Exposing Planned Parenthood

June 1, 2012 By 73 Comments

Have you ever seen anyone actually happy about possibly killing an infant pre-born girl, even after admitting, “everything’s already pretty much developed?”

Watch this video of a woman who goes into a Planned Parenthood in Austin, Texas and tells them that she only wants to terminate the pregnancy if she’s carrying a girl.

Does Planned Parenthood condemn this or condone this “gendercide?”

 

 

Lila Rose and her Live Action team are fearless in taking on Planned Parenthood, so learn more about them here.  After Roe v. Wade is finally overturned, they’ll be remembered as heroes in the fight for life.

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Camping The Other Night

May 31, 2012 By 22 Comments

…with my love!

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The Promo for “Life’s a Tripp” – My New Show on Lifetime!

May 29, 2012 By 120 Comments

A scene from "Life's a Tripp!"

I’m so excited about my new show on Lifetime!  Here’s the 60 second promo, for those of you who haven’t had a chance to see the commercial yet.

Who’s going to tune in?

 


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Today at the Park

May 28, 2012 By 30 Comments

Spending the day at the park with Tripp and our friends!

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For the “Welcome Homes” that Never Happened

May 28, 2012 By 23 Comments

Many of you don’t know that my brother is in his second tour of duty in a combat zone. Maybe that’s why this video, of Sgt. Jeremy Cooney arriving home from Afghanistan, touched me so much. His son, who has cerebral palsy, learned to walk during his deployment as a surprise for his dad.  As you watch the video of Sgt. Cooney seeing his son walk for the first time, let’s also remember the men who never got to be welcomed home.

Thank you, military families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.  You are in our hearts today.

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So How Many Babies with Down Syndrome Are Actually Aborted?

May 25, 2012 By 86 Comments

Many of you read, commented, and shared the post I did about “The 8%,” referring to the percentage of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome who aren’t aborted.  I wrote:

In the United States, would you believe ninety-two percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted before they get a chance to take a breath? When I hear this statistic, it makes me want to burst into tears.  I can’t imagine a world without Trig — he is the best brother!  (Okay, you’re not too bad either, Track!)

It’s crazy how in love with Trig we all are. When Tripp is acting up — which he does often! — I sometimes joke with my mom.

“Hey, want to trade kids?” I laugh.

Willow and I always talk about how lovable Trig is, and how we’d take him over any so-called “normal” kid anyday! He’s way cooler than people with fewer chromosomes. I’d have a Down syndrome baby in a heartbeat, and I know anyone else would if they saw any sort of glimpse of how perfect my little brother is.

Thank you for sharing your stories in the comments section and for sharing that post with your friends. However, my website administrator got an e-mail from another on the SixSeeds Faith and Family Channel, author Amy Julia Becker – the mother of a daughter with Down syndrome.  I’m sorry to say I think I unknowingly passed on incorrect information.  She told me that the 8% number is not exactly accurate.  She writes:

I just read Bristol’s post about babies who are born with DS being one of the 8%. I love the poem she includes, and I think her point is an important one. Still, I’ve learned recently that it’s an inaccurate number. It’s widely cited by many people, but it’s based on a single study from a single hospital in the 1980′s. Overall, it seems that about 70% of babies prenatally diagnosed with DS are aborted, and that the abortion rates vary greatly from region to region across the US. Moreover, lots of women don’t seek prenatal diagnosis, whether out of ignorance or because they don’t want to risk an amnio or because they don’t think the information is necessary. So out of all babies conceived with DS, 50% are actually born. Still a terrible reality that 50% are aborted, but a much better situation than the 8% number implies.

I think it’s important to get the accurate numbers out there so that women who are facing decisions about prenatal testing and abortion recognize that they are not alone if they decide to forgo the testing and/or keep the baby with DS. There are thousands of other women making the same decision who want to support them and love their babies.

Thanks, Amy, for the correction. Yes, moms who are facing this challenge, know you’re not alone!

And some of you might enjoy Amy’s book called, “A Good and Perfect Gift:”

A GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT: Faith, Expectations and a Little Girl Named Penny (Bethany House) is a spiritual memoir that chronicles Amy Julia Becker’s journey through her daughter Penny’s first years of life. Top of her class at Princeton, Amy Julia Becker always imagined that her children would turn out just like her. So when her daughter Penny entered the world with Down syndrome, Becker had to rethink everything.

In fact, another Patheos blog is giving away this book.  Click here for Anna Quinn’s complete review and details on how to win your own copy!

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Occupy Lovitz

May 24, 2012 By 87 Comments

I frequently get comments below my blog posts which go something like this:

Why do we care what you think?  Aren’t you just some girl in Alaska?

(Okay, so usually there’s more profanity in the comments I receive!)

In other words, people question my ability to have a political opinion simply because I’m not some pundit living in Washington, DC.  And they’re right – I am just a girl. I don’t eat, breathe, and live politics like some.  I’m actually glad my life doesn’t revolve around political debates and the latest on CSPAN.

However, I am seeing a trend.  I’m beginning to see normal, every day people speaking out against what’s happening in Washington.  You know, people who aren’t supposed to have opinions.  People like me.  People like Jon Lovitz. Have you heard this famous Saturday Night Live alum talk about the President?  It’s a powerful statement against President Obama, and this is coming from a man who actually voted for Obama in 2008.

(Warning: Language!  He uses more F words than you might hear in a year, but it’s nothing new for those of you who have been reading my comment threads lately!)

 


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Bullying in the Name of Tolerance: the Nikki Haley Edition

May 23, 2012 By 71 Comments

Lately I’ve been talking about how so many in the Left hate in the name of love and bully in the name of tolerance.  I’ve talked about how the President’s million-dollar donor treats women worse than any conservative I’ve ever known.  Each time I raise these issues, I’m told that those actions don’t represent the mainstream; that they’re the actions of a fringe few than no one need worry about.  But what about the video below?  It shows the president of the South Carolina AFL-CIO bashing in a piñata featuring South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s face.  Is this person “fringe”?  And listen to the audience cheer her on.

When is the Left going to wake up and realize that it has a problem with hate, bigotry and prejudice?  How far will this have to go?  Until they do something about the Bill Mahers, Donna DeWitts and other haters in their midst, I don’t want to hear one more word from them about “civility” or about “compassion” or about “tolerance.”

Watch the video and learn something about liberal hate:

 

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Mother Confesses: I Killed Two of My Children

May 23, 2012 By 34 Comments

Rarely do you read something that feels like a punch in the stomach. But today, I read a blog that was so powerful, I just had to share.  It begins:

… The bumper sticker read, “Having an abortion does not make you un-pregnant, it makes you the mother of a dead baby”. The word “mother” struck me because “mother” is such a powerful word. It conjures many meanings, and when a woman becomes one she is fundamentally changed. “Mother” as a verb means to nurture, care for and protect. “Mother” as a noun means a female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child; or a female person whose egg unites with sperm, resulting in the conception of a child.

By this definition if you’ve ever been pregnant you are a Mother. Even if you’ve had an abortion you are still a Mother… a grieving Mother.

“A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” Matthew 2:18

There is no consolation to be had for the mother that loses a child. She will grieve in her heart for the rest of her life. Abortion; however, not only robs a child of it’s life and a mother of it’s child, it also robs the mother of her grieving. She is not allowed to grieve because she cannot publicly claim the title Mother.

Then, she gets personal.  Really personal.  She shares a secret that she’s been holding inside her for fifteen years.  Head over to her blog to read her story and maybe leave a note of encouragement.  I just wish I could hug this woman for having the courage to really speak out against the evils of abortion.

Read “Fifteen Years Later and Silent No More” and share it with a friend. Her message needs to reach as many people as possible.

 

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I’m No Victim

May 22, 2012 By 142 Comments

I’m puzzled at the lack of reading comprehension by internet pundits.  There are a few stories popping up – in The Advocate and one or two on HuffPo on a recent Google alert — claiming I’m playing “the victim card” over here on my blog. However, anyone who actually read my post would know that I simply made two claims:

1.  Those who claim to be loving and tolerant certainly are hateful and bullying.

2.  But despite their efforts at name-calling and even their threats, I won’t be deterred from speaking out.

Here’s what I said:

“Here’s a news flash, guys.  Your hate and bullying don’t work.  People see through it, and they don’t like to be pushed around.  You think it’s completely obvious that you’re right, but this younger generation is more pro-life than their parents, and voters just keep defending traditional marriage.  Why?  Why would we if you’ve been telling us what to think for all these years?

Because we think for ourselves.  And we’ll keep thinking for ourselves no matter what you call us.  So keep sending the hate, but realize that hate doesn’t win arguments.”

So, this is what professional pundits are calling “playing the victim?”

To paraphrase The Princess Bride: that word does not mean what you think it means.

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Stand with the 8% – Down Syndrome Babies Who Weren’t Aborted

May 15, 2012 By 150 Comments

In the United States, would you believe ninety-two percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted before they get a chance to take a breath? When I hear this statistic, it makes me want to burst into tears.  I can’t imagine a world without Trig — he is the best brother!  (Okay, you’re not too bad either, Track!)

It’s crazy how in love with Trig we all are. When Tripp is acting up — which he does often! — I sometimes joke with my mom.

“Hey, want to trade kids?” I laugh.

Willow and I always talk about how lovable Trig is, and how we’d take him over any so-called “normal” kid anyday! He’s way cooler than people with fewer chromosomes. I’d have a Down syndrome baby in a heartbeat, and I know anyone else would if they saw any sort of glimpse of how perfect my little brother is.

I saw this photo on Facebook, which takes the silly “I am the 99%” slogan of the Occupy Wall Street guys and turns it on its head.  I’m not sure if you can read the small print from the photo, but it reads:

I have Down Syndrome, and my parents didn’t abort me.

I am one of the 8%.
I may never be the captain of a high school team.
I may never win a national spelling bee.
I might not go to an Ivy League college.
It might take me a little longer to learn sometimes.
I might not ever be the tallest, fastest, or smartest.

BUT…

I will show you how to love unconditionally.
I will show you how to be joyful no matter what.
I will not have your handicaps of malice, hatred, prejudice, discontentment, and arrogance.
My parents and family love me exactly how I am.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made!
Pretty powerful, huh?

It goes on:

In America, the abortion rate for a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome is 92%.  In a society that’s so obsessed with perfect children, competition, better performance, and plastic surgery, Down syndrome is a death sentence.  We are guilty of genocide, creating the master race by killing 9 out of every 10 babies with a genetic anomaly.

Did you hear that, Occupy Wall Street guys? That’s something really worth protesting.

Please share this post on your personal Facebook pages, because together we can raise awareness about this national tragedy!

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Hate in the Name of Love, Bullying in the Name of Tolerance

May 14, 2012 By 705 Comments

Well, I stirred up a hornet’s nest.  You know you’ve struck a nerve when even J-Woww tweets insults at you.  But the thing that most amazes me is how few people actually addressed the points I made in my recent blog post.  They were pretty simple.  Conservative women like my mom get grief because people think they can’t make decisions without their husband, but Barack Obama gets applauded for changing his mind on a huge issue after consulting his wife and young daughters. The double standard amazes me.

Oh, and in that post I also said generally kids do better with mother/father families – the kind of family I’d like to have for Tripp one day.

That’s it.  That’s pretty much the post.  (Yes, I made a little joke about Swiper the Fox, but anyone with a brain would know that wasn’t serious.)  You see arguments like that all the time in political magazines.  It’s not a big deal, and the people who make arguments like that don’t stir up much controversy.

But I’m not a pundit.  I’m just a mom made famous in one of the most intense and embarrassing ways possible – by having your teen pregnancy announced in the middle of a presidential campaign.  Oh, and I was a finalist on Dancing with the Stars, one of the most-watched shows on TV.  But all that means I’m more a part of pop culture, the culture that creates the television we watch and the music we listen to.  When real pundits write blog posts, they don’t pop up in Us Weekly… but mine do.

And I’m glad.  Why?  Because pop culture needs a little bit of debate.  It needs a little bit of disagreement.  Because not everyone who watches their shows or listens to their music thinks the way the directors, producers, and actors think.  When you’re in Hollywood you’ll meet some great people, some terrible people, and many somewhere in between.  In other words, they’re people just like everyone else.  But what you won’t find is any disagreement about things like gay marriage or abortion.  For those folks, there’s one way to think, and anyone who disagrees is stupid, hypocritical, hateful, or bigoted.  (Of course, I’m not the only one facing the wrath of the Hollywood-type sheeple – there are some celebrities bold enough to speak out, and they get attacked and ostracized too.)

If you read the almost 3,000 comments after my controversial post, or read the entertainment magazines, you’ll see some of the most terrible words against me, my mom, and my entire family.

You’ll see hate in the name of love. People claim they’re just trying to protect the right of two people to love each other – a right I don’t contest, by the way – and then spew the worst words imaginable at someone they disagree with.  If the agenda is love, why do you hate so intensely?

You’ll see bullying in the name of tolerance. Bullying is in the news lately, for good reason.  It’s horrifying to see stories of young people taking their own lives because they can’t see past the hate of others.  Around Hollywood, there’s lots of concern and great initiatives to try to encourage more kindness in this world.  Then why do I get so many messages telling me I should die?  Here’s a sampling that we didn’t put up on the blog:

 

And if you read the comments we let through, the only word that really sums them up is “bullying.”  They treat me as if I’m not human, as if they are somehow proving how great they are by (always anonymously, the cowards) tearing me apart with their words.

Here’s the thing.  In the articles and comments, I saw a lot of hate and a lot of bullying, but you know what I didn’t see much of?  Arguments.  In fact, this reminds me a little bit of the incident in an L.A. bar that went viral several months ago and will be shown in its entirety in my upcoming new reality tv show.  There, a guy started yelling at me and called my mom terrible names, but couldn’t tell me one decent reason why he was filled with so much hate.

Here’s a news flash, guys.  Your hate and bullying don’t work.  People see through it, and they don’t like to be pushed around.  You think it’s completely obvious that you’re right, but this younger generation is more pro-life than their parents, and voters just keep defending traditional marriage.  Why?  Why would we if you’ve been telling us what to think for all these years?

Because we think for ourselves.  And we’ll keep thinking for ourselves no matter what you call us.  So keep sending the hate, but realize that hate doesn’t win arguments.
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A Mom’s Love for Her Blind Son, One Paper at a Time

May 12, 2012 By 80 Comments

Well, there’s been a lot of action on my blog this week!  I welcome all my new readers… even you guys who don’t agree with me on my recent post.  Today, I’m posting something uplifting…  something we can all agree on.  This Mother’s Day weekend, as you run around town looking for a gift for Mom, this video will inspire you. It’s a mother telling the story of her blind son’s birth and life, one piece of paper at a time.  I love the different emotions she shows on her face between the papers…  you can tell she’s been through a lot, but she’s not broken and is not in despair.

Anyway, if there are any struggling mothers out there this weekend, you might find inspiration in this mom’s determination and love.

And for the rest of you — here’s a hint: all Moms love chocolate!

 

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On This One, I’m Team Hillary

May 11, 2012 By 249 Comments

Recently, the Drudge Report put a photo of Hillary Clinton’s face at the top over the headline: “Au Naturel.”  The photos were snapped in Bangladesh and India over the weekend, and people began chattering about how she didn’t look as polished as normal. Though she was wearing red lipstick – and cool glasses! — she didn’t wear foundation.  After the Drudge link appeared, the Washington Post said she looked like a schoolgirl, the Atlantic approved of her appearance, and Fox News said she looked “tired and withdrawn.”

Isn’t it crazy how a little decision like, “should I wear my foundation today?” ended up getting so much national attention?  I’m not a Democrat or an important leader, but it seems a little overdone.

When I was on Dancing with the Stars, I was only nineteen years old. I was active and fit, but I did gain five to ten pounds over the course of the show.  At my heaviest, I was still thinner than a lot of girls my age, but heavier than I am now. I’m not saying this because I’m somehow proud of how I looked on that show. Rather, I’m saying that I’ve been the brunt of jokes, speculation, and criticism about my appearance, and it’s not fun.

When people choose to mock young impressionable females and even more mature national political leaders, it spreads the lie that the value of women resides in their appearance.  As women, we should resist the urge to laugh at our sisters, both Democrats and Republicans alike. Plus, Hillary looks good! I think we should give her credit for not having a make up artist following her around and for being comfortable in her own skin.

And speaking of no makeup, this is what my mom looks like 90% of the time!

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Hail to the Chiefs – Malia and Sasha Obama

May 10, 2012 By 3,171 Comments

Is anyone really surprised by the fact that President Obama came out of the closet for gay marriage? What was most surprising is when he explained how his position (supposedly) “evolved,” by talking to his wife and daughters:

“It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” the president continued. “You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same-sex equality or, you know, sexual orientation, that they believe in equality. They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and, frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

Let’s pause for just one second.  When Christian women run for high office, people inevitably bring up the question of submission.  Once, Michele Bachmann, for example, was asked during a debate, “As president, would you be submissive to your husband?”

People automatically assume that a Christian female President isn’t capable of making decisions without her spouse’s stamp of approval.  (I should add female Republican candidates –liberal women don’t get the same kind of questions.)

So are all those reporters who feared excessive family intervention in the White House all up in arms over the President’s announcement yesterday?  Um.  Not quite.

Liberals  everywhere are applauding him for his bravery and his wisdom.

So let me get this straight – it’s a problem if my mom listened too much to my dad, but it’s a heroic act if the President made a massive change in a policy position that could affect the entire nation after consulting with his teenage daughters?

While it’s great to listen to your kids’ ideas, there’s also a time when dads simply need to be dads.  In this case, it would’ve been helpful for him to explain to Malia and Sasha that while her friends parents are no doubt lovely people, that’s not a reason to change thousands of years of thinking about marriage.  Or that – as great as her friends may be – we know that in general kids do better growing up in a mother/father home.  Ideally, fathers help shape their kids’ worldview.

In this situation, it was the other way around.  I guess we can be glad that Malia and Sasha aren’t younger, or perhaps today’s press conference might have been about appointing Dora the Explorer as Attorney General because of her success in stopping Swiper the Fox.

Sometimes dads should lead their family in the right ways of thinking.  In this case, it would’ve been nice if the President would’ve been an actual leader and helped shape their thoughts instead of merely reflecting what many teenagers think after one too many episodes of Glee.
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And the Winner Is…

May 8, 2012 By 35 Comments

Well, seventy-eight of you commented under my article called “What’s Better than Being a Palin,” in which I talked about being a single mom. The CCEF little minibook called “Single Parent: Daily Grace for the Hardest Job” is packed full of insight about being the only one to take care of your child.  Some of us are in this position because of past mistakes, while others are here because their husband or wife has passed away.  Either way, many of you are struggling under the pressures of life.  I selected one of the seventy-eight to receive the mini-book.

Drumroll, please….

The winner is Kimberlie Morris of Ohio

Here’s her comment:

Bristol, this was so inspirational for me today. Many times in my daily “adventures” as the single mom of an adorable little girl with many special needs, I get caught up in the “wow, can I REALLY do _____ alone again?” Sometimes I forget that I’m never alone and when I feel that way is when I need to say “I’m a CHRISTIAN and with God’s help I CAN do this again!” I admire your stand! Thanks for staying true to your beliefs, and being so humble and willing to share these thoughts with us.

God Bless you always,
Kim

Thanks, Kim, and enjoy the mini-book!  Others can get their copy here.  And come back for more giveaways on this blog!
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Living Life Well, for 40 Years and Counting!

May 7, 2012 By 21 Comments

When Jonathan Frederick Will was born on May 4, 1972 (his dad’s 31st birthday) people with Down syndrome were expected to live only about 20 years. In fact, the first question the doctor asked was whether they even wanted to take him home from the hospital.

Last week, however, Jon turned 40 years old!

Read this column about a life with Downs Syndrome being well lived, from the perspective of his loving father, George Will.

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Well, It Definitely had Enough Room for my Luggage

May 4, 2012 By 44 Comments

Recently, Tripp and I had to travel and I needed a ride to the airport.  Unfortunately, my family was already out of town and I need to arrange for a car service to get me from Wasilla to Anchorage to catch our flight.

Usually they send a SUV or sedan to take us from point A to point B. But this time, they switched it up a little.  As I was hauling the bags out of my apartment, with my whiney, tired, three year old on my hip, I looked up and saw a grey stretch limo.

So embarrassing!

There aren’t many limos in Alaska to begin with, and people certainly don’t use them as glorified taxi cabs!

I had no choice – I had a plane to catch, suitcases to put into the trunk, and a boy to calm down.  When we showed up to the airport, I was afraid people might pay extra attention to whoever got out of such a vehicle! And I was right.  As we approached our terminal, people definitely noticed the big car.  Then, I realized I let Tripp dress himself for the plane ride… He was wearing Nike shorts and Xtra Tuff rain boots.

I’m sure people who were expecting someone glamorous were surprised to see two scrubby kids getting out of the limo!
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What’s Better Than Being a Palin?

May 3, 2012 By 136 Comments

Many times, people try to define me by my parents.  I am Republican Sarah Palin’s daughter.  Or, here in Alaska, I am Iron Dog champion Todd Palin’s kid.  This is true – and I’m so proud of my family and my parents! But, there’s something even better.

What am I talking about?

Well, after I wrote about “How I Got Over My Very Public Mistakes,” the guys at CCEF sent me a nice little bundle of materials.  I’m just now reading one little booklet, called “Single Parent: Daily Grace for the Hardest Job” which has this description:

If you are a single parent, you already know you have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Trying to be both dad and mom–breadwinner, cook, chauffeur, comforter, dishwasher, homework helper, disciplinarian, nurse, and role mode–can wear down the hardiest man or woman. But do you know that God, in the Bible, offers words of grace, power, and hope especially for you?

Well, that got my attention! In the first chapter, Robert D. Jones writes that we should mainly view ourselves as Christians, not as “single parents.”

While our marital or parental positions describe our circumstances, they do not give us our identity.  Whether you are single, a parent, or that challenging hybrid of a single parent, that is not who you ARE.  Who are you? Hear the apostle’s words to all who belong to Christ Jesus.

He then quotes this:

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.” (Galatians 3)

Many times, people try to define me by my parents and my family, which is wonderful. I’m so proud of all of them!  But my true spiritual identity is even better than proudly wearing the last name of “Palin.”  How much better is it that I’m a child of God?

In other words, I’m not so much a “Christian SINGLE PARENT,” I am a CHRISTIAN who for the time being is a single parent.  Being a single mom is my situation, not my identity.

Are you a struggling single parent or do you know one?  Leave a comment below before Monday at noon and I’ll randomly select one of you to receive this great little mini-book!

THIS HAS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED!  WE’LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER SOON ON THE BLOG AND PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE FUN GIVEAWAYS!

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Defending the “Palin Pick”

April 30, 2012 By 412 Comments

Most of you know I’d rather post photos of my family and write about Alaska than talk about politics.  But after reading and watching some recent commentary, I can’t help myself.

The chattering class is talking – endlessly – about Mitt Romney’s choice of a Vice Presidential running mate.  Will he choose a Governor?  A Senator?  A Congressman?  There are many good options for Governor Romney – and all of them have already been dissected in the media – with a list of pros and cons beside their names.  One is too “northern,” another is too “boring,” another is too “white.”  I’ve lived through the scrutiny the family will endure, and it can be a nightmare.

I don’t pretend to know the best pick for Governor Romney.  But there’s one theme that keeps coming up, and it’s ridiculous: that Governor Romney should avoid Senator McCain’s mistake in his Vice Presidential running mate decision.

Chris Cillizza brought it up here:

If you buy that basic way of thinking about the race, it makes it more likely that Romney’s main criteria in picking a running mate will be to do no harm, to avoid the public relations debacle that Senator John McCain (Ariz.) courted when he named former Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick in 2008.

Later, he describes the GOP as a “party still trying to get out from under the Palin pick.”

Talking Points Memo in an article titled, “Why Mitt Romney Won’t Take GOP Down Another VP Rabbit Hole” quoted a strategist who said my mom is “a case study on what not to do. The McCain campaign really screwed up by going in and picking someone who was just gonna shake up the ticket when they should have picked someone who’s safe.”

In other words, the pundits say Senator McCain made a huge mistake. But where’s the evidence to back up this conventional wisdom?  I’m not a pundit, but I remember the race.  I was there. I remember the frenzied crowds after my mom joined the ticket.  I remember the huge fundraising surge.  I remember her convention speech.  I even remember how McCain/Palin took a polling lead over Obama/Biden.

Then the economy melted down.  You could feel people’s fear.  You could see it in their eyes on the trail.  McCain suspended his campaign to rush back to Washington to deal with the crisis.  A lot of people criticized him, but he did what he thought was right.  And guess what, the economy was melting down while Republicans were in charge.

Take a good look at this list of polls.  Shortly after Senator McCain picked my mom, the polls turned favorable.  But he lost the lead for good the week he suspended his campaign, and we never got it back.  Not in a single poll.

But even then, my Mom helped.  A lot.  She raised millions of dollars that helped us fight hard until the last moment. And Senator McCain actually performed better among those for whom the “Palin Pick” was very important to their vote.  Immediate post-election polling shows a large majority of Republicans thought my mom helped Senator McCain and more than 90% had a favorable or very favorable view of her.

(By the way, pundits, do you guys do much research before slamming my mom?  It didn’t take me long at all to find the facts that refute your so-called “conventional wisdom.”)

OCTOBER 22, 2008: Mom greets supporters during a campaign rally at the Green High School Memorial Stadium in Ohio, with less than two weeks left before the election.

I don’t write this post to criticize Senator McCain – far from it.  He and my mom had an uphill battle against Obama who promised to stop the oceans’ rise and heal the planet. I honestly don’t think any Republican candidate could’ve beaten Obama in 2008.  It was the Democrats’ moment.

But 2012 is a Republican moment. Whomever Governor Romney picks will be better qualified to run the country than our current President.  And this time around, we’re not running against the hard-to-pin-down “hope and change,” we’re running against a President who can’t stop rising gas prices, much less rising oceans.

Please.

Mom answered the call to serve her country, energized the base, and inspired millions. Plus, she did it with good humor and grace.  I don’t know what else she could’ve reasonably be expected to do.

The economy was collapsing, and the Democrats had nominated “The One.”  My mom worked wonders, and it was such a joy watching her connect with Americans from coast to coast.  But she could not work miracles.

It’s been four years now since Senator McCain selected my mom, and he made the right choice. Who will Governor Romney select as his running mate?  Well, we’ve still got several months before we find out.

Whoever it turns out to be, I don’t envy the next vice-presidential nominee.

After all… Sarah Palin is a tough act to follow.

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