David Plouffe: Dems Should Thank John McCain For Picking Palin

Barack Obama's campaign manager accused former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Sunday of co-opting the Republican Party and driving it toward the ideological fringe.

In an appearance promoting his book on NBC's "Meet the Press," David Plouffe said that Democrats should "thank John McCain for picking [Palin]" as his running mate. Pointing to the 2008 vice presidential candidate's role in driving attention and support to Doug Hoffman, the ultra-conservative candidate in the New York 23rd District special election, Plouffe insisted that Palin-led forces were purging the GOP of moderates.

And he wasn't upset with the development.

"What's going on in the special election in NY-23, I think, is a remarkable phenomenon that could affect our politics for years to come," Plouffe said. Palin, he added, was "kind of playing the role of pied piper in Republican politics, which I'm quite comfortable with -- basically hanging a 'moderates need not apply' sign."

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On Saturday, the Republican Party's endorsed candidate in NY-23, Dede Scozzafava, announced that she was resigning from the race because of poor polling numbers. Scozzafava had been bleeding support primarily from registered Republican votes, as a slew of big name conservative flocked to endorse the far more ideological Hoffman.

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Comments

[Willow207]

Fuzzy Math Behind Palin Book

Sarah Palin must be praying that her Monday appearance on Oprah will lead to a slot on the talk show maven's book list. In spite of a rumored 400,000-plus first print run for Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, which comes out Tuesday, November 17, the Daily Finance crunches a slew of numbers to reveal that HarperCollins might not want to bank on the book. Palin made the book deal last May, has received a $1.25 million retainer, and is expected to receive up to a $7 million advance, by the time Going Rogue arrives next week. Factoring in actual versus projected print runs for paperback and hardcover copies, Amazon—Wal­-Mart—Targ­et discount sales, ghostwriting fees, and the potential total payment to Palin, the Daily Finance claims that HarperCollins will need to sell more than 400,000 copies of the book just to break even—and that’s only if Palin’s total advance was a measly $5 million.

Read it at Daily Finance

[scorpioleidy]

I don't even think that John McCain could've foreseen what's happened since they chose to thrust this person into the national spotlight. Even though they lost big time last year, you'd think she'd slink away gracefully & not draw too much attention to herself ... but not this one - oh, no! This one actually creates opportunities to bring attention to herself, even to the detriment of her own party. It's unbelievable how completely self-absorbed she is. Even more unbelievable are the f00ls who support her & actually take her seriously as a viable political candidate.

Rock on, Sarah! And keep drinking your own k00laid. Hopefully by 2012 there won't even be a republican party!

[scorpioleidy]

We do, David - everyday! - especially after she was exposed during her interview w/Katie Couric last year. And because her narcissism knows no bounds ... she's the gift that keeps on giving! :-)

[liberalOrgonian]

If those dems would just stop making sense,
then the repubs would not have to make things up.

[SENCvoter]

It's time pied piper Palin and her poor little children formed their own party. They should call it the White Party. Or Know Nothing Party. Or the White Know Nothing Party.

[serena1313]

Although the percentage of the extremists are not large, they are the loudest. Sarah is tapping into that or trying to. The troubling part is that the Republican leadership and other lawmakers in Washington not only allowed Sarah to dictate the terms they stood by as she took the lead. Wherever Sarah goes they follow.

Sarah inserted her self in the NY District-23, Virginia and New Jersey. When NY District Scozzafava, the moderate republican candidate, stepped down Sarah thanked her for doing the right thing. Despite railing against robo calls last October, Palin recorded a robo call message in Virginia urging people to go to the polls and vote for "Sarah's 'principles,'" but does not mention GOP gubernatorial candidate, McDonnell by name. In fact McDonnell steered clear of Palin because she is too polarizing. New Jersey Independent gubernatorial candidate, Chris Daggett, received a tongue-lashing from Sarah for falsely saying she had urged him to drop-out and then suggested he do so in the same breath!

How this plays out is yet to be seen. Nevertheless if one or more of the 3-candidates manage to win Sarah will claim credit. Everything is about Sarah because Sarah makes it about Sarah. Those who follow ought to re_member that!

[Vetinari]

With the two party system that the US currently employs, until the GOP extremists really go over the top their voter exodus is unfortunately not a gigantic problem for them.

Anyone who dislikes being a republican these days will likely still vote republican in elections, mostly because they dislike the Democrats more than they dislike "extreme" republicans.

The only way this will really benefit Democrats is if the rightwingers decide to split into a new party or tell moderates that they (moderates) are no longer wanted in the GOP and should essentially "get the f out".

[justoverit333]

I know many Repubs who are very unhappy with their party.
They consider themselves moderates and believe the party
is not progressive. This will be interesting.

[OleLadySquawking]

Okay people time to put our punditry aside and start doing what we did last year, make some phone calls for Owens! It's easy so here you go...

http://my.barackobama.com/CallforOwens

[marignymitch]

Most Americans thank John McCain everyday. And most are looking forward to a Palin-Bachmann ticket in 2012.

[Dosadi]

We can only pray that happens.

[James in ucity]

We need the republican party. Unfortunately they're lost, roaming the wilderness.
Until they are no longer the party of racist, homophobe, evangelists they're meaningless.

[Dosadi]

And unnecessary.

[duhtruth]

When Palin was given the "trick" question by Couric, "What do you read, where do you get your information about what is going on?" and Palin answered, "Oh, whatever they put in front of me." She felt she had answered well until it was exposed that Mad Mag, Cosmo, People and National Enquirer were the big three in her "to do" reading pile. Excellent choice, John!

[Ricardo01]

Exactly what I thought at the time. Except all reading material is kept in the bathroom.

[clydedogg]

It is probably about the same as Al Gore feels about picking old Joe as his running mate. Neither want to look back on it.

[AfroGoddess]

It's like the Republican Party is Dorian Grey, and Palin was part of its portrait. While we knew it was always a possibility, the Republican Party, in all it's greed and frustration at losing has torn its mask off, thrown it to the ground, and is proceeding to bear the sharpen teethed beast at the rest of us.

Once upon a time it at least pretended to try to be inclusive. Once upon a time the party was diverse enough to smooth its rough edges. But then, once upon a time the American political system at least attempted to retain a modicum of decency. Now it's just a morass of B.S. on both sides.

But I get it. Politicians can only be so deceptive, and for the Republicans there's an additional power to be had in revealing the machinations behind amassing an army of true believers. They can be welcoming and magnanimous once they feel powerful again.

But right now its all ugly, all the time. Right now I trust Obama, but not his punk for a party. Right now we get to watch the portrait of the Republican Party and wonder when members of its own party will cleanse itself.

[rockinrod]

True dat!

[Matt7]

If McCain hadn't chosen Palin, Republicans would still be hawking "Stepford Wives" as their feminine ideal. Barefoot; pregnant; bedroom; kitchen. That's why their women cling so fiercely to her -- "freed at last!" Well . . . as close to freedom as their men will allow.

[zest]

Bush women still hold that profile.

[ReedYoung]

Should we also thank the GOP for picking John McCain, and Fox "News" for helping the GOP sabotage Ron Paul for the anti-corporate item of his Constitutional government platform plank? I won't. The GOP is a plague, and Sarah Palin is an informative symptom of its essential, core depravity, but I will not thank it or its membership for anything, ever.