World News with Charles Gibson
September 12, 2008
CHARLES GIBSON: In the time I have left, I want to talk about some social issues.
SARAH PALIN: OK.
GIBSON: Roe V Wade. You think it should be reversed?
PALIN: I think it should, and I think that states should be able to decide that issue.
I am pro-life. I do respect other people’s opinion on this also. And I think that a culture of life is best for America. What I want to do when elected Vice President with John McCain, I want to be able to reach out and work with those who are on the other side of this issue, because I know that we can all agree on the need for and the desire for fewer abortions in America, and greater support for adoption, for other alternatives that women can and should be empowered to embrace, to allow that culture of life.
That’s my personal opinion on this, Charlie.
GIBSON: John McCain would allow abortion in the cases of rape and incest. You believe in it only in the case where the life of the mother is in danger?
PALIN: That is my personal opinion.
GIBSON: Would you change, and accept it in rape and incest?
PALIN: My personal opinion is that abortion allowed if the life of the mother is endangered. Please understand me on this. I do understand McCain’s position on this. I do understand others who are very passionate about this issue who have a differing view.
GIBSON: Embryonic stem cell research. John McCain has been supportive of it.
PALIN: You know, when you are running for office, your life is an open book, and you do owe it to Americans to talk about your personal opinion, which may end up being different than what the policy in an administration would be. My personal opinion is we should not create human life, create an embryo, and then destroy it for research if there are other options out there. And thankfully, again, not only are there other options, but we are getting closer and closer to finding a tremendous amount more of options, like, as I mentioned, the adult skin cell research.
GIBSON: Homosexuality: genetic or learned?
PALIN: Oh, I don’t know, but I am not one to judge. And, you know, I am from a family and from a community with many, many members of many diverse backgrounds—and, you know, I’m not gonna judge someone on whether they believe that homosexuality is a choice or genetic. I’m not going to judge them.
That is a troubling answer. Since she is under duress, though, and has had so much thrown at her over just the last few days, and with a son heading off to war on the day of and before the interview...
I do hope she corrects those statements.
Still, it would not be just to write her off as not being prolife. She is living a prolife life, and has made prolife choices when the easier road was well, in our culture, easy for many.
Many people have been brainwashed into that states’ rights lie.
Even some of the advocates for Roe vs. Wade did not see that empowerment of abortion on demand in the first trimester would grow into abortion on demand anytime, even for babies who survived the process. Of course, some did and some planned on it. But the bottom line is that the extremism of the abortion industry and the lives lost thereto is what has played the key role in slowly turning the public attitude around.
Gov. Palin's position is very reasonable and contrasts nicely with the extremism of the Oba Mao position.
Even though pressured to abort her baby with down’s syndrome, she did not. I’d say she’s pro-life. Plus, the only exception she has is for the life of the mother.
She is also against EMBRYONIC stem cell research, unlike McCain.
If you want to point out flaws in her answer, fine. But to say she is not pro-life, and like McCain, is a stretch.
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PALIN: I think it should, and I think that states should be able to decide that issue.
Guess what? That is the CONSERVATIVE position. The Feds should not mandate one way or the other.
The battleground should be at the STATE level.
The follow-up question should be, "in such a situation, as the governor of Alaska, would you support such a bill prohibiting abortion in your state?"
Until you have that answer, you have no basis to support your ridiculous claim. She lives pro-life...she is even against embryonic stem cell research, unlike McCain (according to a statement in the 2006 gubernatorial debate shown recently on c-span).
You have NO basis for your claim.
She is PRO LIFE.
She is not dumb enough to believe that if she becomes VP or President that suddenly we will have a dictatorship instead of a democracy with the Supreme Court intervening. She is an old fashioned Republican that respects states rights. She doesn’t want the FEDERAL LEVEL to make states decisions in everything.