GOP Pollster's Focus Group Sees Palin As "A Gimmick"

Another week, another Frank Luntz/AARP focus group of undecided voters--this one in Minneapolis and with some bad news for John McCain: they don't like the choice of Sarah Palin for vice president. Only one person said Palin made him more likely to vote for McCain; about half the 25-member group raised their hands when asked if Palin made them less likely to vote for McCain. They had a negative impression of Palin by a 2-1 margin...a fact that was reinforced when they were given hand-dials and asked to react to Palin's speech at her first appearance with McCain on Friday---the dials remained totally neutral as Palin went through her heart-warming(?) biography, and only blipped upwards when she said she opposed the Bridge to Nowhere--which wasn't quite the truth, as we now know.

Then there was this, from a woman named Teresa, who went to the Democratic Convention as a Hillary delegate and is leaning toward voting for McCain--obviously the target audience for the Palin pick: "His age didn't really bother me until he picked Palin. What if he dies in office and leaves us with her as President? Also she leans toward the rigid right, and I always thought he was a moderate...You know, I change my mind almost every day, but right now I"m wondering where the John McCain I really liked in 2000 went, what happened to the moderate? This John McCain has the look of someone who is being manipulated--probably by Karl Rove."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[JustSpeakingMyPeace]

Here is an article linking Palin to the infamous Jack Abramoff...

http://my2bucks.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/sarah-palin-linked-to-jack-abramoff-group-and-campaign-ethics-questions/

[TN]

I still think trig is Bristols child if the pictures on Daily Kos are dated correctly. I think bristol is pregnant again is probably closer to 3.5 months pregnant. No way does she look 5 months pregnant.

I love how all of the paid for republican pundants are saying that McCain new all of this, babygate, troopergate, milkgate, on and on and on. There is no way they knew this. The main thing they are trying to protect is the JUDGEMENT of John McCain, because when the masses determine he has bad judgement, it is over.

[kdublya]

Memories of Kevin James!

CNN
=-=-=

Campbell Brown just grilled Tucker Bounds on HTF Palin is in any way qualified. One example. One example. Just one. I'm not being unreasonable, people want to know. Come on Tucker, one example.

David Gergen [paraphrase]: Sometimes you have absolutely nothing to go on. On several occasions, I've been there myself. Good job Tucker.

[JustSpeakingMyPeace]

I saw it too and it was GREAT. Was he typical Republican rhetoric or what?!?!? To me, she is the first to really speak against SP or atleast challenge her street cred!!

[MorningJoeMikaIsMarried]

Must see video: Cambell Brown cutting the Ba$$s off Tucker Bounds tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYiw_y2qDI

[stepintothelight]

I was just reading a few things here and there. I know we are large family here on HuffPo but we are a small ripple repelling a well entrenched tempest of of self gain.

I just got a cold chill as I had the thought ..... What if this works for them? They have gotten away with less .... no???

[Nochnoi]

They are not getting away with anything anymore.........

[FACINGREALIT]

This will not work with the very base that he picked Palin to attract..the Conservative Right would will not accept this teen pregnancy as an example for their daughters. These are the people that hate Britney/Jamie Spears and Paris Hilton. They are BETTER than everyone else and a woman that cannot control her daughter will not be seen fit for the office of presidency. Remember, they teach abstienence so how do you tell your daughters you mean it if you vote for someone who preached it but it didn't work?

[stepintothelight]

Maybe I should have said .... They have gotten away with more???

I'm so confused ....

mommy ... make them go away .....

[kdublya]

At first I thought Bristol would make a wedge issue to distract from the issues.

But the MSM is pounding the McBush campaign, coming perilously close to saying,

"Palin not ready for RNC Convention on Day 1."

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

I see there is ZERO tro// sign today.

They must be totally discouraged with the poor judgment that the candidate they voter for and believed in botched the biggest executive decision of his entire life.

Rethuglicans have officially become the party of instant gratification since McBush told us to "keep shopping" when we have two wars. Now McBush in a desperate attempt to satisfy the religious right has put country last.

[Jessegirl]

They are seeing the pattern here...A constant committment by Repubs to stand by mistakes
no matter what the cost...Even if it hurts the country...Iraq first, now this naive Palin...they are
exposed now!!!!

[kidshare]

Who's mistake? McCain's? Sarah? Sarah's kid?

My grandmother was a grandmother at age 33. Mistake? In your eyes only

[RSII]

Two points:

1) There is a picture of Sarah Palin holding Trig just BEAMING at Bristol (i.e. as a proud grandmother would). That's not the look of a mother just holding her own baby. It's the look of a mother holding her first grandson.

2) Why are the Republicans sending 10 lawyers and staff to Anchorage? Count 'em. TEN?

[macbabe]

to make it go away.

[kidshare]

Yeah and 911 was an inside job, etc etc etc

[MorningJoeMikaIsMarried]

Alaskan Delegates also heard the Rumors but McCain choose her any way

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/some-alaskan-delegates-had-heard-rumors/#more-6124

[macbabe]

Scroll down.. read WHY he picked her...
http://peoplepoliticsandpablum . blogspot . com

[macbabe]

his plan.. STAY OFF THE ISSUES!

[yallkiddn]

Uh-h-h-h-h, MacBabe (O thou who is grossly misinformed), you're not supposed to insert spaces between words and dots in a URL.

[macbabe]

ok smarty pants... try posting that url normally!!!!!

go on try!!

[doctordoubt]

This has all become almost a real joke. Old man yells at clouds picks hockey mom yells at brother in law. What a team. All that's really missing, is a reality check.

[artaxxx1]

John Mc Cain used his judgment and came up with a female with more baggage than hillary clinton. Thats hard to do lol

[macbabe]

http://peoplepoliticsandpablum . blogspot . com

[stepintothelight]

I know .... I was thinking the same thing this morning. I think if the wingnuts can accept this woman then maybe we could have gotten Hillary past them. I mean at least, whatever your perspective, Hillary has taken bigger dumps than SP!!!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Hillary would obviously be qualified to be VP but Palin is not qualified to be VP.

[The 13 Colonies]

Mc Cain will come out next week and say that she has decided to drop out of the race. If he drops her he is done, if he keeps her he is done. He knows he is on a sinking ship. For those who did not want to admit that Mr. Mcain has poor judgement, better now than later. For those who will still vote for him rather than sit out we say....................tell Joe we don't miss him.

[yallkiddn]

"Happy days are here again...la-a-a la la la, la la la la..."

[mcfried]

I"m completely confused - forget her poor daughter. She is a gun toting, bible bashing, global warming denier who has only been gov. for 2 years but is being investigated for abuse of power and has connections to a corrupt senator. Lets not forget she was a member of the Alaska Independence Party and has no public position on any major issue. And despite all this Mc couldn't find a more appropriate Repub. who was willing to be his VP. WOW, just WOW.

[SuiginTou7]

The repub were waiting for Gustav and didn't see Hurricane Bristol bearing down on them.

[macbabe]

http://pimpinturtle.com/2008/08/31/is-gustav-a-scalar-storm-man-made.aspx

[mcfried]

Forget Bristol - It's Hurricane Sarah. Poor Bristol is just an innocent bystander.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

It is finally sinking in with most Americans and the media that this was just a horrible misjudgment by McBush. McBush gets and Omega Minus on the biggest executive decision of his whole life.

Check this GOP link before the GOP scrubs it.

In an on line poll the GOP asked "Who is a Better Pick for Vice President?"

Sarah Palin 6%
Joe Biden 94%

http://www.gop.mfbiz.com/#/newpalinbidenpoll/4530692820

[MorningJoeMikaIsMarried]

USA TODAY poll from Sunday (post convention, post Palin)

Obama 50
McW: 43

The Democratic National Convention significantly boosted Americans' views of Barack Obama as a strong leader who "shares your values" and can manage the economy and Iraq, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Saturday and Sunday finds.

Republican John McCain's advantage in handling terrorism was dramatically reduced and his "unfavorable" rating ticked up to its highest level this year.

"This is a convention bounce," says Robert Eisinger, a political scientist at Lewis & Clark College and author of The Evolution of Presidential Polling. The results reflect the impact of themes the Democrats hammered at their convention in Denver last week.

In the head-to-head race between the candidates, Obama now leads 50%-43% among registered voters. In the USA TODAY poll taken Aug. 21-23, the Illinois senator held a four-point lead

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

MJMIM do you have a link. This poll sounds pretty consistent with the CBS poll that had Obama up by 8 points.

[Big0725]

Actually heard Chuck Gibson and George Stepontopofus dicussing the GOPs seemingly lack of proper vetting in this case. When those in-the-baggers start to question you, you know you have problems.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Yeah I just see Palin has closed the gap.

The Palin choice is now only trailing the Biden choice by 86%.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

At least McBush is only 95% like Bush.

Palin is 100% like Bush with her extreme right wing views like being for ANWR drilling, wants to teach Creationism in school and worse of all is a climate change denier.

The fact that she is president of AK which shows obvious evidence of climate change since we just found out today that the pack ice in the North Poll is a virtual island for the first time ever and towns in AK are literally sinking in the mud because the permafrost is melting, shows that she is fine with ignoring facts before making major policy decisions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/us/27newtok.html?ref=science
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1050990/The-North-Pole-island-time-history-ice-melts.html?ITO=1490

[screenname223]

Here is a post from earlier, funniest one yet, that I have seen:

Just wanted to share a great comment from Americablog on Palin's daughter's pregnancy:

"Gun toting, bible thumping, failed beauty queen with a knocked up out of wedlock teenage daughter!!! Jesus Christ! Why don't they just pull a double wide up to the White House and call it a day."

Couldn't have said it better ourselves, could we?

[SuiginTou7]

'Veeting" More than a word...

[Jessegirl]

Why am I banned?

[MorningJoeMikaIsMarried]

Your not sometimes you have to hit refresh on your computer... I experience the same and the comment section came back up

[Jessegirl]

Ya but I actually got "Sorry but you have been banned"...and now I can't even
post anything even mildly/safely funny. Don't know if this will even post.
It might cause its boring.

[Nochnoi]

Your not... it has been happening to a lot of people.... just hit the reply button again, or refresh your page......

[Big0725]

Has to do with volume.