Roots of a Movement

The Palin story continues to provide a window on the inner thinking of the Republicans and their evangelical base. Here is an excerpt from a National Review piece by Byron York that I found surprising:

“I was a 17 year-old girl, just like Sarah Palin’s daughter, and I had — I was in those shoes. And my son is with me, who will be 35 years old next week, and so I know what a difficult road there is for her.” It wasn’t a choice for me; it wasn’t in my heart to do that. So when I heard the news this morning, it struck close to home for me.” [Note: York is quoting Sue Sharkey, RNC Delegate from Colorado]

[snip]

Earlier in the day, just after I heard the news, I called Marlys Popma, the well-known Iowa evangelical leader who is now the head of evangelical outreach for the McCain campaign. Like Sue Sharkey from Colorado, Popma had a story to tell. It turns out she had had a child out of wedlock nearly 30 years ago, and it changed her life. “It was my crisis pregnancy that brought me into the movement,” Popma told me.

[snip]

“There hasn’t been one evangelical family that hasn’t gone through some sort of situation. Many of us are in this movement because of something that has happened in our lives.”

Questions abound: Have the Republicans found a way to transform unwed mothers into movement conservatives? Why do women who choose not to have an abortion feel so driven to deny others a choice in their lives? With two wars, a recession, and global climate change at stake, how does abortion continue to drive Republican politics?

Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin, John McCain, Unwed Mothers For McCain

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