Palin Performs

McCain pulling out of Michigan


By Jonathan Martin / Politico

John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush.

McCain's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive.

McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin spent the night after the GOP convention at a large rally in Macomb County, just outside Detroit. The two returned later last month for another sizable event in Grand Rapids.

But recent polls there have shown Obama extending what had been a small lead, with the economic crisis damaging an already sagging GOP brand in a state whose economy is in tatters.

A McCain event planned for next week in Plymouth, Michiigan, has been canceled.

McCain pulling out of Michigan


By Jonathan Martin / Politico

John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush.

McCain's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive.

McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin spent the night after the GOP convention at a large rally in Macomb County, just outside Detroit. The two returned later last month for another sizable event in Grand Rapids.

But recent polls there have shown Obama extending what had been a small lead, with the economic crisis damaging an already sagging GOP brand in a state whose economy is in tatters.

A McCain event planned for next week in Plymouth, Michiigan, has been canceled.

Are you joking? She demonstrated no ability to think for herself. She stuck closely to talking points and catch phrases. At times she didn't even answer the question, instead just answering a question she wished they had asked. Her facts were wrong and frequently skewed to be misleading. She was so clearly unqualifed, especially standing next to Biden.

She seems super nice and personable. That's not what qualifies someone for the incredibly important position of vice president of the United States. She did better than people expected. Which doesn't mean she did well.

Why is there a picture of Palin's legs??!!! This seems a bit sexist. How about a picture of Biden's legs...or is nobody interested in them?

Mark, just because Sarah Palin obviously gave you a boner with that "personal connection" doesn't mean that she won the debate. To me it sounded like she mouthed campaign drivel an awful lot when she didn't know what to say--you know, "change is coming", "we're mavericks" etc. etc. And of course, as a Republican, she did not want to look to the past, specifically the past eight years of Republican-caused catastrophes. However, I will concede that she did not come off as a complete idiot, so I guess that's something.

This woman whipped a 35-year experience, "typical", and "same Washington" senator's butt in 90 minutes.

Can you imagine what she will do along side McCain in 4 years? They will take no prisoners and will change Washington as they say they are.

I vote McCain / Palin all the way. This is the change we need -- Actions -- not just "beautiful" words from Obama!

DUH, anyone else on topic here? Didnt come here to read copy from "Rolling Stone" which would never be anything connected with tonight debate. I would hope the channel would delete all off topic enteries.

As to the debate, they both did a pretty good job, but Palin did wonderfully well considering her experience compared to Biden. She probably did win the debate based on her directness, telling it like it was from her heart, and talking to the real voting people out here. Biden came across like most any 36 year Senator, and we are looking for a change.

Incidentally, the best thing this country could do would be enact term limits. We have them here in Colo and know we will get new faces. Sadly, that means states like Nevada, Calif, and Mass hold much more power than they deserve due to seniority.

This was a great night to be a McCain/Palin supporter. Sarah Palin was the star debater of the evening. Joe Biden is a nice guy who looked so last century. Congratulations Sarah.

You betcha Sarah Palin can debate - By ROGER SIMON | 10/2/08 - Politico.com

ST. LOUIS — Sarah Palin was supposed to fall off the stage at her vice presidential debate Thursday evening. Instead, she ended up dominating it.

She not only kept Joe Biden on the defensive for much of the debate, she not only repeatedly attacked Barack Obama, but she looked like she was enjoying herself while doing it.

She smiled. She faced the camera. She was warm. She was human. Gosh and golly, she even dropped a bunch of g’s.

“John McCain doesn’t tell one thing to one group and somethin’ else to another,” she said. “Those huge tax breaks aren’t comin’ to those huge multinational corporations.”

She went out of her way to talk in everyday terms, saying things like “I betcha” and “We have a heckuva opportunity to learn” and “Darn right we need tax relief.”

Biden was somber, serious and knowledgeable. And he seemed to think that debates were about facts. He had a ton of them.

Criticizing John McCain’s health care plan, Biden said that McCain would tax health care and “then you’re going to have to replace a $12,000 — that’s the average cost of the plan you get through your employer; it costs $12,000 — you’re going to have to pay — replace a $12,000 plan, because 20 million of you are going to be dropped. So you’re going to have to place — replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you’ve just given to the insurance company.”

Got that?

Palin was a lot more direct in her attacks on Obama and a lot more simple. Criticizing Obama for saying he would meet with some foreign leaders who are hostile to the United States, Palin said: “Some of these dictators hate America and what we stand for. They cannot be met with. That is beyond bad judgment. That is dangerous.”

She also said: “An issue like that taken up by a presidential candidate goes beyond naiveté and goes beyond poor judgment.”

Sarah Palin accusing Barack Obama of being naive? Yep. And she was unabashed about it. And so what if Joe Biden has been in the Senate approximately forever and knows a lot more about a lot more stuff than she does? She doesn’t care.

“You recently said paying taxes is patriotic,” she said to Biden. “In middle-class America, where I have been all my life, that is not considered patriotic.”

True, a lot of her statements were of the fortune cookie variety. “At end of the day,” she said, “if we are all working together for the greater good, it is going to be OK.”

But a lot of people like fortune cookies. She said her strength to the ticket was “my connection to the heartland of America, being a mom, having a son going off to war, a mother of a special needs child.” She said there were times she and her husband sat around the kitchen table wondering how they were going to make it without health insurance.

This led Joe Biden to his most emotional — he appeared to choke up — and one of his most effective moments.

“Look, I understand what it is like to be a single parent, when my wife and child died,” Biden said. “I know what it is like to raise two kids alone. I know what it is like to sit around that kitchen table.”

Then he said of Americans: “They are looking for help, they are not looking for more of the same.”

It might have been his best line of the evening.

Palin made some flubs. Talking about America’s financial crisis, she said, “It’s a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that’s affecting Wall Street.” Isn’t it the other way around? And she also got the name of a general wrong.

But if people thought she was going to look like a dumb bunny for 90 minutes, they were disappointed. She said what she wanted to say, and she was so relaxed she even winked at one point. Really! An actual wink during a national debate, when she said she was going to try to get John McCain to change his mind about not drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Do people care about such stuff? Should all that down-home talk and body language really count? Joe Biden doesn’t think so.

“Facts matter,” Biden said.

Yeah? In politics? Since when?

I must've been watching a different debate, because "Edith Bunker" spewed out her memorized answers and tried to turn every answer into a discussion on energy! Get real!

Whew!!
Glad that's finally over with.
She'll do well in the Wasilla PTA.

Now, can we move on to the serious stuff.

And would someone PLEASE teach Gov. Palin how to pronounce "nuclear"??????? Also, being folksy is NOT, I repeat, NOT winking one's eyes and grinning like a Chesire cat at everything. That's called being "ditsy"!

Liberals and the mainstream media are stunned! Sarah Palin may not be ready for the Presidency, but apparently many Democrats think she is a lot more ready than Joe Biden.

Palin has been Governor of Alaska for two years, yet she enjoys a 75% Republican, Independent and Democrat approval in her state. Palin is required to make executive decisions as Governor, every day.

Biden has been in the US Senate for more than thirty years, and he received less than 1% of the vote for President, from his own party, during the Democratic primary. Biden makes important decisions too, whether to watch films of FDR talking to the public on TV in 1929, or to ask a man in a wheelchair to stand and be recognized.

Palin received SIXTY times more votes for chief executive of one, sparsely populated, state than Biden received from the entire country! Who is more likely to get people to pull together to solve this country’s problems?

Try this. Nobody knew the actual state of JFK’s health. As we know, he did not die of his illness, he died at the hands of someone who despised him and someone who hated America. Looking at the hatred in some of these posts, Obama has millions of Americans who don’t care for him very much, either.

Fast forward to today. What if something unexpected happened to Obama? We would have Joe Biden as President! Foot in the mouth, 9,000 of 40,000,000 Democratic votes Joe Biden!!

Give me a break!! I’ll take Sarah Palin any day over Biden, and apparently more than 39,000,000 Democrats did not want him either, two months ago.

Thank you Boswelly.

Statements like, "Palin did wonderfully well considering her experience..." are what irk me so much. She did well considering how unqualified she is?? That isn't doing well!

Such poor understanding of the issues would never be tolerated from anyone who has experience and is prepared for the position.

Palin likely saved her own career and didn't do anything to further damage McCain. However, She can only do so much. She cleared a very low bar. But she can not save McCain. He needs more help than any VP candidate could provide.

REM12:36AMOct 3rd 2008: Are you joking? She demonstrated no ability to think for herself...
.................................................

Are YOU joking? Sarah Palin showed us why they called her Sarah Barracuda. She really knows how to kick butt during a debate. No matter how well Sarah Palin communicates, her opponents continue to demonstrate that they are in deep denial about her excellent abilities.

Governor Palin performance tonight was an embarrassment and after President Bush, we cannot afford Senator McCain or Sarah Palin as our leader.

You can always tell who Lost when the partys bloggers jump to be first to claim victory...Sorry Palin lost too goofy.

This isn't about kicking butt and being a pitbull or a baracuda. It's about leading our country.
Excellent abilities to do what? Let me guess- be a maverick? Memorize talking points?
Vote for the person who can lead the country, not who you want to hang out with.

She can be entertaining to watch in a debate, where her personality is her strong point. But what about in a conversation? Why did she falter so badly in every interview? Because she doesn't know what she is talking about. When not highly prepped and extensively coached, she can't stand on her own.
She's a super spiffy person, but absolutely not prepared to lead out country.

I think the liberals on this blog are going to be quite surprised come November 4th.

They are going to wonder what happened to those polls?

These are the same people who continue to choose far left candidates as nominees.

When are you going to pick someone a little more to the center? You might actually win a campaign once in a while.