The Perfect Storm

The Perfect Storm – My View
by Mike Lawless
September 10, 2008

We are all observing the same spectacle and we’re all trying to understand how this could have taken place. Sure, a lot of it makes sense, McCain taking advantage of the opportunity created by the splintered Democratic Party carefully trying to mend the damage done by the racist and sexist overtones to the Obama-Hillary contest. There has been an undercurrent of discontent in the Conservative ranks from the Primaries between the Social and Fiscal Conservative factions personified by the Huckabee-Romney split. So along comes Sarah Palin, who provides an acceptable compromise between the fiscal and social cons as witnessed by support across the board from Evangelicals, Pro-Life organizations to National Review and Club for Growth. Two birds with one stone is good, obviously, uniting the party and pouring salt into the wounds left from the cautious divorce between the Democratic power base and the Clintons.

But there is something larger happening in this Palin phenomenon. There is a rise in the temperature of the race and a frenzied panic from the media and the Left side of the political spectrum. The selection of Sarah Palin has managed to bring almost the entirety of the simmering Culture War as epitomized by the prominent culture battle for Life. All of the various battles within the war of cultures, including all the hot button issues of abortion, faith and especially outspoken Christian faith, women’s rights and feminism, sexism, racism, country vs. city and guns, of course, seem to have combined into a front page, all out culture war with Sarah Palin as the catalyst. If you think the Obama vs. Hillary battle was heated, I think it will pale in comparison to what is coming. It has started with the attacks against Palin, but is starting to escalate with the counter attacks from her supporters. This cycle is expanding not contracting, it will likely be even more elevated as we progress towards Election Day. The emergence of Sarah Palin onto the national stage has brought out all the rage of the Culture War and the people are engaged and in many cases enraged from nearly every corner of the Nation.

I think this choice of Sarah Palin may win McCain the election, but I think that her selection has and will ignite a Culture War centered on Pro-Life vs. Abortion rights as we have not witnessed before. Also, the Pro-Life issue appears to be at the tipping point where it garners the advantage in political power; some of which may be from the inevitable result of the secular progressives having fewer or keeping fewer of their own children. Demographics changes are real and unavoidable. Any group that does not have offspring will reduce their impact; it’s ironically Darwinian.

It’s not so much Sarah’s Pro-Life views that are causing this effect, it is actually her life, her family, her 20 year marriage to one man, her Down Syndrome son and pregnant daughter and the manner in which they have embraced life on a real level, that when played out on the most public of stages has created the Perfect Storm. It doesn’t appear the fireworks are going to die down any time soon. It seems to only be ready to expand as the campaign will inevitably confront the impact of this election with Supreme Court Justice selections and a range of potential legislation and policies. It has forced the country to engage, debate and battle the most divisive social issues that are front and center with this new political celebrity and along with it all the pent up battles of social class, ideology and conflict.