Hiding it under a bushel
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave a safe speech tonight in accepting the Republican nomination for vice president. It was devoid of any indication that she is a rightwing religious zealot. She was back in stealth mode, hiding her faith under a bushel. There was not a word about abortion, which she opposes in all instances, or stem cell research, or so-called Intelligent Design.
As Palin delivered her speech in her chirpy voice, smiling broadly, I kept thinking of her demanding that books be banned from the Wasilla Public Library after she became mayor in 1996, and cruelly firing the town librarian when she refused to go along. Public outrage forced her to retreat and restore the librarian to her job. And throwing her own mother-in-law under the bus in an election to succeed her as mayor because she was pro-choice.
And there was at least one moment of pure mendacity in the speech, when Palin claimed she opposed the "Bridge to Nowhere" from the beginning, when in fact she was for it long before she was against it and kept the money for other state projects.
The cameras several times showed the tele-prompters that Palin was reading off. Her real test will come when she goes out on the campaign trail and faces the press in unscripted situations where the McCain campaign can't control the questions she is asked. She will be asked again and again about the book banning attempt, her support if not official membership (assuming the records weren't altered) of the secessionist Alaska Independence Party, and her documented, on the record support of the Bridge to Nowhere and other earmarks.
And everything else.