# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/61 "2008-09-10T15:53:38Z")
**Sinaijon** , the state polls are saying the same thing. There’s almost no change in MI/PA/OH etc. Only way McCain can gain in the national poll yet not gain in swing states is that red is getting red or blue is getting…lighter blue. Either is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/62 "2008-09-10T15:53:30Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Good point. Never trust an independent source like Gallop when a much more object source like the DailyKos is available. :rolleyes: Good point. Never trust an analysis when it’s using the facts and figures from an independent source like Gallup (not “Gallop”). ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/63 "2008-09-10T16:04:51Z")
Let’s have a look at what that [left-wing mouthpiece Rasmussen](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/florida/election_2008_florida_presidential_election) is saying as of Monday about Florida (note: the link in the URL bar appears to go to a section of the website rather than the specific 9/8/08 story I’m quoting): > [@](#): > > The Presidential race in Florida is now tied. The latest Fox News/Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Sunshine State finds John McCain and Barack Obama each earning support from 48% of voters > > [snip] > > The race in Florida has been tight since July, with neither candidate holding more than a three percentage-point advantage in the last two polls. Prior to July, McCain enjoyed more solid leads over the Democrat. > > [snip] > > Florida has been carried by the Republican presidential candidates in eight out of the last 10 elections, most notably in 2000 when it took a month to determine that George W. Bush was the winner. In 2004, Bush easily defeated Democrat John W. Kerry 52% to 47% in the Sunshine State. The closeness of the 2000 race, however, has given Florida the reputation of being a so-called swing state. > > [snip] > > Obama has a solid 54% to 37% advantage among voters not affiliated with either major political party. He also leads 50% to 46% among women in Florida. McCain has the same advantage among men, 50% to 46%. While McCain leads 56% to 39% among white voters in Florida, Obama leads 63% to 32% among Hispanic voters. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/64 "2008-09-10T16:05:22Z")
(well, hopefully 3rd time is a charm…keep timing out trying to post) [QUOTE=Sinaijon] Good point. Never trust an independent source like Gallop when a much more object source like the DailyKos is available. [/QUOTE] I’m no fan of the DailyKos myself, mind, but the analysis looks fair to me. And they are using Gallups own raw data there. Of course, on the other side, were you to link to a similar analysis from, say, Fox, you’d get much the same reaction from the other side. However, you should read the analysis first before shooting the source out of hand. Blind squirrels and nuts and all that. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/65 "2008-09-10T16:20:39Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > ( > I’m no fan of the DailyKos myself, mind, but the analysis looks fair to me. And they are using Gallups own raw data there. > -XT Yes, and Gallup also provided an analysis with their poll. The South was up 9 pts, The Midwest up 7pts, the East was up 6pts. So while the biggest bump was in the southern states, an article title ‘Gallup: Shows “Palin Bounce” largely contained to South’ is deliberately misleading.’ Largely outside the West is more like it. And what difference does it matter if it _was_ contained in the South? Race card, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/66 "2008-09-10T16:25:23Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > I thought it was quite obvious that ‘they’ in conversations like this was not specific to particular individuals, but rather the majority of a faction. > > So, indeed, Jophiel, I don’t necessarily think that _you_ in particular are scared shitless, but rather the majority of Obama supporters who participate in threads like > [ul] > [li]OMG! Palin Collected Travel Per Diems While At Home!'[/li][li]‘OMG! Palin has no idea how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac operate!’[/li][li]‘Would it be fair to ask Palin a Kitty Dukakis question about her daughter?’[/li][li]‘Where in the world is Sarah Palin? or Responsibilities of Canididates’[/li][li]'Sarah Palin investigated for Abuse of Gubernatorial Power. Some Questions. '[/li][li]‘Mayor Palin tried to force her local Library to ban books she didn’t like.’[/li][li]‘Is being the governor of Alaska significantly relevant experience for US Presidency?’[/li][li]‘If Palin is dropped from the ticket, who should McCain replace her with?’[/li][li]‘Is Palin a celebrity now?’[/li][li]‘The Palin Baby Rumor - Proven False?’[/li][li]‘Sarah Palin Thread 329: How SHOULD Bristol’s pregnancy have been handled?’[/li][li]‘McCain Supporters, please answer a question’[/li][li]'She was only for it before she was against it, but she’ll spend the dough anyways '[/li][li]‘Has McCain’s VP Pick Left Him Vulnerable?’[/li][li]‘How should Palin address her family situation Part Deux’[/li][li]'Is Palin evidence of McCain’s incompetence as an executive?[/li][li]‘Would Palin be worse than GWB as President?’[/li][li]‘Sarah Palin slashed funding for teenage moms’[/li][li]‘McCain wanted Lieberman or Ridge, met with Palin for the first time last week’[/li][li]‘Palin chuckles at shock jock’s puerile insults’[/li][li]'How should Palin address her family situation '[/li] > [/ul] Kinda sums things up nicely. They’re scared shitless. And with good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/67 "2008-09-10T16:31:42Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Kinda sums things up nicely. They’re scared shitless. And with good reason. How does a list of thread titles tranlate into abject fear? There were lots of threads about Rumsfeld before Bush sacked him, and no one would confuse our derision for fear. Sounds to me like you are projecting your own feelings. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/68 "2008-09-10T16:33:03Z")
Palin scares the crap out of me, because there is a non-trivial chance that she will be president. If McCain loses, the 2012 nomination is hers. Guaranteed. If he wins, it’s only a frail heartbeat keeping her out of the Oval Office. Now Bush may be the worst president to date, but he was happy to do the photo ops while Cheney and the grownups ran things in the back room. With Palin you’ve got someone with just as evil an ideology but with the energy and ambition to actually milk that power for everything it is worth. Retirement to Canada looks more attractive to me with every election. ---
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/69 "2008-09-10T16:33:38Z")
Why they would be scared when they’re winning? Anger at McCain being a despicable slimeball seems to be the predominant emotion. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/70 "2008-09-10T16:42:49Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How does a list of thread titles tranlate into abject fear? There were lots of threads about Rumsfeld before Bush sacked him, and no one would confuse our derision for fear. Sounds to me like you are projecting your own feelings. It’s the quality of so many of them, and the posts within. And also the nonsense on the internets. That, and I can smell it. It has a distinct patchouli odor. But that just may be because of the particular strain of leftist nitwit we have here in SF. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/71 "2008-09-10T17:13:36Z")
She forced the dems to enter new territory. Do they attack a woman like they would a man. ? What tactics would backfire? Can you insult her ? If you mention she could be pregnant in the White House ,will it hurt or be be seen as something to consider? If you wonder aloud about her dealing with states that see women as inferior ,is that being sexist ? Can you talk about her funny accent? Are her children off ground even though every one elses are in play.? They have to tread lightly until they test all the limits. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/72 "2008-09-10T17:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] She forced the dems to enter new territory. Do they attack a woman like they would a man. ? What tactics would backfire? Can you insult her ? If you mention she could be pregnant in the White House ,will it hurt or be be seen as something to consider? If you wonder aloud about her dealing with states that see women as inferior ,is that being sexist ? Can you talk about her funny accent? Are her children off ground even though every one elses are in play.? They have to tread lightly until they test all the limits. [/QUOTE] :rolleyes: Sort of like saying "Obama forced the 'Pubs to enter new territory. Do they attack him because he’s black? Would that tactic backfire (_gee, you think??_)? Can you insult him? If you mention he may eat fried chicken and chitlens in the White House, will it hurt or be seen as something to consider? If you wonder aloud about him dealing with the states that see blacks as inferior, is that being racist (_gee, you think…part 2!_). Can you talk about his big ears? Is his wife and children off (limit I assume) even though every one elses (sic) are in play.? They have to tread lightly until they test all the (racist and stupid) limits… Something like that? -XT ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/73 "2008-09-10T17:23:43Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > It’s the quality of so many of them, and the posts within. And also the nonsense on the internets. That, and I can smell it. It has a distinct patchouli odor. But that just may be because of the particular strain of leftist nitwit we have here in SF. _Hippie jokes_? Aww, ain’t that cute? Meanwhile, when a major presidential candidate boosts expectations of his running mate as a reformer it shows he’s not quite clear even on how to successfully run a style-over-substance campaign. McCain should be savvy enough to know that the only thing the media loves more than building up a new story as the greatest thing since sliced bread is tearing down that image. [From that bastion of liberal politics, the Chicago Tribune:](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0910pagesep10,0,7756472.column) > [@](#): > > For example, she boasted about stopping the proposed $400 million federally funded “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska, as it was derisively called, and said proudly that the state could build its own bridge. > > She left out her own support for the proposed bridge during her gubernatorial campaign. She also didn’t mention that her decision to stop the project came after it had become a national embarrassment—or that Alaska kept the money for other uses. > > The bridge is significant in the McCain-Palin battle against “earmarks,” the discretionary federal funds that some people call “pork,” especially when the money is going to somebody else’s state. > > But as Palin and McCain beat up Obama for the pork he brought to Illinois, they left out how Palin’s sparsely populated state leads the country in pork-per-person. Details, details. As Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert said, “We’ll cross that Bridge to Nowhere when we come to it.” Scared? No. Just more determined to help Barack Obama and Joe Biden hand the Rovepublicans a humiliating defeat! ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/74 "2008-09-10T20:44:34Z")
I wish people would stop getting in such a tizzy about how many threads there have been about her, as if that proves something. It proves that she’s a interesting figure who came out of nowhere, in the middle of one of the most bitterly divisive elections in history, to be one of the 4 most prominent politicians in the country, and who has a bunch of random low-level possibly-scandalous things surrounding her. How could there NOT be lots of threads about her? If Obama, instead of gradually becoming more and more famous for the past 4 years, had been a nearly total unknown who was then out of nowhere chosen as Hillary’s VP pick, there would be just as many threads about him. And issues like “is he a Muslim” would be swirling around because people wouldn’t have had time to both learn the titillating details (he went to school in Indonesia! his middle name is Hussein!) and then the boring reality (he’s not a Muslim at all). As for whether we liberals are “scared”, we certainly are in the sense that Palin seems (so far) to be swaying voters in her ticket’s direction. Obviously I want Obama to win, and am worried that he won’t. But it’s easy to twist “Palin scares liberals” from “Palin scares liberals, because they are afraid she will have an impact on the election and perhaps cause the candidate they prefer to lose” to “Palin scares liberals, because deep in their arugala-munching socialist probable-homosexual hearts they know that she’s the kind of red-blooded true American moose-hunting hockey mom who will expose their web of lies and deceipt” or something like that. Which is just nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/75 "2008-09-10T23:57:22Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If McCain loses, the 2012 nomination is hers. Guaranteed. How in the heck can you say that? When was the last time the previous election’s failed VP got the nomination? Walter Mondale? ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/76 "2008-09-11T11:02:11Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > 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. I meant should McCain become president,the vice president casts the vote to break the tie, so a lot of thing that come before the Congress and senate would or could be decided by Pailins vote. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/77 "2008-09-11T11:08:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > They’re perfectly comfortable with Palin on her own - in fact, right now she’s in the process of spending 2 days with an ABC news crew doing multiple interviews. > > But they do have a problem with Palin campaigning on her own - and the problem is that she’s going to draw crowds far bigger than McCain’s. The campaign is worried about their Vice Presidential nominee speaking to crowds of 10,000 people, while their actual Presidential nominee is talking to people at Denny’s. That’s why they didn’t split her off from McCain this week. It also gives her time to study the script which she seems to not yet have memorized. If she draws bigger crowds than McCain it doesn’t speak much for him. Of course some of his silly accusations against Obama reflect that as well;trying to make a big sexist thing against Obama in a phrase he used himself against Hillary in the primaries. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/78 "2008-09-11T11:08:48Z")
The Democrats were banking on McCain choosing Romney or Pawlenty - two profoundly uninteresting white guys. They were going to knock that out of the park. “Ha! Two typical boring white guys! Change! Obama! Cool! Hip! Youth Appeal! Smash!” This choice was an oddball move but it totally took them by surprise. That’s why there’s been such a strong reaction. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/79 "2008-09-11T13:09:39Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’m afraid of her. She is opposed to my freedom. I’d be a fool not to fear her. +1 She inspired me to budget an Obama listing in some up coming paychecks. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886/80 "2008-09-14T08:08:52Z")
Here’s an issue I should’ve mentioned in my OP: part of the argument for Obama and the Dems “running scared” is that it’s caused them to “flail about” and make mistakes. Some have pointed to the recent ads, others to various (mis?)statements, others to the McCain lead overall, and in places like Florida. In other words, conservatives (since it’s mostly they who make this argument) believe that the “panic” has directly affected the political performance of Obama and the Democrats. Do you see that at all? If so, how severely? If not, why not, especially given the polling? (Granted, I realize that Obama supporters, and liberals in general, will tend to answer a certain way, but I’d like to see some real reasons, here.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sarah-palin-scared-obama-democrats-liberals/462886.md?page=5)