From The Road
September 4, 2008 12:16 PM

Obama Camp Reacts to Palin Speech

By
Maria Gavrilovic
Topics
Barack Obama
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(HARRISBURG, PA.) Barack Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod stepped up criticism of Sarah Palin's convention speech by suggesting that she's playing political games.

"She's a skilled politician as she proved last night," Axelrod said this morning.

"For someone who makes the point that she's not from Washington, she looks very much like she'd fit in very well there."

Axelrod disputed the facts of Palin's speech, and said that her slight of Obama's work as a community organizer does not concern the campaign.

"Frankly I think it was lost on a lot of people," Axelrod said adding that the campaign will not respond to Palin's attacks any differently because she is a woman. "On blatant distortions of fact, we're more than happy to respond to her or anyone."

The consensus within the Obama camp appears to that Palin accomplished what she needed to last night and that she excited the Republican base, but going forward, they haven't quite figured out if she is the game-changer in this election.

Add a Comment See all 14 Comments
by katharine9 September 5, 2008 3:57 AM EDT
McCain and Palin act like they think they''re in a bar brawl.Where''s the substance? Palin should have learned from Hillary that candidates who look like they relish getting mean (''this is the fun part'') lose respect from all but the most hard core voters. And Hillary was a million miles away from Palin in class, experience, knowledge, AND intellect. As a woman, there is no way I want this woman representing me. I want to see some solid answers for the nation''s economy and the wars we have gotten ourselves into. Both McCain and Palin appear to be mavericks of the worst sort- listening to no one, rash and brash in their decision making, and dangerously trigger happy. Scary.
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by callurfears September 4, 2008 7:43 PM EDT
Palin has never been to Russia. She''s never demonstrated any expertise on U.S. policy towards Russia. She doesn''t have any background in international relations at any level. But for Republicans, the fact that she''s lived in a state near Russia is somehow a qualification for national office.

Now, McCAIN is making the same pitch, hoping people are just stupid enough to believe it.

It''s the dumbest argument I''ve ever heard.

-Steve Benen
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by jmmalone2 September 4, 2008 7:11 PM EDT
You reporter need to step up to the plate--and get''s some news. You all share the same information. Let''s here some good old reporting--dig up the dirt--ask the important questions--report the new stuff. Stop trying to play both sides of the fence.

Judy
Los Angeles
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by nchien September 4, 2008 5:37 PM EDT
She is a looker (my husband said) and a pretty smart one. But both of us being a life long Republican, will vote for Obama this time. McCain/Palin simply doesn''t have the depth as Obama/Biden.
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by memekiller September 4, 2008 5:35 PM EDT
Obviously, McCain lacked enough confidence in Palin to not have some canned story about her botched teleprompter to cover for her. Now that we know that''s not true, it would be fun to have Palin talk about her heroic moment, just to have her lying on tape.
Reply to this comment
by greenfun September 4, 2008 5:17 PM EDT
Now, it appears that a large number of Clinton delegates from California,
where Senator Clinton won big in the primary, did not care to switch their
allegiance from Senator Cinton to Senator Obama on the first ballot.

Now, maybe it was sheer ineptitude that led to California''s inability to
count its delegates in time to actually participate in the sham roll call.
Or maybe Nancy Pelosi - DNC official, Obama supporter, and prominent
California politician - thought that by not giving California time to finish
its tally she would preempt the possibility that one of the early states to
vote would assign a large chunk of its delegates to Senator Clinton.

Whatever the case, the California experience epitomizes the wrongfulness of
the DNC''s approach to this entire primary/caucus season. The DNC has
consistently enabled or facilitated interference with free, fair, and open
elections whether it be at caucuses in the states that held them or at its
own convention.
Reply to this comment
by eddynewhope September 4, 2008 5:16 PM EDT
Overtly hostile, trite, and divisive - just like Bush. No surprise. Bush''s speech writers produced this speech. Beyond the basic factual inconsistencies, the tone of this speech was offensive. Obama showed respect and defended Palin''s family showing class and focused on the issues. Palin focused on personal attacks and a B S "narrative". Interesting how the GOP is very picky about what parts of Palin''s "narrative" gets reported on. Palin is not a "pitbull with lipstick" as she put it - Palin is George W. Bush with lipstick: same policy views, same extreme religious bent, same divisive message, and same lack of experience and common sense.
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by hopeful08 September 4, 2008 4:59 PM EDT
Good theater full of misleading statements. Reducing the threat of loose nukes is not major legislation??? The biggest threat America would be facing now is these nukes falling in to hands of global terrorist organizations.

* 800 bills in the Illinois state legislature, inlcuding the only candidate to pass Healthcare reform for 150,000 parents/children
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html

Agree with Obama or NOT, it is FALSE to say he lacks foreign-policy experience
* 1984 BA in Poly Science, Intl Affairs; Thesis: Soviet Disarmement
* Bills/Ammendments passed/introduced
S.AMDT.3073 to H.R.1585 Accountability in military and security contracting
S.AMDT.2692 to H.R.2764 Require a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction and security plan
S.J.RES.23: A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran...
S. 2330: Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act (1 Cosponsor)
- Consistent Opposition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8&feature=related
- 2007 Obama says %u201CMusharraf cannot openly give permission for internal strikes%u201D
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3458915
Jan. 08: CIA aircraft fired on several buildings in Pakistan killing a senior al-Qaida commander - without seeking approval from the Pakistani government
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by mattcat25 September 4, 2008 4:25 PM EDT
"Looks like all the Obama supporters are running scared now ,too, with Palin chasing them out of the fantasy life they''''ve been building around themselves and the Obama camp. The straight talking gal just may let the light of truth in that will disolve the mystic mist of the myth."
Posted by Besscannon


Sarah Barracuda has exhibited that she is someone to be completely frightened of! I agree.

Did you know that when during her most recent pregnancy she was off in Texas (ignoring the rest of her children) when her water broke, instead of going to a local hospital Sarah elected to hop on a plan and take the trip back to Alaska to have the baby.

Irresponsible?
And, Power Mad.

Scary stuff%u2026


Reply to this comment
by besscannon-2009 September 4, 2008 4:07 PM EDT
Looks like all the Obama supporters are running scared now ,too, with Palin chasing them out of the fantasy life they''ve been building around themselves and the Obama camp. The straight talking gal just may let the light of truth in that will disolve the mystic mist of the myth.
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