She;s very different from Reagan in this way: Reagan married into liberal Republicanism and only his self-assurance and I think his own family experience allowed him to move to the right on social issues, despite what Nancy might think about abortion for instance. Palin made an existential choice in bearing a down’s syndrome baby, so it is not so much as matter of ideology as deep rooted conviction, conviction she shares with her whole family. Just as Reagan’s experience with the communists in his union made him a viseral anti-communist who could not be swayed by sophistry, so she is on this issue. Ditto her experience on the oil commission. She is not a thinker, she is a doer, but she seems to do things based on her gut reaction to events.
Interesting analysis.