Palin's Troubles Mount For McCain: Reuters

Reuters reports that Palin's "troubles" are mounting for John McCain. The GOP nominee now spends much of his time being asked to defend Palin's judgment and experience, even among conservatives.

Mocked by comedians, derided by prominent conservatives and reeling from flustered interviews with national media, Sarah Palin is proving a risky gamble in Republican John McCain's quest for the White House.

"Palin is Ready? Please" a headline in Newsweek said this week of the moose-hunting Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate, capping a turbulent week in which Palin's fitness for the job came under growing scrutiny.

"Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president," Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria wrote.

"She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start," he said.

Indeed, in recent days, McCain has:

-- Gotten testy with the Des Moines Register editorial board, describing Republicans who question Palin as "Georgetown cocktail party" people
-- Insisted to NPR that he has actually consulted Palin for foreign policy advice "many times"
-- Claimed that quoting Palin's public remarks on Pakisan was "gotcha journalism"
-- Lost much of his campaign staff to Palin debate prep

Comments

[lonnie1908]

I worry that Palin will have her hair down covering her ears. That way she can where a ear piece. A team member will give her the answer. She will repeat the correct answer and then use her charm and smile to win over the american public. This is a very close election. With today's technology and with the stakes this high. Dont think that the team is going to send her out there in front of the american public unprepared and not plugged in!

[tm68]

Do they check for that? Is it against the rules to do so, or just discouraged because it's seen as cheating? It seems to me they would check the candidates for that stuff.

[MizLiz]

I just found this Rolling Stone article. It's kind of long, but it tears the carefully-­constructe­d myth away from mcCain. Required Reading.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/1

[ronnierayjenkins]

I hope I didn't have anything to do with her downfall, but I tried:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7trIpspUILg

[piggybackmom]

These guys should be on SNL.

[OVERSITE]

why isnt rove in prison instead of blasting gail eifel the moderator

[eden4barack08]

Gwen Ifill.

[HyperDF]

We should be talking about MORE RELEVANT things. America we need an explanation for this report from the Guardian in the UK: "Revealed: oil-funded research in Palin's campaign against protection for polar bear". Please go The Guardian on-line and you'll find this. Pass it on! Why is the MSM not talking about it? THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS! One more reason to support the Obama-Biden ticket!
PLEASE READ AND SHARE: REPORT ABOUT SARAH PALIN FROM THE GUARDIAN (UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/01/sarahpalin.climatechange

UPDATE: Greenpeace website talks about this too, link here:

http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/exxonsecrets

[eden4barack08]

It's no secret, she has a lawsuit against the gov't against labeling polar bears a protected species.

[KeithMayass]

I am sure China, Russia and Europe pray every hour to see those 2 #$%#% in the white house.

they would have it easy the next 4 years on the international stage while the p.i.m.p and the r.a.c.k play trivia questions.

[piggybackmom]

No they won't. Palin will declare war on Russia the day after they are in and McCAin will support her because he saw KGB (that a K and a G and a B) in Putin's eyes.

A true maverick.

[white mende man]

let's look at it this way:

Palin does extremely well in the debate wit Biden
McCain bombs out in 2nd debate with Obama
RNC calls for Palin to lead the ticket.
McCain demoted to VP
Palin/McCain wins election
Palin plays Wack-A-Putin in Russia
McCain is retired
Rove runs White House

[repubsrbad]

The stuff of nightmares.

[firewmn]

*
SIDE EFFECTS OF THE MCCAIN ECONOMY (THE "HEAD ON" AD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqs26mpg8o

[mrsmdressup]

What the heck is a "culture of life"? I know I should not be trying to make sense of anything this woman says but I'm at a loss for this one.

She said it in the context of "I am pro-life and I believe in a culture of life"

As opposed to a "culture of zombieism" ?

[MizLiz]

It's a "culture of life" only until the child is born. Then -- well -- they have other fish to fry.

[MeiLing]

It's so ironic as well that usually these folks are the biggest supporters of both wars and the death penalty!

Maybe if they cared about all this lives beyond the womb we wouldn't have such problems!

[nervousexpat]

Bush started that back in the day. It's just the buzzword (buzzexpression) for the anti-choice side.

[eden4barack08]

ROTFLMAO! "culture of zombieism" ?

[HyperDF]

We should be talking about RELEVANT things. America we need an explanation for this report from the Guardian in the UK: "Revealed: oil-funded research in Palin's campaign against protection for polar bear". Please go The Guardian on-line and you'll find this. Pass it on! Why is the MSM not talking about it? THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS! One more reason to support the Obama-Biden ticket!
PLEASE READ AND SHARE: REPORT ABOUT SARAH PALIN FROM THE GUARDIAN (UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/01/sarahpalin.climatechange

[Freedum4all]

if Obama wants to appeal to the "middle class white worker" he should use a sports analogy. that a mccain presidency would be as successful as say the Oakland Raiders lol!!

[repubsrbad]

As a card carrying member of the Raider Nation, I'm offended by this remark!!! The Raiders will win a few more games at least, let's just hope the McCain Palin experiment won't win anything more.

[Freedum4all]

dude i to am a longtime raider fan but come on al is lost like sarah geez!!

[white mende man]

I can see (Russia) from miles and miles
I can see (Russia) from miles and miles

[HyperDF]

We should be talking about MORE RELEVANT things. America we need an explanation for this report from the Guardian in the UK: "Revealed: oil-funded research in Palin's campaign against protection for polar bear". Please go The Guardian on-line and you'll find this. Pass it on! Why is the MSM not talking about it? THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS! One more reason to support the Obama-Biden ticket!
PLEASE READ AND SHARE: REPORT ABOUT SARAH PALIN FROM THE GUARDIAN (UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/01/sarahpalin.climatechange

[billybareblu]

Thank you. Please see my comment, if it gets posted. I can find it yet

[billybareblu]

Thank you. Please see my comment, if it gets posted. I can't find it.

[Dynamohum]

She's some reformer, huh? This by otch has quite the forked tongue. Unbelievable. So many lies, so little time. eh deba deba deba that's all folks.

[seriously29]

sad. she will show up, not answer any questions. basically use her looks and personality and be declared a winner tomorrow night. the information above will be forgotten.

remember bush/cheney? she is those two, except in a dress and lipstick. they did the same and are in office. will people learn?

[NicasioKid]

Wildlife is not safe in Alaska. Alaska may well be one of U.S. states most seriously impacted by global warming - it's hard to not notice the ice melting at an alarming rate, with polar bears drowning, etc., etc. and they are still trying to trump ecology with economy (oil).

[hangdogit]

Recent polls show that Palin is not helping McCain get women's votes. After an initial rise in women's support, the polls now show strong support for Obama among women overall.

And the only "base" support that Palin has gained is mostly among people who would have voted for McCain in the end anyway. Palin's one contribution is in attracting bigger and more enthusiastic crowds. But Palin's overall favorability is dropping fast. She's like Rudy -- the more people get to know her, the less they like her. The debate may be her last attempt to turn things around -- but it looks like a longshot.

[munki]

One thing she sure did... got our attention.­.. and brought laughter in this bad economy...
Bet she is going to get a job with media and not in D.C. after this ordeal...
Alaska TV should... some said... FOX... "survival"­...

[seriously29]

sarah bush/cheney will do just fine, especially among pundits, i think. they secretly want her to win. the winner does not seem to be chosen by better judgment, in depth understanding of the issues or
policy. remember some thought mccain won against Obama. no she will have personality, lipstick and high heels and pundits will say "sarah is the winner."

let's hope not but that the debate is based on the issues which she, sadly, is having a problem with.

[JoeStalin2008]

Don't worry. Huffpo moderators do to trolls what I did to dissidents for years, banish them to the gulags in Siberia. Problem is they would always find a way to get their message out.