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Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee for the 2008 United States presidential election. Palin has been described as more conservative than presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The following is a summary of her positions on certain central political issues.
Social issues
Abortion and contraception
Palin is pro-life and a prominent member of Feminists for Life. In 2002, while running for lieutenant governor, Palin called herself as "pro-life as any candidate can be." When she was pregnant with her fifth child, Palin was told the baby had genetic abnormalities consistent with Down syndrome, but still chose to go through with the pregnancy. She and her husband stated that they had "faith that every baby is created for a good purpose."
A 2006 article in the Anchorage Daily News refers to her as "pro-contraception," but does not go into detail on the subject.
Education
As governor, Palin supported full funding for the K–12 formula, as well as "early funding of education", a program that would give school districts more predictability.
While running for Governor of Alaska and asked about the teaching of creationism in public school science classes, Palin answered: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."; she stated the next day that she meant that open debate between the two ideas should not be prohibited if it came up in discussion, but that creationism did not need to be part of the curriculum. She also added that she would not appoint State Board of Education members based on their opinions on evolution, creationism, or religion. Since her election she has appointed three of the seven Board members, who serve five-year terms: Patrick Shier, Phillip Schneider, and Geraldine Benshoof. None of these appointments attracted criticism on this issue.
Gay rights
Palin has said she has good friends who are gay, opposes same-sex marriage, but complied with an Alaskan state Supreme Court order and signed an implementation of same-sex benefits into law, stating that legal options to avoid doing so had run out. She supported a non-binding referendum for a constitutional amendment to deny benefits to homosexual couples. Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii. Palin has stated that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.
Palin's first veto was used to kill a bill that would have barred the state from granting benefits to the partners of gay state employees. She made her decision after she determined from Alaska's attorney general that it was unconstitutional. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples, as was required by law.
Legal issues
Crime
Though Alaska has no current death penalty statute, Palin has declared herself in favour of capital punishment. She has stated that: "If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it. We have a right to know that someone who rapes and murders a child or kills an innocent person in a drive by shooting will never be able to do that again."
Gun rights
Palin is a life-time member of the National Rifle Association, and is popular among gun rights activists. Sandra Froman, a member of the NRA Board of Directors, described McCain's selection of Palin as "outstanding". An avid hunter herself, she is a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, while supporting gun-safety education for kids.
Drugs
Though she admits to having smoked marijuana (which was legal under Alaskan law), Palin opposes its legalisation. She does, however, regard methamphetamines as a greater social threat than cannabis.
Energy and environment
As governor Palin has strongly promoted oil resource development in Alaska, including opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. She has also helped pass a tax increase on oil company profits. Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska. After she was announced as McCain's presumptive running mate, she stated that she does not believe that climate change is man-made.
In 2007, Palin agreed with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to allow Alaska state biologists to hunt wolves from helicopters as part of a "predator control" program which was allowed under a provision in a 35 year-old federal ban on the practice granting 700 permits to the state of Alaska. The program was heavily criticized by Defenders of Wildlife and predator control opponents, and prompted California State Representative George Miller to introduce a federal bill making the practice illegal.
In May 2008, she threatened to sue the federal government over their decision to list polar bears as a threatened species. She questioned the scientific basis for the listing, and warned that is would adversely affect energy development in Alaska. Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity, who was the main author of the petition behind the listing, said Palin was "either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading" on the subject.
Foreign policy
According to Time magazine, Palin's foreign policy positions were not clear at the time she was picked, but she has been critical of the lack of a long-term strategy on the war in Iraq. Her lack of foreign policy experience has been pointed out as a potential liability to her candidacy. The claim by Fox and Friends' Steve Doocy, that she had experience with international relations through her state's proximity to Russia, was largely ridiculed in other media.
References
- Barnes, Fred (2008-08-30). "Palin Fought for Reform in Alaska". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Ruth Rosen. "Sarah Pahlin and Feminists for Life", TPMCafe, August 29, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
- ^ Hopkins, Kyle (2006-08-06). "Same-sex unions, drugs get little play". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-30. Cite error: The named reference "Hopkins" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- Simon, Stephanie (2008-08-29). "Anti-Abortion Activists Cheer McCain's V.P. Pick". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Palin, Sarah (2007-01-17). "State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007". Quoted in On the Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Kizzia, Tom (October 27, 2006). "'Creation science' enters the race". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- McAllister, Bill (December 20, 2006). "Gay partners of state employees win benefits". KTUU News. KTUU-TV. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ "Alaska governor won't block partner benefits". Gay.com. December 29, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- Demer, Lisa (December 21, 2006). "Palin to comply on same-sex ruling". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- Vestal, Christine (March 1, 2007 (updated March 6, 2008)). "Gay marriage decisions ripe in two courts". Stateline.org. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Palin, Sarah (2006-11-07). "Issues". "Palin for Governor" (inactive web site) quoted in On the Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Davis, Susan (2008-08-29). "Conservative Activists Praise Palin as McCain's VP Pick". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Braiker, Brian (2008-08-29). "On the Hunt". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- "State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007". January 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- Quinn, Steve (2007-05-10). "Alaska governor balances newborn's needs, official duties". Associated Press.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Barnes, Fred (July 16, 2007). "The Most Popular Governor". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- Kizzia, Tom (April 12, 2007). "State aims to reduce emissions". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- Coppock, Mike (August 29, 2008). "Palin Speaks to Newsmax About McCain, Abortion, Climate Change". Newsmax. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ Bolstad, Erika (2007-09-26). "Lawmaker seeks to ban wolf hunting from planes, copters". Oakland Tribune.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Joling, Dan (2008-05-22). "State will sue over polar bear listing, Palin says". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Grunwald, Michael (2008-08-29). "Why McCain Picked Palin". Time. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Lochhead, Carolyn. "Choosing Palin a big gamble for McCain". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- Benen, Steve (2008-08-29). "Let's Define 'foreign Policy'". CBS News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.