While all the talking heads are talking about how Palin did well last night the real voters were reacting in a very different way. Detroit Free Press had a panel of voters watching her speech and every single independent hated the speech.
http://www.freep.com/...
Their reaction varied from "I was completely underwhelmed" to "I'm sorry but I still don't know anymore about this young lady tonight than I did last night".
Most of them felt that she was mean and negative. One independent was turned off by her barrage of snide remarks and distortions.
One smart independent clearly pointed out that she is unqualified to be a VP. Let me quote him, "I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief."
You need independents on your side to win elections but Palin simply continued with the same old attack dog politics of republicans. She did not utter the following words even once:
education
economic crisis
Afganistan war
sub-prime mortage crisis
health care
shipping jobs overseas
Now getting back to the reactions from independents, here is one Diane Murphy, 42, who points out that Palin is very stubborn. I bet she reminds people of Bush:
"Sarah Palin came across as the small town girl who made good. I knew that I disagreed with her on some issues before this evening. After listening to her speech ... it appears that once she makes up her mind, that is the end of it. We live in a gray world, not every answer is black and white."
-- Diane Murphy, 42, Sterling Heights independent
George Lentz, 66, compared her to a high school act:
"I was completely underwhelmed. She was a Republican novelty act with a sophomoric script. It was not even a speech I would expect for a someone running for the local PTA, much less for vice president."
-- George Lentz, 66, Southfield independent
Here we have a guy, Mike Kosh, 38, who points out that she got selected only because she is a female and it is a political pick:
"Who is Sarah Palin? I'm sorry but I still don't know anymore about this young lady tonight than I did last night ... The way it looks to me, she's the Republican vice presidential nominee for one reason: because Hillary wasn't selected."
-- Mike Kosh, 38, West Bloomfield independent
Ilene Beninson, 52, hits it out of ball park pointing out that Palin did not talk about policy and she is not qualified to be a VP:
"Sarah Palin is a self-described ‘pitbull with lipstick.’ She spent little time helping Americans learn who she is. She is a cool, poised speaker, but her speech contained few statements about policy or the party platform. ... I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief."
-- Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent
The speech clearly turned off Jan Wheelock, 58. Jan hated the negative, mean spirited attacks and distortions:
"Nothing worked for me. I found her barrage of snide remarks and distortions to be a major turn off. She is not a class act. The most important point she made is that she will be an effective attack dog."
-- Jan Wheelock, 58, Royal Oak independent
Joellen Gilchrist, 64, compares her to high school valedictorian or a cheerleader:
"Sarah got as much applause as Hillary did, and had a friendly, appealing appearance. Her delivery style reminded me of a high school valedictorian who also might have been a cheerleader. I thought she would appear more professional, more stateswomanly. She's no match for Joe Biden."
-- Joellen Gilchrist, 64, Beverly Hills independent
Overall, the voters are much smarter than the so called TV pundits and know who will bring real change and who is a fake. She was dismissive, patronizing, sarcastic, mean-spirited, divisive with full dose of petty attacks, snide remarks and distortions.
If she quacks like an extremist, acts like an extremist and works like an extremist then she is an extremist.
She is four more years of same old. Here is why:
- She did not even know the duties of VP till last month and now she is going to protect us?
- She aggressively sought federal earmarks for Wasilla while claiming she is a reformer. She employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents
- She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million
- She is currently under investigation for firing Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who told the Anchorage Daily News that he felt pressured by the governor's office to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, "a trooper who had been locked in a child-custody battle with Palin’s sister." Now she wants to wind up independent commission without testifying.
- She has fired Police Chief Irl Stambaugh because he supported her election opponent John Stein.
- She is anti-science wants to teach creationist in a science class.
- She wants to take away women's right to choose in cases of rape and incest.
- She is against the use of contraceptives.
- She vetoed to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers.
- She was for the corrupt Alaska republicans like Ted Stevens and Don Young before she was against them.
- She talks about country first but attended conventions of radical Alaskan Independence Party that wants to secede from United States. Her husband was it's member till couple of years back.
- While America is suffering she owns three houses (one main residence and two for recreation) and her buddy McSame owns 12 houses.
- She watched silently while a speaker gave a hate speech against jews in her church.
We want real change and not continuation of Bush Cheney policies. Enough yet?
Let us work together and very hard to elect Obama/Biden.
Update:
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Another focus group of women in Nevada had similar reactions to Palin speech. They were impressed with Palin's speaking ability and poise. But they were hardly convinced that she was qualified to be vice president, or that she truly represented the "change" they were looking for, especially in light of what was deemed an overly harsh "sarcasm" pervading her address.
They know it is same old crap:
"Once she started mudslinging, I thought, it's the same old crap as other politicians. McCain used her to get the women's vote. And she's using McCain."
Palin is negative and divisive:
The unmarried group also voiced similar objections to the harsh, partisan edge of Palin's remarks. "I'm not impressed with her at all as a person," one said, citing her "finger pointing" and general sarcasm after the group had generally agreed that she was a talented public speaker.
No qualifications..
"I don't think she's got what it takes." An unmarried participant said she had yet to hear enough "in regards to her personal views, which could be implicated on us if McCain was to die."
And women hate Palin's views on abortion:
When prompted to respond to Palin's steadfast opposition to abortion -- even in cases of rape or incest -- no woman in either group stepped forward to defend the Alaskan Republican. "I don't dig that," said one married woman, matter of factly.
But in both groups, narrow majorities said they held a more negative view of Palin after her speech. "She comes off pretty cutthroat," said one.