Palin Viewed Climate Change a Top Issue

The Daily Beast reports

While many of the Palin emails show a familiar fiery persona, others offer a surprisingly different perspective on the former governor.

Sarah Palin didn’t always lean so hard to the right, at least on climate change and social issues—and even was uncomfortable being a social conservative leader.

Kind Words for Obama

In an email dated August 4, 2008 from her Yahoo! account—just three weeks before joining Sen. John McCain’s ticket—Palin wrote that Obama had given a “great speech” in Michigan, and praised his mention of Alaska. “We need to take advantage of this a[nd] write a statement saying he’s right on,” she wrote. In a follow-up email, Palin added Obama “did say ‘yay’ to our pipeline. Pretty cool. Wrong candidate.”

Climate Change a ‘Top’ Issue

Although she would later dismiss climate change as “junk science,” Palin didn’t always feel that way. In an email dated Sept. 15, 2008, Palin wrote that “climate change is the top issue for our state.” Later in her political career, Palin distanced herself from such a stance, at one point calling climate science “junk.”

Her Own Controversial Pastor

Obama has Reverend Wright and Palin has Pastor John Hagee. McCain rejected an endorsement from Hagee, an avowedly Anti-Semitic zealot, in 2008—citing his hate speech as the reason. But in a May 3, 2007 email, Palin asked her scheduler to see if she could attend one of Hagee’s events at the Juneau Christian Center in June. When Palin learned she couldn’t make it, she wrote back “I should try to get back to juno for this one.”

Hesitant on Social Issues

But perhaps the most unfamiliar side of Palin is shown when it comes to being a social conservative crusader. In an email dated March 16, 2007, Palin wrote that she was “torn” about endorsing a ballot question outlawing benefits for same-sex couples, supported by the Alaska Family Coalition. “My belief is administration should NOT attempt to sway the outcome of ballot props … my belief that we weren’t supposed to try to sway the vote once it’s in the hands of the people,” she wrote.