# 32 Ohio undecidedes hate "Maverick" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 4, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456 "2008-10-04T16:14:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/1 "2008-10-04T16:14:53Z")
Watching the Vice Presidential debate on CNN, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the “little squiggly lines” (side note, every time Wolf said “little squiggly lines” I wanted to punch him in the throat. There has to be a better and smarter way to refer to a real time line graph. I know I 'm an American, but I’m not that stupid. But I digress) Obviously it was an insanely small sample, and has limited to no value as an indicator of general views of the overall, but… Every time (seriously, every time) Sara Palin used the word “Maverick” The graph dived. Usually it recovered quickly to pre “Maverick” levels, but on the word itself it just tanked. This was throughout the debate, well before Biden went on his Maverick rant, so it’s not an indicator of how well that played. I saw a similar dive on the first mention of “Joe six pack”, and I think it may have happened in one or two other occasions with an over used talking point phrase, but don’t quote me on that (Seriously, If I see the preceding sentence wrapped in quote tags in someone else’s post, I will be very put out. I may cry or something) Seeing as McCain/Palin has pumped so much into creating the Maverick brand, how do you think we can expect them to respond to this going forward? Maybe, more importantly, could this possibly indicate that we Americans have begun to exceed our tolerance level for talking points and sound bytes? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/2 "2008-10-04T16:22:12Z")
> [@parthenokinesis](#): > > Seeing as McCain/Palin has pumped so much into creating the Maverick brand, how do you think we can expect them to respond to this going forward? Maybe, more importantly, could this possibly indicate that we Americans have begun to exceed our tolerance level for talking points and sound bytes? Nope. All it means is that these talking points have exceeded their useful lifespan, and will have to get replaced with new talking points. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/3 "2008-10-04T16:25:19Z")
As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/4 "2008-10-04T16:36:41Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. That would be hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/5 "2008-10-04T16:59:19Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Nope. All it means is that these talking points have exceeded their useful lifespan, and will have to get replaced with new talking points. John McCain, **Iconoclast!** **Nonconformist! Heretic! Renegade! Loose Cannon! the Unbeliever!** I’m not seeing much with an upside here. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/6 "2008-10-04T16:59:44Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. Yes human and Yahoo (of Gulliver’s Travels). ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/7 "2008-10-04T17:18:24Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. Their hired genealogists are probably combing their records right this second. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/8 "2008-10-04T17:54:47Z")
Without really having an opinion about them as such, this does not seem surprising. It does seem a bit bizarre to go around calling calling oneself (or one’s team) maverick. It’s rather like going around saying “we’re the cool bunch.” It’s best left to others to call you that, when you do it yourself, it can only sound at best like reaching. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/9 "2008-10-04T18:42:28Z")
I was watching CNN and was fascinated by the chart. And yes, every time Palin did her shtick with “When I was Mayor/Governor”, “You betch”, “Hockey Mom” etc the lines went very cool. Also, the woman watchers were more reactive - bigger swings up and down than the men. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/10 "2008-10-04T18:43:52Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. Palin does come from a very diverse family… ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/11 "2008-10-04T18:46:04Z")
> [@parthenokinesis](#): > > (side note, every time Wolf said “little squiggly lines” I wanted to punch him in the throat. There has to be a better and smarter way to refer to a real time line graph. I know I 'm an American, but I’m not that stupid. But I digress) When I lived in Australia, they used this technology in one of the PM debates…they called it The Worm. Better? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/12 "2008-10-04T18:56:20Z")
I watched every single of episode of _Maverick_ as a kid. I know the history of Bret, Bart and even Beau intimately. And frankly, McCain, you are no Maverick. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/13 "2008-10-04T19:09:48Z")
> [@C3](#): > > When I lived in Australia, they used this technology in one of the PM debates…they called it The Worm. Better? A little bit. At least its a definitive name. Kind of a silly, simplistic name, but better than the vague dismissive descriptor “little squiggly lines” Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/14 "2008-10-04T19:30:47Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. What have they stolen? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/15 "2008-10-04T20:30:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I watched every single of episode of _Maverick_ as a kid. > I know the history of Bret, Bart and even Beau intimately. > And frankly, McCain, you are no Maverick. I don’t know - he plays craps. But unlike the Mavericks, he loses. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/16 "2008-10-04T20:32:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I watched every single of episode of _Maverick_ as a kid. > I know the history of Bret, Bart and even Beau intimately. > And frankly, McCain, you are no Maverick. I came in here to post this. You stole my moment from me. I shall, of course, have my revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/17 "2008-10-04T20:39:34Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > What have they stolen? The change theme, for one. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/18 "2008-10-04T21:26:34Z")
Also, some gum. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/19 "2008-10-04T21:41:43Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > As much as they steal from Obama, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCain or Palin announce that one or both of them are mixed race. IIRC, Palin’s husband was supposed to have some Native American or Eskimo ancestry (I can’t remember which), which wouldn’t really be surprising for an Alaska native. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456/20 "2008-10-04T22:56:46Z")
Well they have decided to stop with the mavericking and all the positive branding. Now [all negative all the time!](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_campaigns_ad_spending_n.php) I am sure that it will sell sooo much better! Yeah, the oddness of creating a [maverick brand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick) to burn into your side to identify your self as conforming to the standards of the team begins to become apparent to all. [Don’t you want to be a Pepper too!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DWf-rSHn0&feature=related) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-ohio-undecidedes-hate-maverick/466456.md?page=2)