Sarah Palin is back, using her book Going Rogue as a prop – and from all indications she ain’t going away – which may be why passions, pro and con, are so intense about her.
There seems no middle ground when it comes to Palin — some of it understandable, most of it puzzling.
If she’s a ditz, an airhead as some insist, someone without the depth or substance to be president, why worry about her? The electorate will catch on. So why do Democrats slag her at every opportunity?
If she’s a genuine threat to be a contender for power on the Republican side, why are so many Republicans uneasy about her? Uneasy? Heck, some froth at the mouth.
Regardless, she’s a phenomenon of our times – arguably the only Republican at the moment with star power. Now that she’s back, and appearing on various conservative talk shows – Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, as well as those middle-America favorites, Oprah and Barbara Walters – another aspect of Sarah Palin is coming into focus that possibly is her greatest asset.
She is eminently likeable on TV. This is a quality she shares with Ronald Reagan who, if one remembers, was initially dismissed by self-styled intellectual elites as a dumbo, grade-B movie actor and mad bomber before he won the election and became Ronald Reagan, one of the greatest of U.S. presidents who won the Cold War.
With her book tour bus, complete with her portrait on the side, Palin is obviously taking aim at heartland America – her constituency, that is immune to the appeals of the elite like Barack Obama.
One can understand the unease of Democrats, especially with Obama’s charisma fading with every questionable policy, a soaring deficit and economic setback. But why are some Republicans so hostile?
True, Palin’s solid base among the religious right, right-to-lifers, and no-compromise conservatives is not enough to guarantee election. On the other hand, without this base, no Republican can be elected president.
The trick for Republicans – perhaps their only hope unless Obama continues to disintegrate – is for the factions to blend and cooperate, and heal their ideological differences.
What Palin is proving on this book tour is toughness, resiliency, likeability. She exudes candor and compassion, and appears not to hold grudges. She admits past errors which is disarming, while maintaining a Reagan-like cheerfulness. As for convictions, she doesn’t bend and has a Thatcher-like resolve – minus Maggie’s wisdom and intellect.
Another thing this book tour is proving is that she was shrewd to quit as governor of Alaska if she aspires to be a continuing force in America – as she obviously does. Her gift is to be beautiful without appearing to work at it; everyone knows that good looking people have a built-in advantage over those who aren’t.
Sarah as President? Hard to imagine. But what if Rudy Giuliani seeks the Republican nomination – with Palin as a running mate? Hmm. Like John McCain, Giuliani never has a critical word to say about Palin. He even takes her to Yankee baseball games.
Some see her and her book as mindful of country singer Loretta Lynn’s book (Coal Miner’s Daughter) which was refreshingly honest and much admired. No, Sarah Palin is here to stay, and judging from interviews so far, a repeat of her Katie Couric disaster is unlikely.
44 responses so far
1 CentristNYer // Nov 20, 2009 at 1:01 pm
You write, “she appears not to hold grudges.” Have you actually read any excerpts from this book? It’s filled with attacks on media figures (some named, many not), on former campaign staffers she believes did her wrong and on Alaskan public officials she tangled with. (And suffice it to say, that much of her account has been undermined not just by other people, but by her own e-mails and public statements.)
Never mind pit bulls — she’s Nixon with lipstick.
2 moms4liberty // Nov 20, 2009 at 1:54 pm
CentristNYer : You obviously haven’t read it either or you would know the book is largely about her life and not the grudges you seem to think she holds (which I wouldn’t blame her if she did). She and her family were savaged by the left media elite like no other personality political or otherwise and your suggestion is that she write a book and not talk about her view of a presidential campaign. Sorry, she names names unlike the cowards during the campaign that would leak things and the very reliable and objective press would report it as “Unnamed sources in the McCain campaign..” What cowards they are. As for your saying that much of her account has been undermined by other people would that be say by Anna Marie Cox (MSNBC) who had the audacity to give a less than objective and critical review of the book and then in the next breadth admit she hadn’t read most of it. Please get over yourself.
3 mlindroo // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm
> What Palin is proving on this book tour is toughness, resiliency, likeability. She exudes candor
> and compassion, and appears not to hold grudges.
> As for convictions, she doesn’t bend and has a
> Thatcher-like resolve – minus Maggie’s wisdom and intellect.
Sounds a lot like George W. Bush to me.
Why repeat the mistakes of 2000-08 by nominating another “faith based” politician who clearly lacks the knowledge, skill and curiosity to become a good president? Note that if (IF) Obama fails, he will be another cautionary tale showing the importance of competence and experience.
Democrats have many reasons to fear politicians such as Bob McDonnell, who ran a good issues-oriented campaign this fall. In contrast, Sarah Palin is an insubstantial nonentity. That’s why the Dems are mocking her, but they do not fear her at all.
MARCU$
4 MR FACE // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:07 pm
It’s never her fault. She does have a great smile though.
5 moms4liberty // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:29 pm
If she was such a non-entity Dems would be talking about her 24/7 now would they. You are in denial. they fear her.
6 MI-GOPer // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:50 pm
CentristNYer writes: “Never mind pit bulls — she’s Nixon with lipstick.” Centrist is no centrist; he’s a solid democrat underground activist and member of the Troll Tribe.
But it is funny you should write that… I was thinking that it was Obama with the Nixonian Era Enemies List.
Funny you should write that, I was thinking it was Obama with the Nixonian Office of Fishey Commenters.
Funny you should write that, I was thinking it was Obama with the Nixonian Era of gross campaign finance violations and stuffing the ballot boxes.
Funny you should write that, I was thinking it was Nixon who would first criticize his opponents and then threaten them with sanctions, just like Obama did with his Chicago-Thuggery styled taunt in the Joint Congressional speech “we’ll call you out” for a whooping on da’ skreet.
Funny you should write that, I was thinking it was Nixon who use to run away on magically made-up foreign trips when the water coming out of the domestic tap was a tad too hot for Nixon to stay in the pool at home.
Funny you should write that, I was thinking it was Nixon with all the tax-cheats and crooks in his Cabinet and inner circle.
And here it is, 1 year into the Obama Messiah Administration, and they’ve gotten all that done in a year and it took a lifetime for TrickyDick to get that crooked.
7 MI-GOPer // Nov 20, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Ahh Mr Face returns with yet another posting… so, Mr Face, which troll characters are you playing today for the Tribe? Mr Face? Kanzeon? Balconesfault? TeaBagged?
8 MI-GOPer // Nov 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
moms4liberty, you have it exactly correct. The Tribe of Trolls here and elsewhere do F-E-A-R her.
And they mostly fear her impact when registered voters get to know her in a more unfiltered, real fashion through this book tour and her written words. She connects like Obama Messiah use to without all the worshipful altar building artifacts.
Sarah Palin’s favorables among ALL voters, not just GOP base voters, is now at 47% and climbing faster.
http://bejohngalt.com/2009/11/palins-favorables-soar/
Obama Messiah’s ratings continue to descend down the basement stairs and now there are 52% of Americans who disapprove of his conduct, his performance rating is a negative 14… and there are nearly twice as many VOTERS who strongly disapprove of him than strongly approve of him.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
If I were the White House, I’d keep Obama Messiah on the diplomatic trail all the time, fire Biden, grab Hillary and bring her back to Washington as President-in-Waiting and try real, real hard to get a bead on Palin and have the MSM gut her again. It’s their only hope. Change.
9 MR FACE // Nov 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Mi-gopher has already used the word troll twice in this post. His favorite word. Let’s see how many more times he will use it after this post.
I don’t think Palin will run for president. It would be too much work for her.
She is cashing in on her celebrity status right now and making lots of money. Good for her. I would probably do the same thing. She is supporting her family for the future and making millions. That is great. I am happy for her in that regard.
But to think that she could get a majority of this nation’s vote as President is laughable.
10 MR FACE // Nov 20, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Mi-gopher – You are referencing a Fox News Poll above. Yeah, what a great snapshot of the entire country’s views. If she only has a 47% favorable rating in a Fox News Poll she is in trouble. You might want to check out some other polls.
Troll count at 3.
11 CentristNYer // Nov 20, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Moms4liberty: I never suggested that Palin’s grudges were the sum total of her book, just that Worthington’s claims were easily undermined by numerous excerpts in which she fired back at her perceived enemies. The fact is that she is one of the most thin-skinned pols we’ve ever seen and to think otherwise is pure fiction. (As is much of “Going Rogue.”)
12 ConArtist // Nov 20, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Working in DC, privy to the Democratic tactics I can attest to much intention for Palin’s polar response (i.e. love or hate her). Democrats pretend to fear her and lambaste her every move to show she’s a legitimate candidate. The hope is, at least among the inner DNC, is this will fulminate in the GOP’s hands as she’s actually unelectable; thereby ensuring the presidency remains blue. In short, democrats pretend to fear her (certainly they do despise her anyway) as they hope the GOP becomes more radicalized and scares off the independents (see 2008).
I’ve heard many democrats suspecting that this is an operation to not so subtly promote this woman with funds and media time (though these conversations are above my pay grade).
Liked the comparison to Ronald Reagen, made me laugh pretty hard.
13 mlindroo // Nov 20, 2009 at 4:55 pm
MR FACE:
> Mi-gopher – You are referencing a Fox News Poll above.
> Yeah, what a great snapshot of the entire country’s views.
> If she only has a 47% favorable rating in a Fox News Poll she is in trouble.
Another problem is perceived competence: polls show Republican partisans love her but she fares surprisingly poorly against other GOP candidates when pollsters ask Republicans whether they think she is fit to be president.
MARCU$
14 sinz54 // Nov 20, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Worthington:
Here’s an algebraic equation for you:
RESOLVE – (WISDOM + INTELLECT) = PIGHEADEDNESS
15 Arch // Nov 20, 2009 at 7:07 pm
It’s her constant martyrdom that I find exhausting. I stopped taking her seriously when everyone started taking umbrage at “lipstick on a pig” as if it were about her and specifically calling her a pig. Manufactured outrage.
16 LauraNo // Nov 20, 2009 at 7:30 pm
She admits past errors which is disarming, while maintaining a Reagan-like cheerfulness. As for convictions, she doesn’t bend and has a Thatcher-like resolve – minus Maggie’s wisdom and intellect.
I haven’t heard her ever admit a mistake, I will take you at your word that she does so in the book. I am skeptical about that. But I would point out to you, you probably didn’t find Obama’s admitting of mistakes ‘disarming’. I would further point out the fact that most people were turned away from George Bush’s ‘Thatcher-like resolve’. Most conservatives may have been impressed with that, but the wider population was not. Most of the country wants solutions to problems, I have yet to hear Sarah Palin offer even one. She spouts platitudes and fully 26% of Americans appear to think that is enough to be President. As things are going, conservatives are going to take this country lower than we ever thought possible, if they don’t get ahold of their movement.
You shouldn’t be giving her the time of day and instead, be finding serious-minded problem solvers where ever they can be found.
I sometimes think Republicans and Conservatives have been so blind-sided by Obama’s popularity and ‘rockstar’ draw that they think they need to replicate it. They don’t, and are wasting their time trying.
17 cpanza // Nov 21, 2009 at 10:01 am
From the standpoint of wanting political discourse in this country to improve and at least reach a minimal intelligence level, Palin is a nightmare. From the standpoint of politics, if you are on the left, then the continued ascendancy of Palin on the right is most likely a godsend.
18 MI-GOPer // Nov 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Mr. Face, the newest redux in the multiple-named Troll Tribe family of democrat activsts says: “You are referencing a Fox News Poll above. Yeah, what a great snapshot of the entire country’s views. If she only has a 47% favorable rating in a Fox News Poll she is in trouble. You might want to check out some other polls.”
Bzzzzt, Mr Face needs to become Mr ABOUT Face ’cause you all wrong, bro, and we aint listening to your pleadings to stop calling you a troll, neither. Wrong, wrong, wrong again Mr About Face.
It’s not a FoxNews poll in the sense of the on-line, showtime phone-in/text-in surveys that various Fox News shows do –and need I remind us all that those very Fox News shows continue to be the highest rated, most watched cable news shows on all TV… and that their audience is more diverse (according to Pew) in political party ID than CNN or MS-NBC or even CBS, ABC and the anti-American NBC. Kind of kicks Mr About Face’s claim that if Sarah’s doing bad in “their poll” she’s in trouble, eh? What a fake diversionary spin fest Mr About Face is all about.
You’ll have to face this at some point, Mr About Face. This was a legit poll, done by a legit polling firm, without the usual NYTimes or DailyKos push-poll questioning and crafting of the survey instrument to gain an intended liberal result… the democrats do that kind of stuff, not FoxNews’ polling.
Plus, you’ll have to face this at some point, Mr About Face… Sarah Palin is poised to out-poll your Obama Messiah on favorables even in spite of the non-stop Palin Bashing Movement housed in the far Left quarters, in the sewers of the MSM and at the barricades around the White House.
When the MSM monopoly met to discuss how to really, really discredit Palin’s book and her message, they decided on a 2 prong attack that’s fell flat with America. First prong was to make it about a pissing match story of discord within the GOP –not the McCain camp– the entire GOP was fighting, according to the MSM. Second step, send a crack team of summer interns at AP to gut the book like a moose in an Alaskan swamp –find all the lies, tell all the truths, blow Sarah the Misfit out of the water.
Hey, that worked so well that TeaBagged and a few other Troll Tribers here grabbed onto the talking points and repeated the very thin spin within 24 hrs. Terry McAuliffe’s fire eater crowd would be proud of our DailyKos, democrat underground, HuffPo trolls… they’re coordinating their attack, sharpening their pitchforks, thrusting for vital organs to bring Sarah Palin down to their level.
You’re going to have to face it at some point, Mr About Face, Sarah’s favorables will soon eclipse your Obama Messiah leader favorables… and then you’ll have some serious explainin’ to do to save da’ Master’s ass –like in Democrat donkey ass?
I love it when you are so wrong, Mr About Face. It helps keep some company for the other wrong-out trolls of TeaBagged, BlankHead and OldSkwerl. After all, it’s all about tribe for you trolls.
19 MI-GOPer // Nov 21, 2009 at 4:33 pm
And let’s approach the other crafted, highly fictious spin that comes from our Troll Tribe here… namely, that Sarah Palin is running for President in 2012 or that she’s the leader of the GOP.
Both wrong… but that doesn’t stop our Troll Tribe from saying it; like with Mr About Face (or whomever he is this thread, this week)… “But to think that she could get a majority of this nation’s vote as President is laughable.”
Palin’s said she’s interested in raising money for conservative candidates in 2010, not interested in talking about 2012. She’s doing exactly what she should do –make some money, pay off her debts –and not run from them like Slick Willy and Wm Jefferson and his ilk normally do– tell her story, work to elect conservatives to Congress and governorships. Good for her.
Is she the leader of the GOP? I can tell you that she’s not and she doesn’t think of herself that way. I know of no rank & file GOP activist who claims she’s the Party’s leader. It’s all part of that created fiction and spin from the far Left sewers trying to bag two birds with a single lying stone: nail Palin and nail the GOP as having a “radically religious, separtist, beauty queen twit” as its leader.
It’s all so transparent on the part of our Troll Tribe here. And it’s all wrong, too.
20 MI-GOPer // Nov 21, 2009 at 4:38 pm
mlindroo at #13 writes: “Another problem is perceived competence: polls show Republican partisans love her but she fares surprisingly poorly against other GOP candidates when pollsters ask Republicans whether they think she is fit to be president.”
Thanks for making my point about the fictionalized spin from the far left Troll Tribe here that she isn’t the leader of the GOP… it’s nice when you guys step in your feces and prove truth need not be your worst enemy.
21 jruss89 // Nov 21, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I’m an independent, and I most certainly fear this woman. Undeniably she is intellectually lacking, and combined with her demagogue status, it makes her that much more destructive since she will be a resistance-less conduit for the fleeting and oft misguided passions of the masses. We need someone who will be responsive to the people, but has the character and wisdom to reject bad ideas–I have no confidence that she could do this. I don’t trust that she could properly think through an idea that does not perfectly match her fundamentalist religious or economic beliefs.
“Another thing this book tour is proving is that she was shrewd to quit as governor of Alaska if she aspires to be a continuing force in America – as she obviously does.”
Funny you should call it a “shrewd move” when most Republicans were harping on Obama’s lack of experience in government. I think that it was one of the most irresponsible moves she could have made if she actually wanted to be a good president or even VP. If the Republican Party is the party of security, responsibility, and effective government, then I don’t see how Palin fits in at all.
22 cpanza // Nov 21, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Obviously no one can “know” whether Palin is going to run but Palin herself. In fact, she strongly distanced herself from the 2012 field on “The Factor”, saying:
“I believe that I am [qualified to be president] because I have common sense, and I have, I believe, the values that are reflective of so many other American values. And I believe that what Americans are seeking is not the elitism, the kind of a spinelessness that perhaps is made up for that with some kind of elite Ivy League education and a fact resume that’s based on anything but hard work and private sector, free enterprise principles. ”
There are a lot of “I”s in that sentence, FWIW.
23 CentristNYer // Nov 21, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Gee, jruss89 — where do you get off questioning the intellect of Sarah Palin?? You must be yet another TROLL. Because anyone who hates on Sarah Palin is undeniably a TROLL! Or you’re a DemocRAT operative sent here to mess with the voices in MI-GOPer’s head!!
24 Kanzeon // Nov 21, 2009 at 6:04 pm
“If she’s a ditz, an airhead as some insist, someone without the depth or substance to be president, why worry about her? The electorate will catch on.”
It appears you were in a coma from 2000 to 2008. I’m pleased you’ve recovered, but you might spend some time with some old newspapers before cooking up political analysis.
25 MI-GOPer // Nov 21, 2009 at 11:23 pm
cpanza offers: “Obviously no one can “know” whether Palin is going to run but Palin herself…”
Wrong-o, cpanza. Lots of folks know –and it definitely isn’t a question for just Sarah Palin to answer. She could answer yes and be left behind in New Hampshire or Iowa in a flash. Given the GOP’s long, long established track record of rewarding the rightly deserved nominee the nomination –something that the democrat activist trolls here can’t appreciate no matter how long they study Saul Alinsky or listen to Rev Wright on looped tape– it’s likely that Sarah Palin is thinking more about 2016 or 2020, not 2012. And she’ll work hard in 2010 and 2012 to build the base she doesn’t have in the rank & file GOP.
Because Gov Romney pulled out of the 08 race and allowed McCain to take it home with a flourish –and Huck-a-bomb didn’t– Mitt is the rightly deserving nominee in 2012 if he continues his hard work to elect good candidates in 2010 and hires the right people for 2012. Like Nixon, Ford, RR, Bush 41, Bob Dole & McCain as candidates, each was perceived within both the Party’s leadership and rank & file as rightly deserving the nomination for similar and sometimes less similar reasons.
Romney is that candidate in 2012; not Sarah Palin. Palin’s book and her insights about McCain’s leadership staff puts her at odds with virtually all the professional (GOP) campaign staff in the 1st and 2nd tiers… something she clearly doesn’t care about and it will plague her when it comes time to pre-assemble a seasoned staff that can communicate early she’s picked a crew that has necessary strength to see it through and can make the campaign investor’s money worthwhile.
Sarah Palin will not run for the nomination in 2012. She can help in 2010 and 2012 by motivating the base to elect strong GOP candidates… and if Romney loses the ‘12 race, she’d then be positioned to argue she is the rightly deserving candidate for 2016.
So, you’re wrong. Stick to reading the tea leaves over at the DNC and find a way to help Obama get Clinton-ized… because if he doesn’t move back to the center –and that’s a long way to move for him– the Democrats will burn-baby-burn in 2010 and his donkey ass maybe be more than toast in 2012. Carter’s 2nd term is shaping up to be Obama’s undoing.
26 MI-GOPer // Nov 21, 2009 at 11:30 pm
CentristNYer whines: “Gee, jruss89 — where do you get off questioning the intellect of Sarah Palin?? You must be yet another TROLL. Because anyone who hates on Sarah Palin is undeniably a TROLL! Or you’re a DemocRAT operative sent here to mess with the voices in MI-GOPer’s head!!”
Centrist, I doubt that jruss could ever be confused with someone like you or BlankHead or TeaBagged or AutomaticBSer or OldSkwerl… all charter members of the Troll Tribe. Or even some of the newest re-worked characters of the same type in Mr About Face or Kanzeon or JohnMcC –that most wittiest of Troll Tribe creations.
There’s nothing wrong with questioning Sarah Palin’s credentials to be a nominee or a candidate or even those to do the job she’s running for… that’s not your problem, CentristNY. As I’ve said before, I’m not a big Palin fan but she’s great for the Party and she understands a term like loyalty better than, say, Ron Paul or Bob Barr or Tom Delay.
Your problem comes from being a troll on a conservative or GOP site dedicated to rebuilding the Party and remobilizing the base to win like we use to do… that’s the problem. You’re a troll here to do nothing more than annoy and irritate… and disrupt the conversation. Like with all the other Troll Tribe creatures. That’s your problem and there’s no escaping it, troll.
27 mlindroo // Nov 22, 2009 at 7:36 am
Mi-GOPer wrote:
> Given the GOP’s long, long established track record of rewarding
> the rightly deserved nominee
Er, as I recall few conservatives felt McCain was the “rightly deserved nominee” last year.
He was constantly and harshly attacked by the likes of Hugh Hewitt, Erick Erickson and the whole NRO Corner (where he was defended by Victor Davis Hanson only). They felt McCain was a RINO and an apostate … “the darling of the liberal media” etc..
—
As for Romney being next in line for 2012, I think his has flip-flopped on too many issues and his role in the Massachusetts health care reform process also will put him in an awkward position. I think Mike Huckabee was the best and most successful of the 2012 GOP losers but he is loathed by the big business / no-new-taxes wing of the GOP.
MARCU$
28 sinz54 // Nov 22, 2009 at 12:23 pm
mlindroo:
His name is a problem too.
During the 2008 campaign, a lot of his opponents called him “Huckleberry” and so forth.
Plus the press is going to have a lot of fun with his support for teaching Intelligent Design Theory in public schools, something that the courts have already ruled is unconstitutional.
29 Independent // Nov 22, 2009 at 9:03 pm
“Plus, you’ll have to face this at some point, Mr About Face… Sarah Palin is poised to out-poll your Obama Messiah on favorables even in spite of the non-stop Palin Bashing Movement housed in the far Left quarters, in the sewers of the MSM and at the barricades around the White House” -MIGOP @ 18
bingo, migop. you called it for these motley trolls but they wouldn’t believe you… no, they said you were the idiot… well, today it was announced that mrs plain is outpolling mr obama.
http://www.theadmonition.com/?p=2059
mrs palin has 51% favorables
mr obama has slipped from 71% to 49% favorable in less than a year
i wonder what the village idiots and tribe of trolls will say now? probably that mrs palin is still toxic?
what a sad lot of trolls
30 Independent // Nov 22, 2009 at 9:10 pm
“Er, as I recall few conservatives felt McCain was the “rightly deserved nominee” last year” –marcus spinning away in democrat aisle #27
true, there were few conservatives who wanted mccain to be the nominee but the rank and file –as well as the state party leaders– thought that it was mccain’s nomination to lose. migop is right on that score. mccain’s nomination to lose means he had the inside track to the nomination, just like mr reagan after carter’s time, mr bush as the vice p, mr dole against clinton, etc.
i think you might be confusing the terms conservative with republicans… one is a movement made up of republicans, independents, libertarians and a smattering of blue dog democrats… the other is the party with elected officials at local, state, congressional district and national levels. try to keep from confusing them, marcus. the party thought mr mccain had the right to gain the nomination for his work after mr bush won the nomination in 92.
31 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 4:23 am
Sinz54 wrote:
> His name is a problem too.
> During the 2008 campaign, a lot of his opponents called him “Huckleberry” and so forth.
> Plus the press is going to have a lot of fun with his support for teaching
> Intelligent Design Theory in public schools,
These are all valid points, certainly.
Nonetheless, Huckabee remains an intriguing candidate… His views ARE extreme but he also has a disarming personality and folksy, self-deprecating style that makes it easier to forget about his ideology. Personality-wise, he is the anti-Obama … right now it’s not good to be a Huckleberry or a “Shrub” but who knows about 2012?
BTW, what I admire about Huck is that he was brave enough to run as a slightly different Republican last year. The Club for Growth may not like his economic populism, but at least he was willing to take risks while McCain, Romney and Giuliani all were trying (pathetically) to play “full-spectrum” orthodox conservatives on TV.
Huckabee probably won’t be the GOP nominee in 2012, but he would be one hell of a lot tougher and better than Sarah Palin.
MARCU$
32 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 4:50 am
Independent:
The link you posted does not seem to be working right now but I assume you’re talking about the recent Fox News Nov.17-18 opinion poll.
If you are, then you’re confusing two separate issues.
* “Do you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin?” (47% favorable, 42% unfavorable)
and
* “Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?” (46% approve, 46% disapprove)
If you want an apples-vs-apples comparison, try e.g. this opinion poll from October 15 ( http://www.gallup.com/poll/123665/Hillary-Clinton-More-Popular-Barack-Obama.aspx ) which says Obama’s favorability rating is 56% favorable vs. 40% unfavorable (down from 78%/18%). Alternatively, you might want to measure the number of Americans who believe Sarah Palin / Barack Obama is ready to be president…
—
It’s hardly surprising that Palin’s favorability ratings are better than e.g. Pelosi’s … she is not doing anything besides selling books after all. If Palin were running the country during a deep recession such as this one, she certainly would be even less popular than she is now. BTW, Obama’s job approval ratings seem to be driven almost exclusively by the state of the economy ( http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/its-still-economy-dumbass.html ).
MARCU$
33 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 5:08 am
By the way, the link seems to be working now.
As I suspected the http://www.theadmonition.com/ blogger mixed up Palin’s favorable ratings and Obama’s job approval although the source data was provided by Rasmussen rather than Fox News.
As I explained earlier, these are two entirely different issues. For example, conservatives still think highly of George W. Bush as a person although they disapprove of many Bush Administration policy initiatives and the way those policies were executed (i.e. incompetently…).
MARCU$
34 balconesfault // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:16 am
FWIW, in most recent “favorability” polls, Obama ranges from 54% (Fox) to 61% (ABC News/Washington Post).
Major polls this month on “approve of job”:
FOX/OD RV 46-46 (approve/disapprove) (11/17-18/09)
CBS 53-36 (11/13-16/09)
Quinnipiac U. RV 48-42 ( 11/9-16/09)
CNN/ORC 55-42 (11/13-15/09)
ABC/Washington Post 56-42 (11/12-15/09)
AP-GfK * 54-43 (11/5-9/09)
35 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:33 am
Right. And concerning overall favorability, Obama’s pollster.com average ( http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/fav-obama.php ) has always been considerably higher than Palin’s ( http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/fav-palin.php ). But I guess all pollsters are deliberately oversampling left-wing blacks and Sarah Palin really is the nation’s most popular politician. Or something like that.
MARCU$
36 MI-GOPer // Nov 23, 2009 at 11:23 am
I think marcus you’ve gotten it wrong again –your intentions in defending the Obama Messiah are transparent, once again.
Rasmussen, indeed, has Palin’s favorables at 51% this weekend. I don’t know who the admonition is– I couldn’t get there either– but you can get to the original Rasmussen survey instrument and cross tabs via my subscription here:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/toplines/pt_survey_toplines/november_2009/toplines_sarah_palin_november_13_14_2009
It’s gratis for you. Sarah Palin does have a 51% favorable.
Care to correct your mischaracterization? I won’t hold my breath, of course.
37 MI-GOPer // Nov 23, 2009 at 11:33 am
BlankHead tries to keep the “Defend the SSS Obama” against all foes a’float but it’s a failing him.
Rasmussen reports that Obama’s Presidential Approval Index stands at a negative 13… one of the lowest ratings to date for the Obama Messiah. That’s negative 13. Ouch.
It’s fairly telling because Rasmussen polls only likely voters –not garden variety ACORN types gathered from under the bridges by the short yellow bus.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
And Rasmussen separates it out as those likely voters who most dislike the Obama Messiah against those who still think he can walk on water while shootin’ da hoops. Negative numbers mean there are more who strongly dislike than strongly support anymore… down from the legendary days of double-digit plus figures… now, Michele is the only one with a plus figure.
The intensity factor tells us he’s losing his base and those strongly opposed to him grows at a rate that should scare the bee-jebbers out of Rahm the Chief Thug.
Of course, spinmasters like BlankHead are unfazed… the Obama Messiah can still walk on water again… we just need to get more school age kids singing “mmmmm, mmmm, mmm Barack Hussein Obama”.
38 MI-GOPer // Nov 23, 2009 at 11:37 am
marcus at #31 brings out the ol’ tired straw man again: “Huckabee probably won’t be the GOP nominee in 2012, but he would be one hell of a lot tougher and better than Sarah Palin. ”
Sarah isn’t running in 2012, my intellectually-challenged troll. She isn’t the preferred candidate; she’s positioning herself for a media punditry spot that pays.
What part of no don’t you get, my democrat-dense troll? Oh, that’s right… you keep the fiction alive because you think it helps you discredit GOPers… yeah, about that “Palin stain” that the Troll Tribe thinks afflicts the GOP… lol. Too funny. 51% and climbing. Passes the President even on his best day. Too funny.
39 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 12:01 pm
MiGOPer wrote:
> Rasmussen, indeed, has Palin’s favorables at 51% this weekend.
I have seen the poll, and it is part of Palin’s Pollster.com average too.
Why is this particular poll (and Fox) apparently considered particularly important, by the way?!?!
The recent CBS News, PPP, ABC, YouGov polls found her negatives to be much higher and her average isn’t that great.
—
Anyway, let’s return to Independent’s original claims:
> mrs palin has 51% favorables
Correct…according to a single Rasmussen poll, 51% of Americans have a favorable view of her.
> mr obama has slipped from 71% to 49% favorable in less than a year
That’s Obama’s JOB APPROVAL rating, apparently.
See http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/obama_approval_index_history
Like I said, these are two entirely different things. You may compare Obama’s, Pelosi’s and Palin’s personal favorability ratings, but job approval is not directly related to it.
MARCU$
40 mlindroo // Nov 23, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Mi-GOPer wrote:
> What part of no don’t you get, my democrat-dense troll?
> Sarah isn’t running in 2012, my intellectually-challenged troll.
And where the hell did I claim she would be running in 2012 then?!?!
All I did was point out that HUCKABEE seems more electable than Palin.
And I have also pointed out the fallacy of comparing favorability and job approval.
Not that it stops you from calling me and just about anybody else in this forum names, for that matter.
Mi-GOPer wrote:
// Nov 20, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Ahh Mr Face returns with yet another posting… so, Mr Face,
which troll characters are you playing today for the Tribe?
Mr Face? Kanzeon? Balconesfault? TeaBagged?
// Nov 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Mr. Face, the newest redux in the multiple-named Troll Tribe family of democrat activsts says:
// Nov 21, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Thanks for making my point about the fictionalized spin from the far left Troll Tribe here that she isn’t the leader of the GOP…
it’s nice when you guys step in your feces and prove truth need not be your worst enemy.
// Nov 21, 2009 at 11:23 pm
So, you’re wrong. Stick to reading the tea leaves over at the DNC and find a way to help Obama get Clinton-ized…
// Nov 21, 2009 at 11:30 pm
You’re a troll here to do nothing more than annoy and irritate… and disrupt the conversation. Like with all the other Troll Tribe creatures. That’s your problem and there’s no escaping it, troll.
41 MI-GOPer // Nov 23, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Marcus, troll, you asked: “And where the hell did I claim she would be running in 2012 then?”
Here, at #31, my ferret huslting friend when you said: “Huckabee probably won’t be the GOP nominee in 2012, but he would be one hell of a lot tougher and better than Sarah Palin (in 2012).”
Marcus, sweetie, the TrollTribe has been posting here in new, faux-names and inventing characters faster than Democrats can sign up for hair plug replacements. If you haven’t been watching or paying attention, I think you might want to get in on their morning meetings when they plan out the day of attacking conservtiave and GOP blogs. It’ll help you get a touch coordinated.
And better in tune, for sure.
42 MI-GOPer // Nov 23, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Yes, Marcus, let’s return to the fact that all the Palin bashing you and your fellow trolls have been doing isn’t sticking with Americans. Palin is now outpolling Obama on favorables. ON the #1 leading issue for American voters, the deficit, nearly 63% of Americans think Obama isn’t doing enough or what he is trying to do is failing.
Congressional Democrats’ favorable ratings in the toilet.
What was that about how relevant you think polling is to the discussion? You were the guy who thought Independent had erred… did you apologize yet Troll?
Didn’t think so… it’s not in your character to be honest.
43 balconesfault // Nov 23, 2009 at 4:06 pm
It’s fairly telling because Rasmussen polls only likely voters –not garden variety ACORN types
And here I thought you believed all those ACORN types voted … at least 2 or 3 times, under different names.
You’ve really got to work on making your hyperbole internally consistent.
44 openhand // Nov 28, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I really beleive Palin is a good person, but totally out of her depth, as was GW Bush. Remeber Rumsfeld briefing George with daily quotes from the Bible to ensure that he kept the POTUS under his spell? Well, if they can do it with W they can do it with Sarah.
The reality is though, the neocon experiment was so successful that it overdosed. They broke the rule of the parasite, never let your host know you are there, and the way you do that is to curb your enthusiasm. Well they didn’t, we noticed them and flicked them off, and yes we have to deal with the mess which is where Sarah gets her following.
Sarahs support is a symptom of a real insecurity that is part of any transition. It makes good copy, but in the reality, it is no more significant than an itch on an amputated leg. Sorry.
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