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Sarah Palin cost John McCain 2 million votes in 2008, according to a study
The Washington Post ^ | 1-19-16 | Philip Bump

Posted on 01/20/2016 8:46:10 AM PST by Gandalf the Mauve

There was one race in which Palin appears not to have been much help -- and, in fact, hurt the candidate. According to a 2010 study from researchers at Stanford University, noted by Brendan Nyhan, Palin's presence on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket cost John McCain 1.6 percentage points. In an election in which 131 million people voted, that's 2.1 million votes that McCain should have gotten but didn't....

As the campaign progressed, fewer people said they didn't have an opinion on Palin. And as nearly all of those people formed an opinion on her, that opinion was a negative one. As the researchers put it, "Palin saw a sharp increase in negative evaluations as the fall campaign progressed. Looking at individual-level changes in favorability, we find that 34% of respondents downgraded their evaluations of Palin between September and Election Day, while just 12% became more favorable."...

We're looking at this now in light of Palin's endorsement of Donald Trump, of course, but it's important to set the context properly. We're not suggesting that this study means that Palin will have a deleterious effect on Trump in the primaries. On the contrary, Palin's endorsement likely helps solidify some support for Trump among conservative voters.

Instead, it's worth considering what happened with Palin in light of Trump's candidacy.

The study notes a 2008 Newsweek column which suggested that Palin "sent wavering Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans scurrying to Sen. Barack Obama."...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: johnmccain; mccain; palin; sarahpalin
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To: Gandalf the Mauve

BS It was the only reason i voted for McCain, I can’t say for sure that i would not have voted for McCain or blanked it even though i was pretty confident McCain would loose!


61 posted on 01/20/2016 9:16:32 AM PST by qman (The communist usurper must go!)
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To: max americana
There are those that actually play negative politics ... not my preference, still it works over and over.

The medias do have a strong effect on how all candidates are seen by the public. We all know there are no rules for the medias where politics are concerned. They did their best to shut Sarah down when they realized how she related to the abidance she appeared before. Even then it was scandalous how Sarah was shut down. To the loss of America in my opinion.

62 posted on 01/20/2016 9:17:40 AM PST by midlander
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To: TexasCajun
MeCain would have been embarrassed for life if not for Palin.

So true. I just saw McCain's chunky spawn on Fox Business saying how poor and unfortunate it was for Sarah to endorse Trump given his slamming McCain early last fall. She was asked if she had been in touch with Palin since the campaign and she said no but she still sees campaign staffers. And that, of course, is the reason for Sarah to go rogue as McCain's staff did what ever they could to torpedo her natural populist instincts when it comes to election campaigning.

63 posted on 01/20/2016 9:17:41 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: Gandalf the Mauve

It was the other way around. People hoped McCain would croak taking the oath of office.


64 posted on 01/20/2016 9:21:20 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not A Matter of Opinion)
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To: captain_dave
John McCain cost John McCain the election.

Half the votes McCain got was because Palin was the running for vice president,

65 posted on 01/20/2016 9:21:59 AM PST by piroque ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act")
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To: Mechanicos

Ive heard hundreds of liberal say they were leaning to mccain but switched to obama after palin was selected...of course its bullchit


66 posted on 01/20/2016 9:22:25 AM PST by SPRINK
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To: LS

This is such horsechit. The only reason I voted for McCain ,as others I know , was Palin.


67 posted on 01/20/2016 9:23:11 AM PST by ground_fog
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To: captain_dave

Well said Captain.


68 posted on 01/20/2016 9:23:46 AM PST by Joe Boucher (Rubio is a liar, Jeb is worthless, Go Cruz ,Keep stirring the pot Donald.)
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To: Cboldt; Durbin
She was being hounded mercilessly with baseless accusations ...

They indeed were baseless, but they were filed as formal ethics complaints. Because at the time Alaska did not defend her financially against these charges, it was up to her to personally pay for lawyers to investigate and rebut the complaints. With the volume of complaints (dozens IIRC) and no financial relief coming, she felt she had to bail to prevent bankrupting her family. Subsequently the AK legislature passed a law that would prevent a repeat of what happened to her financially.

69 posted on 01/20/2016 9:25:31 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: ground_fog

I was watching here in my Dayton office live when McCain announced Palin in Dayton. It was electric.


70 posted on 01/20/2016 9:27:52 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Cboldt; Durbin
She was being hounded mercilessly with baseless accusations ...

They indeed were baseless, but they were filed as formal ethics complaints. Because at the time Alaska did not defend her financially against these charges, it was up to her to personally pay for lawyers to investigate and rebut the complaints. With the volume of complaints (dozens IIRC) and no financial relief coming, she felt she had to bail to prevent bankrupting her family. Subsequently the AK legislature passed a law that would prevent a repeat of what happened to her financially.

71 posted on 01/20/2016 9:31:13 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: LS

No kidding. If it were not for Palin he would not have had the votes he had. Funny how history is constantly being rewritten by the Fools.


72 posted on 01/20/2016 9:35:57 AM PST by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
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To: Gandalf the Mauve
Nonsense. McLame's candidacy was Dead In The Water until Sarah's acceptance speech. The next morning there was a flood of people into the local RPoF headquarters wanting to volunteer. I was first in line. She may well have cost McLame SOME votes but without her, McLame's loss would have eclipsed McGovern's as a legendary fail.
73 posted on 01/20/2016 9:37:32 AM PST by NonValueAdded (In a Time of Universal Deceit, Telling the Truth Is a Revolutionary Act)
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To: libbylu
I was one who voted for McCain because of Palin. Surely the many trumpees who have gone through my previous posts have seen that. Doesn’t change the fact Palin was respected on the right for her conservative and constitutional values. Her supporters were on the right. She will not change a single Cruz voter’s mind. Doesn’t leave her many minds to change.

Rush starting to talk about this now. I'm sure Sarah recognizes that Trump is the only one who can energize the electorate enough to win a race that must be won against the socialist progressives and their destructive values.

74 posted on 01/20/2016 9:41:58 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: MotorCityBuck
Well, here OUR side (the Cruzers, let's be specific) are now attempting to destroy her. Two years ago, you would have been ridden out of FR on a rail for attacking Palin like this. Eight years ago, you probably would have been banned for life.

I remember in 2012 merely expressing skepticism that Palin would or could run an effective national race. I actually had inside info based on my knowledge of the person producing her film and her ghostwriter and what they were seeing in the polling data. I was pilloried.

I knew Palin's power in 08, but didn't necessarily think that could translate into a full-blown persidential run because of her lack of a good organization (which she didn't have at the time).

But now, if it's not Cruz around here, it's an all out blitzkreig (which tells me Cruz is slipping further and further out of real contention).

75 posted on 01/20/2016 9:42:28 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: piroque
John McCain cost John McCain the election. Half the votes McCain got was because Palin was the running for vice president,

So true. I became a deputy voter registrar and signed up coworkers and knocked on doors because of her.

76 posted on 01/20/2016 9:46:38 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: Gandalf the Mauve

Totally coincidental timing of this article coming 7 years after the 2008 election. Totally coincidental, I’m sure.


77 posted on 01/20/2016 9:52:03 AM PST by Flick Lives (One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast. -- Heinlein)
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To: LS
At this point I believe Ted is done. Two weeks ago it looked like he had a chance for Iowa. Trump destroys all those in his path ;). Once he zeroed in on Cruz it was over. I don't put much stock in the Palin endorsement with the exception that it didn't go to Cruz. Once again. Trump nails it. On a side note. The only reason Sanders is close to Hilliary is because of Trump. Trump gutted her, and her rapist husband in a matter of days. Something the GOP never had the guts to do. Go Trump
78 posted on 01/20/2016 9:52:14 AM PST by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
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To: libbylu

Rush just nailed it, saying just what I posted. They (GOPe) do not understand the mood of the electorate that are so determined to save this country that they will submerge parts of the conservative agenda to defeat the liberal, socialistic, progressive agenda.


79 posted on 01/20/2016 9:55:29 AM PST by CedarDave (Rubio has missed more votes than any current senator; now he thinks he deserves a promotion.)
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To: MotorCityBuck

LOL. Nice and funny summary. Are you in Detroit?


80 posted on 01/20/2016 9:56:53 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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