Palin's Popularity Plummets, Dems Continue To Whack Away

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's standing among the American public has plummeted in recent weeks, as the potential 2012 presidential candidate has weighed in forcefully (and inaccurately) into the health care debate.

A new CNN Poll shows that Palin's favorability rating has fallen seven percentage points since May, from 46 percent to 39 percent. Anything under the 50 percent mark is considered problematic, especially when the politician is a known quantity (only five percent of the public said they had never heard of the former governor). Fully 48 percent of those polled said they had an unfavorable impression of Palin.

The same poll found that the man who tapped Palin to be a vice presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, (R-AZ..) had also seen his favorability rating drop by seven percentage points. But the Arizona Republican still is viewed positively by 51 percent of the public.

CNN's findings are, of course, just a snapshot of public perception at a given time. But they do come as Palin has begun to make her first political steps in her post-gubernatorial career. Last week, the Alaska Republican posted a Facebook message declaring that President Obama wanted to set up "death panels" to determine which sick and elderly patients would be euthanized.

Meanwhile, Palin's partisan detractors are determined to keep her as the face of the opposition.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a grassroots organizing email, blasting Palin for her "outrageous" claim.

"While Palin's attack is a complete fabrication, the GOP is closing ranks to defend these outright lies. Over the weekend, former Speaker Newt Gingrich stood by Palin's bizarre 'death panel' accusation on national TV," the email reads. "But this is how we'll beat Palin and Gingrich's shameless fear-mongering - by every one of us spending every day aggressively fighting back with the facts. That's why the DCCC has put together Health Care Fact Check Cards debunking GOP myths on health insurance reform with the real facts."

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Comments

[twopac]

11:35 PM on 08/28/2009

Anybody who thinks Palin is really concerned about Alaska, politics or you is fooling themselves. That is why she quit her job as governor.

Her family is a mess, her marriage is a mess, her kids are a mess, she is a mess, she has no knowledge of politics, she has no knowledge of the economy, she has no knowledge of the health plan she is arguing about, she has no knowledge of the world.

Her mere existence right now is to finish her book, keep the interest on herself until her book is finished, to sell her book and that is it.

Is there anything she started as mayor or governor that she completed with public approval? No...

Whatever popularity she has left is due to the people who share the same little education Palin has.

[DessLoch]

12:09 AM on 08/29/2009

Yes but if those numbers keep dropping so will her advance and possibly the book deal altogether. Maybe she needs to learn from Kate Gosselin on how to nurse that 15 mins for 15 mil!

[panamarine]

03:31 PM on 08/26/2009

Like a falling Meteor, the light finally puffs out as it plummets to earth....methaphorically speaking of Palins path. A temporary light streaming accross the horizon having no impact on anyone or anything, only but for a short lived time she awe strucked right wingers. Dissapointing and unsatisfying to most who thought she was a permanent shinning star.

[MarionKIN]

08:19 AM on 08/25/2009

As an Alaskan, I quite clearly remember when as Governor, Mrs. Palin ardently supported her "Death Panels". In fact, she gave them their own special day and proclaimed it:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1094&type=6

[Designingwoman22]

09:29 PM on 08/25/2009

Thanks. Sent it in an email. Of course, naysayers defend their evil lies even in the presence of the truth and concrete proof. There is no getting through to them. I wish O'bama and the dems in Conress just push reform through and the h*** with the Republicans. That's what the Bush admin. did for 8 long years. They didn't give the Dems the time of day.

[godsense2]

01:45 AM on 08/15/2009

poll is probably flawed. Most CNN polls poll way more Dems as did the WaPo poll (50% more) from a few weeks back.

Notice no demographics included in results. No matter, popularity will rise in months to come. You watch...and weep.

[garymc8]

02:39 PM on 08/25/2009

They actually called the same amount of rethugs as dems its just all the rethugs said NO to taking the poll.. Party of NO. hahahahahahahahaha!

[feliznavidad]

04:05 PM on 08/26/2009

Weep not for me -- but for your children.

[Siebenstein]

01:32 AM on 08/15/2009

I hope Palin receives everything she preaches when she is old and relies on others.

[chriss0114]

12:57 PM on 08/14/2009

Silly Sarah used to be FOR death panels when she was governor...I wonder what changed?

http://gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1094&type=6

Also, those on Facebook can vote on a poll to get her Facebook account revoke for abuse:

http://apps.facebook.com/realpolls/m/76g5ulg1k

[Bronxdude]

12:40 PM on 08/14/2009

Regrettably, Palin suffers from self-induced narcissistic psychosis. The cure: ECT

[CJWebber]

05:52 PM on 08/15/2009

A shocking analysis.

[Siebenstein]

01:43 AM on 08/17/2009

LOL

[Bronxdude]

12:39 PM on 08/14/2009

Palin intellectually superior to Obama—really? After graduating from Wasilla High School (cited in a Johns Hopkins’ study as a "dropout factory”), Palin attended 5 no-name colleges in 6 years to finally get a 4 year degree in mass communications (wow! such a academically exacting discipline). During her 6 year odyssey, one of the schools she transferred to was Matanuska Susitna Community College (Rhodes Scholar material), where she attended for only 1 semester on a beauty pageant scholarship. While Palin “the quitter” may be short on scholarly accomplishments, she far out-paces Obama when it comes to filling out college applications.

[Haitiana4Obama]

03:30 PM on 08/14/2009

Well said Bronxdude,

I have nothing further to add, you summed it up rather nicely.

[Jude1930]

10:59 PM on 08/15/2009

Yes!

[Bronxdude]

12:23 PM on 08/14/2009

The average American refuses to accept that the Republican Nation is at war with the working-class, which is why republicans support the status quo and vehemently oppose healthcare reform, public education, government oversight, minimum wage hikes, worker rights, access to higher education, middleclass tax relief, and, in general, any legislation that would jeopardize the continuation of a credit-dependent, employer exploited, unhealthy, downtrodden, underpaid, debt-laden, undereducated and permanent class of laborers. Similar to exploited sharecroppers, it’s in the best interest of republicans to keep the working-class hopeless, oppressed, unhealthy, misinformed and undereducated. Republicans staunchly supported the Wall Street bailout to protect their own assets, but opposed the automobile industry bailout, which employs thousands of middleclass Americans. The republican aristocracy opposes any kind of governmental oversight that will interfere with their pursuit of exploitive capitalism, which is why they want to abolish the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, Education and The Food and Drug Administration. Anything that protects the worker must go. Just like feudal lords, the Republican Nation requires a formidable army to protect their financial interests, which is why they defend unrestrained military spending. The Iraq War will cost $2.6 trillion over 10 years, while health insurance for every American for the same time period would cost $1.2 trillion. Republican fear mongers want to keep America angrily divided by class and race. Universal health insurance would provide hope and elevate the standard of living for working-class Americans, something republicans vehemently oppose.

[bujudude]

03:01 PM on 08/25/2009

EXACTLY! Perfectly put. The modern Republican party is evil incarnate.

[Bronxdude]

12:21 PM on 08/14/2009

Parasitic health insurance vampires are spending more than $1.4 million per day to buy republican votes, scare people, curry favor and defeat healthcare reform. Since obstructionistic republicans sanction the bilking of the middleclass by the same ruthless industry they deregulated, we need the government between the public and greed-driven insurance profiteers. Making money off human pain is a republican principle. Real competition will lower the costs of health insurance. Georgia state employees have no due process patient protection rights, a negotiated constraint that gives UnitedHealthcare carte blanche to restrict coverage and deny care. Real competition will end the monopolistic stranglehold enjoyed by morally corrupt insurers like UnitedHealthcare. If competition is the lynchpin of free-market capitalism, why is UnitedHealthcare afraid to compete on a level playing field? Limiting choice drives up cost, benefiting the health insurer, which is why slime-dog republicans defend the middleclass being plundered by corporations like UnitedHealthcare. Through mendacious scare tactics, lying republicans curry favor and fear monger by preaching that reform will lead to rationed healthcare and restrictions on patient/doctor choice. Contrary to specious talking points propagated by solution-less republicans, as it stands right now, without true marketplace competition, insurers not only dictate the cost of medical care, but they also get to pick and choose who receives coverage and care. Sleazy and despicable republicans will not retreat quietly from millions in payoffs. I want access to the same slate of affordable options enjoyed by Congress.

[Bronxdude]

12:20 PM on 08/14/2009

Contrary to John McCain’s lies and mendacious scare tactics, generational debt paid for WWII, Korea and Vietnam and will also pay for Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the cost associated with goods and services is linked to inflation and increases exponentially, those currently paying into the Medicare fund with 2009 dollars are not doing so to safeguard their future access to benefits, but, instead, are paying to make up for the short fall in revenue necessary to cover the cost of benefits purchased by fund recipients with 1970 dollars, which when adjusted for inflation to compensate for the difference in buying power between 1970 and 2009 dollars, meets the operational definition for generational debt; thus, those who pay today are paying to insure access for those who paid in the past. In essence, I’m paying for people who paid into the system 35 years ago, because their 1970 dollars can’t buy healthcare at 2009 prices. Giving everyone the option to buy into the Medicare would increase the pool size, with the end result being enhanced benefits, lower costs and greater access to healthcare. Of course republicans would oppose such a move because opening up Medicare to everyone would decrease the profit margin for the insurance industry, which in turn would reduce payoffs and kickbacks provided to sell-out republicans by immoral corporations like UnitedHealthcare. Republicans have blood on their hands: Iraq and the failure to provide healthcare for every American.

[Bronxdude]

12:19 PM on 08/14/2009

Forget bipartisanship; true reform will provide affordable options that include a public offering. Chuck Grassley is an idiot, charlatan and health insurance industry prostitute. For his efforts to embarrass the President and sabotage health reform, Grassley has received millions in blood money from insurance corporations like UnitedHealthcare, and should be censured by Congress for his treasonous lies. Real reform will end the monopolistic strangle-hold enjoyed by ruthless insurers like UnitedHealthcare. In Georgia, UnitedHealthcare executives colluded with sleazy republican politicians like Johnny Isakson to eliminate competition, with the end result being higher premiums, reduced benefits, and greater profits for UnitedHealthcare. With no real competition, UnitedHealthCare is free to gouge consumers. When compared to the second quarter of 2008, profits for UnitedHealthcare increased by a whopping 155 percent, yet premiums continue to climb 4 times faster than wages. UnitedHealthcare is leading the charge to defeat healthcare reform by paying out millions in hush money to their republican whores. The health insurance industry (and the corrupt republicans they bankroll) will not retreat quietly from billions in annual profits. Repelling the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent and ending the Iraq War would generate $1.8 trillion in immediate revenue, more than enough to pay for healthcare reform over the next ten years. I want access to the same health exchange enjoyed by Congress and 8.5 million federal employees. The public option will control costs, expand coverage and end the single profiteer health insurance system bilking Americans.

[Bronxdude]

12:19 PM on 08/14/2009

I attended a raucous and hate filled town hall meeting this week. Outside the meeting, hateful people were waving derogatory placards equating President Obama with Hitler, dogs and Satan. Several signs held by small children compared the President to a pig, monkey and a shuffling cartoon character in blackface. Inside the meeting, people were screaming and shouting that America was being taken over by welfare recipients, immigrants and minorities, and that America needed to return to the type of society our founding fathers envisioned. During the question and answer period, one lady shouted angrily that she was against government run healthcare, but was satisfied with Medicare. Several misinformed attendees questioned the President’s citizenship and complained that the government had already started “reeducation camps” and death panels to reduce the cost of healthcare. 80 percent of the attendees were grossly misinformed and it was fairly easy to see that they were relying exclusively on republican manufactured lies as their primary sources of information. Republicans are not interested in a civil discussion. That’s why they are resorting to shameful scare tactics. Parasitic health insurance vampires are spending more than $1.4 million per day to buy republican votes, scare people, spread lies, curry favor and defeat healthcare reform. The “fix” is in to defeat reform, and degenerate insurers are buying republicans like cheap suits. I want access to the same affordable options enjoyed by Congress and 8.5 million federal employees. Public option now!

[Designingwoman22]

09:13 PM on 08/25/2009

Bronxdude There's no excuse for this kind of ignorance. It's an embarrassment . It looks like a terminal case of the stupids.

[JDJQP]

11:49 AM on 08/26/2009

Agreed. I almost want to laugh when this woman utters her usual ignorant and fear-mongering rhetoric; but it seems to me that she actually believes what she is saying, that's scary. If I lived in AK, I would be glad she quit as being a representative of mine.

[Bronxdude]

12:18 PM on 08/14/2009

Change invariably generates anxiety and fear, which was the case in 1964 when President Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act through Congress. Dixiecrats and Southerners were comfortable with the status quo and wrongly believed that granting Black Americans equal protection under the Constitution would somehow destabilize America, both economically and politically. With regard to health insurance reform, the same type of baseless fear is rearing its ugly head in 2009. For republicans, fear mongering proliferated through vicious lies is the preferred weapon of choice, and the disgusting success of their misinformation campaign is quite apparent in North Carolina, where 12 percent of registered republicans believe that Hawaii is a foreign country, 46 percent believe President Obama is an undocumented alien and 76 percent believe that Medicare is not government run healthcare. It’s no surprise that the epicenter of opposition against health insurance reform originates in the hinterlands of sparsely populated, undeveloped, uneducated and unsophisticated Southern states. Georgia and Alabama rank at the bottom on every public health indicator category monitored by CDC and DHHS, yet Southern republicans will not support health insurance reform. Life expectancy and infant mortality in Alabama is equal to many third-world countries. Not surprisingly, however, republicans from Alabama and Georgia rank at the top when it comes to soliciting and accepting payoffs and gifts from health insurance parasites like UnitedHealthcare.

[CJWebber]

05:56 PM on 08/15/2009

All your posts are true.

[Whitley2009]

07:27 PM on 08/22/2009

Well . . . yes.

[Colorado Bobby]

11:07 AM on 08/14/2009

The "Dems continue to whack" has the right word in it for Sarah, "WHACK" what a goofball. Is she real? Still witch hunting in Kenya?

The fact that she has a Kenya connection, does NOT make her presidential fodder. Unlike POTUS!