Why America is growing tired of Palin

CNN ^ | 21 January 2011 | Gloria Borger

[Erik Latranyi]

Washington (CNN) -- OK, you've got Palin fatigue. Not to worry. So does much of the country: The latest CNN poll shows that 56 percent of Americans view her unfavorably.

More damaging, though, is this: Sarah Palin's unfavorable rating among women has gone up 10 points. And 59 percent of those all-important independent voters don't like her -- and that's up a stunning 14 points in just a few months.

You might argue it's because of the debate surrounding the Tucson shootings -- specifically, Palin's tone-deaf response to the unfair charges that she was somehow responsible for a deranged shooter's state of mind. And that could well be part of it. But there's more: She's completely overstayed her welcome.

[jetson]

If it is a CNN poll representing their viewers....not a very big America.

[r9etb]

They are all jazzed about most other conservatives, and even many who are RINOS, but for whatever reason they are not excited about Palin. My take is that she's too close to their mother's age.

My take is that she reminds them of that sort of of irritating busybody mother that is always active in school stuff -- I'm sure you remember the type.

That ... plus kids today seem to have much better BS meters than we had when we were their age. They're a lot more cynical, even if naive. And they haven't really seen Palin do anything to set herself apart from the parody that Tina Fey created in 2008. It's still just folksy talk and catch-phrases.

[sand88]

The only one who absolutely guarantees another Obama term.

Only??? you are truly delusional. Sarah will wipe the floor with Obama. Hey let's run Mitt!! It's laughable the obsessive irrationality of those who suffer from PDS. The usual suspects who down Sarah at every turn, are the ones helping Obama to a second term.

We support Sarah simply because she has proven to be a true conservative.

[FreeAtlanta]

Your comments made me think of Mathew 24:24

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

I am think specifically about the the deceiving the elect if possible, not the false Messiah stuff. The media shows us how they can make a break people by their attacks on a qualified and competent Sarah Palin and their building up of a nobody, half baked community organizer Obama. I don't fault my wife for having had doubts about Sarah Palin. Nearly every media and people trying to be cool and sophisticated attack the lady to try to fit in and be sophisticated. I have been careful not to over defend Palin because I felt that Palin, if she runs, will make her case and my wife would be won over. I am really hoping and looking forward to presidential debates between teleprompter child and the Parana/Mamma Grissly Bear. I think the left fears these debates more than anything.

[LS]

No, you have some important and valid points. She has chosen---perhaps it was her only recourse---to go at this from the "celebrity" approach, rather than earn her creds as Alaska governor, then become senator or whatever. As I say, that might have been her only realistic shot.

But people shouldn't think it is without severe pitfalls, most of which you mention. I like Palin---if it were her, Mitt, Huck, or Pawlenty, I'd support her---but I think it is absolutely foolish of conservatives to put on blinders to how she is perceived by the co-called "middle." I'm not talking the rabid left. They don't concern me. I'm talking upper middle class housewives, whose conversations my wife tells me about. Palin is absolutely NOT on their radar as a political candidate because she is viewed as a conservative Oprah.

[LS]

Um, kids that age voted MASSIVELY for Obama, 2:1 by most estimates, exceeded only by blacks at 9:1. You want some stats as to how incredibly badly McCain/Palin were crushed by this age group?

*Facebook friends: Obama 2.3 m, McCain/Palin, 622,000

*number of viewers of campaign videos on webstie: Obama 104,000, McCain/Palin 64,000

*number of views on videos: Obama 889m, McCain/Palin 554m

*number of Twitter followers: Obama 125,000, McCain/Palin 5,000

These campaign videos had John Legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scarlett Johannsen, and rock concerts with Black-Eyed Peas and Dave Matthews; and Hollywood people like Leonardo DiCaprio, Shia LaBoeuf, Snoop Dogg, Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Jonah Hill, Jessica Alba all targeted the "youth" specifically.

During both Clinton primary talks and McCain/Palin apeparances, Obama's peeps went through crowds identifying younger people and handed out free Dave Matthews tickets. Watch the cell phones light up with text messages. How long do you think they hung around the GOP speeches?

This group voted. You better hope they only voted once, and are done with it.

[LS]

Typical head-in-the-sand response. NOOOOO. Couldn't be anything is ever wrong with me. ALLLL conservative candidates are perfect (see O'Donnell, Angle). "We can run any conservative and they HAVE to win because they are conservative." (See: Rick Santorum)

There is a difference between capitulation of principle and honest assessment of the electorate. You need both. One without the other will never win. Now, BUG OFF. I get a little sick of Palinbots calling me RINO when I was here before you even HEARD of FR.

[LS]

You just said it: "I never met a conservative college student." Don't get around much, do you? Never heard of Young Americans for Freedom, or attended C-PAC, have you?

Please, don't reveal your ignorance further until you've been around conservative college kids for 25 years like I have.

[ArrogantBustard]

OK, you've got Palin fatigue

Huh?

Speak for yourself only, Gloria, you ignorant slut!

[LS]

Whether she would be a good president is entirely irrelevant to the discussion I raised, which is, there are REALITIES that many conservatives just don't want to face about Palin. I thought we learned with "global warming" that when you ignore reality (i.e., it doesn't exist) bad things happen.

I'll go a step further: We have a Republican (now) state senator who has five kids. On election night, her daughter was at the table, watching the returns come in. No one could believe how badly McCain/Palin were getting whipped. The daughter said, "I voted for Obama!" Everyone looked aghast. She said, "Mom, don't you know that four of your five kids voted for Obama."

Now, that says a LOT about the generational attitudes. It's one thing to say, "well, that was a one-time thing" (which I think, in large part, it was). It's a totally different thing to put your hands over your ears and go "LA-LA-LA-LA".

[Gargantua]

"I totally disagree. See post #70"

No. Shuddupp.

8^D

[ArrogantBustard]

My take is that she's too close to their mother's age.

You're talking about college kids. By definition anyone qualified to be President is technically old enough to be their parents.

[roses of sharon]

Republican voters like spineless beta males, which is why we have so many of them as officeholders.

We are sick with a certain pathology...sort of like battered wife syndrome.

And are desperate to please our abusers (the MSM), by giving them a candidate they say is acceptable.

MSM approval is what we crave...just like the Republicans we elect.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Someone is very scared of Sarah Palin. She must have turned down the usual bribe money.

I don't buy into the argument that because they attack her, they must be "scared" of her. Maybe they just detest her policies and image because it's the opposite of their own. But that doesn't equate to fear that she's a great candidate.

For as long as I can remember, Ted Kennedy was the poster child for liberalism in this country, and was rightly despised for it by many Americans, especially conservatives. But just because we hated what he stood for and went after him whenever possible didn't mean that we feared he would be a great Presidential candidate. As I recall, we'd have loved for him to have been the Democratic nominee because we were convinced he was too liberal and would get stomped.

Still hated him (in the political sense), though.

[LS]

Nope. They saw Obama as "their age," whether he was or not. The opposite, of course, is someone like Reagan who DESPITE his age comes off as energetic, youthful, without being doddering as McCain did. I think this was part of Thatcher's appeal---she was past the "mother" age and nearly "grandmother," so she was taken more seriously.

But here is the important point: go to ANY Tea Party meeting or any GOP rally and count the number of people under 35. It's one thing to say that (on average) the "youth" don't vote. But you better recognize that if they suddenly DECIDE to vote, they can and will swing an election, as they helped do in 2008.

[from occupied ga]

No. Shuddupp.

GFY

[ArrogantBustard]

plus kids today seem to have much better BS meters than we had when we were their age.

BS.

The amount of obvious BS that kids today swallow whole without even realizing it stinks is appalling. The "global cooling" scare of the 1970s was laughed at. The current "global warming" scare is taken with foolishly earnest seriousness. In the 1970s, queers were viewed rightly with derision. Today, the oxymoronic idea of "homosexual marriage" is taken with foolishly earnest seriousness. Similar examples abound.

Ban DHMO!!!

[ArrogantBustard]

. They saw Obama as "their age," whether he was or not.

Zero is not their age. That's just a fact. He may act like a spoiled 10 year old, but he's not their age. Neither was Bush 2, Clinton, Bush 1, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, or any other President.

she was past the "mother" age and nearly "grandmother," so she was taken more seriously.

There may be some validity to that. Reagan also was "grandfather" figure. OTOH, neither GW Bush nor Slick Willy were.

Finally conservatives, even supposedly adult, mature conservatives such as inhabit this forum can have their opinions molded by the Democrat Party Propaganda Machine at CNNNBCCBSABCETC.

[Texas Eagle]

Ha Haaaaa!!!

You gotta love it. How many people watch CNN? About 20?

Talk about people being tired of something.

[LS]

So, if evidence contradicts what you want to believe the evidence has to be wrong. Got it.

Good Global Warming mentality.

Since I---and not you---are around these young people every day, I think I know what I'm talking about, and yes, they DO perceive Obama as "one of them" generation-wise.

And no, this conservative does not have his opinions molded by the Dem Party, nor, necessarily, by other conservatives who dismiss facts when they are inconvenient.