Palin Not Helping McCain with Women Voters
A new survey conducted for EMILY’s List suggests Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is not helping the Republican ticket with female voters. Among all women surveyed, Obama-Biden leads McCain-Palin, 53% to 35%.
When asked how the running mates were picked, half of those surveyed said Obama chose Biden based on his experience, while 29% said he was chosen for political reasons. Meanwhile, 20% said McCain chose Palin for experience and 59% said his pick was for political purposes.
Key finding: A 55% majority of women voters who backed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary say that Palin’s inclusion on the ticket makes them less likely to vote for McCain; just 9% say her presence on the ticket makes them more likely to support McCain.
Quote of the Day
“There’s no middle ground on this for John McCain. She is either going to be a wild success or a spectacular failure.”
– Former Bush aide Dan Bartlett, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
14 Comments | September 03, 2008
Aides Admit Palin Lacked Sufficient Vetting
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin “was not subjected to a lengthy in-person background interview with the head of Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential vetting team until last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain asked her to be his running mate, and she did not disclose the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant until that meeting,” the Washington Post reports.
11 Comments | September 03, 2008
McCain Campaign Controls Access to Palin
Sen. John McCain’s campaign “scrambled to take control of the public debate over vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin, canceling her public appearances and teaming her with high-powered Republican operatives as she prepared for a speech Wednesday night that will be her first, and perhaps most important, chance to define herself to the American public,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Campaign officials were heartened by the strong support the Alaska governor continued to receive in the halls of their nominating convention here… But Republican officials remained nervous about how the choice was playing in the country as a whole.”
The Washington Post says Palin “has been holed up” in her hotel while a parade of McCain’s top advisers “have briefed her on the nuances of his policy positions, national politics and, above all, how to introduce herself to the national audience she will address Wednesday night at the Republican convention.”
