Will McCain staff throw Palin under the bus to protect his image?

[likka]

Already there are a myriad of stories leaking from McCain campaign staff about Sarah Palin, illustrating how difficult she was to work with and how her perceived lack of intelligence was anything but a myth (ie she thought Africa was a single country).

I think these stories will continue to leak as the GOP conduct their election loss post mortem, partly to protect the image of McCain and mainly because many basically don't like her.

She is a long way away from the action in Alaska and if she doesn't at least attempt to manage the situation her national political ambitions for 2012 could well be given a morning after pill.

 

[Inferno]

I hope not, there's not a lot of things more entertaining to watch than a party completely imploding like the Republicans are.

 

[Bugz]

The more they attack Palin, the more stupid they look for selecting her...

The GOP should forget this election and start looking for some real conservatives to run in 2012. Ultimately, Palin should be one of them.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Bobby Jindal is their only hope, and I doubt they'll risk him until 2016 when he'll be a reasonably experienced two term governor.

Depending on how Obama goes, it wouldn't suprise me if they picked a Kerryesque fall guy for 2012 whilst saving the big guns for 2016. Romney would be the obvious choice there.

The best thing that could happen for the dems is for the reactionaries to rally round a loudmouthed ultraconservative like Huckabee or Palin.

 

[Wicked Lester]

All defeated parties and individuals within those parties invariably engage in these kind of antics post the loss.

It reminds me of Keating and Gary Gray going hell for leather at each other in the aftermath of 1996.

The visceral hatred of Palin is quite amusing and bemusing. Is she dumb? She just may be (she doesn't work for me), but the triumphant and over the top reporting of every single slip up is starting to grate.

Does anyone realise the messiah himself thought there were 57 states in the union as recently as April of this year? He said so publicly, not once but twice. Moreover he said so with such a confident and authoritative air that he didn't even notice the ripple of laughter as it moved around the room.

But don't expect to see the Messiah's gaffes celebrated and plastered all over the newspapers.

Palin is hopefully yesterday's candidate. The Republicans can and should be able to do much better.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

It's already happened.

See multiple reports on the Age website, NY Times website, Washington Post website and news.com.au concerning Palin's lack of knowledge, her desire to buy as many clothes as possible and the fact McCain and Palin never spoke during the campaign.

 

[Alpha1]

Yep they are already throwing here to the wolves. In a way I feel sorry for her, she didn't ask to be put out there. And everyone with a brain knew she was ill prepared to face the media etc.

 

[fairdinkum]

Ridiculous, isn't it?

When even Fox News is getting stuck into you, as a GOP politician you are in some serious strife.

Wonder if she really did think Africa was a country?

 

[Z_K]

Wonder if she really did think Africa was a county?

Doesn't matter now, does it?

 

[likka]

Doesn't matter now, does it?

Does if she seriously wants to run in 2012.

 

[Z_K]

Does if she seriously wants to run in 2012.

What I mean is that it doesn't really matter if she actually said it or if it's rubbish dreamed up by McCain people. We;ve all read about it, had a chuckle and thrown it on to the 'Palin's a dumbarse' pile.

 

[carsoutback]

Yep they are already throwing here to the wolves. In a way I feel sorry for her, she didn't ask to be put out there. And everyone with a brain knew she was ill prepared to face the media etc.

Not true actually...she lobbied hard to get the VP nomination. She put herself there, that's quite clear.

What isn't clear yet is her nett effect on the ticket. There can be no doubt she revitalized the McCain ticket for many conservatives in the south - the evidence of that is overwhelming. She retains strong support and will have alot of conservatives hoping she now assumes some sort of leadership role in the GOP. What is less clear is her effect on the "moderates" and conservative-leaning independents - who may well have decided to not vote for McCain because she was on the ticket. That may never be known, and we may be left with no more than the anecdotal evidence that already suggests this was a factor. But it would be presumptious to dismiss her as being a key GOP figure in the future.

 

[Inferno]

Does anyone realise the messiah himself thought there were 57 states in the union as recently as April of this year? He said so publicly, not once but twice. Moreover he said so with such a confident and authoritative air that he didn't even notice the ripple of laughter as it moved around the room.

But don't expect to see the Messiah's gaffes celebrated and plastered all over the newspapers.

imo saying 57 instead of 47 (he was referring to the amount of states he had rallies in) isn't as big of a gaff as say...not being able to name a single newspaper, or babbling on about how health care reform, reducing taxes and reigning in spending can shore up the economy under the umbrella of job creation

 

[Juddism]

Already there are a myriad of stories leaking from McCain campaign staff about Sarah Palin, illustrating how difficult she was to work with and how her perceived lack of intelligence was anything but a myth (ie she thought Africa was a single country).

I think these stories will continue to leak as the GOP conduct their election loss post mortem, partly to protect the image of McCain and mainly because many basically don't like her.

She is a long way away from the action in Alaska and if she doesn't at least attempt to manage the situation her national political ambitions for 2012 could well be given a morning after pill.

what image would that be? maverick, grumpy old man, angry old man?

 

[KissStephanie]

Already there are a myriad of stories leaking from McCain campaign staff about Sarah Palin, illustrating how difficult she was to work with and how her perceived lack of intelligence was anything but a myth (ie she thought Africa was a single country).

Palin wasn't the Republican that cost McCain the election. Whether it was Mitt Romney, or Condoleezza Rice, or Tom Ridge, the result would have been the same following the market crash, even if the electoral college total may have been a little closer. The Republican that cost McCain any chance of an exciting election day vote count was the outgoing president.

 

[Galactic]

Palin wasn't the Republican that cost McCain the election. Whether it was Mitt Romney, or Condoleezza Rice, or Tom Ridge, the result would have been the same following the market crash, even if the electoral college total may have been a little closer. The Republican that cost McCain any chance of an exciting election day vote count was the outgoing president.

Exactly! Also for those of you honestly think S.P doesn't know Africa's not a county............ Maybe we should be asking how stupid Aussies are

 

[sherb]

Exactly! Also for those of you honestly think S.P doesn't know Africa's not a county............ Maybe we should be asking how stupid Aussies are

Well, either way, she definitely knows it is not a country now.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

Bobby Jindal is their only hope, and I doubt they'll risk him until 2016 when he'll be a reasonably experienced two term governor.

Depending on how Obama goes, it wouldn't suprise me if they picked a Kerryesque fall guy for 2012 whilst saving the big guns for 2016. Romney would be the obvious choice there.

The best thing that could happen for the dems is for the reactionaries to rally round a loudmouthed ultraconservative like Huckabee or Palin.

I think you might be right with Jindal. It seems counterintuitive, given the nature of the GOP campaign against Obama, but I think a lotta people will be surprised by the fervour with which the GOP -- even the racist elements of its base -- would embrace Jindal. I mean, it's not an exact analogue, but look at how they embraced Palin after years of sexist treatment of Hillary. In one fell swoop the GOP could (in their own eyes anyway) disavow the race-baiting stereotype.

I think you underestimate Huckabee, though. He's in a different ballpark to Palin. He's far smarter and more accomplished. I think he'd put a much friendlier face on some fairly extreme social conservatism. The fact that he has some economic-populist leanings makes him an interesting proposition for the Republican Party. Whether that'd scare the GOP establishment into backing Romney or even Palin will be interesting.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

Exactly! Also for those of you honestly think S.P doesn't know Africa's not a county............ Maybe we should be asking how stupid Aussies are

Given her performance on the campaign trail and in interviews -- she couldn't even answer when asked what newspapers and magazines she read -- I don't think it's that implausible. I mean, this is the woman who, when asked on election day who she'd voted for, refused to answer by championing her right to privacy before gushing about how fervently she hoped the McCain-Palin ticket won the election.

We're not talking about the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

[fairdinkum]

Doesn't matter now, does it?

I think it does.

1) She is being touted as a chance for 2012.

2) It is quite plausible that she could have been 'one heartbeat' away from the Presidency. If the GOP knew that she was so incredibly stupid, it says an awful lot about them as a party that they would have her on the ticket.

3) Following on from that, it says a lot about Fox News that they would keep this under wraps until after the election. This sort of news is of far more importance than whether or not Obama smokes, whether or not he 'palled around' with 'terrorists' etc etc. Surely even (some of) their own viewers are now scratching their heads and saying 'If this is true, why didn't you tell us?'

Yeah, I think really does matter now.

 

[camsmith]

Why take the word of "unnamed" sources? There are people in the McCain camp who are willing to put their face on camera and say that much of what is now being said is BS. But of course while getting their face on camera and putting their name to their words, they will be largely ignored as it doesn't make for a good story and doesn't paint Palin as "dumb".

The one or two people in the McCain camp leaking this information are clearly the ones worried that the GOP will go back to being the conservative party. The likes of Lindsay Graham etc.. who want the Republican party to move to the centre are the ones who didn't want Palin on the ticket for 2012, so they're now trying to put all the blame onto her for the loss and desperately hoping another moderate runs in 2012.

Running to the centre isn't a way to win an election against a centre-left government. Neither in the US or here. But more so in the US.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

The one or two people in the McCain camp leaking this information are clearly the ones worried that the GOP will go back to being the conservative party. The likes of Lindsay Graham etc.. who want the Republican party to move to the centre are the ones who didn't want Palin on the ticket for 2012, so they're now trying to put all the blame onto her for the loss and desperately hoping another moderate runs in 2012.

Running to the centre isn't a way to win an election against a centre-left government. Neither in the US or here. But more so in the US.

If McCain is what passes for a moderate in the GOP these days, no wonder they're in trouble. Since the early 00s his voting record has been social conservative orthodoxy.

What issues did McCain run to the centre on in this campaign? Tax policy? No. Foreign policy? No. Social policy? No. Immigration? No.