Could 'Palin factor' save McCain?

CNN ^ | 10-21-08 | Cnn

[Wegotsarah.com]

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado (CNN) -- As the presidential campaigns enter their final days, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is getting getting the rock star treatment, drawing much bigger crowds than her running mate, Sen. John McCain.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was greeted like a rock star by supporters at a rally in Colorado on Monday.

But it's still a mystery whether the "Palin factor" will drive enough conservatives to the polls to offset Sen. Barack Obama's gains with independent voters.

During her stops in battleground states, Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, has continued her role as the main attack dog.

She continues to rip into the Democratic ticket, suggesting that Obama and Sen. Joe Biden's plan to raise the taxes of those making over $250,000 smacks of "socialism."

"Barack Obama calls it 'spreading the wealth.' Joe Biden calls higher taxes patriotic. Joe the plumber said it sounded to him like socialism. And now is not the time to experiment with that," Palin said during a rally Monday in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Rank-and-file Republicans are digging her feistiness, but many question whether she can draws voters outside of her party's conservative base. Watch how the 'Palin factor' could shape the race »

"It may well be that there is ... a group of people out there now who find it politically incorrect to be for Sarah Palin in public, but they're going to vote for her in the privacy of the voting booth," said David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst.

And the Alaska governor, who is still in her first term, still faced doubts that she is qualified to be vice president. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is

[Wegotsarah.com]

Get Sarah a 30 minute national spot.

www.wegotsarh.com

[Wegotsarah.com]

YES,IT CAN!!!

[The G Man]

B-b-b-but I thought Palin was a drag on the ticket, and a big mistake?

LMAO!!

[scooby321]

is she helping ? I don't know?

Ask Peggy Noonan ?

Kathleen Parker

The Buckley I never knew existed until the oter day.

Colin Powell

or the Voters

I choose the crowds and the Voters.

[randita]

"It may well be that there is ... a group of people out there now who find it politically incorrect to be for Sarah Palin in public, but they're going to vote for her in the privacy of the voting booth," said David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst.

Now, isn't this "spashul"? The female version of the Bradley Effect. It's amazing that Gergen is even acknowledging this might be the case. Judging from the virulent anti-Palin rhetoric out there, you can understand why no one would want to express admiration for Sara, let alone say they are going to vote for the ticket.

[scottinoc]

"It may well be that there is ... a group of people out there now who find it politically incorrect to be for Sarah Palin in public, but they're going to vote for her in the privacy of the voting booth," said David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst.

Wow, David Rodham Gergen has a momentary flash of correct insight that temporarily entered his thick RINO head.

[NavyCanDo]

If it wasn’t for Palin, McCain would already be history. She is what gives the McCain campaign life.

[showme_the_Glory]

Up to the point when he announced her, I was definitely still undecided, leaning towards a write in. She was a game changer for me. Go Palin/McCain.

[eureka!]

From the article:

"But it's still a mystery whether the "Palin factor" will drive enough conservatives to the polls to offset Sen. Barack Obama's gains with independent voters."

From eureka!:

With the MSM push and economic meltdown, we are down just a couple points when The 0ne should be up 15+.

The problem for them (Media, 'rats and The 0ne trolls here on FreeRepublic) is that the base is fired up despite McCain. Two reasons: (1) Sarah and (2) they are rightfully scared to death by The 0ne. That said, I don’t know if anyone could weight the polls with any confidence this cycle. So many factors, e.g., PUMAs (saw recently a 30% number of Hillary supporters that are not in BO’s camp), Bradley/Wilder effect (amongst democrats and GOP voters are already not going to vote for BO), an invigorated GOP base (the Palin Effect and a genuine fear of BO by many others), Operation Chaos (as to democrat registration numbers in the latter ‘rat primary states) and the fact that the polls were so far off in the last of the democrat primaries where Hillary blew off BO’s doors in PA and the like (as to PA, where is Rendell? Hmmm.)

Heck, based on the foregoing and anecdotal evidence I see, I think a 1994 redux is possible with, if not similar results, a happy ending for those genuinely in our camp. Time will tell...

[Harry Wurzbach]

What about Obama’s losses among disaffected Democrats?

And, oh yeah, I’m sure Obama is really picking up independents. Hey look, I’m writing stuff on the internet. I can make things sound like I want them to be too.

I think Palin is going to have a much bigger impact than the MSM, the Obama campaign, and the loser ‘conservative’ commentators who have dogged her think. She’s a star, but she’s more of a star because she represents and voices what many Americans (not just conservatives) are thinking.

Wherever she shows up, she gets big ratings. The convention, the VP debate, SNL, etc...People want to vote for her. that is dangerous for Obama. McCain’s campaign was supposed to cast as ‘the past’, ‘reactionary’, etc...which it would have come across with any other standard issue GOP VP candidate, save for Gov. Jindal.

Star power counts for something, especially with a fawning Obama loving media carrying water for him.

I think the people have seen how Gov. Palin has been treated. It’s harder and harder for the media to hide their biases. You know journalists absolutely hate the internet. People are now aware of what the media has tried to do to Gov. Palin.

I think people will ultimately be far more comfortable with her as McCain’s #2 than Obama as the #1, especially with Biden and Albright pointing out that he’ll likely get in trouble in his first year and he’s not ready.

[Non-Sequitur]

But it's still a mystery whether the "Palin factor" will drive enough conservatives to the polls to offset Sen. Barack Obama's gains with independent voters.

That's the $50,000 question. But it's safe to say that without Palin, McCain wouldn't be getting the support from the base he's getting.

[snarkytart]

I agree, but I don’t think McCain is going to counter the 30 minute spot by Obama.
He should, though.

[catbertz]

She possibly saved my vote. McCain definitely needed lots of sweetener to go down. Sarah, to me, represents the future leaders of our party. Young, vibrant, ready to fight for our future.

[Loyolas Mattman]

You all should have seen Maddow with that Ana Marie Cox woman last night still trying to sell that “She's a drag on the ticket! No one likes her!” junk.

It was nothing short of appalling. It was like I had accidentally tuned into some sort of propaganda film...

I really need to stop doing that to myself.

[Harry Wurzbach]

Sounds about right.

Also, now with the Biden and Albright gaffes about Obama’s inexperience and weakness which will invite the world to ‘test him’ or whatever, I think McCain can put the fake concerns about Palin’s readiness on the back burner. Do you want an inexperience president or an experienced president with an inexperienced vice-president who will have the time to learn on the job?

From what I can tell, Palin doesn’t play well with perhaps 45% of the electorate. Oh well. Focus on the other 55% and win this thing.

[randita]

I agree, but I don’t think McCain is going to counter the 30 minute spot by Obama.

I predict that these Obama spots will get a lower audience share than a prime time show on MSNBC. They only way I'd watch it is if someone gave me money - at least $1K.

[padre35]

It is fear on behalf of Gergen/Obama, they are deathly afraid of the idea of Gov Palin attracting voters who are generally overlooked.

Like first time voter married mothers with special needs children, they have no way to poll someone like that, and if we look at the rise in Autism diagnoses, it could be a large group that they don’t know about.

[Wegotsarah.com]

SNARKTART—WE’re going to force his hand -:)

[Harry Wurzbach]

Lesbian socialists don't like her. Surprise.

The left hates her like they hated Reagan, because they know she represents conservatives well. I'm too young to remember how the GOP establishment reacted to Reagan back in the day, but from the tidbits I've seen, they viewed him as a drag and an electoral loser too. Until he won and won again.

I think she will reshape the map at the ballot box. Then the media, with its skewed polls and Obama fellating reporting, will be wondering how they missed it.

Hey journalists!!! We got the internets too!

[SueRae]

“Could Palin factor save McCain?”

YOU BETCHA!!!!!!!