Sarah Palin plus or minus: A discussion with video

The assumption in promotion has always been:

Never mind what they're saying, as long as they're talking about you, it's good. (By the way, is Joe Biden still the Democratic vice presidential candidate?)

The vice presidential selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by Sen. John McCain may cause a reexamination of that theory. She's certainly been the most talked-about and most-viewed since she exploded on the political scene Aug. 29 in Dayton, Ohio.

But is that good? Some recent polls have shown she's hurting McCain in some sectors. What do you think?

Watch this video discussion about her and then leave your reaction/opinion/views below, please.

--Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Mike]

I am an independent. Sarah Palin was the deciding factor for me. Where do the republicans dig up these kinds of people. I thought Bush was a moron until I saw her. She makes him look smart. What is wrong with John McCain that he would put the country in such danger by placing a totally unqualified person in the second highest office in the world.
OBAMA in 08

[Zoe]

It's no doubt that she the most popular VP candidate in our US election history. Some people say "she's dragging GOP and she's hurting McCain"..and some say "she' an asset for GOP who brings republicans to base". Some likes her and some hates her.
Some say, she's not qualified to this job while not pointing out whether Obama is quilifed for a bigger role.
Some say she's pro-life and she lives with that she believes.
Some say, GOP spent 15,0000 on her clothing but failed to say about Obama's expensive suits and Hillary's never the same outfit. In this race, she's the only person who did her tax with H&R Block. All, McCain, Obama and Biden are way too much richer than her. She often shops at consignment stores in Alaska. GOP people know that she needed cloths for she doesn't have enough cloths and she needs them espeically when she's out campaigning. If she puts on cloths from Warmart, I'm sure the media will be the frist to critize her look by saying "she looks like a moose hunter or a village girl or small town looking woman and etc". Now that she puts on good cloths, the media was the first to critize. But the good thing is the money for her cloths is NOT from our tax money. It's from RNC and as long as the RNC people are happy with what she wears, we have NO say in this matter.
To me, she hasn't been treated equally and fairly in this race. As a woman, I find it very disturbing. All the media seems sexist in this case.
I can sense her Will Power and I'm sure she'll be ready from the time she's elected, like Arnold Schwazeneger said.

[toby]

I'm old enough to have voted back when Ford was running and in no way did TV play a role with my choices. It's a sad commentary about anyone who votes based on satire/comedy television.

[Tom in Alabama]

The McCain advisors must be wondering how their campaign would be different had they not pulled a political stunt, a gimmick, by selecting Sarah Palin. The economic meltdown could not have been predicted but Palin's selection goes to the heart of Republican politics which has been to make no safety net, risk everything and pray for the best outcome. This risky philosophy worked in Bush's first term but how things have unraveled since to the detriment of the USA and other world countries..

[Amy]

The Palin pick sealed the deal for me--I will not vote for McCain.

I want our first female president to be competent.

[Walter Festoon]

You sound like you get all your news from Saturday Night Live. News flash, it's a comedy show. Waiting till they start ripping Obama. How about you?

[Marcus]

Yeah, where is Biden............
He is there saying very HIGH IQ statements..........but as we all know we don't want to mentions that right LA TIMES...................
This country under Obama's direction will reflect the advances of like Zimbabwe has made, yaaaaaaaaaaaa

[TJ]

Amy Poehler was the hit of the show. She was precious. I bet that little baby inside had a ball and cannot wait to share life with that funny Mama. She is a great sport! Tina Fey is a perfect Palin because she looks so much like her. Actually, she just said what Palin says, moves like Palin moves.

Palin is a joke. She is more likeable when parodied than she is as the real thing. I hope this woman fades away and doesn't continue to come back like a horrid chronic disease.

[Rose]

We still talk about Hitler and Pearl Harbor and Hurricane Katrina and Watergate and The Keating 5 Scandal and The Stolen Elections of '00 & '04 and MISSION ACCOMPLISHED and Swift-boating and Roe v Wade and Iran-Contra Scandal and Bebe Rebozo and Nixon and Spiro Agnew and hundreds of other political liars or scandals--- SO your premise is wrong: Talk about Sarah Palin is ALL BAD and killing McCain's chances because SHE REMINDS US THE GOP IS NUTS.

[Bob Koure]

She's working for the dems the same way that anti-abortion or gun rights work for the repubs - not changing votes, but something that's helping motivate the not-really-committed to actually go and vote.
Look at the early-voting numbers.

Oh - and I'm a left-of-center independent. I respect John McCain enormously, although I disagree with a lot of his political stances. But Palin is just unacceptable. The idea of her being president terrifies me. Imagine a small town martinet with the power of the president of the US. Add in all her extreme right-wing positions.
On the bright side, it'd move GWB out of the "worst president ever" category...

[john mulligan]

Now is the time to rescue our societies anxiety by stabilizing our neighborhoods home ownership. The 700 billion provided by our congress should set the following plan in motion. All home owners who are currently effected by the current mortgage crisis should be allowed to refinance. The plan should provide $5,000.00 per home to be paid to bank as a stimulus and paper cost . The homeowner would then recast their mortgage on a forty year note for whatever their current balance at 7%. If at anytime in the future they were to sell the home they would split the profit with the bank. Example Mr. and Mrs. Home bought house for 300,000 and now owe 297,000. The new mortgage would be for 297,000 for 40 years. If they sell house for 400,000. in the future before the mortgage is paid off then they would split 100,000. with the bank based on original purchase price. 400,000. less original price of 300,000. equals 100,000.
This plan would cost the taxpayers 50 billion coming from the 700 billion. The most important part of this plan would be the fact there would be fewer empty homes which would stop the negative feelings existing homeowners currently have about there own properties. The demand for housing is classic supply and demand. Add to that affordability and you have the price a buyer would pay in any given community. As we have seen over the last 100 years with growth of population and inflation home pricing goes through cycles and always cost more unless a neighborhood goes into abandonment.
Banks would improve their balance sheets just by the fact that real estate would be stabilized and this would give investors a reason to invest. The $5,000. paper cost would generate revenue for the banks and on top of the 650 billion that Uncle Sam is now working on. The final thing is the banks now have a future windfall potential in the future when the homeowner sells the home.
Let us move forward so that our society can get back to work. Thank you

John Mulligan

[bingo]

Fey doesn't have to do anything but exactly imitate Palin. There is no exaggeration in her portrayal. IMO that's the interesting point. Bottom line: Palin IS a joke, but seriously folks. She might be President someday. That's the sobering news.

[dartagnan]

"Any publicity is good publicity"? Not true -- ask OJ Simpson. There are some things you don't want people to get a good look at. Caribou Barbie is one of them. An attractive woman, but a total airhead.

[Frank]

Sarah Palin is a Gold Digger. Look at $150,000.00 clothing that was bought with campaign money

[Jose]

Honestly, can anyone even imagine Sarah being President should McCain get elected and God forbid something happen to him? That can't even be in the realm of possibilities so for no other reason you have to vote for Obama. BTW - I'm not an Obama supporter, I actually supported Ron Paul. Sarah Palin as President, just the thought makes me scared.

[LadyPatriot1776]

America's confidence in Palin has not been eroded by SNL. It's been eroded because

(1) Palin doesn't seem to have much knowledge about the world outside Alaska .

(2) it's hard for America to view Palin as a corruption-fighter in Washington, when Palin has been guilty of her own corruption in Alaska. (charging the Alaskan gvt for nights she stayed in her own home, for her children's travel to their dad's snowmachine race, etc)

Palin seems to be a unique person with charisma and drive, and there are certainly a lot of other careers she would be very good at. But VP of the USA is not one of them.

[Ohio Tom]

I don't think anyone wouid say Sarah did any worse than her ticket's lead - John McCain. Heck, when the maybe-president tells America ' ,,,,, What you need is a really really really old guy' (for president) - !!!! She was "head over high-heels' on McCain's appearence

[Victor Pasquali]

No, it can't help. How can being the but of a joke be seen as anything but a political liability?

[Carol]

Naming Sarah Palin was McCain's biggest blunder. Apparently done in haste, it shows that he doesn't weigh in advance the consequences of his actions. She is a laughing stock and yet he continues to say that he is proud of her.

An editorial in my paper today suggests that McCain should now think about how to lose gracefully. My opinion is that it is already too late for that. The dirty campaign he has been approving, the robo calls, etc. have tarnished his image forever.

[druid dude]

John McCain holds a campaign rally, solo, 500 people show up. Sarah Palin holds a campaign rally, with or without John McCain, 20,000 people show up. Sarah Palin goes on Saturday Night Live, SNL has its highest ratings since 1994. Sarah Palin debates Joe Biden, that debate becomes the highest rated VP debate ever and one of the highest rated of any political debate. Crunch the numbers, Sarah brings them out. The liberals and mainstream media, (liberals and MSM are really the same thing), hates Sarah Palin, but the other 50% of the country loves her. Sarah Palin is to the Republican party what Hillary Clinton is to the Democratic party. The difference is Palin has charisma, charm, wit and warmth. This is why liberals and MSM have such a rabid hatred of Palin.

I, myself, am an independent. So when I see the pure blind rage of the left towards Palin, it means that Palin must be very good at what she does otherwise the liberals and MSM would be ignoring her, like they ignore Biden.

[Tina Grogan]

If Tina Fey wants to leave this earth after McCain/Palin take over the White House that is her choice. If she stands behind Obama/Biden she won't have to leave the earth they will take care of it for her. She will be one of the sheep they are leading to slaughter.

I really hate to see this world if Obama/Biden take over the White House. God help us all.

[Hugh Curtin]

She is a disaster. The only good that she may accomplish is to hasten the restructering of our major political parties. The only problem is will she be the genisis of a radical "right" party.

[Chuck Waitman]

I think Palin was McCain's best choice. He needed a candidate to energize the right wing of the party. McCain is the only republican with bi-partisan appeal, and with that said, I think any of his choices would have hurt his chances to some extent. Picking a Washingon outsider minimized this. With the enormous deficit in campaign funding (vs Obama) Palin has kept the ticket in the news. If it wasn't for Pailin, we would be reading about the world series, not the election.

[paulpsz]

I believe Sarah Palin hurts more than helps McCain. It seems she does not like to read. Or she could have answered when Katie Couric asked her what newspaper she read. She could not answer the question or think on her feet. She kept putting a foot in her mouth in other occasion too.

She has superior looks, but so-so intelligence. Look where we are for putting a man with gentleman C intelligence to handle complex work (presidency's job).

Palin energized far-right wingers which are minority ( in the normal curve or bell curve). However, she drove away the middle of the curve people.

[EddienTexas]

I find it interesting how the discussion of "like" a person comes into politics.

I like all my friends but I would not vote for a single one of them for President or even if they were on the ticket.

And we wonder why our government is broken!

Give me a smart candidate who thinks and ponders all points of view then makes an informed decision.