Replies

She would have been a half-term gov if she had won the vp job, too. ... Obama: Senator in Name only! for a few years of campaigning for president.

Absolutely. Whenever I encounter a receptive response from people to whom I make my "Palin served 3/4ths of her "working" term and accomplished 90%" argument it usually gives me the opportunity to continue the conversation and raise these very same types of points. The key is to get them thinking for themselves and not just parroting media talking points.

Another tactic which I've found to be effective is to let them know that I haven't yet made a decision on whether or not I'd support Palin if she ran for President (which is the truth). That really rocks them back and usually prompts a question as to why I'm defending her so strongly. That gives me the opportunity to frame the issue in terms of being fed up with the lying and arrogance of the media and the DC political establishment and their efforts to treat me like a child and dictate to me what I'm supposed to think.

I then tell them, again truthfully, that my anger at being thus treated has made me determined to not take anything they say at face value but to do my own research and get the facts for myself. With regards to Palin, I simply tell them that my own research quickly showed that the media and the political insiders of both parties have lied about Palin, and that she deserves a fair hearing and a chance to prove herself. I tell them that I believe it's far too early to commit to any potential candidate, that it's impossible to know at this point what shape the country and the world will be in by 2012 (again, the truth). I then finish by saying that Palin will have to succeed or fail based on her own abilities and by what she does between now and then, but that I'm going to watch her, and the other contenders as well, and make my own decisions and not let the media pundits and other politicians dictate to me.

I've found that this indirect approach works far better than trying to "sell" Palin, and it has the benefit of being the truth. It is an uphill battle sometimes, however... /g

I tend to do the very same thing when talking to people.

The key is to get them thinking for themselves and not just parroting media talking points.

Hard to do, but definitely the objective. I do see a swing to the right among my knee-jerk liberal friends. Obama and crew are so blatantly socialist that even the "true-believers" are having new thoughts.