Sarah Palin's Dark Family Secret

Just as the GOP convention is about to take place, it was revealed that Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's 17 year-old daughter is 5 months pregnant. McCain's advisors confirmed knowledge of it.

Downside

It will be interesting to see how this new revelation will play out with die-hard Conservatives and Evangelicals. My prediction is that it will have no effect on those two groups. Let's face it, they have no other choice at this point. Palin, for better or for worse, is the GOP VP nominee. Just as Vice President Cheney's lesbian daughter is a family secret that is kept very quiet and low-key, Palin's unmarried, underage pregnant daughter will also be swept under the rug.

I find it fabulously fascinating though that dark family secrets of Conservatives and Evangelicals are presented as private family affairs that should not be anyone's business. Juicy family secrets of Liberals, however, is fair game for the likes of Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Hannity - mostly under the premise of Godless lefties with no moral or family values.

Upside

It is possible that some independents as well as disgruntled Hillary supporters could gravitate even more toward Sarah Palin. She's a woman. She's acknowledged the struggles of Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton. She has a big family and a special-needs child. And she is now a mother who is very familiar with the shame of a dark family secret - an unwed, underage pregnant daughter.

Conclusion

Once again, this entire saga makes me wonder what skeletons were hidden in the closets of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Sen. Olympia Snowe - the 2 women who, at the surface, seem more qualified than Palin. The GOP is nothing if not thorough in its investigations. I still stand by my original premise that McCain had no choice but to select a black or a woman for his running-mate. And it's becoming fairly clear that Sarah Palin, even with her family secrets and apparent inexperience, was the best GOP could do.

See a video here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/26496491#26496491