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Local analysis: Palin masterful but caustic
Lancaster New Era
Published: Sep 04, 2008
10:49 EST
Lancaster
By TOM MURSE, Staff
Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin supercharged the party's conservative base Wednesday night in what area political analysts say was a "masterful," "effective" — but perhaps a bit too "caustic" — debut.
Sarah Palin is joined onstage by John McCain and Palin's family after Palin's speech at the Republica...(more)
 
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While the Alaska governor may have done little to sway independents and undecided Democrats, she passed three significant tests in introducing herself to convention delegates and voters across America, they said:

Appearing competent.

Being likeable.

And showing she has experience and a willingness to grow into the job.

"This is going to be a first of a series of hurdles for her. I think she passed with flying colors," said Fletcher McClellan, a professor and chairman of Elizabethtown College's Political Science Department. "But there are other hurdles to come."

"For the most part, though, I think the speech — even though it was for a broader audience — had the greatest impact on social conservatives and strong Republicans. She gave the Republican base what it wanted to hear," he said. "I'm not as sure whether independent and undecided Democrats would be as swayed. Much of her speech was pretty partisan."

Chris Borick, the director of the Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion, said Palin's job was to energize the base and make voters watching on TV feel comfortable with her — not necessarily answer all the questions about her level of experience and readiness for the position.

"You can't do that with one speech. You can't do that overnight," he said. "Last night was a chance for her to make Americans comfortable with her. They don't have to necessarily be sold that she's got all the qualifications. Most people had not even seen her speak before last night."
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"I think by almost any standards she delivered a well designed speech and executed it in a really professional way that seemed to energize the audience in Minnesota and, by almost any measure, play well among the base of the Republican Party," he said.

"While it didn't have real substance about policy and what she and McCain would actually do, it was masterful pageantry for any audience," Borick said.

Palin was certainly forceful, playing the traditional role of attack dog by a vice presidential candidate. But some question whether perhaps she was a bit too caustic.

"I agree with everybody in the country that she's a great speaker and she did what she needed to do," said Dickinson College political analyst Jim Hoefler. "She reassured the Republicans. She's very charming, has a good personal story. She's got a lot of gritty, down-to-earth, small-town appeal that plays very well in Republican circles."

"The downside is, she did more than what she had to do. She started playing the pit bull, the feisty vice president role at a time when she's still trying to get people to know her," Hoefler said. "Some of what she had to say came off as a little bit snide. You'd like your VP who nobody knows to have a little bit of a honeymoon there. "

"Yes, part of her mission is to really energize and fire up this base, so you need to be a little bit caustic with them. They love that in the hall. They just ate it up," Hoefler said. "But to the extent that you go too far with that, you give people in the middle cause for concern. She did the base thing, and mobilized the base in aces. I don't know if she lost some people in the middle."

McClellan noted that Palin "actually seemed to enjoy" going on the offensive and "seemed to lean into some of the lines pretty well."

G. Terry Madonna, the director of Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Politics and Public Affairs, is attending the convention. He said Palin certainly made the case that she has been tough and resolute in fighting the good-old-boy network in Alaska politics.

"There was a little bit of a caustic tone, though," he said.

Overall, though, Madonna said Palin clearly illustrated she is competent and that she understands and can master the issues of the day. She made people watching on TV feel comfortable with her, and that she "could grow into the job," he said.

"In this hall last evening, you could have cut the tension with a knife before she came on. But she performed masterfully. No one can say she didn't perform well above anyone's expectations," he said. "It was masterful."


Staff writer Tom Murse can be reached at tmurse@LNPnews.com or 481-6021.

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I like reading the local newspaper--

GET a "feel" of the people

one letter to Editor mention the price of gasoline of $6.25 and they needed Palin at home!

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ANCHORAGE NEWS DAILY
Letters to the editor (9/5/08): Letters to the Editor | and.com
http://searchalaska.adn.com/sp?eId=21&...y%2F516645.html
Daisy Lee Myers
QUOTE (Matt @ Sep 4 2008, 02:15 PM)
Although Florida is still a swing state, I would certainly say that it leans Republican. Pennsylvania, which has recently been considered a swing state, is - I think - reliably Democratic this year.

Ohio and Virginia are states to watch. I don't necessarily buy into the hype about Michigan being in play for Republicans or Georgia being in play for Democrats.

It is interesting to note that Ralph Nader is on the ballot in at least 45 states this year. Bob Barr has a nationwide campaign as well. Cynthia McKinney is there for the green party but I don't see her as much of a factor. I think she very very mildly compounds any "problems" Nader presents for Democrats (or Democrats present for themselves by selling-out).

I am dumbfounded by the convention. What the hell has the Republican Party become? Maybe the cowboy hats say all that needs to be said there. But I do think that Giuliani gave a great speech.. very substantive.. covering most of the ground as far as soft spots for Obama.

Palin, well-coached, gave a good speech as well. I still think she's an insular little bumpkin who has virtually no experience debating national policy issues. She has been an executive, that's true. But I see Biden running circles around her.. embarrassing her.. feasting on her flesh.. in a vp debate. Obama too, though perhaps to be fair.. Obama is also well-coached and well-advised.

Maybe the Republicans will demand that Sarah Palin gets to wear an earpiece during a vp debate.

I still wish Obama would take John Mccain up on the town hall debates. And participate in the google New Orleans debate. I think Nader would actually tear up Obama in a debate. Because Nader talks more substance and Obama talks more fluff. Not that Nader is immune to pandering and exaggeration. There's a game tyhat goes.. every time Nader says any derivative of the word "corporation," you have to take a drink.

I understand that, to the Obama people, engaging in any unnecessary debates could only be a potential liability. But how does that bode for openness, accountability, and "change we can believe in"?

I think the pick of Sarah Palin was proabbly the most defining and decisive moment in the McCain campaign. Is he a centrist maverick willing to work across party lines? I think he should have picked Joe Lieberman for vp. (Of course I do because I'm a social liberal, but). It would have sent a clear message of bipartisanship.. real change.. and undercut that core message for Obama. Picking Sarah Palin decisively answered the question.. can the GOP break the stranglehold of the Christian Right and get back to real issues and real cooperation? Apparently not. In a very important way, the southern strategy is alive and well.

We should have let the south secede when we had the chance. Politically-mobile evangelical protestantism is a disease on our dialogue, our government, our country.

very intelligent and informed post, but i disagree that Biden would walk all over Palin. I believe that at this point she has uncomprimised and rock solid thoughts, ideas and convictions. While Biden would debate the issues like a truly seasoned Washington slimme good ole boy Sarah would debate honestly and from the heart. What a breath of fresh air until Washington works her over and turns her into one of them.Watch and see, she will eat Biden up
peddler
QUOTE
you stated the DEM of FLORIDA committed voter fraud..
YOU WERE WRONG!!


not totally wrong:

http://www.fraudfactor.com/fffl2kpreselection.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB9759664038...l?mod=googlewsj
podunk
I read the first link but the other two aren't working. At least when I tried. But I see one link is to the Washington Post, a rag of a newspaper along with the New York Times fit only for parakeet toilets and wrapping fish. So, we hear Palin reduced funding for some programs, via a line item veto (something Bill Clinton, the last Democrat to win the White House, wanted), but we don't hear how it affected those programs so I would tend to think (something alien for a Cheetoh eating Obama supporter monkey) they were over funded to begin.
While Obama was flying around in a private jet, complete with faux presidential logos, paid for by his campaign, Palin sold Alaska's state jet and flies commercial.

Daisy, the Obama team couldn't commit election fraud in Florida because everybody got to vote, but there are over 2000 complaints about his bussed in thugs taking over caucuses to skew the results in his favor. In your own state, Florida, he couldn't game the results so he had the Rules and Bylaws Committee cut the delegate count in half because Hillary won Florida. The RBC did the same in Michigan plus took away four of Hillary's delegates and gave them to Obama. At Shamfest '08 aka the Democrat Party national convention they cut the roll call vote short because they didn't want you to know just how close Hillary was. Neither candidate had enough pledged delegates to win the nomination. You may be willing to support Obama because he has a D after his name but not me.
Let me close by saying this. Obama said he would accept public financing because it would help take corruption out of politics, he opted out at the last minute. Obama said he would fight any FISA re-authorization bill that contained immunity for the TELCOs, he voted for immunity when he thought nobody was looking. Obama voted for dick Cheney's energy bill, Hillary voted no. No wonder he got the nickname Backtrack Obama. How many other Democrat Party principles will he throw under the bus if he is elected? You may trust he'll keep his campaign promises but I don't.
usedmeat
usedmeat

VOTER FRAUD..

i was talking about the prez election, not a primary.

the year was 2000!
Miami-Dade County - Elections

Please bring a current and valid identification that contains your name and photograph and signature. Acceptable forms of identification include:
State of Florida Driver's License
ID Card issued by the State of Florida
U. S. Passport
Debit/Credit Cards
Military ID
Student ID
Retirement Center ID
Public Assistance ID
Neighborhood Association ID

If you do not have a valid and current identification, you may be asked to vote using a provisional ballot.

Please remember to bring your Voter Information Card with you to vote. While it is not mandatory that you bring voter information card, it may help expedite your voting experience.

If you recently registered to vote and you find that your name is not in
http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/where_bring.asp
!
DAISY
MIAMI Beach

Daisy Lee Myers
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