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When the McCain and Palin families assembled together on stage at the conclusion of the Republican Convention in Minnesota, I felt profoundly encouraged about the future. There are seven McCain children, and five Palins—for a total of twelve offspring for the ticket. Among the Democrats, Senator Obama has two children, and Senator Biden has three – for a total of five. Meanwhile, in an interview scheduled for broadcast this Monday, Michelle Obama told TV host Ellen DeGeneres “I’m done” when asked if she wanted another child. “This campaign is that child,” she said.
Of course, it’s possible that some of the McCain and Palin kids will find themselves influenced by friends or professors and abandon the conservative outlook of their parents – just as some of the Obama and Biden kids could shock their mothers and fathers with their own right turns. But studies show that the overwhelming majority of Americans (over 80%) replicate the political affiliation of the previous generation. This means that the population of conservatives (with their larger families) should grow more rapidly that the numbers of liberals (with their enthusiasm for Planned Parenthood and their substitution of campaigns for kids). Demographer Philip Longman has written about this phenomenon in Foreign Affairs and other publications. In other words, a more welcoming and protective attitude toward children and human life not only benefits conservatives with more fulfilling lives (as I fervently believes) but helps to secure a brighter political future. The crowded stage in St. Paul, compared to the less numerous Democratic display in Denver, may well provide a vision of things to come.
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