Sarah Palin: Governor Hottie Pro- or Anti- Online Casinos?

She has decided to allow gambling expansions voted by the legislature in Alaska to become law without either signing or vetoing them.

John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate left many gaming advocates wondering how the choice might affect the Republican position on gambling, especially in the light of recent flip-flops regarding party platform planks. The answer is unclear, but some background information may hold an inkling.

James Dobson of Focus on the Family has applauded Palin's selection, noting her social conservatism and stating that McCain won his vote by choosing the Alaskan. This might be a dire sign for fans of online casinos, as it is Focus's Chad Hills, along with Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, who have led the tirade of misinformation and lies designed to pressure politicians to support Internet gambling bans.

However, Palin has avoided a strong position either way in her home state. She has decided to allow gambling expansions voted by the legislature in Alaska to become law without either signing or vetoing them. In the recent ballot initiatives, Palin was more active regarding the other three than Ballot Initiative 1, which would have created a state gambling committee capable of increasing gaming exposure without legislative approval.

The ballot referendum would have left the naming of the commission members to the governor, so supporters must have felt Palin would appoint officials friendly to the casino industry.

Still, Palin's views mirror those in many aspects of the Focus people. However, she also comes from a state famous for rugged independence and great pride in its personal freedoms, and she has frequently rejected the party good-old-boy network call for loyalty, pressing Alaska Republicans on ethics issues.

The best that can be said is that Palin, while a woman of generally staunch conservative perspective, seems to be a person of reason, who would examine evidence rather than blithely accept the untested truths circulated by Chad Hills.