Palin Pick Fails to Charm Clinton Backers

[romantico]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:35am

As a Hillary Supporter,Palin is an insult to women in my opinion.

Palin Pick Fails to Charm Clinton Backers


OCTOBER 8, 2008

Palin Pick Fails to Charm Clinton Backers
Alaska Governor's Policy Views and Campaign Style Help to Persuade Some Women to Support Obama
By AMY CHOZICK
The Wall St. Journal


If John McCain's campaign strategists thought putting a woman on the ticket would be enough to attract disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters, it appears they were wrong. When Sen. McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republicans' first female vice-presidential nominee, he hoped that she would help him win over the millions of mostly white, middle-class women who had voted for Sen. Clinton in the primaries and may have felt a lingering resentment toward Barack Obama, the Democrats' presidential nominee. But some Clinton supporters say the Palin choice is having the opposite effect: persuading them to support Sen. Obama.

Such voters cite a variety of reasons, from policy differences with Gov. Palin to discomfort with her speaking style. Sarah Nightingale, a 56-year-old wellness coach, said she liked Sen. Clinton because of her detailed policy speeches, and hasn't heard that level of specificity from Gov. Palin, which has solidified her support for Sen. Obama. "If McCain was trying to win me over as a Hillary supporter, he picked the wrong woman," Ms. Nightingale said.

For a while, it seemed like Gov. Palin's personal story -- a working mother of five and a self-described "hockey mom" -- would attract many of the voters who had supported Sen. Clinton. Recent surveys of female voters and interviews with Clinton supporters suggest that hasn't been the case. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll this week, 51% of women said they plan to vote for Sen. Obama and his running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, compared with 41% for Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said women tend to vote Democratic and to base their decision on shared issues rather than shared experiences. "Gender may have gotten their attention, but it's agenda that gets their vote," Ms. Lake said, adding that there are major policy differences between Sen. Clinton and Gov. Palin. Many of Sen. Clinton's backers support abortion rights and the former first lady's pledge to introduce universal health care. Gov. Palin opposes abortion in most cases, including rape and incest, and opposes a federally run health-care system. Retired teacher Carolyn Hill, 68, said she finds the implication that women would vote for a candidate because of her gender insulting. "Does McCain think we're just a bunch of airheads?" she said. "I'm looking for some substance and someone who agrees with me on issues."

While some see Gov. Palin's nomination as an advance for the women's movement, some older women who voted for Sen. Clinton say Gov. Palin's speaking style and her past as a beauty queen run counter to their idea of a feminist. The McCain camp "made a big mistake," said Nancy Wilson, a retired 70-year-old nurse from South Carolina. The way Gov. Palin "flirts and winks and licks her lips -- women don't like that." Sen. Clinton has largely avoided discussing Gov. Palin. But at a luncheon honoring Eleanor Roosevelt in New York on Monday, the New York senator asked women to get behind Sen. Obama. "As a woman, as a lifelong advocate for women, children and families...this is not even a close choice," Sen. Clinton said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122341711146712845.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

Updated On: 10/10/08 at 12:35 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:39am

Clinton supporters weren't the point of the pick.