Incidently, we (liberals, left, and centerists) =still= think Sarah Palin is a moron

Originally posted by spiritualzombie

Originally posted by BeavX
The media trained the left to think Palin was a moron.

Actually, the first time anyone thought she was a complete faker moron was her first speech, first introduction, before the media got hold of her. It was like allowing a chimp run for VP. The left was horrified and in shock that such a complete idiot would be chosen by McCain. So obvious to anyone who wasn't drunk off neocon Kool-Aid.

You should've done what I did.

I Googled blogs in her hometown/state. They were very revealing what many locals really thought about Palin.

What was the Right thinking? As a long time former Republican - - I think they've "Jumped the Shark".

What year are we in? Oh yeah, 2012. Palin is irrelevant. I mean, even Honey BooBoo has a tv show and Ill strsngle someone if I have to hear "joe six-pack" and "say it aint so, Joe" again. Why is this nobody being trotted out AGAIN when she has NO bearing on whats going on now? There are only a few days left and we're dragging ol Palin out.. again, why?

Originally posted by SaturnFX

Originally posted by Cypress
Actually, the Palin pick was not what sunk McCain's campaign. In fact, McCain ended up taking the lead in the tracking polls thanks to a strong showing from Palin at the RNC.

No, McCain was never ahead in the polls..he simply wasn't.
This is what the right doesn't understand...the more "charged up" their base is, the more alienated the centerists are.

www.realclearpolitics.com...
8/24/2008 Palin Named COP VP
8/25/2008 Start of DNC
9/3/2008 Start of RNC
9/14/2008 Fallout from McCains sound bite

McCain turns around all the momentum Obama gains coming out of the DNC and Palin had a strong showing at the RNC. McCain takes the lead following the RNC and remains relatively even until the sound bite comments start to cycle.

Having your hardline base cheering is not optimal in either side of the ticket...it means you are further away from the center. Your base will vote for you no matter what, even if they hate the persons guts....the trick is to find someone passable for the center.

You need to energize your base either way, if your base isn't energized then you will lose due to apathy if nothing else. Romney's choice of Ryan was to satisfy his base.

Romney is doing well in this campaign. He may not win, but consider how someone much further to the right than him would be doing now..Imagine a Gingrich or Trump...

Yet he goes with the canidate who takes such an extreme stance on the primary issue of this election,not even his own party would support him. Why? because he needed credibility with the right wing and tea party. Choosing the VP candidate is far different from selecting the POTUS nomination. Ryan was a very risky pick at the time.

People hate extremes of either side...Palin was a extreme neocon theocrat. She sunk the ticket.
Before she was on the ticket, I looked at McCain and was very much thinking he could win it..both sides liked him..he used to actually be a "mavrick" and stood his ground on many issues...he had principles (note I am using a lot of past tense here because he abandoned all of his former stances in 08 to win over the fringe nuts).

Yes, the fundamentals of the economy comment certainly didn't help..but its nothing he couldn't spin his way out of if he didn't have some radical twit also weighing his ticket down.

He should have had Romney as his running mate actually.

McCain moved away from his moderate position because he had to. He wasn't going to win with a moderate stance. Romney and McCain were a worse match than palin, Romney's reputation at the time was worse than Palins and he has done no favors for himself since. McCain needed the youthful rabble-rouser than Palin represented to take on Obama. She got a bit more pub because it because of the first African american president vs first female VP" plotline,

In the end Obama won because of his social media campaign with non traditional voter demographics, much in the same way Reagan targeted your southern christian right in the 80's, but McCains campaign did not fail because of Palin, the sound bite gave Obama all the ammo he needed to seal the deal.

Originally posted by Cypress

Originally posted by SaturnFX

Originally posted by Cypress
Actually, the Palin pick was not what sunk McCain's campaign. In fact, McCain ended up taking the lead in the tracking polls thanks to a strong showing from Palin at the RNC.

No, McCain was never ahead in the polls..he simply wasn't.
This is what the right doesn't understand...the more "charged up" their base is, the more alienated the centerists are.

www.realclearpolitics.com...
8/24/2008 Palin Named COP VP
8/25/2008 Start of DNC
9/3/2008 Start of RNC
9/14/2008 Fallout from McCains sound bite

McCain turns around all the momentum Obama gains coming out of the DNC and Palin had a strong showing at the RNC. McCain takes the lead following the RNC and remains relatively even until the sound bite comments start to cycle.

Right, cheers for that. The initial bit. right. Frankly, I say McCain was the thing that pushed them ahead...his comment was a disaster, yes, however, Sarah was a circus.
Compare that to today. Romneys 47% was a similar blast..but Ryan (whom is actually further fringey) isn't weighing the ticket down, because he isn't a idiot and can articulate his stances clearly (insanely, but clearly).

So, I was incorrect here..right at the start, McCain had the advantage...but not Sarah..McCain. Sarah spoke and it made sure he wouldn't crawl out of the hole he made

Having your hardline base cheering is not optimal in either side of the ticket...it means you are further away from the center. Your base will vote for you no matter what, even if they hate the persons guts....the trick is to find someone passable for the center.

You need to energize your base either way, if your base isn't energized then you will lose due to apathy if nothing else. Romney's choice of Ryan was to satisfy his base.

I disagree. I think you give the base the most practical results of what you can do. Hopefully your base isn't retarded. Most will vote against someone if they don't want to vote for you.
See Romney to begin with..even today they don't say they are voting for Romney..they are voting against Obama.

Romney is doing well in this campaign. He may not win, but consider how someone much further to the right than him would be doing now..Imagine a Gingrich or Trump...

Yet he goes with the canidate who takes such an extreme stance on the primary issue of this election,not even his own party would support him. Why? because he needed credibility with the right wing and tea party. Choosing the VP candidate is far different from selecting the POTUS nomination. Ryan was a very risky pick at the time.

Ryan didn't -sink- Romney in regards to centerists..thats very different than he gained centerist support.
He hurt the senior vote, but he gained the "wow he is hot, who is he, lemme vote for him" vote sort of...so long as they didn't listen to him (these people exist...its tragic to meet them..voting on looks..typically young low information female voters)

People hate extremes of either side...Palin was a extreme neocon theocrat. She sunk the ticket.
Before she was on the ticket, I looked at McCain and was very much thinking he could win it..both sides liked him..he used to actually be a "mavrick" and stood his ground on many issues...he had principles (note I am using a lot of past tense here because he abandoned all of his former stances in 08 to win over the fringe nuts).

Yes, the fundamentals of the economy comment certainly didn't help..but its nothing he couldn't spin his way out of if he didn't have some radical twit also weighing his ticket down.

He should have had Romney as his running mate actually.

McCain moved away from his moderate position because he had to. He wasn't going to win with a moderate stance. Romney and McCain were a worse match than palin, Romney's reputation at the time was worse than Palins and he has done no favors for himself since. McCain needed the youthful rabble-rouser than Palin represented to take on Obama. She got a bit more pub because it because of the first African american president vs first female VP" plotline,

In the end Obama won because of his social media campaign with non traditional voter demographics, much in the same way Reagan targeted your southern christian right in the 80's, but McCains campaign did not fail because of Palin, the sound bite gave Obama all the ammo he needed to seal the deal.

The sound bite was in contrast of what the reality was.
The reality was what gave Obama the election. the economy, the endless wars, the economy, the creeping big brother, the economy, etc...and the economy.
But the media was fascinated with Palin. Not what McCain was saying..Sarah distracted.