Sunday, Sep. 07, 2008

Palin plays well in S.C., political pundits say

Alaskan’s conservatism seen as a plus; news about daughter stirs empathy

Republicans need not fear that news of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s pregnant teenage daughter might hurt a John McCain-Palin presidential ticket.

Palin and McCain, instead, stand to benefit from what is typically a difficult time for many families, S.C. political experts say. Meanwhile, S.C. evangelical voters — a power with the state’s GOP — say their enthusiasm about the Republican ticket has grown because of Palin.

Palin, a first-term governor, was little known before GOP nominee McCain named her as his vice-presidential pick.

But, boosted by her rousing speech to the GOP convention Wednesday, Palin has succeeded in shoring up support for McCain among evangelicals, loyal Republican voters who had been lukewarm toward McCain.

Now, Palin and McCain have hit the campaign trail, finding energetic crowds, larger than the ones that McCain typically had attracted alone.

Also, post-convention polling shows the November presidential race tightening, with the McCain-Palin ticket closing the gap to virtually tie Democrat Barack Obama and his vice-presidential running mate, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, of Delaware.

McCain’s choice of Palin initially was widely panned. Pundits questioned, for example, whether Palin had the experience necessary to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

“My first impression was, ‘This is bad for the ticket because it takes away from the attention to the candidate and their message,’” said David Woodard, a Clemson University professor and Republican consultant.

Then, Woodard had a second thought: The nomination of Palin — who had a son with Down syndrome in April — raised the single greatest major cultural difference between Democrats and Republicans: abortion.

“That’s what’s driving the evangelicals,” Woodard said. “They want to be with her (on the issue). What turned out to be a disaster (of a pick) is rousing the GOP, and could boomerang and really help.”

Then, came the news of 17-year-old Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. Politically active S.C. evangelicals rallied to Palin again, praising her unwed daughter’s decision not to end her unplanned pregnancy.

For example, in an e-mail, Oran Smith of the conservative Palmetto Family Council urged members of that S.C. group to make posts on online news sites to “continue the conversation (about Palin) in a biblical direction” that highlights the pro-life choice.

Dianne Belsom of Laurens, a stay-at-home mom who is on the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee for the S.C. Baptist Convention, said McCain’s selection of Palin solidified her support of the Republican ticket.

McCain had been considering former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., as his running mate. Both support abortion rights.

“McCain, if he had picked someone who was not a strong conservative, who was not pro-life, I think his defeat (among evangelicals) would have been certain,” Belsom said.

A DOUBLE STANDARD?

Some Democrats see the embracing of Palin by Republican values voters as inconsistent.

They note the Republican Party opposes abortion in its platform.

“The more troubling issue for me is that Governor Palin said it was her daughter’s ‘choice’ to have this baby,” said Columbia attorney Dick Harpootlian, an Obama supporter.

“Under her position (to ban abortion), nobody else’s daughter would be afforded that choice because she opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and that makes her extreme, opposed to the rest of the country.”

But evangelicals, including Belsom of Laurens, see Bristol Palin’s pregnancy as a societal — not political — issue. Belsom says the pregnancy underscores how pervasive popular culture is in sending the wrong message about sex to teens.

“The media pushes kids so much in terms of sexual immorality. It’s tough for kids, even those in the church,” Belsom said. “Just because you have standards to live by doesn’t mean you’re perfect. That’s why we need the Lord Jesus Christ.”

A SERIOUS PROBLEM

Buried within the questions surrounding Palin and her family is the national problem of teenage pregnancy.

Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have dropped during the past 15 years, according to federal data.

But South Carolina’s teen birth rate remains among the highest in the nation. The state ranked 10th highest for birth rates for 15-to 19-year-olds in 2005, the latest year that records are available, with 51 births per 1,000 teens.

Local communities are working to aid expectant teens.

When 18-year-old Frances Balding attended Summerville’s Fort Dorchester High School, there was a day-care center for the children of students.

“It’s normal because there are a lot of teenagers these days who are getting pregnant,” said Balding, who has a 2-year-old son.

Balding thinks Bristol Palin’s pregnancy could shed light on the problem and help remove some of the stigma she said exists with teenage pregnancies, usually evidenced by families “putting their children away.”

Teen pregnancy, like abortion, has become a highly polarizing issue in the United States, said Forrest Alton, executive director of the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Pregnancy.

“As adults, we have made a critical error in addressing this issue,” Alton said. ‘We need to make sure we are closing the gap on what research shows us to be effective and what political decisions are being made.”

That means teaching abstinence as well as making contraceptives available, Alton said.

Staff writer Gina Smith contributed to this report. Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398.