Is McCain winning the first round since everyone is talking about Sarah Palin instead of Obama?

Question

politics is like marketing, obama won because people focused on him instead of Hillary, and the more Hillary attacked Obama the more he became popular......Palin was unkown two days ago, right now I think 90% of americans knows who is she.......i Think democrats are doing a big mistake attacking her since she is not running to be president

Answer 1

What the Democrats are doing is no big of a difference then what the Republicans were doing for Biden a few days ago. Besides, the choice of picking her is just McCain flip-flopping on his apparent stand that Obama should not be allowed in office as he is inexperienced.

Answer 2

Depends on what you mean by "winning."  If you mean by taking the media spotlight away from Obama the day after his impressive acceptance speech at the DNC, then yes, McCain is winning.  However, the polling numbers haven't had the time to account for the Palin VP nomination: the RCP/Gallup polls listed ended on 8/28, the day before Palin's name was announced.  Those numbers will probably go up for the Republicans after the RNC (they tend to do that after every convention in every election).  But how much and whether they stay that way is yet to be determined.

We can only speculate all the reasons why McCain chose her.  I think wanting to get the Hillary voters who aren't that impressed Obama was a big part of it.  But there are a lot of conservatives out there (myself included) who are excited about the pick because of her stance on conservative social issues.  There's age: trying to bridge a gap with a younger generation.  There's the fact McCain is somewhat of an outsider in his own party, and so is Palin.  There's the fact she also has *some* executive experience even though it is brief and is on the state and local level.  (McCain, Obama, and Biden only have legislative).  And maybe there's a desire to show that the Republican party can welcome change by nominating someone different than a white guy, even if it is only for the VP spot.

One of the things I tend to suspect in many people -- voters, commentators, etc. -- is they tend to downplay the faults in their own political party and also downplay the strengths of another... even when those faults and strenghts are exactly the same between the parties.  I'm speaking generally here.  For example, Republicans hit on Obama's lack of experience... and then McCain chose a VP candidate that is also inexperienced.  The first seems to matter to them; the second less so.  For the Democrats, Obama's lack of experience still doesn't really matter that much to them, but, for many, Palin's inexperience apparently matters a great deal.

The truth is, I don't think experience, or the lack thereof, is really the issue.  One thing I do agree with Obama is I think he got it right a few weeks ago when he was a guest on the Daily Show: it's not so much about a candidate's experience as it whether or not that candidate has good judgment.  Many conservatives just don't like Obama's stance on the issues (in this case, on military and foreign policy), and therefore consider him to have bad judgment.  And, in their minds, that's the result of his lack of experience.  Hence, their criticism.

But when Sarah Pulin has the courage to take on corruption in her own party when she was both mayor and in the governor race... when her baby is born with Down syndrome, but she sticks with her pro-life convictions ... when she supports the 2nd amendment, is against g*y marriage, etc., then most conservatives consider that to be good judgment.  So there not all that bothered by her lack of experience.  Even though we don't know her stance on military and foreign policy issues, there's an assumption made that it's something conservatives are going to agree with.  (She may not be keeping up with the War in Iraq now, but you can bet that'll sure change before Election Day).

Bottom line: I think it's a candidates stand on the issues is far more important to the voter than his or her level of experience.

Answer 3

you get the grand prize for being 100% correct!!!

Answer 4

It amazes me, I seen Fox report the democrates were attacking her for her lack of experience - but what's really interesting is that Fox doesn't specifically announce "who made this statement" - is it the guy down the road in the grocery store, is it just someone they asked in the street, or is it someone working at Fox News. (h**l ,no source then they might as well have just pulled that statement out of their bum hole!)

I suppose if they don't mention any reference source it helps - because Fox News would then have to make retractions from false reporting every 5 minutes - I'm not interested in fantasy,  Fox News is simply not believable!. (I don't believe Demoncrates made that statement, There's no facts to verify it!.)

Answer 5

Hi

I dont think so. I think he just sank his prospects of being president. His VP pick has less experience than any in history. This is a gameover move.

Bill

Answer 6

No.  Next to no one knows anything about Sarah Palin which is why everyone is talking -- they are curious.  However, I think a lot of Americans will find that the more they know about her, the less they like her.

Answer 7

1st,2nd,3rd. he's outta the ballpark, we have a home-run for team mccain. ha!

Answer 8

Not according to todays gallup poll.

Poll Date Sample Obama (D) McCain (R) Spread

RCP Average 08/18 - 08/28 -- 47.7 43.8 Obama +3.9

Gallup Tracking 08/26 - 08/28 2727 RV 49 41 Obama +8

Answer 9

everybody will be talkin about her again on oct 31'st when the investigation findings are released.

Answer 10

Actually, I think Palin is Britney's mother.

Answer 11

Absolutely, Palin's "...articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking..."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/b...

AND NOT a Lawyer!

Answer 12

Obama leading by 8 points. Yeah McCain is winning the first round in the insanity event all right.

Answer 13

Well, poor old McCain just proved without a doubt that he's lost his last marble!  One would have to think, other than the competition, what is he thinking?  Here's a 72 year old man, admitted and publicized cancer survivor who chooses someone who's biggest acomplishment is winning the helmets for the bicycle tourmement in her Alaska town.....totally unknown and not an ounce of political experience except for her little town in Alaska.  Does anyone realize that if he wins this election and for whatever reason is unable to continue in the presidency, that this woman becomes the President of the U.S.???  He screwed up big time...before he had a chance of winning.  Now by this action he has handed the presidency to Obama.  This will be the first election in which I will not vote  since I first registered so many years ago.  No matter what the outcome, this is the scariest election I have personally ever witnessed!!!

Answer 14

Nobody is really focussing on Palin in a positive way.  Everybody thinks she is cute but everybody is questioning the wisdom of the pick.  Most people recognize it as a poltical gimmick.  Nobody is votes for vice President anyway and we Democrats are having a ball busting your balls about it.

Answer 15

Nope

Answer 16

Yes, compare the talk between Biden and Palin, and hands down the buzz goes to the McCain camp.  Brilliant move.

Answer 17

McCain didn't just win the first round. McCain/Palin will win the election by a landslide.

Answer 18

Yeah, people are talking about her.....but it's not all good.  They haven't even begun to "attack" her.  Women will do it for them.  Watch.  

Answer 19

I actually believe that he has hurt himself by choosing Sarah Palin and that many women will see this as trading an apple for an orange (Hillary for Palin) and will actually offend women. Millions of people saw Obama's speech and even Pat Buchanan called it the "best convention speech of all time". I think Obama spoke for himself more than the pundits ever could, and the pundits are often attacking the choice of Palin. We'll have to see.  

Answer 20

Just being a woman for V.President is what's making Sarah Palin news. news. & news. I agree with you that is is a big mistake attacking her. They've dug, and still digging to find dirt on her and they won't find anything on her.  And what's happening the other 100o/o will then know who she is and what she is all about as with the rest of the World.

Sarah is the best news that has happened since this campaign started and the right person to be in the White House. She and her family will be great examples with the right values along with her smarts in helping lead this Country. I believe people all over the World will be impressed with her and her smarts.

I wouldn't rule Palin out being inexperience about anything.

As for inexperience, no President went on to become President with experience. They all got on the job training.

For those who don't agree that's ok too. I'm still voting McClain/Palin.

Answer 21

They are only talking about her because they are wondering why he would make such a stupid choice.  She has almost no experience (Alaska has fewer people than the city of Dayton Ohio) and her views are definitely not those of mainstream Americans.

Answer 22

Gullible Americans, McCain said we need a woman, and went all the way to Alaska to find one.

Is that all it takes??

Answer 23

I believe this is what we would call a "TKO".   ***    

Answer 24

i think you might call it a good right cross delivered upon the chin and to devastating effect on the poll after the DNC

Answer 25

No-take it from a successful marketer. You want people laughing with you not at you & women are not that dumb.

Let me make sure I have this right - Gov. Palin met John McCain one time, has ZERO foreign policy experience, is credited with "executive experience" mostly for being mayor in Alaskan town of 9,000 (she has less than two years as Gov.), Palin is currently under investigation FOR ABUSE OF POWER & is supposed to go after Hillary supporters with extreme creationism & pro-life in her pocket.

She went back to work 1 day after having her baby and slams abortion even in the case of rape AND incest - how anti-feminist can you be???

All of this totally proves that Republicans thought that women couldn't recognize a woman WITHOUT any women's interests at heart.  Many voting age women were born at night, not last night.

Answer 26

He pulled off a fast one.  I felt when it was announced that McCain was announcing his VP choice the day after Obama's big speech that he was up to something.  If he had picked a safe choice it would have been news for only one day.  This way the media's attention will be on the Republicans between now the Republican National Convention.