Much of the media reaction to Sarah Palin has to me been amusing, such as: “In the press galleries at the convention, journalists wrinkled their noses in disgust when Piper, Ms. Palin’s youngest daughter, was filmed kitty-licking her baby brother’s hair into place.” Yet the disconnect evident in this small example does indicate anxiety over something more profound – fertility. I think the more children a couple has, the greater the probability to be religious and sympathetic to traditionalistic notions that highly value rootedness and a sense of place. For those who set our cultural pulse, this sort of lifestyle is rather alien. (Jonathan V. Last has some details here.) The theory of affordable family formation appears to have fairly solid explanatory power and will certainly receive further study. And if it does, the Republicans have done a very smart thing in nominating for vice president a woman who appeals directly to this volatile and nervous constituency.
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