Governor Palin Discusses Faith

Last week Governor Palin and her family had dinner with Rev. Billy Graham and his family. While there, the Governor was interviewed about her faith. Those who have read Going Rogue know that the fiber of faith is weaved throughout its pages. Those who have paid attention to her at all know the importance of faith in her life. While she does not shove her faith down anyone's throat, Governor Palin certainly doesn't hide it. She isn't ashamed of who she is. In fact, she states that her faith in Christ is her "be all, end all."

One reason ordinary Americans respect Governor Palin is because she is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person. She is--as so many have acknowledged--the real deal. No pretense. No hypocrisy. Just who she is. She's grateful for her Alaskan upbringing, grateful for her family, and yes, grateful for her Christian faith.

Always grateful for her faith.

President Obama is not opposed to talking about faith either, like when he appealed to religious leaders when he was looking for support for his Health Care Bill. In that speech, about which Andrea Tantaros so eloquently wrote in an article called "Obama Plays the God Card," he quoted Scripture and claimed, "We are God's partners in matters of life and death."

However, the President also seems to tuck away faith at will, like when he said bitter people "cling to guns or religion," when he blew off the National Day of Prayer, and when he, a professing Christian, asked that Georgetown cover up the name of Jesus.

People are entitled to embrace or reject faith. That's part of being an American. It is not for me to dictate how one leads his or her life in that regard. However, I have heard and seen enough to know that one reason Governor Palin appeals to millions of Americans is that she knows who she is and she reveals herself without shame--not forcing it on anyone else, not hiding it either, and not teetering back and forth when it's politically advantageous to do so. What a breath of fresh air to see that kind of transparency and boldness in a leader. In this, she stands miles apart from President Obama.

Governor Palin simply is who she is--and she is a woman of faith. That fact has been ridiculed by some and praised by others. Either way, it is what it is.