Here’s what Governor Palin said about abortion in her interview with Charlie Gibson:
GIBSON: In the time I have left, I want to talk about some social issues.
PALIN: OK.
GIBSON: Roe v. Wade, do you think it should be reversed?
PALIN: I think it should and I think that states should be able to decide that issue… I am pro-life. I do respect other people’s opinion on this, also, and I think that a culture of life is best for America… What I want to do, when elected vice president, with John McCain, hopefully, be able to reach out and work with those who are on the other side of this issue, because I know that we can all agree on the need for and the desire for fewer abortions in America and greater support for adoption, for other alternatives that women can and should be empowered to embrace, to allow that culture of life. That’s my personal opinion on this, Charlie.
GIBSON: John McCain would allow abortion in cases of rape and incest. Do you believe in it only in the case where the life of the mother is in danger?
PALIN: That is my personal opinion.
GIBSON: Would you change and accept it in rape and incest?
PALIN: My personal opinion is that abortion allowed if the life of the mother is endangered. Please understand me on this. I do understand McCain’s position on this. I do understand others who are very passionate about this issue who have a differing.
GIBSON: Embryonic stem cell research, John McCain has been supportive of it.
PALIN: You know, when you’re running for office, your life is an open book and you do owe it to Americans to talk about your personal opinion, which may end up being different than what the policy in an administration would be. My personal opinion is we should not create human life, create an embryo and then destroy it for research, if there are other options out there… And thankfully, again, not only are there other options, but we’re getting closer and closer to finding a tremendous amount more of options, like, as I mentioned, the adult stem cell research.
Sarah Palin refers to her “personal opinion” five times in this brief segment. I think this rivals Joe Biden’s usage in his interview with Brokaw. She seems very anxious to drive home the point. It’s personal, not political. She also strongly hints that we should not expect her personal opinion to have any influence over the policies of a McCain administration.
TRANSLATION: “Don’t worry, pro-choicers, my personal opinions are no threat whatsoever to your cherished right to kill unborn children. Neither will my strictly personal opinions have any influence over the policies of John McCain. Please vote for John McCain despite my personal opinions, which don’t matter in this election, because they’re just personal.”
New Sherwood 
Just as McCain, Palin will not take a pro-life stand. She is personally-opposed, BUT
http://www.aipnews.com/talk/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=236&posts=15
America’s Independent Party is committed to true conservatism and restoring and preserving America. Please join us.
http://www.aipnews.com
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The real “proof in the pudding,” when it comes to action, will be to see what, if anything, a McCain administration does to undo or add to those anti-abortion measures that GWB has put into place, starting with the “Mexico City Policy.” I forget where, but I’ve seen a detailed listing of about 12-14 decent administrative decisions of the present regime on this subject. Let’s be realistic: given the cultural climate, as reflected in the makeup of Congress, there really is but so much a President can now do.
Let us not forget that McCain’s only real opponent in this race is a neo-communist of the lineage of Gramsci, Alinsky, and Ayers, who is 100% owned by the abortion lobby. Any vote taken from McCain in a swing-state only benefits the neo-communist cause.
Surely, as was widely recognized prior to Aug. 29th, McCain considered in himself was no defender of Christian civilization, which is of course why his campaign was forever foundering in terms of enthusiasm. His selection of Gov. Palin as his running-mate gave him the only chance he had of generating the enthusiasm from religious conservatives that he needed to have any chance of competing with the would-be antichrist helming the Donkey Party. So far, the move has paid off in that regard.
Those paying careful attention to the news, however, can discern through the avalanche of mudslinging against the Governor elements of truth and plausibility which points to an unfortunate conclusion: that, deep down, she is no more than a politician who is very skilled at using not just personal imagery but also issue-based imagery to sell herself. She appears to be no different than most all of her political confreres: whatever her personal convictions, she knows well enough not to dare translate them into implemented policy if she can’t get sufficient public support to cover her.
Yet, that said, she does stand apart from her counterpart in the Donkey Party, a nominal Catholic who actually does accept Roe v. Wade as settled law, which the Governor consistently has not.
But all that is academic. She’s not going to the Oval Office on Jan. 20th if her ticket wins. She might get there sooner or later by circumstance, but there’s no guarantee even of that. McCain will do some things to protect the unborn, which is a whole lot more than we can say of that “community organizer” from Chicago. And there’s no third party capable of winning even one electoral vote, let alone 270.
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I suppose she could say that her “personal opinions” might threaten that cherished right where they happen to coincide with John McCain’s opinions and hence with the probable policies pushed by the administration. In other words, the “personal opinion” phrase is being prompted by Gibson’s pressing on her differences with McCain, not by the abortion issue per se. But that itself is very disturbing. I already said, did I not, that Palin could be corrupted by running with McCain? Well, here it is. It’s happening already. Where she disagrees with McCain, _then_ suddenly her policy preferences, _policy_ preferences, what she thinks should be _allowed_, become a “personal opinion” that she discusses _only because_ as a candidate for office her “life is an open book”–as if she’d been asked about her preferences in hair coloring, her family situation, or something of that sort.
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Thanks for the head up on this, Jeff.
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“America’s Independent Party is committed to true conservatism and restoring and preserving America. Please join us.”
I’ll give it some thought. Thanks for the info.
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Somerset: I want to stop the neo-communist Obama with every fiber of my being. But not “by any means necessary”. McCain had the benefit of the doubt for a couple of weeks. The doubt is returning fast. And now, just to make things interesting, we have a new political party with a non-crackpot platform and a genuinely pro-life Catholic on the ticket. Is building up the AIP worth four-to-eight years of Obama, if that’s what it’s going to cost? It’s worth thinking about.
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“I already said, did I not, that Palin could be corrupted by running with McCain? Well, here it is. It’s happening already.”
Indeed it is, Lydia. Sad for her, and sad for the unborn who have only the “personal opinions” of spineless politicians on their side.
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“Thanks for the head up on this, Jeff.”
That’s what I’m here for, Zippy. :-)
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Jeff, I don’t think you’re being fair to Palin. Gibson’s question was intended to highlight differences between Palin and McCain. As I watched that exchange, I took her use of the phrase “personal opinion” to distinguish her beliefs from those of John McCain — not to say she would shrink from implementing her positions as public policy.
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