Do you think attacks on Palin's daughter will backfire?

Question

I was watching The O'Reilly Factor last night, and one of his guests said that she thought that all the liberal attacks on Palin's daughter would backfire. She explained that she felt this way because she believes most of America knows someone that they care about that has had to deal with a teenage pregnancy and are not going to take kindly to those that are trying to smear a mother and child going through this for the sake of politics.

What do you think the general American reaction will be to the attacks on a teenager for political expediency? Do you think it could hurt Obama? (I think he did great in publicly decrying anything being said about this subject, but some of his followers are going to do it anyway, which could reflect on him despite his statement.)

Answer 1

100% YES they are and will backfire.

Answer 2

I believe that these attacks are already backfiring - even Obama himself is trying to distance himself from these attacks.

I believe it speaks volumes about his supporters in general.

Answer 3

It already has.  Obama's DNC speech was watched by 30+ million people, and he received minimal boost in the polls.  The Dem reaction to Palin killed Obama's thunder.  McCain gets some credit/blame for announcing it the day after.  But if the Dems had just responded with a "That's nice" and kept going after McCain, they would have been better off.  

You're right that Obama's statements on the matter have been very honorable, but his supporters are undermining him.  Rightly or wrongly, the attacks on Palin ARE reflecting on the Democratic ticket.

Answer 4

Most definitely.  The Muslim Obama Hussein Baracks Party will definitely feel a regrettable backlash.  The arrogancy of the Democratic Party and its leaders is substantiated by their continual distancing themselves from "mainstream" America.  You cannot lead a people that you do not choose to mingle with.  Such is the man of Muslimism.

Answer 5

Obama is not attacking, and is discouraging these attacks.

There are just as many Republicans as Democrats who have big mouths and little brains.

Answer 6

Funny how these attacks are coming from the same people who were claiming that Obama's family should not be criticized.

Answer 7

Here is the left's problem:  they've been running a carefully coordinated game of "Left hand, right hand".  the left hand (Obama) says one thing, while the right hand (media, his campaign) does another.  Obama says no personal attacks, then sends out his team to do just that.  Obama claims Bristol is off limits (to his credit), but then his campaign and media make it to be the biggest story ever.  

the problem is, this time, they'll overplay their right hand, and the attacks against Bristol will indeed backfire. this news will make Palin MORE human, and people will start to see how well she handles the problem, and respect for her will rise even more...

Answer 8

sure it will, along with a lot of other trash talk they say

Answer 9

I think Obama's motives are pure in asking people to stop the attacks - however the attacks will backfire and they will continue.

The choice of Pallin was brilliant - it came on the heels of a DNC convention where they acted like they had recently given women the right to vote and then choose a man to run who didn't bring on the close 2nd woman as a running mate.  Had Obama chosen Hillary he would have won the election.

It's interesting that the choice for Pallin on the part of McCain has turned virtually every attack into something that would be hypocritical and detrimental for them.  The "same old administration" was going for them and they spoke about whoever the VP would be would just be another d**k Cheney - Sarah Pallin isn't exactly d**k Cheney-ish.

McCains's VP choice was brilliant, Obama's was stupid.  I think that's the election right there.

Answer 10

Sure didn't seem to back fire on Republicans when they attacked Barack having his children in a television interview.  I suppose what hurts Republicans the most is they have been dishing it out against Barack for so long, they don't know what to do now that people are dishing it back at them.

Answer 11

It's a hurtin' the Dems badly as we speak.

Answer 12

Does she smoke pot like her mother?  Was she high when she mistakenly had s*x one time and got pregnant? Was she seduced by an older man and will he be prosecuted.  If he was under 16 will she be prosecuted?

Answer 13

People don't like personal attacks in politics.

They especially don't like personal attacks on candidates' kids.

I really fail to see what kind of voters will vote Democrat on the basis of Palin's daughter being pregnant.

I'm a Democrat. I don't like Palin at all. I certainly don't rate her as a politician. However I don't think the fact that her daughter's pregnant means Palin's a bad politician, parent or person. Kids go off the rails, it happens, no matter how well they were raised.

Teenage pregnancy is a huge problem, and it's one of the reasons I'm pro-abortion. But alienating teen mothers, and criticising them isn't the way forward!