# Has Sarah Palin scared Obama/Democrats/liberals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886 "2008-09-10T01:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/21 "2008-09-10T05:28:24Z")
The stupidity of American voters always scares me. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/22 "2008-09-10T05:34:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Many of her supporters say that, based on the volume of discussion and attacks on her and various individual), that Palin’s nomination has her opponents\*\* “panicked,” “running scared\*\*,” and various other similar adjectives. Organizations and other social constructs are full of divergent people. When a smooth running campaign or game runs into some friction, the worst is assumed. Given time, leaders and coaches calm down the process and folks take comfort. That gov palin might leach some of Hilarys supporters is a given. Probably the same ones that would have stayed home or voted McCain out of spite. This is Obama’s test of leadership in keeping his team on the rails and his voters energized. Now is the time to see what kind of contingincy plans he has in place to deal with surprises. declan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/23 "2008-09-10T05:35:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The stupidity of American voters always scares me. Be afraid. Be very afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Linear\_Crack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Linear\_Crack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linear_Crack)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/24 "2008-09-10T06:38:01Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Biden is going to wipe the floor with her unless they dumb down the questions at the VP debate. I’m certain Palin will do just fine if [this](http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/09/biden_being_biden.asp) is what awaits her. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/25 "2008-09-10T06:40:02Z")
Feminist (of the reasonable variety) and Obama supporter Camille Paglia wrote a superb assessment of Palin and her impact on the race in her column which can be found [here](http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/). I think Democrat voters will find it, if not scary, at least very disheartening. Whether McCain/Palin win or not, her selection has been the greatest single stroke of genius, vision and courage I’ve seen from any Republican in my recollection. I don’t recall even Reagan pulling off such a stunning and effectual coup virtually from out of nowhere like that. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/26 "2008-09-10T06:40:13Z")
> [@Linear\_Crack](#): > > I’m certain Palin will do just fine if [this](http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/09/biden_being_biden.asp) is what awaits her. :eek: Embarrassing, yes, but is there really any reason Biden should haveknown he was n a wheelchair. I mean it’s not like he waved at Stevie Wonder. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/27 "2008-09-10T06:55:00Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Feminist (of the reasonable variety) and Obama supporter Camille Paglia wrote a superb assessment of Palin and her impact on the race in her column which can be found [here](http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/). > > I think Democrat voters will find it, if not scary, at least very disheartening. Oh she’s full of shit. > [@Starving Artist](#): > > Whether McCain/Palin win or not, her selection has been the greatest single stroke of genius, vision and courage I’ve seen from any Republican in my recollection. I don’t recall even Reagan pulling off such a stunning and effectual coup virtually from out of nowhere like that. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but suffice it to say, I completely disagree with you. I think this was a mistake of gargantuan proportions. The woman was not vetted, she’s under more than one investigation for abuse of power, she’s a proven liar, and now she’s attached herself to a dishonorable lackey of Karl Rove’s. Her star’s already fading and she’ll slink off into obscurity just like Geraldine Ferarro did after '84. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/28 "2008-09-10T06:58:40Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Feminist (of the reasonable variety) and Obama supporter Camille Paglia wrote a superb assessment of Palin and her impact on the race in her column which can be found [here](http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/). Good article, that. But it seems to me that Democrats aren’t so much scared but rather surprised and unprepared. Palin wasn’t on the radar, so they didn’t have plans to immediately deal with her. There have been comments about how McCain didn’t properly vet her, but I’d suggest it’s more that the Democrats didn’t do sufficient research on McCain’s potential VP picks. Further McCain and Palin have been very adroit at handling the shit-storm. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/29 "2008-09-10T07:32:11Z")
Speaking for myself, I’ve been more gobsmacked. Obama filled a stadium with eighty thousand people. Pat Buchanan – Pat Buchanan! – went all mushy after his acceptance speech. For a second there it looked like the democrats might actually have a chance this year. By comparison, the first couple of days of the Republican convention were… well, a dismal failure of unbelievable proportions. The first day, the convention hall was literally empty! I’d never seen anything like it. They couldn’t even fill the hall for his acceptance speech. How is it possible that he’s running even in the polls, after the last couple of weeks? Anyway, I’ll tell you what worries me. Bush has a 28% approval rating. This 28% represents a block of voters – about 84 million strong, if my math is correct – who are utterly immune to reason. You may remember that certain representatives of this group – Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, to name a couple – vowed they would vote for Hillary Clinton before voting for John McCain, they were so opposed to his candidacy. I believe Limbaugh predicted that nominating McCain would destroy the Republican Party entirely. Anyway, most of these voters are fundamentalist Christian, extreme right-wingers. They were wary of McCain because he isn’t reactionary and fundamentalist. But when he chose Palin, well… They quite literally do not care that Palin has no real experience, has herself stated quite plainly she doesn’t know what the VP does, that she lies, and so forth. They recognize her as one of her own, and that means, of course, IOKIYR. Selecting Palin appears to have put a block of about 84 million voters in solidly McCain’s hip pocket, people whose opinions cannot be swayed by appeals to reason or matters of empirical fact. That’s a lot of votes. In other words – what **Dio** said. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/30 "2008-09-10T07:41:49Z")
Not that it matters much in terms of this discussion, but there are only around 300 million people in this country, including children. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/31 "2008-09-10T07:45:20Z")
Good point. How many eligible voters are there in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/32 "2008-09-10T07:56:15Z")
[This](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x184491) from the Democratic Underground. (Hey, it was the first cite I found.) “In the 2004 election, there were about 201 million eligible voters in the U.S and 122,267,553 of them voted.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/33 "2008-09-10T08:04:57Z")
So 28% of 201 million comes in at… 56.3 million. Still a pretty large block. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/34 "2008-09-10T08:13:52Z")
I would think that in terms of a voting bloc, you would take 28% of the approx. 122.2 million who voted rather than assuming 28% of total eligible voters, so approx. 34.2 million would make up the bloc you’re talking about. But be that as it may, I was up all night last night and I’m pooped. Goodnight, all. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/35 "2008-09-10T12:07:19Z")
I wonder if the Republican Party isn’t afraid of Palin themselves. I have noticed she doesn’t seem to speak unless she has a script or if she isn’t standing next to Mccain. Obama and Biden seem to be able to speak at seperate places and it doesn’t sound scripted. Remember even the meanest Pit Bull can be put down by a tranquilizer gun. WE need some one who can calm the country and world down, not more of the macho"I’ll get you first attitude we now have. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/36 "2008-09-10T12:15:49Z")
The only reason to be afriad of Palin is if McCain wins and croaks. I don’t believe either one of those things are going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/37 "2008-09-10T12:19:21Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > The only reason to be afriad of Palin is if McCain wins and croaks. I don’t believe either one of those things are going to happen. We do not need to fear her,just be aware that if it comes to a tie vote she will have the vote to change what the outcome will be. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/38 "2008-09-10T12:20:53Z")
Of course she has… gloriously so. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/39 "2008-09-10T12:26:21Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > We do not need to fear her,just be aware that if it comes to a tie vote she will have the vote to change what the outcome will be. > > Monavis Meaning to put them over the top? I don’t give her that much credit if that is what you mean. I think if it comes to a tie, Obama will be the deciding factor to throw his ticket over the top. He has the broader appeal over more of the population. Palin ignites some right conservatives, but the bulk of the moderates and fense sitters [I believe] will see through McCain’s ruse. Is this what you are talking about? I apologize if I misunderstand your post. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/40 "2008-09-10T13:00:46Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The stupidity of American voters always scares me. The stupidity and childish spitefulness of American liberals always disgusts me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886.md?page=3)