Having said that, I am deeply troubled by Sarah Palin. Being a social conservative that advocates for abstinence-only programs in the schools, and simply as a parent, I would think that she would have more concern for her daughter and her family than to run for vice-president at this time given the all but certain likelihood — now real — that the news would become public. If it were me, I would want to spend more time with my family and help my daughter get through this difficult situation rather than disappear on the campign trail for the next two months and have my daughter become the poster child for the anti-abstinence crowd.

But I am even more intrigued by John McCain’s decision to put her on the ticket in the first place. He claims to have known about the pregnant daughter situation before asking Palin to join the ticket. I am sure he could see that this might drive a stake through the heart of the conservative cause. No doubt he knew that making the announcement several days after putting Palin on the ticket in the midst of the GOP convention and a hurricane would look like an attempt to bury the story. The announcement states that Bristol and the “young man” will be getting married and I am sure he knew the fact that they are not already married five months into the pregnancy (what are they waiting for, a Thanksgiving Day parade to go with it?) will seem contrived.

And so, I have to wonder, is Sarah Palin that special, or was John McCain that desparate? 

UPDATE (September 1, 2008, 6:45 pm): Grover Norquist is quoted on CNN as follows:

Before, they were excited about her, with the Down syndrome baby. But now with this, they are over the moon. It reinforces the fact that this family lives its pro-life values.

So let’s see if I get this: Teenage daughter literally refutes mother’s abstinence platform and is led into a shotgun marriage while mom goes off and campaigns all over the country (in between consulting with the lawyer she retained to defend her against ethics violations), and all of this is a good thing? These are pro-life values?