AZhitman wrote:Hash, I disagree strongly with most of that post...
First of all, people's parenting styles are their own business. To claim "OMG abstinence education don't werk becuz teh Palin kid got prego" is retarded.
Second, you may as well say she should be home baking cookies "where she belongs". Having a special-needs kid shouldn't deprive the populace of her efforts and service. Take all the workers with special needs kids out of the workforce and we have a mess.
As I said, I was quoting my wife's personal opinions on the matter. She just thought it was a little much for *anyone* to be back at work within 2 days of giving birth to a special needs child. I don't really feel strongly about the issue of either the down syndrome kid or the teen pregnancy (other than that the latter looks bad, at least to a good portion of the population, and I stand by that).
AZhitman wrote:Third, your list of reiterations is not terribly relevant. Obama's choice got booed as well, but a shxt-ton of Hillarious supporters. Daughter's behavior is irrelevant... She's not the Prez, and her Iraq comment was way outta context, and "troopergate" is a fabricated non-issue... Perhaps you could read up on it. I posted about it days ago and why she did the right thing.
Daughters behavior is NOT irrelevant. I know it's not a *real* material issue, but in elections, unfortunately, PERCEPTION MATTERS. It WILL be a turn-off to certain voters, even if it wouldn't necessarily be a turn-off to you or I.
What *was* the context of the Iraq comment? I wouldn't be surprised if it was out of context, but again, it isn't the reality that matters, it's the perception. In the SHORT TERM (i.e. over past 3 days), this comment has had a negative impact on how she and thus the ticket is percieved, however slight.
I agree that Troopergate is probably bull-caca, but it just seems like "one more negative thing", and that's probably how it comes off to certain voters as well. Again, it's all about perception. I'm not making any arguments as to the long-term viability of Palin as a pick, I'm just saying that over the last three days, it seems like a lot, even if it's bull, and it's probably not doing the GOP any favors.
AZhitman wrote:Romney had some issues that the dems would have picked up on as well - No one is immune and you know it.
Romney was vetted, effectively, by the primary process and thus he would've had fewer surprises, as would any other major figure (Lieberman) who had been through a national campaign of any kind. That doesn't, by it's own virtue, make him a better pick, but I doubt McCain would've lost 6 points over the weekend if he'd gone with Romney, he'd likely still be even-Steven.
AZhitman wrote:Six points doesn't phase me, just like Camp Llama didn't panic when they lost a 9-point lead in Gallup's polling.
I admit that six points at this stage in the game doesn't mean much (if anything) to the final result, but what it DOES mean, indisputably, is that Sarah Palin has had a negative impact, at least in the here and now, on how McCain's ticket is being perceived by the public. Nothing else happened since those two polls were taken, and so it must be inferred that McCain lost six points BECAUSE OF SARAH PALIN. I'm open to other suggestions, but I don't see any plausible ones.
AZhitman wrote:A very rare weak post from you, good friend.
For the reasons above, I disagree.
AGAIN, I want to reiterate that my point here is not to tear apart your VP pick. My point is that all this crap that's going on with Palin, everything that makes her controversial (stuff I mentioned above, her inexperience taken together with McCain's age, her relative obscurity) isn't necessarily an asset. Ultimately elections are 100% about perception, and it is inarguable that somewhere out there, to at least SOME PEOPLE, she is not a positive addition to the ticket. This is obviously the case, as McCain lost six points (which he may well regain, but stay with me) over the weekend when nothing else happened, so it's attributable to her.
Now, your response could be "those people are wrong, screw them", but ultimately you DO care what they think, or at least you should, as those are the crossover/independent voters that will determine the fate of your candidate in November.