Emily, I too have been reading the dribbles emerging from the soon-to-be-published Palin memoir . You’re right that we mine her for insight on sexual politics, and I was particularly intrigued with the information that the AP published about Palin’s reaction to Bristol’s pregnancy and the McCain campaign’s treatment of that pregnancy. According to the AP article, Palin felt that the statement prepared by McCain’s team about Bristol “glamorized and endorsed her daughter’s situation.” As opposed to what? Debasing and shaming her daughter’s situation? Making her into a cautionary tale? The attempt at making Bristol an abstinence spokeswoman who appeared on multiple national morning shows was far more glamorizing than any statements the McCain campaign made on her behalf.
I know how inconvenient a teenage daughter’s pregnancy must have been for an anti-choice candidate who supports abstinence-only education . Perhaps public “endorsement” of Bristol’s pregnancy would have seemed hypocritical for someone who espouses such socially conservative views. But humanity should win out over hypocrisy any day. Palin’s already disputing the AP’s summary of her book , so it will be interesting to read the full story on her reaction to the public handling of babygate when it emerges.
