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Behind Obama's Palin Strategy
Time ^ | Friday, Sep. 05, 2008 | Jay Newton-Small

Posted on 09/05/2008 2:33:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Nobody was more surprised by John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate than the people who run Barack Obama's campaign. "I can honestly say that we weren't prepared for that," says David Axelrod, Obama's top strategist. "I mean, her name wasn't on anybody's list. It was a surprise to a lot of Republicans as well."

Their shock was evident in their initial, clumsy reaction, a hard-hitting two-sentence statement from Obama spokesman Bill Burton that included this zinger: "Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency." Eighty-six minutes later, the campaign corrected course, issuing a second statement from both Obama and his running mate, Delaware Senator Joe Biden: "While we obviously have differences over how best to lead this country forward, Governor Palin is an admirable person and will add a compelling new voice to this campaign."

Later that afternoon, Obama, almost apologetically, explained the discrepancy: "You know campaigns start getting these hair triggers, and the statement that Joe and I put out reflects our sentiments." The do-si-do by the campaign reflects its initial uncertainty on how to deal with Palin, a rare moment of unsure footing for the usually flawlessly managed 19-month-old operation.

The dilemma the campaign has about the sudden emergence of this political superstar comes down to this: it can't possibly ignore her, but going after her directly could easily backfire. If anything, the past week has shown that Palin wears a similar coat of Teflon as Obama. Just as many of Obama's opponents suddenly found themselves accused of playing the race card, many of Palin's supporters have been quick to accuse Dems of outrageous sexism in the frontal assault on Palin's record and family.

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008rncconvention; democrats; electionpresident; elections; mccainpalin; obama; obamabiden; palin
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To: YdontUleaveLibs
Obama keeps forgetting two things. First off he is running against John McCain.......

lol Isn't it great? If he doesn't figure it out pretty soon he is going to be dead meat.

61 posted on 09/05/2008 4:50:01 PM PDT by Hattie
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To: nickcarraway

Morons. They have been PWN3D so badly their butts must still be sore.


62 posted on 09/05/2008 4:53:45 PM PDT by Dems_R_Losers (RIP Tony Snow, great American, father, and Christian)
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To: nickcarraway

The Executive of the 2,500 employee campaign still can’t get their footing. When the Executive finally admits the surge was a success, it’s time to change the Puppet Master.


63 posted on 09/05/2008 5:04:35 PM PDT by mabelkitty (Why does Obama hate pregnant women so much?)
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To: Semper911
Even I knew she was on the short list. And I am just a FReeper

That's WHY you knew it. Take a look at this thread:
Freepers: Who is your choice for McCain pick as VP choice?

Palin was mentioned as a first choice more than any other person. Freepers were not surprised by Palin. We were only surprised that McCain had the good sense to choose her.

64 posted on 09/05/2008 5:16:58 PM PDT by bluegirl
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To: nickcarraway

Many think Gov Palin is the biggest threat to the Obama Mystery Tour.After all ms.palin represents and embodies the many myth’s Those on the left have long sold for truth’s by the MSM on every street corner.
After all, Ms Palin proves that women do not have to sacrifice Marriage Or children for public success. That people in small towns and out of the way places have something to say that is worth hearing and that one does not have to be IVY League or have Ties to High brow power circles to have views and positions that much of the country agrees with.
The main problem I see Obama facing is what to do with the image of ms Palin holding the one thing dear that Obama and his base find most Shocking and unnerving. The special needs infant ms Palin holds and dotes on would not be alive if Obamas base had the choice.Each of life’s choices has a value.Some choices are worth much,some little. How can he honestly deny that child’s life’s worth? We all are being given an opportunity to compare the results good choices make.
If he were handed that child I guarantee you Mr Obama or any of us would bounce and goo and do all the things otherwise sane adults naturally do with a precious child in their hands. No doubt he would feel compassion for the infant as we all would. How in the world Will he be able to tout his previous positions value when the looks at Gods most Precious gift?


65 posted on 09/05/2008 5:39:46 PM PDT by Dixie Dawg
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

>If the campaign were flawless, they’d keep Michelle in a
>cave in Afghanistan till after the election.

They did. That’s why they started bombing the Pakistan border ... flush her out ...


66 posted on 09/05/2008 5:39:52 PM PDT by brooklynlou
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To: Maceman

>Obama daily displays his managerial and decision-making
>incompetence. Too bad more people don’t seem to notice.

Yep. McCain is running this thing like a naval campaign - I almost picture him thinking of her like a carrier. He announces her on Friday and lets her launch a little raid. Then hides her in the storm. The media go ballistic trying to find her. Two days later he lets sail in the open for a bit and let the enemy make a run at her. She belches a little smoke then hides in the storm again. Then Wednesday, just when they think they sank her, she comes out of nowhere and wastes them.

I swear the look on Olbermann face after the speech was probably how the Japanese admiral looked like at Midway. “Hey Yoshi, Where did that third carrier come from? I thought we sunk it.”


67 posted on 09/05/2008 5:42:33 PM PDT by brooklynlou
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To: brooklynlou

That is exactly what McCain did. Spot on analogy.


68 posted on 09/05/2008 6:01:10 PM PDT by YdontUleaveLibs (Reason is out to lunch. How may I help you?)
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To: Hattie

Thank you. I was beginning to think I had been hearing things.

The MSM is soooooo disconnected.


69 posted on 09/05/2008 6:25:20 PM PDT by quintr
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To: Semper911

Yeah, but FReepers make us America’s big living room of conversations and debates and dialogue. We haven’t been here all that long but we thoroughly enjoy the discourse with other conservatives.

And you can’t get anything past our collectiveness.

There’s a synergy here. Maybe we pay attention more than most.


70 posted on 09/05/2008 6:27:03 PM PDT by quintr
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To: AmericaUnited

I will fight McCain on many fronts (but still vote for him), but this actually made me stand up say..”Way to go, John!!”.

Aside from military training, McCain has been in DC for a long, long time (maybe a hand in glove fit). Unless something really bizarro happens between now and November..I’d have to say this was one of the best political coups in the last hundred years.

If Axelrod was that surprised, maybe he needs to instruct his guys to stay off KOS and look around a bit. I’m not an insider to anything, but knew Palin was on the radar. Or maybe they just didn’t think McCain would have the guts to do it, lol.


71 posted on 09/05/2008 7:33:42 PM PDT by berdie
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To: Night Hides Not

No plan of battle survives first contact.


72 posted on 09/05/2008 7:37:00 PM PDT by RecallMoran (Recall Brodhead)
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Now the Enquirer is claiming she had an affair ... man, this woman must terrify them. Pretty soon they’ll be saying she sacrificed goats to Satan and bathes in the blood of the innocent ... [via Instapundit}

http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/023931.php


73 posted on 09/05/2008 8:58:31 PM PDT by brooklynlou
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To: Night Hides Not

O.K...help me out here. I had a tantrum a couple of weeks ago and cancelled my subscription of 30 years to the Morning News. (So far, only miss the coupons.)

So did they lay 80 people off?

I don’t applaud that people lost their jobs, but it makes me feel like less of a maniac. This story isn’t on the internet.


74 posted on 09/05/2008 9:19:42 PM PDT by berdie
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To: vortigern

i ma convinced mccain knew what a grand slam picking palin would be. He is playing chess and nObama is plaing tic-tac-toe.
Prez. mac deserves an enormous amount of credit.


75 posted on 09/05/2008 10:41:41 PM PDT by genghis
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To: Maceman

It’s kinda like his admission about the Surge working. “No one expected it to work”.

It’s like watching someone trying to play chess using the rules of checkers.


76 posted on 09/06/2008 12:07:20 AM PDT by GoLightly
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To: RightField

Actually it was mentioned here way before Rush mentioned it.


77 posted on 09/06/2008 12:15:22 AM PDT by I got the rope
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To: eggman

I was at a loss when Obama chose a complete ass like Biden. I thought he would be smart and choose someone like Gov. Richardson of New Mexico or maybe some up and coming young ‘rat.

LOL...how is going to stand for change by choosing a tax and spend loser like Biden. Obama is an idiot and squandered his one opportunity to be President. He is going to look like a fool after this election.


78 posted on 09/06/2008 12:24:25 AM PDT by I got the rope
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To: sasafras

God bless the conservative blogs—the Minutemen of our times.Perhaps America does indeed have a chance.

And God bless Rush Limbaugh!

But still...

After 40 years of leftist public school indoctrination and “dumbing down,” the faith of those who know the truth in the “once” historically inbred American “BS detector” can’t help but be concerned.

The masses as asses would had always been a universal statement sans the United States of America.

It it still so?


79 posted on 09/06/2008 2:14:24 AM PDT by Happy Rain ("Yeltsin was the comedy relief between two evil bastards.")
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