Reaching out: Sarah Palin, greeting supporters in Ohio, has roused the GOP base. But many women, including Republicans, are concerned about her slim experience.
Women voters could be key to presidential race
But for most, economic issues are more important than candidates' gender.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer/ September 21, 2008 edition
Reporter Alexandra Marks discusses why the female vote may be the deciding factor this November.
Charlie Neibergall/AP/FILE
Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the Democratic convention in Denver in August.
Scranton, PA.
The economic crisis has quelled the nation’s Sarah Palin-mania, at least for now.
While polls show the Alaska governor has effectively energized the Republican base, they also indicate that her nomination has had little impact on key independent voters. At the same time, concerns about her inexperience are rising - especially among women.
That was particularly evident in a series of recent interviews with women in Pennsylvania - a swing state where Barack Obama and John McCain are locked in a dead heat.
But this still is very much a women’s election. Both candidates are vying for the women’s vote, which could be pivotal in this hotly contested election. And then there are the historic markers: This is the first time the Republicans have put a woman on their presidential ticket. It’s also the first time in 25 years that a woman of either party has been on a major party ticket. And then, of course, there is Hillary Clinton’s formidable rise as the first major woman contender for either party’s nomination.
Political scientists say the impact of both women’s candidacies has made this a “transformative year” because for the first time it’s given the American electorate concrete examples of individual women leaders at the highest levels of politics that are ideologically and socially diverse.
“This period in 2008 has finally smashed the generic stereotype of one woman leader is all women leaders,” says Ruth Mandel, the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and a cofounder of the Center for American Women in Politics.
“It used to be that if I said, ‘A woman in politics,’ it conjured up a generic image,” says Ms. Mandel. “Now people might think of Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi or Sarah Palin or Condoleezza Rice. These are very different women with very different ideologies.” [Editor’s note: The original version misspelled Dr. Rice’s first name.]
Since the early 1980s women have turned out to vote in larger numbers than men. They’ve also generally tended to lean more Democratic. In 2000, Al Gore held a five point lead among women over George W. Bush. In 2004, it was a narrower three point lead for John Kerry over the incumbent.
Obama had held a fairly consistent lead over McCain among women during the summer. But the Republicans got a bounce after John McCain chose Governor Palin to be his running mate. In some polls the two camps were even tied among women. But that bounce appears to have disappeared. In current tracking polls, women are now leaning toward Obama/Biden over McCain/Palin by as much as eight points.
But the race is still neck and neck among white women. Married white women are leaning toward the Republican ticket. And working class white women – the “Wal-mart Moms” of this election – are solidly behind the McCain/Palin team.
“The cause of the energized female base was this feeling that they could identify with Sarah Palin as a figure who didn’t appear like other politicians. She made them feel like ‘she is one of us,’” says Kay Hymowitz, a senior scholar at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank in New York City.
Ms. Hymowitz has identified the cultural undercurrent Palin tapped as “red state feminism,” a whole segment of strong, working women who don’t identify with traditional feminism.
In Scranton, Joanne Charick fits the bill. She rides around town in her dark sedan with a bright poster on the side that advertises her latest venture: “The Successful Women’s Club.” Ms Charick first came to Scranton in the 1960s and worked for an employment agency.
“I put the first women to work in places they weren’t allowed and fought with every man,” she says.
Charick has also started her own magazine and modeling agency. But she definitely does not think of herself as a feminist. She’s a Republican and a great fan of the governor of Alaska.
“I think Sarah Palin is going to give everybody a run for his money, and McCain’s a good man,” she says. “I don’t agree with everything, I am pro-choice, but I like other things she’s done.”
But it was just as easy in Scranton to find Republican women who fit the red state feminism mold, but were offended by McCain’s choice of Palin, primarily because of her lack of experience.
“I was kind of insulted at first. I think McCain chose her to be a female puppet to swing people his way,” says Kathy Labori, a marketing executive who was heading for lunch at the Mall at Steamtown in downtown Scranton. “I’m a registered Republican but I think we need a change. I think I’m voting Democratic.”
At the mall, it was also easy to find women of every economic status for whom the selection of Palin had not had any effect at all.
“I think Obama’s really going to make a change for us poor people. I work hard and now I have to help my children maintain their family,” says Helen Gaskin, who had her two grandchildren in tow. “Obama is going to make a difference with education, with healthcare. I’m just looking out for my grandchildren.”
There were also plenty of former Hillary Clinton supporters. Most said they were now comfortable voting for Obama.
“I started out Hillary, then I went to see Obama when he was in the area and he definitely won me over,” says Terry Cummings, of Dunmore, PA, who now calls herself an “Obama Mama.” “I just feel Palin doesn’t have the qualifications, and I think she was picked because she’s a woman and that isn’t right. If she had the qualifications, like Hillary, that would have been different.”
Some former Hillary supporters did say they still wanted more information before choosing a candidate.
A national, nonpartisan group called “Moms Rising” would also like clarification on where Palin stands on issues that affect working mothers including healthcare, fair pay, early learning, paid sick days, and flexible work schedules.
The group has an open letter to Palin saying that it was “dazzling” to see “a mom” as the vice presidential pick but also calling on her to make her stands on such issues clear.
“We haven’t heard much talk about the issues that are pertinent to moms from the McCain-Palin ticket the way we have from Obama-Biden,” says Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, the executive director of MomsRising.org, which has more than 150,000 members. “We’d like to hear, we’re still waiting.”
Comments
2. Terri | 09.21.08
Now McCain Campaign is asking for rules for Palin’s debate with Biden.
Rules for Sarah - include scripted interviews, not turning in tax returns, not showing up for troopergate.
Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer and Jim Lehrer - we are counting on you to do your job like Charlie Gibson did. There are no rules when someone is running for VP. There were none for Hillary or anyone else.
People lets just call this what it is - a farce. McCain is putting himself first not the country - don’t let him fool you.
This is a sad day in America
3. erik | 09.21.08
Palin hasnt said one meaningful word since selected. She gave a speech at the RNC, thats about it. That same speech echoed for 2 weeks slowly showing the woman has really very little to offer other than the fact she as well as millions of other women have kids and have jobs. Two bad I can think of about 100 off the top of my head that are more qualified… This was a gimmick and it is very sad for those that have fallen for it….
4. Liz | 09.21.08
Sarah on the economy: “its disappointing”
Sarah on foreign affairs: “We Just might have to go to war Charlie”…?
Sarah on Stem Cell Research: Silence…
Sarah on Social Security: Silence….
Sarah on NAFTA: Silence…..
Sarah on Taxes: “Listen to John McCain, Obama will raise your taxes”
Who is anyone kidding, this woman has now made it worse for women… She was a gimmick and a political ploy… She can talk about hunting and alaska… sweet
5. Matooso | 09.21.08
That mccain in competetitive in PA at all says a lot…. PA is a northen blue state not often kind to republicans. If Obama can’t win there, obama can’t win….
6. susan | 09.21.08
Women are not going to let sarah palin down. we were oppressed by the DNC with hillary. we won’t let that happen again with sarah palin.
memo to DNC:
you aren’t in charge of us this time!
8. RR | 09.21.08
“Women voters could be key to presidential race”…. DUH, ya think?
Sorry, but really… “Since the early 1980s women have turned out to vote in larger numbers than men. They’ve also generally tended to lean more Democratic.” This is news?
“This period in 2008 has finally smashed the generic stereotype of one woman leader is all women leaders,”… that’s a fairly lame statement. There’s only one woman? This country must need more educational resources and more education in analytical thinking and decision making, huh? One look at political campaigns makes this obvious. One look at the media’s lack of real reporting on issues and stands, and too much gossip and personal attacks, makes this obvious.
Where are the simple OBJECTIVE articles stating what candidates records are, what they’ve accomplished, their positions OBJECTIVELY summarized, and their statements??
9. Mark | 09.21.08
I think today’s people support, help, care too much about women than men! Take for example: International Women’s day (but there’s no International Men’s day), Ladies first (but there’s no Men first), Women Studies (but no Men Studies), etc. these may have profound effects on the society in the long run (e.g. more women went to University than men, lower birth rates, higher divorce rates, etc.)
But if you look at the history and all the important inventions in the past (e.g. clock, computer, computer operating system like Microsoft, Apple), gun, light bulb, radio, television, radio, telephone, microwave, airplane, car, rubber tire, vaccinations, toilet, paper, printer, microscope, piano, even contraceptive pills, condoms, Internet, optic fibers, etc.)… these inventions were invented by men. So we can imagine what women did in the past few hundreds years?
And let’s look at the world’s top companies like Microsoft, Apple, General Motors, Ford, Goldman Sachs, Nintendo, Mcdonald’s, etc. they were also created by men… and create lots and lots of jobs for both men and women. However, many women they just work and work, they don’t become boss or create more jobs… and that’s may push people salaries lower.
I don’t understand why today’s people keep bashing men? I would prefer people write more how’s the world today becomes if man doesn’t exist (so there’s no microscope, no airplane, no Internet, no computer, no car, no vaccinations, etc.)
10. A | 09.21.08
It is a sad state of the nation if this election will simply be decided by those that are gender motivated.
Whatever happened to the candidate with the most experience?
Sarah Palin is a tool for the Republication party, and her nomination has set back women’s rights by decades.
11. becca, CO | 09.21.08
MomsRising, I hope you do hear from them but I doubt you will. McCain doesn’t agree on equal pay for women. Also the Pro-choice is huge, especially if you have daughters.
12. Mike | 09.21.08
Really? More than 50% of the voting population could be key to the presidential race? How informative!
13. Judi | 09.21.08
I think that a lot of voters, women in particular, resent Palin being selected as McCain’s VP because she didn’t earn it. She was chosen as a ploy to lure women voters to McCain without regard to her qualifications, intellect, political positions or background. Many of us look at Palin and see a fish out of water, a charlatan, an insult to voter’s intelligence, a danger to this country’s future. There are many Republican women McCain could have chosen from with pride, women more than qualified for the position, women who have worked hard to gain their political experience and knowledge, and better deserving.
It’s unnerving to see so many religious conservatives so blindly accepting Palin merely because of Palin’s religion and gender. How can they not be concerned about her qualifications to run this country, or the implications of Troopergate, or the dishonesty of her campaign claims. Did these conservatives not see how woefully she failed her televison interviews?
How sad that there are women - and men - in this country who are so selfish and self-centered they put party and religion before the good of America. It’s ironic that these are the very people who claim to put patriotism and country first, so willing and proud to send their children to war.
It seems that the beliefs of the conservative right are riddled with contradictions. How can they find peace and harmony within themselves with this mindset?
14. Mary Santa Barbara | 09.21.08
This past Thursday I was amazed at my circle of fellow docents & their outcry of Gov. Palin.
After our volunteer Kid’s Outreach Program, back to the parking lot we discussed all the economic & campaign
upheaval only to hear overall disgust for Gov. Palin & her qualifications & core beliefs.
Our demographic; educated, accomplished, successful women 50 plus, moms, grandmas, wives, single,
democrats, republicans, all questioning why? this pick?
Cute, feisty, perky, hockey mom, lipstick?
At least Hilary made the grade
Half of us were Hilary fans, half not; general consensus no vote for McCain & poor judgement of a VP running mate.
Sidebar, we could make quick money with bumper sticker, “BIMBO PAYLIN”, “BIMBO PAYLIN NO HILARY VOTE HERE”,
“HOT LIPS PAYLIN”.
It’s almost over!!!
15. TJ | 09.21.08
I think there are Republican Women and then; there are Other Women; and their are Hillary Women.
Republican Women are signed, sealed, and delivered.
Hillary Women will never support the Republican Ticket that articulates no issues and those they articulate do not sustain a dignity of life and family on all those issues such as health care, education, foreign policy, unemployment, fair wages, war, economy, etc. Some of us are Pro Choice, some are Pro Life and those in the Pro Life recognize that Life is more than just a bowl of cherries or that in utero.
Other Women will probably split. Some who are married may feel a false sense of security that their husbands will always take care of them so they can ride their SUVs from one play date to another with their kids, and enable them to feed their families take home food and instant, microwavable meals because they are too busy chasing around all day, and, of course, their marriages, they think are so stable, nothing would ever happen to them. Some will feel that, at any time, they may need to pull their own weight when the husband loses his job, or gets sick, or is not as respectful to her as he should be, or has a daughter who wants to do more with her life than she has been able to do, or who cannot even afford to go to WalMart anymore.
I pray that women will look beyond the obvious and vote for the real thing and not some objectified thing. They need to consider who best supports their family’s ability to provide a decent life for their family, their community, their State, their country, and their world. They need to look at governance and not politics.
16. Mary Santa Barbara | 09.21.08
This past Thursday I was amazed at my circle of fellow docents & their outcry of Gov. Palin.
After our volunteer Kid’s Outreach Program, back to the parking lot we discussed all the economic & campaign
upheaval only to hear overall disgust for Gov. Palin & her qualifications & core beliefs.
Our demographic; educated, accomplished, successful women 50 plus, moms, grandmas, wives, single,
democrats, republicans, all questioning why? this pick?
Cute, feisty, perky, hockey mom, lipstick?
Half of us were Hilary fans, half not, general consensus no vote for McCain & his poor judgement of a VP running mate.
Sidebar, we could make quick money with bumper sticker, “BIMBO PAYLIN”, “BIMBO PAYLIN NO HILARY VOTE HERE”,
“HOT LIPS PAYLIN”.
It’s almost over!!!
19. N | 09.21.08
I really take issue with the phrase “Wal-Mart Mom” was a means to divide the classes.
This particular “Wal-Mart Mom” is a Ph.D educated, Mensa member who is director of R&D at a small research facility. In the past 2 years I have had to add Wal-Mart to my store repertoire in order to stretch an ever shrinking paycheck in terms of real dollars.
Whoever coined that term needs to spend some time in a Wal-Mart to see who really shops there.
An whoever perpetuates that myth (ala Alexandra Marks) needs to go back to journalism school.
It’s the economy, stupid.
N
20. FairPlay | 09.21.08
You know what I am more worried about Mrs. Obama then Palin. Mrs. Obama has said if she gets in then she will do everything in her power she can for Blacks? What about doing everything she can do for Americans. Now Obama is telling the older people on SS that they will lose their SS. If they had the new SS that Bush wanted they would have lost a lot of money last week not true anyone born before 1950 their SS would have not changed.For once Fact check. org even agreed that Obama lied on that one to scare people to vote for him. Now Obama has done good in the money area of his life and talk about how he loves family but then why is his brother George Hussein Onyango Obama living in a shack and living on a dollar a month and only met his brother 2 times? Doesn’t sound like family love sounds like Obama first family not on the chart except for his wife and kids. I guess he is ashamed of his brother.He could help him have a better life. It would make him look like more of a man if he helped him.Now for Palin. So what she hasn’t been working in DC getting corrupted thats a good thing. So what she is more like the American people not stuck up and on some power hungry path like most of them in Dc maybe thats good.Sure she might not be ready to be president but who is. She is not running for president but for some reason you have all forgotten that.Mccain is and i am sure he will not drop dead a day after he gets in Office like a lot of you are so sure will happen.Hope for death thats so sad.Obama is scared of Palin he keeps saying she can’t be president she’s not ready He has even forgot she is running for VP not the president.So sad when the other guy forgets who his running against.Biden now he should be worried about her. He is having trouble himself with running for VP. He has even said so.This campaign has been a joke all around
21. Manolete | 09.21.08
ALASKA LOVES SARAH for the great work she has done reforming government to work for the citizens, and AMERICA IS FALLING IN LOVE WITH SARAH for her genuine sincerity, honesty and brilliant mind.
It is time to recognize that women can do a great job, many times better than men and Sarah Palin’s record shows she is exceptional.
OBAMA FRACTURED AND DIVIDED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHEN HE REJECTED THE CHOICE OF 18 MILLION DEMOCRATS and instead of choosing Hillary Clinton for VP, he chose an old Washington politician Joe Biden, and by this grave mistake in choice, negated the flag of “change” Obama had been waiving and replaced it with the flag of “more of the same”.
On the other side, THE MAVERICK STOLE THE MANTRA OF CHANGE FROM BARACK WHEN HE SELECTED A WOMAN REFORMER FOR VP, who has gained the respect of the State she governs as well as of the nation governors.
THE MCCAIN/PALIN TICKET HAS GIVEN HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA TO ALL THE 18 MILLION FORMER HILLARY SUPPORTERS who now have a very compelling reason to vote for the republican ticket, as a way to put their country first by electing a president that has the qualifications, experience and love for our country and at the same time elect a woman to the White House as equal partners in governance and leadership of our country.
Country First!
DEMOCRATS FOR MCCAIN/PALIN!
22. Ann Strosnider | 09.21.08
Sarah Palin has absolutely nothing to say without a teleprompter and talented speechwriters to script her every word. When she is talking one-on-one with a reporter — even ones as relatively gentle as Charles Gibson or Sean Hannity — she falls back on cliches because she is incapable of fleshing out her thoughts or developing an idea. How many times did she say, “I never blinked” or “I will reform government”? How many times did she claim she said “thanks but no thanks” to that Bridge to Nowhere even after it was clearly proven that she never really did say that?
She reminds me so much of Bush in her glib lack of curiosity about the world around her.
As Sam Harris put it in a new article on the Newsweek Web site, “What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents—and her supporters celebrate—the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance.”
23. bryony | 09.21.08
“A national, nonpartisan group called “Moms Rising” would also like clarification on where Palin stands on issues that affect working mothers including healthcare, fair pay, early learning, paid sick days, and flexible work schedules.
“The group has an open letter to Palin saying that it was “dazzling” to see “a mom” as the vice presidential pick but also calling on her to make her stands on such issues clear.
“We haven’t heard much talk about the issues that are pertinent to moms from the McCain-Palin ticket the way we have from Obama-Biden,” says Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, the executive director of MomsRising.org, which has more than 150,000 members. “We’d like to hear, we’re still waiting.’ ”
And, sorry to say, you’re going to keep waiting. Like almost all GOP candidates and voters, Palin believes that the freedoms she enjoys aren’t necessary for those less fortunate. The GOP has always favored separatism among Americans. Those with high incomes and solid assets are entitled to them. Those without — just too bad for them.
Besides, I think it’s been made clear enough by now that Palin leans heavily on her husband, Todd, the “First Dude,” in Alaskan parlance, who has no political experience whatever and no education past high school, something Palin barely has herself — six schools in six years before she gets a J-school degree hardly qualifies anyone for public service, let alone the vice-presidency of the United States.
Palin solicits “First Dude” interference into all her policy making and political decisioins, on everything, even line-item budget vetoes. She’s NOT an independent woman by any means. Dressing a field moose by her little old self and seeing Russia from Alaska is not the kind of independence we need. Nor is this reliance on her husband as well as her childhood friends, with whom she’s stuffed offices, both as mayor and governor, after ousting experienced public servants.
My favorite example of this is her appointing a friend to run the state Agrilculture Department at $95K-plus because the friend “liked cows when she was a child.” I liked cows, and horses, and sheep, and goats, and dogs, and cats, and even chickens as a child, but I don’t think that entitles me to run a major department in state government.
Palin will carry this kind of cronyism into the U.S. government, if she and McCain are elected, and McCain either won’t notice or won’t care.
One Alaskan who certainly won’t get a crony appointment is the African- American woman who beat Palin in the Miss Alaska contest leading up to the Miss America Pageant. I don’t see Palin as anything but a vindictive, vicious politician who rewards friends and hounds “enemies,” as she did with her brother-in-law and his supervisor, whom she fired after a barrage of demands from Palin and her aides failed to get the brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper, based on a nasty divorce between him and Palin’s sister.
And the way she’s toting her Down’s Syndrome baby around, to silently show how pro-life she is, just stinks. She wants accolades for not aborting the fetus when he was discovered to have this defect. But since she doesn’t believe in abortion, what accolades does she deserve for that?
She won “Miss Congeniality” at the Miss Alaska Pageant. And that’s really all she has going for her, a congenial facade that crumbles when she encounters opposition — oh, and a view of Russia on a clear day.
25. Colleen | 09.21.08
I just found out that Cindy McCain lied about Mother Teresa telling her to adopt (mother teresa was in Mexico at the time). Will the McCain lies ever stop? I don’t care if Palin is a woman; she hasn’t earned the honor of being VP and she has married herself to a man and his who lie like a rug.
26. erik | 09.21.08
If your for McCain-Palin I hope your making $600,000 plus right now… If you dont well your just plain dumb because in all honesty these are the only people who have a sound argument against Obama… To bad they agree and are voting for him which then puts the focus on the guy who makes 40,000 a year and is going to get a better tax break from obama than mccain…???? You scream about taxes but wont support the guy whos going to take less from you??? strange world
27. Sue | 09.21.08
BLUE STAR FAMILIES FOR OBAMA
As military family members who support Barack Obama, we knew there was something different this election cycle. More interest in the Dem candidate, fewer Republican bumper stickers. Our new Blue Star Families for Obama website went live yesterday (www.bsf4o.com).
Blue Star Families for Obama was started by five Army and Marine Corps wives back in July. We have a budget of zero.
Military families are flocking to Senator Obama because we recognize real respect when we see it.
If you need proof, look no further than the new GI Bill. Supported by every major veterans’ group in this country. Passed by a veto-proof bipartisan majority (hello, Governor Palin?). Senator McCain inexplicably and inexcusably opposed the bill for budgetary reasons.
Join us in electing a president who will restore our respect and sense of community with our civilian brothers and sisters, not one who will continue to ask us to serve in silence.
Barack Obama 08
28. Bren & Hen | 09.21.08
Women voters will be the deciding factor in this year’s election. For women wanting to learn factual accuracies on the candidate’s issues and share their stories, please visit my new blog. http://www.ThisWomanVoter.com
Hope to hear your stories soon!
29. TJ | 09.22.08
Excellent article in Salon.com:
http://www.salon.com/env/mind_reader/2008/09/22/voter_choice/
an excerpt:
“Perhaps the single academic study most germane to the present election is the 1999 psychology paper by David Dunning and Justin Kruger, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments.” The two Cornell psychologists began with the following assumptions.
Incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill.
Incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others.
Incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy.”
This article also discusses the need for questioning in debates that demonstrate a thought process rather than canned responses and speeches in order to determine a candidate’s ability to govern. Please take the time to read this article.
30. Obama | 09.22.08
Sarah Palin has absolutely nothing to say without a teleprompter ????
I Think your confusing Sarah With Me!
Your Lord God Obama
I Don’t know what I’m supose to say Without my Teleprompter
They had to set one up in Pueblo in the Rodeo Arena
So my whole speach Wasn’t uhhhhh well i’m uhhhhhh we need to uhhhhhhhhh
31. Will | 09.22.08
Palin has far more experience than Obama. You all are blind, and voting for Obama because he is Black. I tell you, he is disaster for our country. He is full of Socialist and Marxist theology, I know what I’m talking about, because I was born in it and I was forced in school and everyday life to learn it. Socialism is one step from communism, communism is one step from genocide. Whenever Obama was interviewed by different stations, the man did not make any sense with his answers, he does not know how economy works, has now idea about foreign relations, If he can not give a strait answer to a simple question, how is he planning to meet with Putin and the dude from Iran. Just when Russia is putting their Military in Venezuela, and restored their flights over Atlantic, Obama promised to downsize our weapons production, the person has to be the biggest Idiot to something like that. He will bring us in to Distraction.
Palin is very patriotic, she knows about policy, she did not hide anything from anyone, most of you did not even know she existed before the nomination. Her answers are strai forward and very assertive, She is the best choice for Vice President. Mc Cain is Great for president because, he know how to work under a lot of pressure and know about foreign policy, economy, military. Obama on the other hand was almost crying because some commentators were questioning his ability to Lead. He is super immature for that position. And plus all his connections to the terrorists and racists, theoretically by law he should not be allowed to have Intelligence Clearance that President is required.
In this time even though our economy is shaky, we should not throw away our security.
32. De | 09.22.08
Mark on 9.21.08
You are nothing but a prime example of MALE-CHAUVINIST PIG!!!!!!! Women have come a very long way no thanks to idiots like you.
33. john scott | 09.22.08
I’m an ex-pat American who mailed his request for absentee ballot today.
I am utterly amazed at the stupidity I’m reading. Can’t go on. Never saw
so much mud-slinging in my life. By the way, I’m voting for McCain for President. Not Sarah or Hillary or Michelle. Still, I’m glad John chose
a V.P. running mate from outside the D.C. beltway. That’s really a breath
of fresh air. And that’s change that I am voting for. Some of you should
take care if you have trouble with blood pressure. With tempers like that,
you might not even make it to the polls. INSTEAD OF BAD-MOUTHING THE
CANDIDATE YOU DON’T LIKE, WHY DON’T YOU SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE PERSON
YOU WANT FOR pRESIDENT?
34. michael | 09.22.08
It is a strange world.
With all the arguments posted above and the general discussion in the public I find it strange that McCain/Palin even stand a chance!
Obama should be leading the polls by a mile.
I use a widget to keep track of the progression of polls. The widget shows the election polls by strength of states.
In addition to other different graphical visualizations of data, this one displays the progression of votes over time.
Hereby you can see how/if the states have moved!
It gives a great overview and it is updated as the polls come in!
http://www.youcalc.com/apps/1221747067033
… and its easy to put on your blog and fits in your sidebar!
Make a difference, keep on voting!
35. Tonsina Man | 09.22.08
The female perspective on this election seems divided between thoughtful women who are concerned about the full range of national problems, increasingly severe, and the women who are responding to conditioned reactions for hot button generalities and groomed images. Thinking women write trackbacks that probe issues and facts with critical analysis and come out very surprised at the selection of Palin. Women guided by previous social conditioning and reactionary hysteria grasp (or should I say ‘cling’) to their identification with motherhood and the story of a rural girl who rides the express elevator through the glass ceiling.
Such women see themselves as part of a groundswell, the groundswell of their sisters, that has hit upon a celebratory cause. (The fundamentalist right in Christiandom is equally dangerous to the cause of world peace as the fundamentalist right in Sunni Eurasia. Both groups see the world as created in their personal image of “god” which has been cultivated through religion. They are closed to the natural image and natural law of God as inclusive universally.)
Alaskans are aghast at each unveiling of the truth about Sarah, who has now left us completely, to drift among the scandals left in her wake, as she pushes onward toward her dream of destiny. And the State government appears to be in the hands of the McCain campaign, in the interim. The Palin family tours in the Lower 48 in violation of repeated calls from the bipartisan Alaskan Legislature’s judiciary committee — to come home and testify!! More subpoenas are forthcoming, but have been promised to be ignored!! (This of course will be rationalized by those women who have that “feel good” feeling about Sarah).
Sarah — come home and testify right now - you promised transparency!!!
Let me close by saying that all of the women in Anchorage who have raised the topic which me are very outraged and worried about the future of this country is a “McPalin” ticket makes it into the Oval Office!! One need only read the letters to the editor online in the Anchorage Daily News in recent weeks to see that Alaskan women are shocked and disappointed by Sarah’s choices, especially in accepting and pursuing this ticket, and the manner of her presentation in the campaign.
I appreciate the thoughtful, concise and correct comments above by both men and women who have seen through the transparency of the “emperor’s cloths” and noticed that they are see-through thin, indeed, in the “McPalin” campaign!!
36. bk | 09.22.08
ive read all of the comments here and what im able to conclude is the fact that america/s racist are alive and well but then usa is the greatest country on earth right what a joke this place is the blind and arrogant leading the blind and ignorant
37. sb | 09.22.08
I think the debates will show the issues and stands of both parties and people can make an informed choice. The rhethoric and great borrowed speeches will not help….
38. gemini3 | 09.22.08
It’s interesting to me that the media is parsing the female vote as to how many will or will not vote for a woman candidate. I think women will vote for Palin or not vote for a variety of reasons, but why assume that her gender is the only reason for voting for or against her?
Where is the examination of the number of blacks who will vote for Obama simply because he is a black candidate? We read that some whites have a problem voting for a person of color, but what about people choosing him simply because of his race?
I’m not sure the media are doing us much good this year by focusing so much attention on gender and race. What do you think they would focus on if it were the status quo - two white guys running against one another? I guess they would have to focus on their different stands on issues, now that is a novel concept.
39. Bonny | 09.22.08
To Will (post #26): I am amused when I see conservatives freak out at the thought of “socialism” when John McCain’s “Country First” and “Service” slogans are as much in the spirit of socialism as anything else. This tells me many of them don’t really understand what it is, especially because most view many of its principles as American values. I’m no expert either, and I am too young to remember the Cold War Era, but when I see that the best countries to live in, taking into account health care, equal rights and pay, overall contentment of the people, economic stability, and so on, they are Iceland, Norway, Sweden….countries considered to practice socialism. I don’t see a good argument against it. And no, they aren’t commies or genocidal.
And Sarah Palin is a joke, a not just a tool of the Republicans, just a tool in general.
40. Mike K | 09.22.08
Funny to see the comments about McCain and equal pay for women. Have you seen the figures for each candidates own employees ? Talk is cheap. Obama’s record is poor. McCain’s inner circle is majority women and they are paid 24% on average higher than the men. Maybe you should do some investigating for yourself instead of regurgitating DNC talking points. Just a suggestion.
41. smitty | 09.22.08
I think everyone should wake up and realize that Obama/Biden should and will be out next Pesident and VP. They say because Obama is black could hurt him and keep him from becoming President. Wake up people and stop being racist. They say because Sarah is a women is going to sway women to vote for McCain/Palin is think that is just sick and wrong. Don’t let her prevent you from voting for the right people. McCain is too old and no way is Sarah qualified to be President let slone VP. I am a women and she makes me sick and sorry that I am women. Come on all you Hillary supporters. Vote for Obama if you want a Democrat in office and if you call yourself a true Democrat. Hillary want everyone no matter race, religion, sex, republican or democrat to vote for the one that will be change and that is Obama/Biden. We will be very sorry if McCain/Palin wins. I will ot call them my President or VP if they win, but to put everyones mind at ease they will and I repeat will not win. Go back to Alaska where you belong and McCain go back to the old folks home to you came from. GOOOOOOOOOOOO Obama
42. Florida Voter | 09.22.08
What’s crazy is that even Alaskan women, even some of Palin’s own friends according to the interview of Good Morning America, are reluctant to have her in the White House. I hope women voters go here to get a sense of what a Mccain Palin administration would entail… http://mccainpalinworld.com/
43. susan | 09.22.08
smitty said: “I think everyone should wake up and realize that Obama/Biden should and will be out next…”
Yo smitty,
looks like your mind is sayin’ one thing and your hand is sayin’ another.
telling little typo….
44. RIChris | 09.22.08
If women don’t vote for McCain/Palin because they don’t feel she is qualified; why would they be voting for Obama, who is less qualified than either of them? Would it be because they still can’t imagine anyone other than men as leaders? Or would it be because other women (so-called feminists) are telling them which specific women would be appropriate as leaders? Either way, it’s obvious these women are not making their own decisions.
45. Stupid Liberal | 09.24.08
I Liberals Didn’t get all there information from Obama adds
And from their Butts
They Might Learn something from some research
It is Amazing Republicans Have Any Chance
Given the Media is ” IN THE TANK FOR DEMOCRATS ”
Our Schools are ” IN THE TANK FOR DEMOCRATS ”
Our Colleges are ” IN THE TANK FOR DEMOCRATS ”
They are all trying to raise our children to be liberals, Gay Loving, Tree Hugging, Mindless Zombies that Just take a Politicians Word as Fact, And treats the BOOK the founding Fathers Lived By, As A STUPID FAIRYTALE…
I am a Proud “Bitter American who clings to my guns and Religion”…
As Obama calls us
And Proud of it!!!!!!
Funny When You ask a Liberal Who the voted for they say thats private
When you ask a conservitive they aswer truthfuly
And I’m not for killing babies before or after birth .
Exact oppisite of OBAMA
46. mimi362 | 09.25.08
Who cares what you think I’m voting for her simply because she’s a woman- so there. Besides I think Obama lies about everything and Michelle his wife is too angry to be a first lady. She needs to go to anger management first.
47. Mike | 09.25.08
A national, nonpartisan group called “Moms Rising”
Really, this group was started by a Moveon.org co-founder Joan Blades. I don’t think you can honestly say it a nonpartisan group.
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1. jefflz | 09.21.08
What we have learned so far even though the press has treated her with kid gloves is that Palin is a phony. The facts don’t seem to be relevant to her. She lied about the Bridge to Nowhere, she lied about the earmarks, she lied about going to Iraq, she lied about doing business in Ireland, she lied about the so-called plane sale on eBay, she kept her pregnancy hidden for seven months, she lied about her involvement in TrooperGate. She backs Big Oil and says she fought them. The only things that seem to be true are that she thinks the War in Iraq is doing God’s will, that 9/11 was caused by Saddam (a known lie even Bush has recanted) and she has no foreign policy experience whatsoever, except to she says she can see Russia (but not Wall St.) on a clear day, and she is ready to go to war with Russia at the drop of a hat.. How can anyone in their right mind want her to be a heartbeat from the presidency?