Well, here's more damning evidence to bust the Sarah Palin "star power" myth. Palin may be a "star" with far-right social conservatives, put she's scaring the pants off of everyone else, particularly undecided voters and independents, according to an ongoing focus group of undecided Florida voters being conducted by the St. Petersburg Times. Compared to five weeks ago, the Times notes that the group has "swung dramatically" toward Barack Obama for one primary reason: Sarah Palin.
When the Times convened the focus group of 11 undecided Florida voters five weeks ago--four Republicans, five Democrats, and two registered to no party--it noted that their "strong distrust" of Barack Obama suggested it was a group ripe for John McCain to win over.
Not anymore. The group has swung dramatically, if unenthusiastically, toward Democrat Obama. Most of them this week cited the same reason: Sarah Palin.
"The one thing that frightens me more than anything else are the ideologues. We've seen too many," said 80-year-old Air Force veteran Donn Spegal, a lifelong Republican from St. Petersburg, who sees McCain's new running mate as the kind of "wedge issue" social conservative that has made him disenchanted with his party.
Hmmm. OK, so Palin's far-right social views turn off more moderate Republicans. Who would've thunk it? But what about women? Surely undecided women are flocking to her, aren't they?
"I'm truly offended by Palin,'' said 37-year-old Republican Philinia Lehr of Largo, a full-time mother with a nursing degree who voted for George Bush in 2004. Like Palin, she has five children and she doesn't buy that the Alaska governor can adequately balance her family and the vice presidency.
"You're somebody's mom and what are you going to do, say, 'Excuse me, country, hold on?' ... She's preaching that she's this mom of the year and taking that poor little baby all over everywhere. And, you know, what she's doing to her 17-year-old daughter is just appalling.'' Lehr said she's bothered by the way Palin's pregnant daughter has been brought into the national spotlight.
Hmmm. So all those hockey moms and soccer moms and just plain old moms don't like how Palin parades around her newborn baby and celebrates her teenage daughter's out-of-wedlock pregnancy? Who would've thunk it?
But what about all those upset Hillary supporters? Surely they're all going to vote for McCain now, so that they can have a chance to put a woman, any woman, in the White House. Won't they?
"(Deciding to vote for Obama) ticks me off because I do not want Obama,'' said Democrat Annette Kocsis, 68, a former Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter from Clearwater, scoffing at "the pit bull in lipstick," as Palin has called herself...
"That was almost insulting," Democrat Rhonda Laris of Temple Terrace, another strong Clinton backer skeptical of Obama, said of the Palin pick. "Do they think we're really stupid? ... I'm definitely leaning toward the Democratic side now. Sarah Palin scares the crap out of me."
Hmmm. But what about Palin being so ethical and such a big reformer who will shake up Washington? That will surely appeal to the independent voters, won't it??
Independent voter Bill Chever, 56, another Air Force veteran from St. Petersburg, said he has voted Republican four times and Democrat three times in the last seven presidential races. He likes and trusts Obama but not Obama's party. Democrats have done nothing of consequence while controlling Congress, Chever said, but he's particularly bothered that the Palins are not cooperating in the "Troopergate" investigation into whether she fired the state police chief for not firing her former brother-in-law from the Alaska state police.
"Here we go with Dick Cheney and his group that's not going to talk to anybody," Chever said. "She is Dick Cheney with a dress on."
Hmmm. Maybe McCain's and Palin's stonewalling on and blocking of the Troopergate investigation wasn't the smartest move after all.
The Times reports that nobody in the focus group has finalized a choice, but seven of the panelists said that McCain's running mate selection had made them more likely to vote for Obama, and in several cases much more likely, and only two Republican men "applauded" McCain's selection of Palin. Most people in the group are looking for the debates to help them make up their minds.
Still, the Times concludes that Palin appears to be a "serious obstacle" to McCain's winning over disillusioned Democrats or moderates. Who would've thunk it?
UPDATE:
Speaking of Sarah Palin scaring the crap out of people, just heard news about this story on Countdown:
"Sarah Palin Linked Her Electoral Success to Prayer of Kenyan Witch Hunter"
The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witch hunt against a Kenyan woman whom he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.
At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.
Yikes! As KO said, so under a McCain-Palin adminitration are we going to do away with the judicial system and just throw folks in the water to see if they float?