Posted on 10/09/2009 3:34:09 PM PDT by euram
Earlier today, Politico published a story about the lack of communication between the Bob McDonnell campaign and Governor Palin's office about her making a campaign appearance on his behalf in the Virginia gubernatorial election. "The governor offered her assistance, the ball is in their court," Meg Stapleton is quoted as saying. So what gives?
I spoke to one source with direct access to both the campaign staff and the candidate himself who said they've noticed a remarkable change in McDonnell's attitude towards Palin since the RNC selected Washington insider Ed Gillespie to head his campaign:
(Excerpt) Read more at conservatives4palin.com ...
this doesn’t make any sense
he deserves to lose then
The only thing I know about the VA Gov race is what I read in National Review magazine. They had an article on the race. I don’t know if he needs to invite Palin or not. He pretty much has the conservative base in his camp. So maybe he invites Palin as a get out the vote measure inda lie Chambliss did in his run-off last year.
Why doesn't it make sense? McDonnell has a 10-point lead in a state that went comfortably for Barack Obama. I don't know how Palin personally polls in Virginia, but if it is anything less than 60% or more, why would he have her campaign. Why alienate moderate Democrats and independents who must clearly be already supporting McDonnell if he's enjoying a 10-point lead.
I’m pretty sure that if McDonnell wanted Palin there, he would ask her. He is an adult after all. He doesn’t need anyone’s permission to do it.
The only tidbit of information I’m getting from this article is that Gillespie is in the tank for Romney. I’m sure Sarah’s had enough of ankle bitters and haters. Who knows what that idiot would do, just out of spite.
Back in July, Public Policy Polling (Dem Pollster) did some polling regarding coattails of Obama and Palin in Virginia. It revealed that whatever positives and negatives that Obama and Palin have, do not transfer to the candidates, Deeds and McDonnell.
Obama, Gov Tim Kaine, and Sen. Mark Warner have campaigned excessively for Deeds. It hasn’t helpled Deeds out in the slightest. McDonnell just wants to run the clock out and play safe.
Palin is the most independent minded politician we have seen in America since Barry Goldwater.
if I was after independent voters, I would get her on the stump and have her rip into the current establishment
Not Gillespie again.
Why can’t these retreads just go away?
To me, that seems like a learned and sage strategy. Whatever it is he's doing, he should keep right on doing it.
go ahead, take your foot off the gas. get comfortable. play prevent defense. it is about over
I know better. and many others do as well
I gurantee you that Palin would bring people to the polls that don’t normally vote.
stay at home moms, moms with disabled children, men in their 20s and 30s.
And, I guarantee you that Palin alienates independent voters and moderate Democrats - two groups that McDonnell currently enjoys the favor of - witness the 10-point lead. Again, why upset the apple-cart if you're already ahead.
If you have information to the contrary - that Palin enjoys a healthy positive favorability rating amongst moderate Dems and Independents, please post it as I'd like to read it.
McDonnell isn't trying to assuage the feelings of Sarah Palin or her supporters. He's trying to get elected in a state that went 53-47 for Obama, and has two Dem senators. And so far, he's doing a bang-up job without Palin - or anyone else for that matter.
what im saying is..
Sarah Palin is very independent, so how can she turn off independent voters ?
look at her history in Alaska. THERE is my evidence to the contrary. she had a lot of Democratic voters there
The poll was actually an early-August poll. The poll found that only 14% of all voters would be more likely to vote for Deeds if Obama campaigned in the state while 26% would be more likely to vote for McDonnell if Palin campaigned there.
A roughly equal percentage (35% for Palin, 37% for Obama) said that they would be less likely to vote for their respective candidates if Obama or Palin visited there.
An interesting number for me was that 46% of Republicans said they would be more likely to turn out if Palin campaigned there, while only 33% of Democrats felt that way about Obama.
McDonnell's Bush/Romney campaign team headed by Gillespie is playing it safe but there is certainly some risk to their strategy. Politico's article is designed precisely to upset the VA conservatives and get them to sit home. If this article creates a dispute in VA conservative circles, does it have the potential to suppress McDonnell's turnout?
You'd have to ask a political scientist about the "why". I don't really know. But, I do know - or at least every piece of independent polling I've seen - suggests that she has a negative approval rating amongst those two groups. I did see a singular poll - taken just before her resignation - that showed she had a very modest (a point or two) positive national approval ratings amongst independents, but that seemed to erode in a big way after her resignation.
im actively rooting against McDonnell because of this.
I will call my aunt in Virginia and tell her about this.
hell, I will even send some money to help Deeds.
this is our party damnit, I don’t want it back in power until this crap stops.
I didn't see that poll, but you can watch Deed's actions to know that Obama and his policies have lost favor in VA. Just this weekend, Deeds shifted tacts and used the words "big government", and said something about the craziness in Washington - not good signs for Obama.
I still think McDonnell is doing exceptionally well, especially considering the onslaught of incredibly negative stories that WaPo has written the last month. They hurt him a little early on, but McDonnell has rebounded and is now enjoying some of his biggest leads.
conservatives should support Deeds to send a message
That poll was taken 17 days after she announced she was resigning on July 3, an event that dominated the national news for days and even threw Obama off the front pages. The poll showed Palin at 45/43 (Fav/Unfav) with Independentents. GMAB with your characterization, especially in light of the salting of the sample PPP did in August to eradicate any future chance of a favorable number like that coming out for Sarah Palin.
KellyAnne Conway and Celinda Lake did a bi-partisan poll a few weeks after the election that showed that 64% of ALL women thought Palin got a raw deal from the press.
Independents and particularly women will give her another look. She still has control of her future, as much as it might pain you.
What? You're moniker is appropriate as your response is immature, unwise and unwarranted. McDonnell is a solid conservative who's doing a yeoman's job in VA - a state that the conservatives had lost their grip on, up until now.
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