged to carry the baby to birth. Go sister?

The true extent of Palin’s extremism, however, must be found in her religious affiliations. For years she has prayed at the Wasilla Bible Church, an evangelical organisation claiming (in one of its bulletins) that folks ‘may be encouraged by the power of God's love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality’. Palin has remained silent on this and the broader ‘pray away the gay’ movement in the US, no doubt because it helps keep the Republican coffers overflowing as it historically always has.

Palin claims to have gay friends, yet as governor she had to be dragged kicking and screaming into vetoing a bill she had originally supported that blocked state benefits for gay partners of Alaskan public employees, and only then because it was deemed unconstitutional. Gay friends she may have, but supporting legal equality for same-sex partners she does not.

Of course, it can be argued that two key criticisms of Palin – lack of experience and strong connections to religious extremists – can equally be applied to Barack Obama. Personally, however, I think being senator for nearly four years representing a state of nearly 13 million people, still qualifies as more politically experienced than being the governor for 21 months of a state of under 700,000 people. And Obama has at least officially distanced himself from the fire and brimstone of Rev Jeremiah Wright; we’re still waiting for Palin to unequivocally state that she opposes prayer as a means of ‘curing’ homosexuality. We may well be waiting a long time.

Sadly, that Palin and John McCain are even in serious contention after eight years of corruption, warmongering and gross economic incompetence under one of the most unpopular presidents of all time, is partially attributable to Obama’s and the Democrats’ failure to present an alternative that Americans feel comfortable with.

But don’t be fooled: Vice-President Palin has a very dangerous ring to it.  

- Sam Butler: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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