Matthew Yglesias » Palin’s Popularity

Sep 16th, 2008 at 10:33 am

Palin’s Popularity

John Sides has an interesting chart graphing the public’s formation of opinions about Sarah Palin:

People like her still but the infatuation seems to be fading.

Comments
26

26 Responses to “Palin’s Popularity”

Craig Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
That seems about right. Glamor, vitality, and one good speech only gets you so far–that combination only got Obama one foot in the door of the nominating process, for instance–he had to win the game with substance, endurance and good strategy. Palin is insubstantial and plainly out of her depth in an election that is going to be decided on economic and foreign policy issues. In another week, I believe she’ll have net zero favoribility at best. If Tina Fey does a couple more skits, who knows?

One thing that is particularly conspicuous is the media souring on both McCain and Palin–and, as much as the right wing in this country cherishes their “annoy the media” stickers, journalists have a huge role in setting public perceptions of political candidates–and not always in favor of liberals. Who remembers Al Gore the pathological liar and George Bush the amiable fraternity brother from 8 years ago? The press are increasingly feeling duped and even betrayed by McCain, and I think we can say that his free ride is over. Reporters are increasingly willing to call “bullshit” on him, and I think that is going to be telling as the glamor fades from the Palin selection.
E. O'Neal Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
All that’s happening is the partisan Dems are starting to say “unfavorable”. They weren’t going to vote for the Republicans anyway.
Freedom Fry Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Or more people have been reading the articles pointing out what a vindictive, vain nut bar she is. I didn’t really mind her until I learned about her “rhetorical” questions about book banning.
DTM Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
This must be why our resident Republican hacks keep trying to convince us criticizing Palin’s record, words, and actions isn’t working and everyone should just stop.
E. O'Neal Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
How many of you trashing Sarah Palin are aware of this?
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/?p=2605
Craig Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Right on, DTM. If Mickey Kaus tells you the sun will come out tomorrow, go to the bank, empty your account, and put all your money on an unpredicted eclipse.

That said, I am getting a little tired of lingering in the sideshows. As the Palin glow fades, it is time to get the discussion back into the big top. Talking about the _Presidential_ candidates and the big issues of today and tomorrow automatically underlines Palin’s featherweight status.

Is Bigfoot on the endangered species list, or did Palin somehow block that?
TW Andrews Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I think her accepting the VP nod was a terrible move as far as her political career is concerned. If she’d been governor of AK for another 6 years and then done a stint in the Senate, she could be a really formidable figure. As it stands, I think she’s pretty much peaked, even if McCain wins.
KCinDC Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
and not always in favor of liberals.

You mean “rarely” rather than “not always”.
DTM Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Craig,

I agree. As I would put it, it was worth taking a week or so to set the “narrative” on Palin, but now it is time to get back to McCain. And incidentally, from what I can tell the Obama Campaign agrees with you too (e.g., Obama and Biden are basically focusing entirely on McCain at this point).

That said, a story here or there about a really big whopper by Palin, a significant development in Troopergate, or so on is fine. It just can’t be the major focus.
Aleks Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Now that we’ve seen Tina-Fey-as-Sarah-Palin we’ll never be satisfied with the weak imitation of just Sarah Palin.
24AheadDotCom Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
If this was the blog run by MattY’ (the intellectually honest counterpart to our current host), MattY’ would point out that the chart follows a couple weeks of the MSM doing everything possible to smear her. That includes Chuckie Gibson lying about one of her quotes, AnneKornblut launching a smear after tipping her hand (24ahead.com/blog/archives/007986.html), and yet another lie from the WaPo. That latter is one that MattY helped the WaPo spread.

In fact, MattY has still not corrected his post on that, even after ThinkProgress itself has tacked a small update onto their corresponding smear. Compare the update here:

thinkprogress.org/2008/09/03/palin-mccain-mothers

To the lack of an update here:

yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008/09/
life_begins_at_conception_and_ends_at_death.php
Iben Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I smell fear … And methinks the smell is coming from all you left-wing whackos defecating in your shorts. PRICELESS
In what respect, Charlie? Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
sarah palin = empty calories
bob Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
As an Obama supporter, I bet his chart looks a lot like this one, only spread out over a long time period.

Speaking of Kaus, Feiler Faster Theory (the only interesting thing he’s ever noted)?
In what respect, Charlie? Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
…MattY’ would point out that the chart follows a couple weeks of the MSM doing everything possible to smear her.

Whenever anyone tells me I “hit it out of the park” I always demand that they retract their smear!
Bruce Moomaw Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Looks to me like the “infatuation” is fading pretty fast — from a 35-point positive rating to a 20-point one in a week. Meanwhile, Rasmussen reports her LESS popular than both Obama and McCain (although more popular than Biden, who for some reason is slipping): http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/palin_47_biden_44_in_make_believe_presidential_match_up .

Gallup and Rasmussen both report today that McCain’s lead has faded back to 1% — that is, after the modest bounces from both conventions, we’re now virtually back where we started in a toss-up race:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/110416/Gallup-Daily-Presidential-Contest-Remains-Dead-Heat.aspx

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

So much for Palin (or, for that matter, Biden) as Miracle Worker.

Best way for Obama to win? Hammer the following point at the end of every single TV ad he runs from now on: “If you want a third term of Bush-Cheney, vote for McCain.”

What could McCain possibly do to counter this? By now he’s publically Crazy-Glued himself to virtually every significant economic and military policy of Bush — who, lest we forget, still has a 70-30 negative approval rating. Is he suddenly going to announce that he really dislikes the policies of that awful man after all?

As for Sarah Palin: the Obama camp should whisper the fact in reporters’ ears (although not, I think, run direct ads on the subject) that until 2 years ago she was a member of a church whose pastor makes Jeremiah Wright look like Albert Schweitzer — and who has announced that:

(A) Israeli Jews deserve to be murdered by the Palestinians because they haven’t converted to Christianity;

(B) Everyone who voted for John Kerry is going to Hell; and

(C) The godly should begin gathering in Alaska because the Book of Revelations indicates that it’s the refuge where the godly will escape the tribulations of Armageddon.

Now, Obama and McCain have both indicated that they tolerate the droolings of Wright and Jerry Falwell (Mac spent the last two years of the latter’s life warmly cuddling up to him, despite that public statement Falwell and Pat Robertson issued two days after 9-11 announcing that it was God’s just punishment on the US for supporting gay rights). But there’s no indication that Obama and McCain actually believe Wright’s and Falwell’s droolings — they just tolerated them out of political cynicism. There are disturbing indications, however, that Palin geninely is a serious religious nut. Consider her announcement that the people of Alaska should “pray” that Congress would vote for that natural gas pipeline — that is, they should pray that God would cloud the minds of Congressmen who honestly thought the thing was a bad idea, so that they’d vote for it anyway. Maybe after she becomes Veep she can suggest that Americans pray that God will cloud Bin Laden’s mind enough that he’ll voluntarily turn himself in. I mean, the policy possibilities are endless.
Colatina Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
“As an Obama supporter, I bet his chart looks a lot like this one, only spread out over a long time period.”

But her net favorability is already lower than Obama’s or McCain’s. Liking or not liking Palin has already become a more partisan affair than liking or not liking Obama or McCain.
Bruce Moomaw Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
This just in via Sullivan: two polls confirm this.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/palins-favorability-numbers-eroding.html

I see that they also agree with me on another point: “[I]t seems possible to me that John McCain’s recent bounce has had more to do with John McCain — whose speech at the convention was as underrated as Palin’s was overrated — and less to do with Palin than is generally acknowledged.”
Whitey Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Tell Chicken Little to get back in his fucking hole, this thing ain’t over yet.
Trevor Says:
September 16th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
The “Mabel” or “Madge” vote (middle-aged and older blue collar women who work as cashiers, hairdressers, manicurists, etc.) which went for W in 2000 and 2004 has quickly soured on Dungface (Palin). Actually, they weren’t too impressed to begin with. Charlie Gibson ought to get a medal. Unless something really bizarre happens, Obama-Biden are going to win by double digits.
Ed Marshall Says:
September 17th, 2008 at 12:40 am
My teevee keeps telling me about these sexist liberals who put down Sarah Palin for her two graduate high-school kids and her pregnant daughter.

My reality is that I hear this stuff from a bunch of women who work for Catholic Charities and have “God is Pro-Life” stickers on their cars. If she isn’t playing with those people, who likes her personal story? If that tanks, she’s got this thin veneer of her newly-minted political career as a maverick taking on the lobbyists and that’s not going to hold up for two months, it’s just not.
viagra Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:07 am
viagra
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
tramadol Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:28 am
tramadol
It is the coolest site,keep so!
buy viagra online Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:23 am
buy viagra online
It is the coolest site,keep so!
cheap viagra Says:
April 8th, 2009 at 3:48 am
I rarely comment on blogs but yours I had to stop and say Great Blog!!
viagra
tukorscm Says:
April 19th, 2009 at 8:43 am
6MSHfk pqfyxamwsmmu, [url=http://xuiuyelbxxjs.com/]xuiuyelbxxjs[/url], [link=http://xkgjworlciet.com/]xkgjworlciet[/link], http://ieizeijdynxj.com/

Matt Yglesias

Palin’s Popularity

26 Responses to “Palin’s Popularity”

Blogroll