Seems to be looking more and more likely to me.

I'm thinking she drops out for "family reasons" within the next two weeks, and that Mitt Romney takes her place.

Am I crazy?

9/29/2008 9:52:22 AM

It doesn't matter. There's basically nothing the Republicans can do to win this election anyway.

9/29/2008 9:53:21 AM

I think that you're crazy.

Despite her "reasons", we will all know why she dropped out.

It will look terrible for the McCain campaign.

9/29/2008 9:53:38 AM

If she drops out (which I think is unlikely despite how disastrous she's been), she'll need to be replaced with another hardline, Christian conservative. Mitt Romney is a Mormon and has been socially liberal in the past. That won't fly with the Republican base, who weren't thrilled with McCain to begin with.

9/29/2008 9:59:30 AM

Will Palin drop out? We can only hope.

9/29/2008 10:01:04 AM

^^ beggars can't be choosers at this point

[Edited on September 29, 2008 at 10:02 AM. Reason : ^]

9/29/2008 10:01:37 AM

damn double post

[Edited on September 29, 2008 at 10:01 AM. Reason : .]

9/29/2008 10:01:37 AM

Biden is more likely to drop out due to health reasons and let Clinton step up

It honestly doesn't matter, the country is completely fucked for the next 4-8 years anyway

9/29/2008 10:01:48 AM

My thinking regarding Romney is that his main strong suit, and what he ran on was the Economy. If the primaries were being held right now you'd have to think he'd probably win.

9/29/2008 10:04:51 AM

Palin won't drop out -- there's, what, a month until the election? Not even within the realm of reason right now.

It's a shame, though. I liked her and was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt -- but that Couric interview, wow, ...

9/29/2008 10:10:23 AM

Quote :

"Palin won't drop out -- there's, what, a month until the election? Not even within the realm of reason right now."

totally agree.
No matter how bad she is, it would be worse for McCain to admit defeat and drop out at this point

9/29/2008 10:13:48 AM

I'm pretty sure we're already past the date where most states can even make changes to the ballots. This thread is dumb.

9/29/2008 10:21:22 AM

I'd vote for Romney

9/29/2008 10:45:29 AM

yeah...

it's amazing how much dropping out is not an option for her.

But I would support the decision. Not like I'd vote for him either way, but I would support the ticket slightly more.

9/29/2008 10:57:35 AM

Why would Palin drop out? She's energized the conservative base that John McCain never could quite win over. She'll do good things for his turnout. Not on the level that Obama would, but she's helping him more than hurting him.

9/29/2008 12:10:12 PM

Quote :

"Why would Palin drop out?"

have you not seen how man super conservatives are calling for this
shes in waaaaay over her head

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDZiMDhjYTU1NmI5Y2MwZjg2MWNiMWMyYTUxZDkwNTE=#more


Palin Problem
She’s out of her league.

By Kathleen Parker

If at one time women were considered heretical for swimming upstream against feminist orthodoxy, they now face condemnation for swimming downstream — away from Sarah Palin.

To express reservations about her qualifications to be vice president — and possibly president — is to risk being labeled anti-woman.

Or, as I am guilty of charging her early critics, supporting only a certain kind of woman.

Some of the passionately feminist critics of Palin who attacked her personally deserved some of the backlash they received. But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a hockey mom with lipstick — what a difference a financial crisis makes — and a more complicated picture has emerged.

As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.

Yes, she recently met and turned several heads of state as the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York. She was gracious, charming and disarming. Men swooned. Pakistan’s president wanted to hug her. (Perhaps Osama bin Laden is dying to meet her?)

And, yes, she has common sense, something we value. And she’s had executive experience as a mayor and a governor, though of relatively small constituencies (about 6,000 and 680,000, respectively).

Finally, Palin’s narrative is fun, inspiring and all-American in that frontier way we seem to admire. When Palin first emerged as John McCain’s running mate, I confess I was delighted. She was the antithesis and nemesis of the hirsute, Birkenstock-wearing sisterhood — a refreshing feminist of a different order who personified the modern successful working mother.

Palin didn’t make a mess cracking the glass ceiling. She simply glided through it.

It was fun while it lasted.

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there. Here’s but one example of many from her interview with Hannity: “Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we’re talking about today. And that’s something that John McCain, too, his track record, proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this.”

When Couric pointed to polls showing that the financial crisis had boosted Obama’s numbers, Palin blustered wordily: “I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?”

If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself.

If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.

What to do?

McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.

Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.

Do it for your country.

— Kathleen Parker is a nationally syndicated columnist.

© 2008, Washington Post Writers Group

9/29/2008 1:24:03 PM

If Palin drops out, women will vote for Obama/Biden in massive numbers. It would be the biggest landslide in history.

9/29/2008 9:18:20 PM

Right, because women vote for genitals.

9/29/2008 9:21:05 PM

If this happens, which I doubt it will, I'll be here to tell you that I told you so.

9/29/2008 9:24:32 PM

Quote :

"have you not seen how man super conservatives are calling for this shes in waaaaay over her head"

Thats what you get for using your intellect gunzz.

This isn't about the intellectual reasons for choosing Palin, this is about red-meat conservatives voting for her because the big bad media is picking on their girl. I'm not saying it is right / wise / etc, but it is what it is.

9/29/2008 9:49:20 PM

^ that is one of the lamest talking points out there right now.

i seriously cannot understand how anyone with a brain can consider her the right person for the job

and i'm sorry for being sexist with that last comment

9/29/2008 11:20:00 PM

If palin drops out, she should do it by visiting obama, kissing his feet, and placing a crown on his head. The election would be over.

9/29/2008 11:21:46 PM

She's rapidly becoming a satire of Bush.

9/29/2008 11:30:16 PM

Quote :

"It doesn't matter. There's basically nothing the Republicans can do to win this election anyway."

I hope you are joking.....I for one think it will be really close.

9/30/2008 12:29:34 AM

^seriously...dont matter who mccain picks its prolly gonna be a 50/50 election

9/30/2008 12:42:04 AM

McCain lost some momentum last week partly due to his actions, partly not, but considering Obama's lead in most polls is within statistical error, and that the last 2 presidential races the Republican(Bush) underpolled leading up to the election... I can't see how anyone could possibly think it isn't going to be close as of right now. I don't like Obama, but he should be in a much stronger position than he is right now, given the state of things (even though I don't think the Republicans are responsible for the economic crisis anymore than the Dems, they are in control of the White House and is historically bad, even if "unfair"). Obama is polling around, what 46-47 percent in most polls? That sucks.

9/30/2008 12:42:08 AM

idk what mccain was thinking with the whole fundamentals of the economy are strong comment

9/30/2008 12:43:18 AM

Quote :

"Why would Palin drop out? She's energized the conservative base that John McCain never could quite win over. She'll do good things for his turnout. Not on the level that Obama would, but she's helping him more than hurting him."

Who cares about the conservatives? The independents are fired up in this cycle, and Palin scares the bejeezus out of them.

And me, for that matter. Goodness. The last VP candidate this woefully unprepared for the job was Stockdale, and that guy had a Master's from Stanford and a Hell of a service record. I'd take him over Palin any day.

I predict that Palin will be a virus that eats up McCain's campaign from the inside out. I don't hate her; she's interesting and has great political chops. But rest assured if Obama had ever done what she did on Couric, we'd be looking at Hillary's homely face a lot more right now.

9/30/2008 12:43:34 AM

Couric also wouldn't have grilled Obama like she did Palin. Some of the questions were pretty crazy, and didn't prove anything except Couric was trying to trap Palin. Some of the questions Palin did show she was somewhat unprepared, but not nearly to the degree most of the left tries to portray.

Palin's true test is the debate, if she does well, it bodes well for McCain. If she crashes and burns, well.. yeah.

9/30/2008 12:51:39 AM

^

...

Oookkkkkk maybe Couric asked some tough questions, but that one about the bail out and spending the money on health care instead? She answered it like a mis-programmed femme bot. It was unbelievable, and the question was a total soft ball. I've never seen anything like that in my life.

Look, I've forgiven Bush his speaking ... incidents ... for years, without reservation. This is WAY beyond that. I mean WAY, WAY beyond that. The poor woman is clueless. She's not stupid, she's just ... not ... ready ... at ... all. Don't daydream. If Palin had trouble with _tough_ questions, I'd have forgiven her in a heartbeat.

What I was saying about Barack Obama was that if he had answered such a simple question like that -- if he had answered ANY QUESTION like that -- he'd be toast. As she should be, no question, end of story. This is just not a good time to fuck around; the world is a dangerous place.

9/30/2008 2:39:17 AM

Quote :

"Some of the questions Palin did show she was somewhat unprepared, but not nearly to the degree most of the left tries to portray."

haha

9/30/2008 2:41:45 AM

9/30/2008 8:26:39 AM

Quote :

"^ that is one of the lamest talking points out there right now. i seriously cannot understand how anyone with a brain can consider her the right person for the job"

I'm not saying I like her. Hell, I'm not voting for either of them.

Quote :

"Who cares about the conservatives? The independents are fired up in this cycle, and Palin scares the bejeezus out of them."

McCain does. No matter how much attention we pay to independents, you can't win without your base. This election will hinge more on turnout than it will on independents and Palin will turn out a large portion of the Conservative base that otherwise would have stayed home. With her energizing the right, he is free to pursue the center.


I'm not saying it is right or that I like it, but this is politics, it has nothing to do with right or wrong, it has to do with votes.

Quote :

"Couric also wouldn't have grilled Obama like she did Palin."

The media is undoubtedly on a mission to prove how in-over-her-head Palin is, as well they should, I just wish they'd do it for every politician. Palin just makes it easy and the American media is inherently lazy.

9/30/2008 8:40:08 AM

Quote :

"I don't like Obama, but he should be in a much stronger position than he is right now, given the state of things (even though I don't think the Republicans are responsible for the economic crisis anymore than the Dems, they are in control of the White House and is historically bad, even if "unfair"). Obama is polling around, what 46-47 percent in most polls? That sucks."

Are you still stuck in August or something? Obama is over 50% in most of the national polls and has anywhere from a 5-10% lead. He also has solid leads in at least 4 of the "Bush red" states from '00 and '04 and is close in several others. McCain doesn't lead in any of the "Kerry blue" states and the only one he's even close in is NH (only 4 EV). Currently, in statistical simulations of the election, the chance of an Obama electoral blowout are higher than the chance of McCain winning at all.

9/30/2008 9:20:53 AM

Quote :

"Gallup Daily: Obama Maintains 8-Point Lead September 29, 2008 Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain by eight percentage points in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update, 50% to 42%, which includes two nights of interviewing after Friday’s presidential debate."

Quote :

"Bush’s Approval Rating Drops to New Low of 27% NEW September 30, 2008 Before the U.S. House of Representatives voted down a proposed financial rescue plan endorsed by the Bush administration, just 27% of Americans said they approved of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, the lowest of his presidency and already down 4 points since the financial crisis intensified."

This is not mere coincidence.

9/30/2008 9:37:25 AM

how is it possible that more than 1 in 4 people still think Bush is doing/has done a good job?

9/30/2008 10:41:43 AM

the same way its possible to have such a terrible choice for a presidential election again: there are more dumb people than smart people. (and yes I voted for bush last time as a lesser of two evils option :/)

But I mean come on, how many uneducated (in the sense of not actually following politics closely) people do you hear talking about the election and politics around you on a daily basis? a huge percentage of our population doesnt put any time into keeping up with stuff besides reading their own bias news sources. its unfortunate but true.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 10:52 AM. Reason : ]

9/30/2008 10:52:41 AM

I think that there is nothing McCain can do at this point to win the election. He may have had a chance with Romney or Lieberman (maybe notsomuch L. due to religious zealots).

9/30/2008 12:39:36 PM

no way in hell they let palin drop out. i think she enjoys the spotlight too much anyway.

9/30/2008 12:42:21 PM

Quote :

"how is it possible that more than 1 in 4 people still think Bush is doing/has done a good job?"

Doesn't something like 50% of the country think the world was created as-is 10,000 years ago?

9/30/2008 12:46:57 PM

You could put your money where your mouth is. www.intrade.com

9/30/2008 2:51:27 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZMn1TwaQs

not really offering anything to the conversation, but this is a video of a guy from my friend's fraternity from davidson college who is doing comedy in new york right now

9/30/2008 3:09:48 PM

on the bright side this has done wonders for katie couric

9/30/2008 11:15:10 PM

Quote :

"Are you still stuck in August or something? Obama is over 50% in most of the national polls and has anywhere from a 5-10% lead. "

What polls are these? You must be stuck in fantasy world.


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

Let's see, 1 poll has Obama over 50%, and his lead is between 2-6% in ALL the recent polls. How does that equal a 5-10% lead? Seriously, get off the kool-aid. Or a tleast get your facts straight when you try to call someone out. Cause you failed, pretty bad.

10/1/2008 1:07:15 AM

So now the current republican battle cry is : "Hey, we're losing, but not as badly as we could be!". What ever happened to "he's only polling around 46%-47%"? Besides the fact that your completely ignoring Obama's domination in projected electoral votes, I was still way more right than you.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/obama_maintains_big_lead_in_to.php

Quote :

"• Gallup: Obama 49%, McCain 43%, with a ±2% margin of error, compared to a 50%-42% Obama lead yesterday. • Rasmussen: Obama 51%, McCain 45%, with a ±2% margin of error, compared to a 50%-45% Obama lead yesterday. • Hotline/Diageo: Obama 47%, McCain 41%, with a ±3.2% margin of error, compared to a 47%-42% Obama lead from yesterday. • Research 2000: Obama 51%, McCain 41%, with a ±3% margin of error. Yesterday, Obama was up 51%-42%. Adding these polls together and weighting them by sample sizes, Obama is ahead by a margin of 49.8%-43.3%, virtually the same as yesterday's 49.8%-43.1% lead."

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/todays-polls-930.html

10/1/2008 9:10:36 AM

*waiting for marko's Dewey defeats Truman pic*

10/1/2008 9:25:19 AM

10/1/2008 9:28:26 AM

haha, okay... I was thinking of the guy holding the newspaper but ^ works too

10/1/2008 9:33:35 AM

Why do we all remember Truman and Dewey?

Because it was a fluke.

10/1/2008 10:29:49 AM

Obama McCain MoE +/- RV/LV
Today
Research 2000: 51 (51) 41 (42) 3 LV
Rasmussen: 51 (50) 45 (45) 2 LV

Yesterday
Diageo/Hotline: 47 (47) 42 (42) 3.2 RV
Gallup: 50 (50) 42 (42) 2 RV

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

Quote :

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday is unchanged from the day before with Barack Obama attracting 51% of the vote while John McCain earns 45%. This is the sixth straight day that Obama has been at 50% or 51%, the sixth straight day that McCain has been at 44% or 45%, and the sixth straight day the Obama has enjoyed a five or six point lead (see trends). "

Quote :

"Obama today is viewed favorably by 58% of voters, McCain by 53%. However, 39% have a Very Favorable opinion of Obama while 27% have a Very Unfavorable view. The comparable numbers for McCain are 25% Very Favorable and 26% Very Unfavorable. This is the first time all year that McCain’s Very Unfavorable rating has topped his Very Favorable numbers"

http://www.electoral-vote.com/
Obama 286 McCain 190 Ties 62

And, for the real fuckin' kicker:

NC Has jumped from a 38-56 McCain lead to a 48-48 tie!!!!!!!!

10/1/2008 11:18:39 AM