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Palin may woo blue-collar voters from Obama
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 9/6/8 | Carolyn Lochhead

Posted on 09/06/2008 9:43:58 PM PDT by SmithL

Democrats do not think that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's arrival in the enemy camp changes Sen. Barack Obama's path to the White House. As far as they're concerned, Republican John McCain's running mate is President George W. Bush.

As Obama told voters in Pennsylvania on Friday, "This race is not a personality contest."

That bet is about to be tested.

Independent observers in Ohio think Palin does change the race, enhancing the GOP's appeal - not among the women who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but among white men. They say Palin's most potent weapon may even be her snowmobiler, union husband, Todd.

"If you see him turning up in Appalachian Ohio and up in Canton and Warren and the old steel towns, I think he would play very, very well," said Ken Heineman, an Ohio University political analyst. "If they try to go after his DUI conviction, jeez, his whole up-from-the-blue-collar thing? He's going to resonate very well among swing voters and among male Democrats, the blue-collar Democrats that Obama did not win in the primary. He would be an incredibly appealing figure, and of course, she is herself."

Discussions are underway to deploy Todd Palin, a McCain aide said, even though he has taken leave from his oil-field job to care for the couple's five children. He joked at an event Thursday, "If I had a crystal ball a few years ago, I might have asked a few more questions when Sarah decided to join the PTA."

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


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: 2008; barracuda; bluecollarvote; bluestatewhine; electionpresident; mccainpalin; oh2008; palin; palinfamily; swingstates; toddpalin
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1 posted on 09/06/2008 9:43:58 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

ya think


2 posted on 09/06/2008 9:44:46 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
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To: SmithL

First Dude.


3 posted on 09/06/2008 9:46:11 PM PDT by syriacus (FIRST check out the Alaska state webpages. THEN tell me that governing Alaska is easy.)
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To: SmithL

It took the dimwit patsies at the SF Chronicle and entire week to figure this out?!?!


4 posted on 09/06/2008 9:47:59 PM PDT by medscribe
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To: SmithL
Palin helps lure both the male and female Hillary voters.

Many of them are blue collar whites with a deep skepticism about the wisdom of turning over the country to an inexperienced community organizer. The great thing about Palin is that now these voters aren't merely motivated to vote against Obama, they have a great reason to enthusiastically vote FOR McCain / Palin.

5 posted on 09/06/2008 9:48:02 PM PDT by comebacknewt
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To: SmithL

I like this McCain team. They attack with all barrels, full-court-press approach to winning this election. They are giving it their all. We should be ready to do our part in our local areas to help this ticket!


6 posted on 09/06/2008 9:48:23 PM PDT by LibFreeUSA
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To: SmithL

San Fran calls the Republican ticket the “enemy camp?” Projecting again, I see.


7 posted on 09/06/2008 9:48:41 PM PDT by Blogger
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To: SmithL

I didn’t think Arugula McTeleprompter had any blue-collar voters to begin with.

After all, “blue-collar” is usually followed by “worker”, and his only constituency (besides the dead and their pets) are those who don’t work...be they at the bottom of the economic ladder or the top.


8 posted on 09/06/2008 9:49:00 PM PDT by BobbyT
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To: SmithL
Just over a week ago at the Democratic convention in Denver, Obama campaign managers were touting their ambitious plans to compete in 18 battleground states. They have since scaled back plans to try to win such longshots as Georgia and are now focused on holding states that Democrat John Kerry won in 2004, such as Pennsylvania
In other words, Obama has been knocked off offense and is now trying to keep his head above water playing defense.
Now compare where McCain and Palin have been lately: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
Very telling.

 
9 posted on 09/06/2008 9:51:34 PM PDT by counterpunch (Country First)
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To: BobbyT

Yeah, aren’t these the same small-town people who cling so bitterly to their guns and religion? Doesn’t seem like Mr. Stutterbumble would have much of a base there to begin with.


10 posted on 09/06/2008 9:51:56 PM PDT by RepublitarianRoger2
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To: SmithL
I think he would play very, very well

I saw a clip where he spoke to a smallish group during the convention - I think it may have been the spouses of the elected officials who were there; it looked like mostly women. He spoke from notes but made good eye-contact; he's soft-spoken and intensely masculine. (I say this as a woman: HUNK!!) I think he'd be very good at connecting with people and perhaps even more so if he were a bit more comfortable around them.

11 posted on 09/06/2008 9:52:00 PM PDT by hsalaw
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To: SmithL
What's with the word "woo" anyway?

I don't like it! Unless you say it twice. Then you sound like Curly.

12 posted on 09/06/2008 9:52:08 PM PDT by wireman
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To: SmithL

May? Its happening.

Hence, the odor of fear in their camp. They know it.

And the more they bash her, the more blue collar folks they lose. They should know it, they should control the urge, but they just can’t help it. They’d rather vent their rage and lose than control their rage or sublimate it and win.

So they will lose. They are losing already.


13 posted on 09/06/2008 9:52:11 PM PDT by marron
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To: SmithL
Because Todd is a "typical white person" they can send him out to bond with other "bitter Americans."

Just words... Just speeches...

14 posted on 09/06/2008 9:52:12 PM PDT by DTogo (I haven't left the GOP, the GOP left me.)
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To: SmithL
As Obama told voters in Pennsylvania on Friday, "This race is not a personality contest."

Wow! The Messiah Cult leader is now trying to claim this. Talk about Team McCain pulling some powerful kungfu-jujitsu on Team Obama...

15 posted on 09/06/2008 9:52:16 PM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: SmithL
Liberals are snobs. They really do look down on the Wal-mart crowd. Exhibit #1 for the prosecution: Bill Maher!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

16 posted on 09/06/2008 9:53:35 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: SmithL

“As Obama told voters in Pennsylvania on Friday, “This race is not a personality contest.” “

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!

Every fool stupid enough to vote for the Hollow Man is doing so *solely* based on the cult of personality.

He cannot deliver on *any* of the happy-happy-joy-joy-sunshine-unicorns-and-rainbows promises he has made....and he *knows* it.


17 posted on 09/06/2008 9:54:13 PM PDT by Salamander (Obama hates uppity women.)
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To: SmithL

Interesting this article identifies “undecideds” in swing states as White males over 40 - I’m feeling better already ...


18 posted on 09/06/2008 9:54:33 PM PDT by 11th_VA (The smart liberals are worried, the dumb ones think they've already won ...)
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To: AmericaUnited
"This race is not a personality contest."

On the contrary...this personality contest is about race.

(sarc)

19 posted on 09/06/2008 9:55:47 PM PDT by RepublitarianRoger2
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To: SmithL
They say Palin's most potent weapon may even be her snowmobiler, union husband, Todd.


20 posted on 09/06/2008 9:56:00 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (Sarah Palin "The Iron Lady from the North")
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