Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South

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Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Oct 2 03:47:59 2008 edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 3:31 a.m. ET HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- John Thomas has lots of reasons to support John McCain for president. Like McCain, Thomas is a former Navy officer. They're about the same age, and Thomas considers himself a political independent with a conservative bent. But Thomas, a one-time supporter of President Bush, said McCain running mate Sarah Palin's recent interviews sealed his decision to vote for Democrat Barack Obama. ''She's not prepared at all,'' Thomas, 70, said as he loaded groceries into his car outside a Sam's Club warehouse store on the outskirts of Huntsville. He said listening to Palin argue that Alaska's proximity to Russia was a foreign policy credential ''frightened me to death.'' ''I went out on the golf course Thursday and that was what everyone was talking about,'' Thomas said. ''They're very frightened about McCain and his age ... and to have Palin a heartbeat away.'' Even in the staunchly Republican South, Palin is facing deep skepticism about her qualifications heading into Thursday night's debate with her Democratic counterpart, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. The wave of enthusiasm here that greeted the Alaska governor's conservative positions on social and religious issues remains in many quarters, but it has been tempered by uncertainty about her readiness, particularly among moderates. In part, this reflects a huge nationwide drop in the percentage of likely voters who find Palin qualified. An Associated Press-GfK Poll taken Sept. 27-30 in every state found just 25 percent now say she has the experience to be president, down from 40 percent. Among likely Republican voters nationally, those who found Palin qualified dropped from 75 percent to just 47 percent. ''I don't really know what her experience is,'' said Johnathan Hurwitz, a 40-year-old Army officer based at the Redstone Arsenal outside Huntsville, noting that Palin has largely been sheltered from questioning by reporters or voters. The moderate Republican said Palin's selection was more about political strategy than substance. He said he has not been impressed with her performance to date and is leaning toward voting Democratic. Hurwitz and Thomas notwithstanding, there's little chance that McCain and Palin will lose the Deep South. A recent poll in Alabama, for example, showed McCain with a big lead over Obama, and the numbers are not much different in states like Mississippi and Georgia. In 2004, Bush won Alabama 62-37 percent and Georgia 58-41. Many Republicans say Palin remains a strong asset in the region, where McCain trailed more conservative candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in the primaries. Southerners, they say, identify with Palin's small-town roots and down-to-earth style. ''I think she brings new life to the party. She's not an insider from Washington,'' said Republican Amy Boyle, a stay-at-home mom from Huntsville who warmed up to McCain after he named Palin. In central Georgia, Jean Hammock said she had a similar reaction. The retired contracting officer at Robins Air Force Base said Palin stood up to politics-as-usual in Alaska and will do so in Washington. ''Since he picked up Palin, I'm enthusiastic,'' Hammock said. The staying power of that enthusiasm, however, could well hinge on Palin's performance in the debate with Biden. Many Republicans hesitated when asked if Palin is qualified for the job and said they would give her the benefit of the doubt. A strong showing could make doing so a lot easier. ''Does she have as much experience as I would like for a vice president? No,'' said Republican Dave Schultz, a real estate agent from Warner Robins, Ga. ''But I do think she could handle the job if it were dumped on her.''
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by LuchAAA* on Thu Oct 2 03:53:25 2008, in response to Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Oct 2 03:47:59 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d http://www.miamiherald.com/979/story/696050.html Even the Miami Herald had to acknowledge her drawing power. Last time I checked, Florida was the south. And why did you post an article that ends with two somewhat pro-Palin comments from women?
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Thu Oct 2 04:06:17 2008, in response to Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by LuchAAA on Thu Oct 2 03:53:25 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d C'mere, son ... lemme 'splain something to you. I am and always have been "moderate" with a strong leaning toward the REAL republican philosophy, sold as a concept by Reagan after HE failed too. I've BEEN a republican ever since 1964 though I couldn't vote until 1972. I worked for Goldwater in 1964 making banners, placarding and handing out leaflets in RIVERDALE. My roots in the party were QUITE solid until the party did that crap over the hostages in 1979 as well as numerous other failings of the "religion" of being republican. I actually ran for OFFICE as a republican and finally got to see how the party REALLY worked as an INSIDER. :( So when I post this stuff, the FIRST thing to understand by all is that I will ONLY do so when I see just TOO much one-sided bullshit. I feel as an EMANCIPATED journalist to kick the kneecaps of those who are NOT "fair and balanced" because that phrase is very important to those of us who actually did that for a living. And for a pandering network to SUBVERT that directive ... well ... if there ain't "fair and balanced" HERE, then I am highly motivated to do threads like this JUST to stop the seesaw from digging down to China. Heh. Don't judge me by what I offer ... I'm only offering it in order to balance things, even if I don't believe in any more than 5% of what I post. If nobody ELSE is going to come forward with different viewpoints, then I often feel compelled to bring them up simply because nobody ELSE is, and I don't like bullshit. Move upstate. Hang out with cows. Bullshit is a word freely flung. Gotta get the REAL stuff on your pants to truly appreciate the offensive nature of it. :) But yeah, no need to edit it ... no need to slant it, printed the whole article as I'm dispassionate in all sincerity about ANY of this. I made up my mind on who I'm voting for back when Hillary lost the shot. Looked at McCain again fervently because I was pissed off at how Hillary got treated by the minions, and STILL I'm for Obama because I really did look at McCain ... so I'm already "locked in" and so are you and several others. I really don't THINK any minds here are going to be changed on a basis of all these posts here ... but I will still challenge bullshit. There's REAL things to talk about ... even THIS isn't one of them. :)
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by LuchAAA* on Thu Oct 2 04:08:14 2008, in response to Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Oct 2 04:06:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d LOL. You're too much. I write three little lines, and get a famous long Selkirk response. I was not expecting one.
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by AlM* on Thu Oct 2 08:02:52 2008, in response to Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by LuchAAA on Thu Oct 2 03:53:25 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d And why did you post an article that ends with two somewhat pro-Palin comments from women? Actually, Dave Schultz is not a woman. :)
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by LuchAAA* on Thu Oct 2 08:03:56 2008, in response to Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by AlM on Thu Oct 2 08:02:52 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yes. It had quotes from women towards the end.
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by Orange Blossom Special* on Thu Oct 2 18:05:05 2008, in response to Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Oct 2 03:47:59 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d what else is new. He's scared to death because of A(WT)P stories flooding him like this one.
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Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Thu Oct 2 18:23:57 2008, in response to Re: Palin Draws Skepticism Even in Conservative South, posted by Orange Blossom Special on Thu Oct 2 18:05:05 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Well ... I'm sure if there's any stray meese in Alabama, she'll tackle it to the ground faster than you can say "secret service." :)
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