No Bull Mom

Going Rogue

Well, I am almost finished with Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin. There is much to say, so I will do this piecemeal. Today is just an overview; tomorrow I'll get more specific.

Let me start with this: I like Sarah Palin -- for many reasons. I had reserved my judgment until now b/c I do not believe America has gotten an accurate picture of her. But with a book out, and a publicity tour, we can now make a fair judgment.

For me, liking a politician isn't nearly as important as agreeing with him or her. For me, that's what it comes down to: I agree with the person, or I don't. And I do agree -- wholeheartedly -- with Sarah Palin's political philosophy, which is this:

Conservatism is a respect for history and tradition, including traditional moral principles. I do not believe I am more moral, certainly no better, than anyone else, and conservatives who act holier than thou turn my stomach. So do some elite liberals.

But I do believe in a few timeless and unchanging truths, the chief among those is that man is fallen. This world is not perfect, and politicians will never make it so. This, above all else, is what informs my pragmatic approach to politics. I am conservative because I deal with the world as it is -- complicated and beautiful, tragic and hopeful.

I am conservative because I believe in the rights and responsibilities and the inherent dignity of the individual. People who adhere to the unconstrained vision (left-wingers) believe that human nature is changeable and that society's problems can all be solved if only the poor, ignorant, disorganized public is told what to do and rational plans are enacted. Conservatives deal with human nature as it is -- with its unavoidable weaknesses and its potential for goodness.

Now keep in mind that Palin had what's called a ghostwriter for this book, which means a large portion of the book was written by someone else. (This is standard procedure for politicians who "write" books, by the way.) Palin's ghostwriter was Lynn Vincent, a senior writer for the conservative Christian publication World Magazine. Palin may not have written these words, but she has to read was was written in order to sign off on it. So she stands behind the words whether she wrote them or not.

Bottom line: This is Palin's philosophy on paper -- and I like it.

TOMORROW: More Going Rogue