Palin's Clothes Cost RNC More Than Weekly Ads In Six States

The McCain campaign and RNC's pushback to revelations that they purchased $150,000 worth of clothing and accessories for Sarah Palin has been, primarily, that it was money well spent.

After all, the Alaska Governor's image has graced countless newspaper covers and been featured prominently on television newscasts. Politics, the argument goes, is a superficial business. "She needed clothes," said McCain.

But what has some GOP operatives shaking their heads is the missed opportunities that that $150K represents. Had the RNC forgone the clothing purchases, they could have put more mail in mailboxes, more boots on the ground, and more advertisements on air.

Indeed, a look at some ad buy statistics provided by a Democratic source shows that the RNC put more money down on Palin's attire than they and the McCain campaign have spent on a weeks-worth of advertising in half a dozen, potentially, swing states.

From October 13th through October 19th, the McCain campaign and the RNC spent a combined $125,000 on advertisements in New Hampshire, roughly $90,000 in West Virginia, and $86,000 in Maine. In each of those states, the Republican ticket is fighting Obama for a small but potentially significant number of electoral votes.

In North Dakota and Georgia, the RNC and the McCain campaign did not spend a penny on advertising during that same week. These two states seem likely to break for McCain, but it is not inevitable: Obama could potentially pick off their votes.

In Indiana, the RNC spent $450,000 last week on ads while the McCain campaign did not spend anything. An additional $150,000 could have meant 33% more airtime over the course of a week.

Then there is Michigan. The GOP pulled out of the state a few weeks ago and so hasn't spent any cash on advertisements there. The $150,000 they put down on Palin's clothes would not have purchased much airtime in that large market, but it may have saved McCain from the public criticism that he was subjected to for abandoning the state.

In the end, Palin's sharp looks could draw more voters to the Republican ticket than any particular ad. But the budget choices of the RNC have some observers baffled, and they will likely be a sharp point of critique for campaign post mortems.

Comments

[obgynobgyn]

Obama and Biden pay for their own clothes and do not have high priced stylist.
They already know how to dress themselves.

Palin calls herself the Wamart hockey mom, well for the money they paid her stylist she could have made her look great with clothes from Walmart. And Palin would have shown the country she really does live as she speaks.

[obgynobgyn]

I heard there was a backdoor deal in the works that will have Palin to donate the clothes to a place in Alaska where they will sell them back to her exclusively for one dollar.

[skirtingtheedge]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/22/the-obamas-discuss-dressi_n_137009.html

For all who haven't read this HuPo article and seen this video, well, here it is. What the Obamas spend on clothes...

[DrewRicketts]

Does this count as the RNC's X-mas gift for Sarah Palin? Here are the ten other things they could've bought with the money: http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/10-things-palins-150k-outfits-could-buy/

[LindyLee]

Drew, pay attention. The clothes belong to the RNC Closet, not to Sarah Palin and not a Christmas gift to Palin.

Now, tell me how much Barack Obama's campaign jet cost to ferry him to Hawaii? How much fuel, during an energy crisis was expended for one man, when he could have flown first class coach for much less, huh?

[stayinsouth1981]

I just can't imagine the Secret Service, schlepping it through to the Hertz desk and picking up as many 15 passenger vans as they have on Oahu.

[seaworthy]

Yes, he should have done just like your hero Palin did.

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/21/palin.travel.ap/index.html

And where would the Secret Service necessary for his journey sit on this commercial flight?

Lindy - pay attention - no one would care about her clothes if she wasn't constantly trying to pass herself off as an ordinary bloke. No one would care about her clothes if the economy wasn't the mess that it is. Ordinary blokes are losing their homes and their jobs, not gadding about in fancy duds with a personal stylist in tow.

[Hoelder]

"She needs clothes." No she doesn't! She was hired to look irresistibly pretty. I think she can do without.

[LindyLee]

Oooh, jealous, catty remark, huh?

[Manx]

According to CNN today, Sarah Palin says criticism of her $ 150,000 shopping spree is gender based. History proves her wrong. John Edwards was criticized for his $ 400 haircuts but didn't cry sexism. People used to make fun of Harry Truman's exotic shirts. He didn't play the gender card.
And the dapper, some say foppish, Thomas Dewey, was criticized for his expensive clothes. A wag said that Dewey looked like he belonged on the top of a wedding cake.

Maybe Palin should read a little about American history - among other things.

[LindyLee]

In this case, the criticism is sexist. In John Edwards' case, it was a refreshing matter because nobody EVER discussed how the candidates were dressed or coifed. It wasn't sexism because both were exposed to it.

However, now, it is.......nobody is talking bout Obama's wardrobe or where he gets his haircuts or how much they cost....nor do they discuss the clothing of McCain or Joe Biden. They certainly do not discuss their makeup.

This is pure sexism.........

[seaworthy]

No it isn't.

If she wasn't trying so hard to be Joan Sixpack, no one would care.

[brynn6]

Again, try do a little research before blathering. How do you suppose that I know that Obama buys his suits at Hart Shaffner & Marx for $1,500. There is plenty out there about where Michelle shops too. Probably info about McCain and Joe-the-next-VP as well, but I can't imagine who would care. By the way, they all pay for their OWN clothes.

[excruciator]

[LdyPitt]

Wonder if Tina Fey had to spend big bucks on her SNL outfits? :)

[LindyLee]

Bet Tina Fey pays a lot of money for her clothing. Nancy Pelosi spends four thousand dollars a suit and seven hundred dollars for her shoes...

[seaworthy]

Does Tina Fey's clothing budget come from the RNC via donations by now-disillusioned members or from her own paycheck?

Is Nancy Pelosi desperately trying to convince the country that she's an ordinary American with impeccable ethics who would never, ever take a free ride or "pork"? Then I guess she can blow the wad on her bloomers and no one's gonna care.

[brynn6]

Neither one is trying to pretend that they're frugal. AND, they pay out of their own salaries.

[zibawala]

Was she HOMELESS?and that is an elite, demanding one too! LOL, needing, food , shelter and clothes and those from Neiman Marcus plus a personal stylist/makeup artist to help her sell to American public this upcoming holiday season.

It is pathetic that she has to take her kids out of school, to be dressed like SHOW BIZ kids of HOLLYWOOD so called ELITES and have them do fashion parade with her on stage with her. So we can see and judge who will be the next AMERICAN IDOL?

[LindyLee]

When one is on the stage, due to lighting, makeup artists are required. I am only telling you this because apparently, you aren't sophisticated enough to know it. Next, the kids weren't dressed like Hollywood kids at all.....if they were, they would be wearing tiny blouses revealing the midrift and very, very tight spandex shorts. Trust me, living in California that is not show biz, Hollywood type dressing, but is more the style of Salt Lake City or Denver, Colorado.

I suggest you get out and about and get to know about the trends in America. Before writing posts that address things that are irrelevant, like the makeup artist, do your research. All candidates wear makeup because of television cameras. All candidates wives wear makeup and their children do too, when in front of cameras or on stage.

[skirtingtheedge]

Read the article right on this page about Palin on SNL...it's right there. And what about the picture of the youngest Palin girl carrying a Louis Vuitton bag? Can't get much more elitist Hollywood/Beverly Hills than THAT! You are missing the point. If Sarah hadn't just spent a week repeating her populist rhetoric about Joe the Plumber and her claim from the very beginning that she's just a Hockey Mom, she wouldn't be getting slammed for this. And she's a big girl. She could have refused to shop at Saks and NM and gone somewhere more "middle class". She wears $300 designer eye glasses for crying out loud! And the campaign spent more money on the makeup artist that it did on anyone else during the same period...including every campaign adviser! So please! They are building an image and spending a lot of money to do it. And they are hypocrits and Americans get it.

[brynn6]

She could have got a few lessons from a make-up artist and done it herself. It's not rocket science, and the rouge is clownish even with a professional. In McCain's case it's perfectly understandable, they have to make McCain look like he's still breathing

[jja]

No one would really care too much about Palin's clothes except that all she has talked about is how she is just one of "us", taking care of the kids and spending time at the hockey games, your regular average joe. The problem is that she is walking around with $150,000 wardrobe that she did not pay for. You can't claim that you are not from "inside the beltway" and just like the woman next store and then run to Nieman Marcus and plunk down that kind of cash. It just does not jive.

[begabug]

guess J McC found his next "joe". presenting the very needy, frugal "Joe the Governor" Palin.

[begabug]

let's see...the governor of a state that provides checks to it's citizens (thanks to the money the rest of america spends on oil) is a very needy person. So the anti-welfare warriors buy her $150 k worth of clothing. not to sound socialistic or anything, but i'm ( a non-government unemployed former middle-classer) somewhat needy in regards to food and shelter for my family. anyone in the RNC willing to pony-up and help out?

[LindyLee]

She is an everyday person like us. Her family made $176,000 last year. She is not a millionaire and she lives in one of the ten highest cost of living states in the nation. Few have need for designer clothes in Alaska. Alaskans are survivors. They are practical. They wear parkas and jeans and boots, not designer suits and shoes.

I have read so many jealous posts over the red shoes she wears....and its hilarious. What is amazing is that the posters of this site cannot discuss an issue seriously or intelligently. It is hilarious.

[seaworthy]

"What is amazing is that the posters of this site cannot discuss an issue seriously or intelligently."

Hey! Isn't that just like Palin.

[brynn6]

I've seen photos taken when Sarah actually bothered to show up for work (Juneau citizens took to wearing "where's Sarah" buttons because she phoned it in from home most of the time) and she was wearing nice, perfectly acceptable clothing. Did you have this fantasy of her up in the governor's mansion dressed like Nanook of the North?

[brynn6]

Oh yes, about the millionaire thing, her net worth was listed at $1.4M. So yes she is. Joe Biden's was listed at $150,000 after all of his years of public service. Guess who might have been dipping into the till.

[PaceSetter]

"She needed clothes," said McCain. "When if found her she was living alone, wild in the Alaskan woods, she was naked , fishing and hunting for moose with her bare hands."

The wily ex-POW continued,"She lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. When I found her and could finally figure out what she was saying, she told me she had been abandoned by the bevvy of beauty queens with whom she had been running. Since then she had had no real experience of human care." He continued, "Of course it's true she had mated from time to time with a wild snow machine racer, the alpha male of the area, who had given her many young, but of true social behavior, she had no experience, until I took her in and began to teach her the ways of the Grand Old Party, and of which she seems to be catching on very quickly." He patted her rump. She turned and bit his hand. "See?" said McCain, "The little devil's coming along just fine."

[GoNitro]

The RNC should have brought in Tim Gunn.

[seaworthy]

Or Stacey and Clinton - they could have done her up proper for what, $5K?

[brynn6]

Tim, Stacy and Clinton! Yes, and for 3-4 weeks $5K would have been more than adequate. The Michael Jackson jacket wouldn't have happened either.

[lucnyc]

$150,000 for clothes and shoes? Nothing else really needs to be said.

[love2sue]

Like the leaders of the GOP, McCain thinks we are stupid. Palin did not "need more clothes." She receives enough per diem per year to keep her entire family outfitted in designer clothes. We've listened to Palin for 7 weeks and view her as someone that could not think her way out of a wet paper bag. Palin needs something that no one can provide to her. Prior to her selection, she needed to be an intellectual that already possessed the knowledge necessary to run this nation.

After 40 years of the right calling itself "compassionate conservatives" or "the Moral Majority" while at the same time declaring all liberals to be "socialists", "tax and spend welfare creators", "anti-Americans", "anti-God", "cowards", "liars" and/or "stupid", what goes around is finally coming around. McCain is going down in flames and is taking the GOP with him. For 40 years, the GOP has tried to "dummy down" the public as it knew getting a voter to vote against his/her own best interest would not work otherwise. As of Nov. 5th, the GOP will be left clinging to its right-wing base, its religion, and its guns. It will be unable to win any national election for years to come. It is time that we had a President that wants to usher in an age of intellectualism... an age of tolerance, renewed and continued hope, progressive thought, and unity. The GOP's demise is long overdue. Justice is being served.

[LindyLee]

I doubt McCain thinks you are stupid as you stated. Nobody knows what McCain is thinking, not even you. And you cannot state that you know that Palin did not need more clothing. Her "per diem" is ot for clothing, it is for living expenses while away from home. Anyone who has any knowledge of government knows that. Nobody is trying to dummy down the public...and that argument could be used for this site with its false leading headers and the comments that are documented that are simply not true.

I've been on here a week and have found and corrected soooooooooooooo many falsities, including yours that you know what is going on in John McCain's head and what is in Sarah Palin's closet. Because you simply don't, do you?

[seaworthy]

Well, I've read all of your posts on this page and while you have made comments and definitely addressed others' comments, you have not "corrected any falsities".

No, no one can read what is in another's head - this is obvious. So how can you justify your opening line:

"I doubt McCain thinks you are stupid as you stated."

Are you somehow aware of his thoughts and feelings?

[brynn6]

Uh, most of the per diem was for WHEN she was working from home NOT when she was away. A lot of gall to charge the state when you're sitting on your own front porch, eating your own food and not going to work. I'll bet her staff doesn't get the same privilege. I'll bet they have to actually show up, pay for day-care and all the rest. Oh yes, she "forgot" to pay taxes on that money too. Oops. All together now, can we say Fiscal Responsibility?