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Sarah Palin’s Speech Turned Out To Be A Huge Fundraiser

Posted by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief in Politics.
Sep 4th, 2008 | Comments

For Democrats…

What we’ll now see: Democrats coming together more and more as Democrats. Republicans coming together more and more as Republicans. Those not taking definitive and aggressive sides one way or another being accused of being on the other side. But both sides are going to need the people in the middle and/or the people who don’t belong to either party. Will the most strident, aggressive side win? Or will this be a year when each party is scrutinized more by voters because the issues are so huge and the state of the country is almost (there is Phil Gramm) universally considered “challenged”?

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DLS

One lefty talk radio show I heard today included one caller who said that (rather than throw a typical tantrum or engage in more of the ugly attacks we've seen from her peers) she knew the speech would appeal to many and so she promptly donated to the Obama campaign and then went to the nearest Obama campaign office (they are all over this nation) to volunteer there. Looks like she has had company; her other peers with initiative and self-control realize Palin's speech was a good one and the contest is closer than it has been until now. Even a poor speech by McCain won't outdo the good that Lieutenant Governor Palin, as Biden has referred to her, has done for the GOP campaign. Good choice, McCain.

Mike_P

DLS, I wish I had a "lefty" radio show to listen to. But as in much of America, ain't no such animal 'round here! (To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't listen anyway - which is almost certainly related to why they aren't widespread!)

On another note, after seeing Palin's impressive Nielsen numbers for last night, I'm VERY curious about McCain's tonight. Was it the controversy of the pick that drove viewers to watch, or is there real interest in the Republican ticket? Those numbers could be an indicator.

Michael Merritt

"Those not taking definitive and aggressive sides one way or another being accused of being on the other side."

No doubt. I defended Palin on the "...but Trig has down syndrome. How can she???" line last night. No doubt I'll be called a neocon in 3...2...

elrod

Anecdotally, the Democratic base is extremely fired up. I've heard five different women today use the word "insulting" to describe Palin and her speech. I suppose Hillary Clinton will be speaking directly to these women on Monday.

There is a deep anger at her and what she represents among feminists. The notion that women would vote for her just because she's a woman is as obscene as thinking that all blacks in Maryland were ready to vote for Michael Steele.

Her identity appeal is not to Hillary-voting women. It's to Christian conservatives. And nobody angers the Democratic base more than Christianists.

I'll add, also, that among Jewish women (including in my family), Sarah Palin may be about as unpopular as Pat Buchanan (even if she didn't actually support the guy). She comes off as a bizarro sympathizer of Hayden Lake, Idaho Aryan Nation types - especially when you look at her Jews for Jesus pastor and her husband's membership in the far-right Alaska Independence Party.

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