Sep 10, 2008
Could Clinton Have Palin-Proofed Dems?
Politico: As McCain Gains Female Support After Palin Pick, 'What If' Question Hangs Over Obama Camp
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Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appeared at a Women For Obama finance breakfast in New York, New York, on Thursday, July 10, 2008. (Sipa via AP Images)
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Women Inspired By Clinton
Although Hillary Clinton has ended her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, many women and young girls throughout the nation have been inspired by her campaign. Nancy Cordes reports.
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Timeline
Palin's Path
A look at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's life and career
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United Front
Rivals turned allies Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton make show of unity ... in Unity.
Republican Rep. Candice S. Miller says Barack Obama had only one shot at Palin-proofing the Democratic ticket - and he missed it when he passed over Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate.
“Every woman in America knows what Barack Obama did to Hillary Clinton: He looked at her and thought, ‘There’s no way I’m doing that,’” said Miller. “If Hillary was on the ticket, he’d be in a much better position to win women voters.”
Sarah Palin’s presence - coupled with Clinton’s absence - may be altering one of the great verities of American politics: that women voters overwhelmingly favor Democrats.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week showed white women swinging hard against the Democratic ticket. Obama left Denver with an 8-point lead among white women; by the time John McCain pulled out of St. Paul, Minn., with Palin at his side, he had taken a 12-point lead.
Former Clinton strategist and pollster Mark Penn on Tuesday said that it’s too soon to know where women will wind up in November, and he declined to engage in any “woulda, coulda, shoulda” speculation about how things might be different if Clinton were on the Democratic ticket.
But another former Clinton adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the “Obama people have got to be kicking themselves” for not putting/choosing Clinton as his No. 2.
Julia Piscitelli of the American University’s Women and Politics Institute agreed.
“I don’t think Palin would be seeing these kind of gains if Hillary was on the ticket,” she said. “When Obama picked Biden, it gave Republicans an opening, and they are taking full advantage of it. ... The question is: How long will it last?”
The answer, some Democrats say, is not long.
“I don’t think this is a real swing [in the polls] until it’s been a week, said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), one of Obama’s busiest female surrogates. “We’ll need to see whether Sarah Palin is willing to answer questions. ... No one will be a stronger advocate for Barack Obama and Joe Biden than Hillary Clinton.”
Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.) also sounded the Palin-will-wilt-in-the-spotlight theme.
“Sarah Palin delivered a great speech, but we haven’t heard anything else about what she’s going to do,” Lincoln said. “American women are smart, they’re bright and this election isn’t just about Sarah Palin. This is about what they want to do for the country.”
The Obama campaign has denied that it has a serious problem with female voters.
On Monday, campaign manager David Plouffe told a Washington Post reporter, “Your poll is wrong,” adding, “We certainly are not seeing any movement like that. Polls, time to time, particularly on the demographic stuff, can have some pretty wild swings.”
That view won support from two unlikely sources Tuesday: Penn and a Republican senator who backs the McCain-Palin ticket.
Penn said that women are going to be “the absolute swing vote in this campaign, and it’s not clear which direction they are going to go in.
“I don’t think it’s a Hillary backlash we’re seeing,” he added. “With Palin on the ticket, we’re going to be seeing this thing swing back and forth.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who has had a strained relationship with her state’s governor, downplayed Palin’s power. “I find it difficult to believe that many of the Hillary supporters are going to come over just because of Sarah Palin,” Murkowski said. “It should be about strength of positions” and policy.
But Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is locked in a tough race of her own, says several women - former Clinton supporters - have come up to her in Maine to say Palin gives them a reason to back McCain.
“I have never seen such excitement in the Republican Party as we’re seeing in response to Sarah Palin,” Collins said. “I’ve had a lot of Democrats and independent women in Maine who say they’re happy to see a woman on the ticket. Many of them saw an Obama-Clinton ticket as unbeatable. ... That is significant and remarkable.”
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter A. Brown said the Obama campaign is fooling itself if it discounts the importance of the problem. “This isn’t about Hillary; it’s about Obama’s problem with white women voters,” he said. “Hillary won about 10 million votes from women voters in the Democratic primaries - there are 52 million women voting in the general election.”
Clinton has said she’ll hit the road for Obama, but her team says she refuses to be an anti-Palin “attack dog.” Further complicating matters for Obama, Hillaryland fundraiser Susie Tompkins Buell is leading a group that will fight media sexism against the Alaska governor.
By Glenn Thrush and Martin Kady II
Copyright 2008 POLITICO






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See all 1081 CommentsHow will they feel once Palin''s and McCain''s abortion views are understood?
Force a woman to have her rapist''s baby?
Really?
REALLY?
REALLY!
Not gonna work with the majority of Americans.
NYT/NBC poll: OBAMA = +1
RCP Average: McCain DOWN to 2.2% and falling.
-- Posted by Negro-Voter
I see a phony, All right.
But it''s not Obama.
OBAMA 08
Like sharks, barracudas have long had a bad reputation as being dangerous to humans. Barracudas have been observed following snorkelers and scuba divers across a reef, which can make one feel uncomfortable, but they are harmless unless provoked.
Being formidable hunters, they should be respected, as barracudas are perfectly capable of defending themselves against humans that harass them.
Go!! Go!! Barracuda Sarah!!!
If what you (Sarah) and Senator McCain are saying is the truth and you will stand up to the Washington do nothing crowd. Being seperate thinkers able to make positive change for this country and it''''''''s citizens.
Then I know many will come aboard and support your efforts. Politics has to change and become a helping hand to those in need. Also a hand up to those who are forward visionaries.
We need to set aside petty issues and concentrate on what will bring respect and honor back to the presidency. Other nations are watching and waiting to see what happens in this election. Will we show them our strength (unity) or our weakness (confusion & division).
His bad judgment in this election process is so blatant I can''t imagine letting this numb nut loose with this country!
Can''t you just hear him now in a meeting with our enemies? Uhhhhh, errrrrrr, uhhhhhhhh, errrrrrr, let me check with Hillary on that. Or Uhhhhhhh, errrrrrrr, let me go get my pig with lipstick on to answer that for you!
Don''t they realize McCain has been blowing a smoke screen to try to prepare Palin?
McCain has intentionally refused to allow her to answer questions because she''s been getting trained by McCain''s staff. She didn''t even know his position on several areas.
The longer the media lets this facade go on, the more of an injustice they create. No more delays.
Isn''t that exactly the kind of prejudice women have been fighting against for generations, albeit reversed?
Just because you identify with Sarah Palin as a hard working mother, doesn''t make her an ideal candidate for vice president of the United States.
If Hillary''s supporters are real dems they could never vote for the McCain/Palin ticket.
Palin is a women and that''s the one and only thing she-s has in common with Hillary-s lady supporters.
Palin is diametrically opposite on every issue the Hillary fight for.
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1. McCain/Palin aren-t gonna make it to the WH.
2. They couldn-t bring ''seperate thinkers'' in, because THEY AREN-T separate thinkers. They''re liars.
I really don''t believe people are going to fall for the Republicans lies, fact distortion, and deception this time.
If you vote for someone because he is the same color as you, you are racist. If you vote for someone because he is the same gender as you, you are sexist. Vote with you head, not your gut, heart, or any other part of your anatomy.
And mark my words...you are already seeing it..the Repubs will never let happen to Palin what the Dems let happen to Hillary...they will protect her from the media and defend her. Unlike the DNC and the supposedly leberal media...they never stood up for the way Hillary was being treated. Obama was chosen for us!
Obama should have chosen Hillary....Mccain would never have chosen Palin otherwise. I believe the Dems would have won....now it looks like 4-8 more years of idiocracy!!! Thanks Obamadrones...and the Media..you really did a great job of crapping on Hillary and now we will lose the White House yet again.
Go Hillary 2012
Posted by ibzjem
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My heart says McCain/Palin
Palin is diametrically opposite on every issue the Hillary fight for.
Posted by FrootLoopHHH
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People will often vote for something because they feel they have been wronged. Obama has no business being head of the democrat ticker. Should have been Hillary. Yes people will vote for Palin just to show Howard Dean and the far out left wingers how they feel and stop these people from ruining the party for good.
VOTE REPUBLICAN!
McCain''s real running mate is his political "soul mate," George W. Bush.
Everything, from the TAX on health insurance to the dead in iraq and the half TRILLION dollar deficit....
They are all George Bush and they are all John McCain.
John McCain. Who voted with Bush NINETY PERCENT OF THE TIME.
LIPSTICK?
They don''t make enough to cover this pig.
I am anxious for the debates and hope to hear less mud slinging, swift boating and get to the issues kind of debates.
I want to hear the plans and what they envision for the people!
I like Obamas style in being as respectful as a politician can be.
So many things are taken out of context by the media that just is not true and blown out of proportion that too many buy into and believe without researching for themselves before they make an educated decision on what candidate fits their needs and visions personally the best.
Too much hype is going on about a female running mate, and I just dont buy it, I am too smart for falling for it. I do have my own personal opinion of Palin and shudder at the thought of her stepping in as president should McCain die during presidency.
The only women I know who are voting McCain post-Palin were voting his way pre-Palin.
And Palin has scared off moderate Republican women with her take-no-prisoners attitude requiring rape victims to bear their rapist''s child. Not too many woman favor that, except the rabid religious or white supremacists who would never have voted Obama anyway.
Doesn''t the billionair-owned, right-wing promoting media ever get tired of spreading it on with a trowel?
BTW:
PIG = McCain
lipstick = McCain''s lies
Posted by h0ldem at 05:09 PM : Sep 10, 2008
So you don''t think there are people who are voting for Obama simply because he has identified himself as a son of a single mother...according to him...living in near poverty...putting himself through college on student loans...working as a community organizer...turning down the ''big'' money to serve in politics? How do those aspects of his life qualify him for the job of president? Yet MANY people put aside his lack of experience because they ''identified'' with him. How does that differ than what people see in Palin. Double standard don''t you think?
This election should be about ISSUES!
I know the concept is radical but if America doesn''t wake up from this ridiculous charade, we are going to find ourselves in deeper doodoo than we already are. I mean, it is going to take many years to extricate ourselves from our current situation, and the more time we spend on ''personality'' and other meaningless trivialities, the more we are not solving anything.
Fool me once - shame on you.
Fool me twice - shame on me.
Fool me three times - McCain/Palin 08!
(copyright 2008 karlrove inc.)
Obama, your days as a politician on the national scene is severely shortened by your own foolish blunders and your elitist arrogance.
I cannot find anything about Michele Obama having one abortion let alone 6. Please post a link where I can find that information.
Posted by debjane1126 at 05:43 PM : Sep 10, 2008
Yet somehow you don''t think there has been too much hype about Obama being the first black presidential candidate?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c
Posted by alohaone1 at 05:49 PM : Sep 10, 2008-----------------
i dont get it are denying Palin is a pig and McCain is a stinky old fish?
I cannot find anything about Michele Obama having one abortion let alone 6. Please post a link where I can find that information.
Posted by armydog2 at 05:53 PM : Sep 10, 2008
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I have no link...This was just something I was told, and none of your fellow Demotards have been able to disprove it.
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Posted by Fernando58 at 05:59 PM : Sep 10, 2008
what do you say about her pregnant 17 year old, that they really did plan to get married all along HAHA FAT CHANCE! maybe her daughter would not be pregnant if her mother told her to have SAFE *** her teachings of "abstinence" obviosly did not work for her daughter how well does she think that will work for america
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Posted by whatwhy001 at 05:59 PM
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Republican troll
He blew the Election.
Now I can vote for Barr, I can live with McCain /Palin
McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.
McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.
McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq.
McCain urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.
McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000.
Posted by alohaone1 at 05:49 PM : Sep 10, 2008---------
i dont get it are denying Palin is a pig and McCain is a stinky old fish?
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Posted by kc629 at 06:00 PM : Sep 10, 2008
that is what Obama want Kool-Aid drinking fools like you to believe , but for the rest of America , we will NAIL him for it !
HRC could "Palin-Proof Dems" right now and in the upcoming weeks, but she is reportedly going to be "too busy this fall" to campaign for Obama.
That is to say, she is withholding support and cynically hoping Obama fails so that she can reappear as our "savior" in 2012.
Never mind that she and Slick Willy have been trying to cut him off at the knees since day one - Country be damned. That is the plan.
It is now or never Hillary, do what is right - and I do mean now ... or "never".
M
Obama the BIGGEST Joke of the Century!!!
This guy should PUBLICLY apologize to the Clintons for playing the same old Corrupted Chicago Politics against them.
Ooooo! This looks like it would be right up Sarah Palin''s "alley."
(Interestingly, it''s the one story one CBS not sponsored by Exxon Mobil)
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