McCain Faces Internal "Palin Insurgency"

Politico's Ben Smith reports on the internal tensions that are roiling the McCain campaign, with many Palin allies voicing their unhappiness at how the campaign has been run. According to Smith, there are now "stirrings of a Palin insurgency." Some of the highlights:

Four Republicans close to Palin said she has decided increasingly to disregard the advice of the former Bush aides tasked to handle her, creating occasionally tense situations as she travels the country with them. Those Palin supporters, inside the campaign and out, said Palin blames her handlers for a botched rollout and a tarnished public image -- even as others in McCain's camp blame the pick of the relatively inexperienced Alaska governor, and her public performance, for McCain's decline.

"She's lost confidence in most of the people on the plane," said a senior Republican who speaks to Palin, referring to her campaign jet. He said Palin had begun to "go rogue" in some of her public pronouncements and decisions.[...]

Anger among Republicans who see Palin as a star and as a potential future leader has boiled over because, they say, they see other senior McCain aides preparing to blame her in the event he is defeated.

"These people are going to try and shred her after the campaign to divert blame from themselves," said a McCain insider, referring to McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, and to Nicolle Wallace, a former Bush aide who has taken a lead role in Palin's campaign.
[...]

"A number of Governor Palin's staff have not had her best interests at heart and they have not had the campaign's best interests at heart," fumed the McCain insider, noting that Wallace left an executive job at CBS to join the campaign."

Read the full article.

Palin's favorability ratings have taken a hit recently, and the Washington Post reported Saturday that its latest poll shows the majority of Americans now have a negative impression of Palin.

Comments

[dakotawoman]

Anybody suspect that the Wingnut plan is even deeper and uglier than it seems? They chose Dubya and his handler, Rove, because Bush was dumb, shallow, easily manipulated but charismatic to the base they were courting and had the Bush family brand and fortune behind him. Cheney and Company were the real power and they manipulated the fundies and Domionists into voting them into office. Now the Right Wing power-brokers KNOW McCain is old and in risky health, so they force Palin on him?! Palin who is eerily similar to Dubya minus the old family money: she is dumb, poorly educated, ignorant of history and Constitutional government, loud-mouthed, provincial, chauvinistic, egotistical, jingoist, ambitious, lacking judgment, impulsive, small-minded, vengeful, hypocritical and in denial -- BUT with that mindless, folksey, emotional appeal to the class of person the wingers want manipulated and ignorant of who's benefitting from the deal. And it works!

Of course Palin's appeal to that base is appalling to thinking persons who can see though it. Palin is the Wingers perfect tool for shaping our nation into the fascist theocracy they have attempted for two decades. If McCain/Palin manages to steal this election IN SPITE of the will of the awakened intelligence of the majority of Americans -- ever wonder how long McCain will live to mess things up? The far right base doesn't want a "maverick"; they want a puppet mouth-piece. Looks like Palin is tailor made and hand-picked.

[LightningJoe]

Oh, gosh, Neo-Cons going at it tooth and jowl? Wake me up if something happens...

Really, what do you expect from rats? The ship is sinking, so what's to do, but draw your guns and stand in a circle -- Ready....A­im...(sham­elessly mixes metaphors)

[MoreChoices]

With Palin on the ticket, voting for McCain is the most irresponsible thing any person could do. I cannot understand how any reasonable person can see otherwise.

[LightningJoe]

Ran into someone today, who's mad about how they (the Republican handlers) are treating Palin, "making her look stupid."

Well, I disagreed with who's doing the make-look part. I don't think she needs any help from her handlers, for that.

[bbridges1962]

Palin/McCain may be involved with witchcraft, but I honestly believe that Obama/Biden has links to Satin himself.

[Fudgefase]

He's smooth alright...­..

[prabbit]

Links to "Satin"? Wow. Next thing you know we'll find out they have links to RAYON!!!! Oh, the humanity..­.

[hartkid]

I hope you get this message. I fear for your soul. You should not be here, bbridges1962, and I think you know that. This site is a place of great evel. Go from this place and do not return. Look at your posts on your profile...­see how just being here has changed you? Do you not have eyes to see? I beg of you, go forth from here and speak to your pastor. Ask him for guidance. God bless you and keep you.

Please take my advice. Just consider me a angle of the LORD, hear to hear the voices that cry out in the darkness and to lead them from hear. 4-ever. Deny satin! Be still and listen to the WORD!

[BassMent]

hartkid, your comment is so well done that I actually had to go look at your profile to see whether or not you were being serious or sarcastic! "...angle of the LORD," that was the best part.

I figure you must actually know some people who think this way....

[Clarknt67]

Lies, it's taffeta, not satin!

[seachild]

who the 'hell' is SATIN?...t­he linen king?

lmao...at least get the SPELLING RIGHT!

[Dave2129]

Palin narcissistic? She should be careful and take the advice that Zeus gave to Narcissus: "Watch yourself!"

[AlwaysFairDem]

The lady is history...­she is the reason McCain is under water. There is no blame game here...it is just the truth. Bad decision by McCain followed by a stupid lady who has no clue about any policy.

Cast that witch craft out of her!!

[iRob08]

This Just In: McCain Dumps Palin, Later Has Rabbit Stew For Dinner

(Think "Fatal Attraction")

[Glowcy]

.
[my fingers are in pain as I type this because I am not a Paling fan] Based upon what I have seen, Palin is charismatic. When [not if] she becomes much more polished, she will be a force to be reckoned with and the Republicans know it. The Democrats will be wise to keep an eye on this woman

Who was the big dummy who wrote her policy statement that she delivered on Friday? Having Palin make snarky attacks on the use of fruit flies in research was so not a good idea even if she seemed to like it. Again, when she is more polished with great handlers surrounding her, she will be a force to behold. Beware.

.

[jones]

The one bright spot of the Palin candidacy, is that it will bring about a boom in women in politics who will be clearly better choices as candidates for coming elections. And hopefully Palin will stay in Alaska and help her friends at the consignment shop.

[jackthecommentor]

Palin is already a "farce" to be reckoned with! I think some people give her too much unwarranted respect as a viable competitor on the national stage. She is just someone who was quietly sleeping in a small town in Alaska one night when a storm hit and blew her into a world she does'nt know anything about ,and she just wants to get back home where she feels like she has a small amount of control over her own corrupt political agenda!! As far as her political future is concerned she may as well forget about that! Her mavericky friend in Washington has screwed her out of that!

[ngannon]

I really hope that I will never have to see Palin again after this election. I cannot sit through more than a minute of her ridiculous speeches. She is an insult to all women. I hope that when conservative Republicans choose another representative that they choose one who is qualified and intelligent and not just one who is an appeal to everything that is wrong in our society. Palin is a rabble rouser- she stokes and feeds feelings of hatred and intolerance. She has extremely questionable ethics in governing as indicated by the results of the investigation in Alaska. I am also tired of seeing her parade her sad family across the stage. I do feel really sorry for those children. They obviously need more attention and care than they are receiving. There is obviously a lack of respect for education of all kinds in this group and the children would appear to be suffering due to Palin's ambition.

[monac58]

I think you will see a lot of her. She is just right for FOX (FAUX)-News! Can't you just see her there on the couch with a little tiny mini skirt and a borrowed jacket? She will fit right in with the bimbos they already have there and the mean old snarky men doing the 'news'.

[Nitalia]

"A force to be reckoned with?" I don't think so! If there was an inkling hint of this- Palin would have turned down the VP nod, became a surrogate for the campaign, learned the ropes and then may be she would have been ready for a national gig. She simply was not ready and I pray that America will not allow Palin to come anywhere near the white house! She maybe a skilled politician, but she doesn't have the intellect to perform on the national scene.

Despite how hard the Rethuglicans have tried to match her up to Barack Obama, Palin has failed over and over again other than drawing large crowds, but what's the point in doing this when you have nothing to say. She came from out of no where trying to attack Sen. Obama. No one even knew who she was so how credible were these attacks particularly when she has plenty of stones that can be thrown her way. The one thing a politician must have is the ability to convince the public that you at least know what you're talking about, that you are up on the issues, that you are aware with what's going on in the world. A politician without the ability to look convincing is simply not fit for a career in politicis. I hope we never see the likes of Sarah Palin ever again!

[LightningJoe]

Are you kidding? She's way out of her league. True, there is no such concept, with her; she'll always think she can "just fake it," even if "it" is brain surgery. But the electorate is being forced to grow up, and future candidates will need a bit more solidity to get past their filters.

True, a Sarah Palin will always appeal to the "super-patriot" and TV-Church crowds, but those are a small portion of the electorate. While she may make a lot of noise here in Alaska (sigh), I doubt anyone is really going to take ANY Republican seriously for a generation at least, after the fiasco of the last eight years.

As it should be...

[Pacaba]

I think it might be time to start requiring psychological evaluations of our presidenti­al/vice-pr­esidential candidates be released in addition to medical histories. Palin shows all the signs of having Narcissistic Personality Disorder (see description here http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/traits.html ).

It sure explains an awful lot of her seemingly irrational behaviors.

[MDHutchinson]

I read the article on Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and though it does indeed explain a lot of Palin's behavior, it also applies to just about every politician who has ever ran for office. I don't think you can aspire to govern people without a narcissistic personality. Palin's "disorder" may just be more pronounced.
My amateur theory is that she's bipolar, but that's admittedly just a hunch. The one thing that's clear is that there's definitely some faulty wiring. Too bad Joe isn't an electrician.

[mwestorca]

I think you're stretching here. People don't have to have a psychiatric disorder to display this sort of behavior. They can also just be shallow. And ignorant. And too self-absorbed to realize or recognize or care that they don't really know what they are talking about.

[kannadzuki]

Every day, I keep seeing the headline for this article in the sidebar and thinking it says "Pain Insurgency­." Lol...

[publicmenace]

Of course Palin goes off the script and does her own thing. She's a maverick! Nobody's mavericker when it comes to being mavericky.

[LightningJoe]

There's something about a woman in a maverick suit...

[jackthecommentor]

You could buy a bunch of Maverick suits for $150,000

[Actongue]

Palin
She is a Flash in the Pan and I would not be suprised to see her National Political career washed up after this Election.
Not because of the Media bias but because of how she was thrust into it from the get go but Mainly due to her own personal Agendas and lack of Subtance.a­nd lying to the American people.

The little bit of Executive Experience she has had she has done nothing of signifigance and has already shownThat she is More Corrupt then she wants people to believe

Wasilla
As mayor she hired a Lobbyist because she wanted more money for the town......­.She said she wont cater to lobbyist but already lied.

Governor
Her Pipeline
The pipeline Contract for bidding was tailored so that only one Company TransCanada corporation http://www.transcanada.com/company/alaska_pipeline_project.html
would be able to bid on the Contract.

Trooper gate which is still undergoing
Palin was found guilty of abusing the powers of her Office yet she did not like the verdict so she created her own investigation panel that she would go along with and its outcome.
The personnel on the Panel where people she could FIRE so that is by far and away a biased panel if there ever was one.

[xmontreal]

Wake up and smell the coffee---most of the pipeline is in Canada and will connect into the existing Trans-Canada Pipeline Infrastructure that has feeder lines into the lower 48.. If no Trans Canada pipeline contract---no pipeline--period.

[Actongue]

The infrastucture is in place so yes it makes sense but then why tout it as an open and fair bidding process which she did?

This is an interesting read
http://community.adn.com/adn/adn_pubstory_414143#comment-244113
It appears many are now seeing what Palin is really like and alot are regretting their vote for her

a post in this thread leads manyto believe there is alot more going on then just te fact the infrastructure is in place

Why isn't the ADN reporting on Marty Rutherford's previous work for TransCanada? Palin has covered herself in a veil of "ethics" but her main gasline negotiator and architect of the TransCanada plan used to work for.......­.TRANSCANA­DA. Palin will through Stevens, Murki, Young under the bus (they probably deserve it), when conveinent for her but will stare off into space when her own team's ethics come into play. Sign me up for 500 mill!

[Nitalia]

Well, she thougt it was going to her own panel, but as it turns out, the state Board hired their own investigators! Hope we know something soon!

[WyomingJack]

"A number of Governor Palin's staff have not had her best interests at heart and they have not had the campaign's best interests at heart," fumed the McCain insider...

Once again, blame the workers. This whole campaign is falling apart and neither McCain or Palin have anything to do with it. It is going to go down as the worst campaign in history, and it is all the staffers' fault.

[Joulanda]

Absolutely amazin. Where was the Maverick part of McCain when it came to picking his own running mate. Had he been such when it came down to this pick he would be further in the game.

Again, McCains judgment at what are really crucial moments is why the American people are rejecting him. When this is all said and done a week from election day he is going to be pissed at the decision. This was his final opportunity to run for President and he blew it on a bad decision made on a beautiful woman. Many a men, powerful strong men have made that mistake and in the end it was never worth it.

He tried to be to clever and diabolical in his choice and it backfired. Maybe someone should tell McCain the story of the man who took home the sick serpent to nurse him back to health.

[VegasNomad]

The Obama campaign seems to know what there are doing. That said, the fact that McCain picked Mrs. Palin as his running mater after meeting here once, with maybe one prior conversation, is simply amazing to me. Whether or not the Obama campaign, its surrogates or the press hammer this issue or not (not so far) it just boggles me.