>> “ Romney may talk policy actually, and thats more of a threat to Obama than Sarah rousing her base, which is not.” <<
>> “You’re kidding, right? “ <<
No, not kidding.
Sarah won’t declare, which means she isn’t running, so she doesn’t have to speak on substance, and is free to herd us ducks up and down the coast. Unfortunately, the dang Independents will elect the next president and not us ducks.
Romney is going after them. Sarah is not. This is a major concern, or should be.
Right? YOU BETCHA.
Here are some facts for YOU. Want to rebut them?
"As U.S. real output grew 13 percent between 2002 and 2006, Massachusetts trailed at 9 percent.
* Manufacturing employment fell 7 percent nationwide those years, but sank 14 percent under Romney, placing Massachusetts 48th among the states.
* Between fall 2003 and autumn 2006, U.S. job growth averaged 5.4 percent, nearly three times Massachusetts' anemic 1.9 percent pace.
* While 8 million Americans over age 16 found work between 2002 and 2006, the number of employed Massachusetts residents actually declined by 8,500 during those years.
"Massachusetts was the only state to have failed to post any gain in its pool of employed residents," professors Sum and McLaughlin concluded.
In an April 2003 meeting with the Massachusetts congressional delegation in Washington, Romney failed to endorse President Bush's $726 billion tax-cut proposal."
[Cato Institute annual Fiscal Policy Report Card - America's Governors, 2004.]
Independents LIKE DOGS.
Patience, Grasshopper. "Us ducks" have a pretty big say in the primaries, and she'd have to win those before dealing with the general election.
Romney is human garbage and independants can’t nominate him!
He’ll be turned down just like he was 3 years ago.
And so I guess that she's been doing all of this hard work and travel just for the fun of it, eh?
McCain didn't have any. Dole didn't have any. Being the veteran, sensible establishment guy can help you win nominations, but people that don't inspire passion in at least a large cadre of their supporters don't win elections. Reagan, Clinton, Bush, all had legions. Obama has them. Romney doesn't. Kerry didn't. GHWB didn't either, for that matter, that was leftover Reagan love.
Now, it may be that Palin's troops are just the Goldwater / McGovern vanguards, but it may not. She may find a good running mate that inoculates her to the center. Someone the right hates but will tolerate only because she's at the top of the ticket. (The same way that many people here voted for her, even though they despised McCain).
Going with boring old Joe Biden actually helped Obama quite a bit, insofar as putting a tried and true old hand in the number two seat, making Obama's ticket at least appear to be more seasoned and venerable to the independents. Palin may need her own 'Joe Biden', so to speak, to make her more palatable to the independents, but that's an easier task than trying to be the #1 turkey on the ticket trying to fly on the wings of their #2 eagle.
Either way, Palin and Obama have got decisive advantages over Romney, as far as excitement and passion goes. You need that to win. I just don't see anything in Romney's character, delivery or record that will enable him to challenge either on that front.
Then you haven't been listening to her have you? She's made more policy statements than most of the wannabe's out there. All you have to do is pay attention. Think first, then post.
Who are “Independents”?
People playing with the heads of the people who ask them which party they are?
People who are embarrasesd by core values? Peopel who have none?
People who are willing to vote present until they enter the voting booth, if they ever do (if they are squishy on values and can’t truly see a difference in candidates based on total issues, then why vote for one over the other?
Democrats who won’t admit they vote conservative?
People who are conservative and too embarrassed and PC to admit it?
I guess you are associating the term “politically independent” with “politically clueless”, “flakey”,or
or more succinctly “STUPID”
Instead of the elitist talking heads making the “independents” so damn relevant to chosing which candidate is electable, we need to make them ALL irrelevant