DAVID HARSANYI ARGUES the libertarian case for Palin:

By now, you’ve probably seen picture or two of Palin sporting a rifle. Apparently, she’s left carcasses strewn across the Alaskan wilderness. In some places — areas where the nation is growing — owning a gun is not yet a sin. And unlike Obama, Palin seems to believe that the Second Amendment means the exact same thing in rural Alaska as it does in the streets of Chicago.

Yes, Palin is without argument a staunch social conservative. She is fervently opposed to abortion – even in cases of rape and incest, which will raise eyebrows, but is certainly more philosophically consistent than the namby pambyism of your average politician. The choice issue, after all, is complicated, even for many libertarians. And, as I was recently reminded, Ron Paul, the Libertarian champion of the 21st century, also opposes abortion.

Even when advocating for “moral” issues, Palin’s approach is a soft sell. Palin does not support gay marriage (neither does Obama, it should be noted). Yet, in 2006, Palin’s first veto as Governor was a bill that sought to block state employee benefits and health insurance for same-sex couples.

Read the whole thing. One can, of course, be a social conservative in philosophy and still support a libertarian approach to government and regulation.