Michigan Independents Cold to Alaska Governor*

you want to talk about what she did as mayor, then let's talk about what biden did as a senator and o!bama did as a community organizer.

you want to talk about what she did as governor, then let's look at what biden did... as a senator and o!bama did as a state senator.

you want to talk about what she did with the budgets at either level, then let's look at what biden did... as a senator and o!bama has done as a senator.

in all cases, only one person was directly responsible to the people who voted both for and against them.

and only one person has been directly involved in public safety on more than one level of government.

i wouldn't be surprised to learn only one of them knows how to handle a gun and thinks you should own one - just like our Founding Fathers.

Jeff H,
I actually knew that and mis-typed. Since she's not imposed any of those things as governor your contention is she will as VP? Strong religious views don't make her "anti-science". How long a list of religious scientists do you want? The stupid payback comments came from an invited speaker not a pastor at the church. I don't think he's been invited back. I never said jews were one issue voters. That's your strawman. It seems to me secularists have been more of a danger to jews in the last 70 years than Christians.

If anyone took time to do some fact checking on this so-called focus group they would know two of the six are members of Code Pink and another is a known enviro activist... not exactly a focus group that is made up of true independents or should be the stuff of major network headlines....

Of course, in their love affair with Barrak Obama why let balanced and honest reporting get in the way.

Little doubt that Palin knocked one out of the park for the party faithful. But for the serious (undecided, independent) listener, more than a few of her remarks came across as overly clever, even mean. She simultaneously tried to occupy the high ground while demonstrating that she was ready to roll in the mud. She may be a political outsider, but she is no stranger to politics.

The question that has been gnawing at the back of my mind since McCain announced his pick: Should Palin have accepted? At first, I thought, of course, when you get the nod, you step up. Regardless of your personal circumstances, when you get the call to serve your country, you rise to the occasion. That is the selfless act. After her speech, however, I have revised my opinion. Palin is grossly underqualified. The selfless act would have been for her to first to admit that to herself, then to tell McCain as much, directly. She could have put it diplomatically, telling him that he had many immensely qualified and electable people to choose from, and that she was unlikely to inspire much confidence in anyone but the far-right conservatives, who were going to vote for him anyway.

It appears that Palin's hubris prevented her from telling McCain the straight talk he needed to hear. This lack of humility may very well cost GOP the election.

It seemed to me that the "media" the Republicans are complaining about, all thought she was wonderful.

I found her speech lacked substance, was petty and vindictive. But now she seems to be this media darling.

I would like to say that Americans aren't fooled by these low brow tactics, but I can't. America reelected GW?! I can see how many Americans will listen to the crap she spews and say "we probably shouldn't vote for Obama". It's sad, but I believe a real possibility of this exists. Too bad America doesn't WAKE UP!!

these are suburbs of detroit residents, sorry to break it to you. Historically prime republician areas, not so much any more. I thought I was the only independent who thought it was was very G Bush'y. Nice to see Obama raised 10 million over night, thanks sarah.

Sarah Palin took a town with $0 debt in 1996 and left it $22 million in the hole in 2002, mostly from the hockey rink/sports complex she shoved down their throats which never became the money generator she promised it would. Another white elephant from another white elephant.

Even with the stable Clinton economy during most of her mayoral tenure and Jack Abramoff's crony she hired to lobby Washington to help her now indicted buddy Ted Stevens ring up $27 million in federal pork for tiny Wasilla (pop. 5000 when she entered office) she still managed to leave the town swimming in debt. Three of her pork projects even made McCain's own wasteful spending list.

The following organization is the offshoot of President Reagan's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control started in 1984, also known as the Grace Commission. Definitely not a Dem friendly group but even these guys apparently think Alaska is America's welfare queen state.

Citizens Against Government Waste
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homePage

Rank State Pork Population Pork/Capita

2000 1 Alaska $394,514,000 619,500 $636.83
2001 1 Alaska $480,297,000 626,932 $766.11
2002 1 Alaska $451,334,278 634,892 $710.88
2003 1 Alaska $393,346,750 643,786 $610.99
2004 1 Alaska $524,329,000 648,818 $808.13
2005 1 Alaska $645,502,000 655,435 $984.85
2006 1 Alaska $325,106,000 663,661 $489.87
2007 not listed
2008 1 Alaska $379,699,715 683,478 $555.54

As governor she is borrowing from Alaska's future while she wants to blow today's Alaskan windfall oil tax bonanza and the huge surpluses they've generated on bread and circuses tax giveaways.

Alaska gets 89% of it's operating budget from taxing oil coming out of the ground just like Arab kingdoms and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. They have no state income or sales tax up there. Instead of using that windfall to pay for all the profligate spending her Republican legislature keeps sending her she's issuing bonds to pay for it which Alaskans and US taxpayers will have to pay off in future years while she takes credit for tax "rebates" while she's governor.

Her fiscal policy is a disaster in the making which won't hit til she's left the governor's office. She'd be a disaster as Vice President especially to a President who despite his grevious wounds and type A personality is already past the age his father and grandfather died of sudden heart attacks.

She can put on all the lipstick she wants but her political record is for the dogs.

Bill:

The lobby is called AIPAC. Jews are not one issue voters. We love Israel, but we are also committed to social issues which Palin and most Republicans are completely on the wrong side of. Palin is completely anti-Science, she would have birth control banned (seems to be banned in her household), has attempted to have books banned, and has not rejected the invective of her pastor who said that Kerry supporters are not going to heaven. What is that all about? A pastor in her church also said that terrorism against Israelis is payback to Jews for not believing in Jesus. Jews should be very fearful of Sarah Palin or as the ticket should now be called "McPalin".

Joellen Gilchrist and Ilene Beninson are members of Code Pink. Hardly what I would call "independents".

Hey Mollie, how about the 11 BILLION state of Alaska budget? She IS the gov now not a mayor, catch up. All written by "progressives" which is bizarre since they espouse ideology that has never worked anywhere.

JOhn should read the whole article, not the snippets Maddow & Co. are trying to beat her over the head with. She has a lot of Jewish support. The Republican Jewish Coalition likes her and so does AIRPAC. She has an Israeli flag in her office.

Hello,

'Pinko' what century are you people living in? Funny how progressives don't refer to Republicans as 'Facists' when they disagree with a Democratic candidate. Although a one-party system would be considered so. Once again you can't disagree with the current administration without someone calling you a name and questioning your loyality to America. Sarah Palin keeps touting the dollar amount of the budget that she's handled in the past as Mayor. I work in an industry where her entire budget for her town in Alaska was our payroll budget for one year in our sector. Is that suppose to be impressive?

OOOOhhhhh Sunday morning shows!1 Real tough one there. Mayeb because she's in church instead of worshipping at the alter of the elite media! Yeah baby!

Anything is better than Obama. What has the guy done? REALLY? What has he done? McCain and Palin are All-American!

i think it is very offensive of the republicans to nominate a vice president based on gender or religion. we are talking about a very real possibility this woman may be president if mccain should die. this is very serious. she can't even go on the sunday morning shows how is she going to be president?

I thought her speech was a jeering rant. If she wanted to bring in more people to her side, she obviously would have prepared a different speech. Her purpose is to galvanize the Republican base. She has accomplished that mission well, I think. However, I think independent or undecided voters will see that she was putting on a good show without revealing her past, nor talking about substantive policy issues. Obama appears to be a serious thinker who has good ideas on reforming the mess we're in now. Look back at the last eight years. Do you really want a continuation of the divisiveness in our government. What would it accomplish?

Sarah loves America and America loves Sarah. hahaha! Zerobama is doomed!

It looks like good ol' Ilene and George are really Dems i.e. Code Pink and anit-war activist. Just google their names. I'm not sure a Community Activest is the resume I would bring to this election.

TBone: I live in Manhattan Beach. One of the wealthiest areas in LA. Range rovers everywhere.
Also: Obama signs everywhere. One thing you don't see is McCain signs.
So let's please stop with the nonsense that the wealthy vote republican, because it simply isn't true.

How can those leaning right or on the right suggest that this is acceptable. Policy and ideology aside, how can you support a candidate or campaign that openly and willingly admits they will not discuss policies and issues on the merit put forward, but rather use the tired politics of character assassination and division? I mean, if I were super rich ($300,000 per/yer) I may very well vote for the republican ticket, however, I would not stand by the sort of tactics or rhetoric that party espouses. It is amazing!