This paper broadens our understanding of politically active conservative women by analyzing how conservative women leaders negotiate the tension between traditional views of motherhood and their desire to engage politically. Despite the articulation and promotion of traditional views about motherhood, legions of conservative women and men eagerly supported Sarah Palin and continue to encourage other women to run for office. So how do conservative women negotiate theologically and ideologically traditional views about motherhood and gender roles with their seemingly incompatible desire to engage in politics and represent women? How do conservative women navigate between conservative beliefs and their commitment to be in public office and/or support other conservative women’s bids? Are there differences among conservative women that conform to the ideological split between social and economic conservatives? How do these views shape public policies, discourse and opinion? To address these questions I analyze organizational documents (press releases, Web pages, editorials, newspaper interviews) from national conservative women’s organizations about Palin’s and Bachmann’s bids for national office, with an eye to how they frame their support (or not) for these candidates vis a vis issues of motherhood.
