Gov. Palin's Far Right Wing Reactionary unAmerican Views QUANTIFIED

[McCamy Taylor]

Gov. Palin has been offered by the McCain campaign as their counterpart to Sen. Barack Obama, someone young and new with whom American families can identify, because she had kids and a working spouse and all the trappings of ordinary American life. However, her political positions are far from ordinary. Just how reactionary is this woman? Let’s see how her opinions compare to those of the average American.

On health care, she does not even come close to the national norm, not even by Republican standards (people like Arnold and Mitt tackled health care reform). Though Palin said she would do something about health care when she become governor, as I showed in an previous journal, her administration accomplished nothing on that front---even though this is the number one priority with Americans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/washington/01cnd-poll.html

A majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American, especially children, and are willing to pay higher taxes to do it, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

snip

Nearly 8 in 10 said they thought it was more important to provide universal access to health insurance than to extend the tax cuts of recent years; 18 percent said the tax cuts were more important.

18%

In the issue of sex education in schools, she is way off in right field. Palin is an advocate of abstinence only sex ed in the schools, which has been proven to be a big waste of time and money. It is also extremely unpopular.

http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-3/sex.htm

Despite the rhetoric, actual support for SBSE is stronger than ever. In a recent poll, 93% of all Americans supported SBSE in high schools, and 84% supported SBSE in middle/junior high schools. Similarly, 89% of Americans believe that young people should receive information about contraception and prevention of STDs, and that SBSE should focus on how to avoid unintended pregnancies and STDs, including HIV infection and AIDS (Advocates for Youth, 1999). Another recent poll of American parents found that an overwhelming majority of them supported SBSE. In fact, their support exceeded 90% in 10 of the 15 topics identified; support for the other topics ranged from 76% to 88% (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2000).

I guess parents are more concerned that their kids not get pregnant and not catch VD than they are that they “set a good example”. That puts Palin in the minority group of 11% who believe that if you spend enough money telling kids not to eat that apple, they will not rush out and eat that apple.

11% That's worse than the health care number.

She is doing a little better on Creationism , probably because it does not really matter whether you chose to believe this or the Theory of Evolution. However, only 38% of people wanted to replace the teaching of evolution in schools with the teaching of creationism as Palin wants.

38% Wow! She is almost mainstream on this issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/national/31religion.html

Palin is way out of touch when it comes to Global Warming . According to this site

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1176967,00.html

A large majority of Americans — 85% — say global warming is probably happening, according to a new TIME magazine/ABC News/Stanford University poll. An even larger percentage (88%) think global warming threatens future generations. More than half (60%) say it threatens them a great deal; 38% feel that global warming is already a serious problem, and 47% feel that it will be in the future.

Just over half of Americans (52%) say weather patterns in the county where they live have grown more unstable in the last three years and half (50%) feel that average temperatures have risen in their county. A large majority (70%) think weather patterns globally have become more unstable in the last three years and 56% feel average temperatures around the world have risen.

Almost half (49%) say the issue of global warming is "extremely important" or "very important" to them personally, up from 31% in 1998. When asked about the causes of rise in the world’s temperatures, 31% feel it is caused by the things people do, 19% feel it is due mostly to natural causes, and 49% feel it is a combination of the two. Almost seven-in-ten (68%) Americans think the government should do more to address global warming, according to the poll; however, 64% think scientists disagree with one another about global warming.

Note that 80% of people think that humans contribute to global warming and over half of then believe that their own weather is being affected. These probably include people being devastated by the increased hurricane activity along the Gulf in recent years. Palin is seriously out of step with America on this issue, since only 20% agree with her that global warming is part of God's plan .

Palin’s views on abortion rights (which she is now trying to hide from the public) are also reactionary. She wants abortion to become illegal across the country, even in cases of rape and incest, which makes her position an extreme one.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/06/wtprw_repro.html

The above link describes various polls, all of which are worded somewhat differently. A typical poll shows over half of Americans approve of current abortion rights, less than half want to have abortion rights for cases of rape, incest and when physicians deem it is in the best interest of the mother and only 13 percent want it made illegal, as Palin does.

Regarding issues of separation of church and state, Palin’s pastor frequently advises his parishioners (through hints) how they should vote, under pain of eternal damnation. He claims that Bush is anointed by God, the War in Iraq is part of God’s plan. Palin had her church pray for her gas pipeline deal. Once again, Palin’s views are right wing in the extreme. Even among evangelicals, only 41% believe that pastors should tell their congregations how to vote. Among Americans in general, only 22% think that “churches should become involved in political campaigns”.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/sep_c_st5.htm


Regarding the Iraq War, which Palin’s minister says is part of God’s plan and which McCain-Palin assure us is winnable, only 35% of Americans favor the war according to a recent CNN poll.

http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm

I don’t know if Palin has a personal opinion about gays in the military, but the Republican Party platform which she so proudly embraced said “No!” That turns out to be another extremely intolerant unAmerican position. According to a recent poll, only 22% of Americans think that gays should be excluded from the military.

http://www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm

Since Palin is a big believer in the habit of lying to enhance her record---she has lied about visiting Iraq, she lied about being against the Bridge to Nowhere, she lied about being against earmarks---I thought it might be interesting to see if Americans believe that lying to advance your career is acceptable. Some Americans do think that an occasional lie is OK---“ to avoid hurting another person's feelings”. That was what 65% said. “52 percent said lying was never justified.”

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/195/story_19553_1.html

I could not find any numbers for how many think it is acceptable to lie out of naked ambition or greed. However, in 2005, by a margin of 50% to 44%, Americans wanted Bush impeached if he had lied about the case for going to war with Iraq.

http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-poll-1

I think that tells you what Americans think about lying politicians.

I could not find statistics for how many Americans favor the practice of censorship of books in public libraries. If anyone can locate such a poll, please post it. I have a feeling that is not a popular position in the U.S. where freedom of expression is prized above the freedom to not be offended.

[Telegram Sam]

1. I'm generally against banning books...

...although if they want to ban anything written by (M)Ann Coulter that would be alright by me.

I like to think that once voters catch on to just how extreme to the right Palin is, the love fest will end. She is indeed hiding her views on the aforementioned issues because she knows she's in the extreme minority. I call it cowardice when you don't have the willingness to stand up for your convictions.
The upcoming debates will be heavily watched - even the VP debate. I trust that Biden will be wise enough to bring her extreme positions out to the forefront. Then we'll see just how popular she really is.

[liberal_rxstudent]

3. You are correct...

there surely will be an enormous audience that will tune into the debates. I personally am looking forward. I watched the Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson, and can say it was laughable. Who does she think she is fooling? Speaking of Coulter, someone in the public library I visit put two Ann Coulter books in the juvenile fiction section (which were 'misplaced'), which I stumbled upon while searching for a book for my daughter. {{I just thought that was peculiar that you mentioned Ann Coulter...hehe...so I just had to respond}} :rofl:

[formercia]

2. The title says it all in one line.

She needs to be bracketed with it incessantly.

[Overseas]

4. K&R !! Thanks for the reminder of how few Americans support her hard-right views.

We often forget, with the push from Republican control of media corporations to support Republican candidates who try to gin up their greatly exaggerated culture wars.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

5. And we've been going after her for the WRONG reasons.

None of the mainstream "attacks" against Palin specifically target her right wing fringe positions. If there is one thing that will sink the McCain-Palin ticket, it's Palin's ideological views. Seriously, imagine what our country would be like if we could elect a veep whose views were as left wing as Palin's are right wing? (Marijuana legalization, totally socialized medicine including government-employed doctors, "cut and run" from Iraq, a Swedish-style welfare state, etc, etc,)

[skepticscott]

8. Absolutely right

The attacks against Palin on issues like abortion, book-banning, political cronyism and bullying, war-mongering and the environment only resonate with people who would almost certainly not have voted Republican in the first place. The people that the Republicans are using her to attract WANT their candidate to be someone who tries to ban books, execute abortion doctors, bomb Iran and generally trash liberals and liberal ideals.

There are very few positions of hers that could be turned against her with that rather ugly slice of America. Something like her taking huge amounts of taxpayer reimbursement for meals when she was staying at home is a start, but her (and her husband's) support for and former membership in the Alaskan Independence Party is the best chance, IMO. One thing even her supporters in Redneckistan would have a hard time swallowing is someone who hates the US enough to want to separate herself from it.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

12. I think you got my idea backwards...

I was trying to say that attacking Palin's far right positions on abortion, censorship and sex education WILL be an effective way to wreck her support among moderates. Attacking her character and general governorship of Alaska will not. Unfortunately we have chosen the latter path.

[McCamy Taylor]

13. We are fooled by the LOUDNESS of the religious right into thinking they are mainstream.

They are not. They represent a very small, very reactionary group of people who annoy the hell out of mainstream, middle America. Case in point, my mom thought Palin sounded like an ok reformer until she heard about her evangelical church. People do not want someone in power in Washington making "The Handmaid's Tale" come true. They have seen these people try to take over their local school boards and city councils and their offices and work places and they know what will happen if they take over the White House.

Abstinence only sex ed IS NOT popular. Comprehensive sex ed IS popular. Outlawing abortion IS NOT popular. Most people want abortion rights (at least for themselves). Health care that people buy for themselves or get only from their employers IS NOT popular. Universal health insurance like in Canada IS popular. The right wing tries to make these topics taboo, they tell people , "If you do not feel the way we do, there is something wrong with you, you are a commie atheist, so shut up and listen to our ministers!" that is why we need to allow people to discuss them----

One good way to start is by getting the people who do daytime talk shows like Oprah and the View to have public opinion experts come on and discuss what real people want in terms of sex ed and abortion rights and environmental care and then discuss where the candidates stand. Do not allow the right wing to claim that they represent "American values" when they represent reactionary 19th century American values.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

16. More like 17th century values! Or even 12th century?

Seriously, this whole concept of believing that everything in society should be done according to the Bible, isn't that what the whole Enlightenment movement of the 18th century was fighting against? And of course the scientists who were persecuted by the church a couple centuries before that, like Galileo?

The fundamentalists want to take us back to the pre-Renaissance mentality, one of blind obedience and unchecked social hierarchy, one without reason or scientific inquiry.

[grantcart]

6. excellent post

I am surprised that many of the non political people I talk to seem to be most upset with the book banning.

[skepticscott]

7. Unfortunately

the numbers that really matter are how her views compare to those of the undecideds and conservative Republicans who were toying with the idea of voting for Obama or not voting at all because they couldn't get fired up about John McCain or thought he just wasn't enough of a hard-line conservative and liberal-basher. It's that narrow slice of the electorate that the McCain/Palin ticket needs to sway in order to win. It frankly doesn't matter much to the outcome of the election if her views and positions are significantly different from most if not all of the people who would never have voted for John McCain in the first place (though it will certainly matter to the country as a whole if the Republicans win).

Just for example, the 13% of the population that wants abortion to be completely illegal would never have voted Democratic anyway, though they were somewhat suspicious of McCain's resolution on that issue, but the presence of Palin on the ticket has made at least some of those people into stronger supporters and more likely McCain voters without costing the ticket any significant support at the other end of the spectrum. A similar argument applies to the slice of the populace that thinks that banning some books from public libraries is appropriate (I don't have numbers, but I suspect that figure is higher than 13%, given the number of fundies in this country, and the fact that favoring book banning is not something people will own up to as readily as favoring a strict restriction on abortion).

On top of that, she's been a clever liar and flip-flopper on issue like global warming, where she now says that she and John McCain agree that "we gotta do something about it". But again, the people who are desperate to see Obama lose don't really care if the Republicans have to lie through their teeth every day to make that happen.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. Dems must not allow her to move to the center. She has staked out a far right position

There is plenty of footage from Alaska. The Dems need to make videos of her saying outrageous reactionary things that will scare the shit out of the mainstream independent voters who base their votes on who is the most like me which is just another way of saying who cares about me enough to get me a job and health care and help me pay off my mortgage .

When they realize that she is Cotton Mather in lipstick and a skirt, they will run from her. Which will make them worry about McCain's senility and age.

Right now, the RNC is doing everything it can to reform her into a moderate. The Dems must not allow this to happen. They used her to shore up the base. They do not get to use her to court the middle of the road, too.

[skepticscott]

15. I agree

The best commercials the Democrats can broadcast are those in which they present Palin or McCain staking out one position and then staking out exactly the opposite position, and when they can do it using their own voices, it's even more effective. The Republicans are doing everything they can to blur her image so that both positions on things like global warming are out there They know that when people on the far right or in the middle have decided that they want to like her, they will seek out anything to help them validate that position and close their eyes and ears to anything contrary.

[cui bono]

9. On the lying issue...

I would bet that if Americans were asked if it were okay for someone running for office to lie to the American people in order to get elected the numbers would change significantly towards "absolutely not".

I'm sure most would feel it's quite different than padding your resume for a "regular" job where you can make up for it once you learn what you need to learn. But a public servant answers to more than just one boss and this particular job, heartbeat away from the presidency has far more responsibility and would have far worse consequences if an unqualified person were to have to step in. Also, the public "hires" you for this job on what you say you will do when hired. The job duties are not predefined since the choices made depend on your positions on issues. If you lie about that and then proceed to do the opposite of what you said you'd do, well, that's a whole lot different than lying to get a job where the duties and tasks are defined for you.

[skepticscott]

10. Well, yeah, they might SAY that...

but people just keep right on voting for politicians who lie. In one sense, I suppose, it's inevitable...if you refused to vote for anyone who ever told even the smallest lie or distorted their opponent's position, you'd never vote. So I think some people just tell themselves that all politicians are liars to some extent, and basically factor that out of the equation. Or they just rationalize to themselves that what the candidate they favor will do once they get into office is more important than what they have to do to get there.

Of course, the problem on the voter's side is that they really don't want to hear the truth when it's bad news. Too many people would rather be told that everything is just fine and that they have no need to worry, no need to sacrifice, no need to change what they've always done. A politician who told the cold, unvarnished truth about everything would never get elected in this country (or on this planet, for that matter).

[SemperEadem]

11. what a laugh

Palin is an advocate of abstinence only sex ed in the schools, which has been proven to be a big waste of time and money. It is also extremely unpopular.

yeah, we can see just how well that worked for her family.