Michigan “independent” in much-linked Palin focus group is … a Cindy Sheehan supporter; Update: More fake independents?
posted at 2:20 pm on September 4, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Go figure, huh? Why, it’s even stranger than finding the media mistaking a Democrat for a “lifelong Republicans.”
Or Andrew Sullivan for someone who’s “right-leaning.”
Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent: “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.”
Maybe Beninson’s in line with independent thinking notwithstanding her affinity for Mother Sheehan, though. Who knows?
Actually, I do. Palinmania:
After viewing Palin’s speech, a greater number of respondents across all parties believe that selecting
Governor Sarah Palin for vice president will help John McCain’s campaign. Republicans were especially positive about the implications of this pick, nearly three-quarters of whom suggest that this nomination will “definitely help” his campaign. After viewing the speech, 70% Republicans say they will “definitely” vote for the McCain/Palin ticket after viewing Palin’s speech.
There is a positive change in how independents anticipate voting in the Presidential election after viewing Palin’s speech, with a 9% increase among independents indicating that they will probably or definitely vote for the McCain/Palin ticket after watching the speech.
Palin’s speech proved to be equally effective in swaying votes for both men and women. Among the independents who watched her speech, respondents who report that they will “probably” or “definitely” vote for McCain increased by 10% across both genders, around 38% of female independents and 36% of their male counterparts.
Exit question: On a scale from one to 10, with one representing utter despair and 10 representing very cautious pessimism with strong hints of doubt, where should the big A’s mood meter regarding the GOP’s chances be set this afternoon? (Answer: Seven!)
Update: Har. Reader Ex-Tex e-mails to point out that another “independent” in the focus group is listed as a contact for the Detroit chapter of an anti-war group and, less persuasively perhaps, yet another is connected to an anti-war “social justice” church group. Can’t rule out a case of mistaken identity, but the names of each seem reasonably unique. I’m not going to ID them or link to the pages just because there’s contact information available at the sites, and inevitably when these sorts of stories pop up on the left or right, a few jackass readers will use the info to send hate mail. I don’t want to take any (admittedly small) chance of that happening here, so just take my word for it: The names are the same.
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This has to be a Soros’ plan…
Gin up false numbers on pre-election polls, introduce fake indpendents into polling and focus groups, get the MSM to amplify these numbers (using David Brock/Media matters daily talking points) so that the pre-election buzz will be an Obama blow out over McCain by something around 15-20 points….and then, when the voting results come in, they can claim voter intimidation, GOP screwing with voting machines, “ballot errors” and such to try to discredit a Mccain win.
Look at the last two general elections…all the polls showed the Dems would win handily.
coldwarrior on September 4, 2008 at 3:25 PM
It’ll never work!
BTW, I know I’ve beat this to death, but I’ve thought of this ever since Palin’s roll out in Dayton, Ohio. Later that day, one of the news stations showed Palin and the dynamite little daughter at a rest stop in Ohio on their way to PA. They were shopping for some Ohio State sportswear. I’m telling you that if you get Palin and at least some of those kids decked out in OSU-wear, showing up at an Ohio State home football game, and shaking hands with Head Coach Jim Tressel, Ohio will be won. That picture on the front page of the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Toledo Blade, and every other Ohio paper will be GOLD. Especially in Columbus, that’s Franklin county with a lot of college-town elites, but a lot of suburban moms who are OSU Buckeye nuts.
As Kenny Bania in Seinfeld would say, “It’s GOLD, Jerry, PURE GOLD.”
BuckeyeSam on September 4, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Maybe it’s just me, but I still think that when Obama-sama comes to Hillary on his knees pleading, she’ll just laugh and say “Hell no” then walk away.
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on September 4, 2008 at 3:31 PM
If your a social justice leader could you still be an “independent”?
The answer is yes because the rules the press uses for finding independents is rather obtuse. This is how it works.
Q: Are you registered as a member of a political party?
A: No.
Q: Do you know who for whom you will cast your vote?
A: No.
Q: Is Hugo Chavez the greatest thing since sliced bread?
A: Yes.
The press will recognize this person as an independent. They still have expectations that this is an acceptable method to determine if they are in fact actually talking to independents.
gabriel sutherland on September 4, 2008 at 3:33 PM
BuckeyeSam on September 4, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Get online and send this to McCain/Palin…its got potential.
coldwarrior on September 4, 2008 at 3:36 PM
I have some more ideas.
Obama says he’s a White Sox fan. McCain should be throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field decked out in a big Cubs hat.
I’d have Palin scheduled for a coin flip at some Big Ten games.
Have the Hockey Mom drop the first puck in the NHL season.
gabriel sutherland on September 4, 2008 at 3:37 PM
Far left loonies are always going to be more likely to call themselves “independent”.
They are intellectually stunted, angst-ridden, juvenile delinquents whose biggest ambition in life is to be different and to be one of the cool kids.
Somehow, they think re-enacting the Summer of Love at age 59 is going to do that.
Independent usually means that they are too far left even for the Democrat Party.
NoDonkey on September 4, 2008 at 3:46 PM
I saw several lib website flogging the whole “independents don’t like her” meme. I assummed, and apparently rightly so, that these “independents” were members of Code Pink, Daily Kos, Eschaton and Atrios, and deemed to be independent due to the following vetting of said voters:
Q: When’s the last time you voted for a Democrat?
A: Umm, sometime in 2006.
That’s the new definition of an independent for the MSM: someone who hasn’t voted for a Democrat since the last election.
Physics Geek on September 4, 2008 at 3:54 PM
“Hey, let’s convince Barack Obama that he doesn’t need to worry about independents.”
“Yeah. What could go wrong?”
Ronnie on September 4, 2008 at 3:55 PM
I hear you. I’d gamble on Obama throwing out a pitch and drilling it in the dirt! The problem for McCain is that I doubt he has the range of motion to throw. Seriously. So, McCain and Palin should do handshakes and coin tosses at OSU, at Michigan (the Big House), at Penn State, and at Notre Dame.
What’s unfortunate is that Ohio State plays the Naval Academy at home…in 2009! Too late. Oh well. But I’m telling you, these football games would be big too for at least some college students. I have a niece starting at OSU. I don’t think she dares to vote for Obama, but I’m not sure I trust her because her mother was a Hillary backer. Her husband (my brother) makes pretty big dough, so after the conversation about how Obama will jack up their taxes, I’m sure she’ll be on board. Anyway, the Midwest college kids seeing McCain and Palin may finally decide, “Mom and Dad were right when I was home this summer. What’s a ‘community organizer’?”
Game over.
BuckeyeSam on September 4, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Berkley independent………………?
BBBBBBBWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAH!!!!!!!!!
Seven Percent Solution on September 4, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Since the commie party isn’t one of the two parties that come up explicitly in the polling group questions, the next best thing leftwing loonies can do is call themselves ‘Independent’. No surprise that Corporal Sheehan’s people are being polled or that ‘community organizers’ fill the trough of ‘independents’ polled by the libmedia.
eaglewingz08 on September 4, 2008 at 4:04 PM
And yet- here we are creating traffic talking about his pessimism
Like I said Ratings Whore!
FiveWays on September 4, 2008 at 4:21 PM
In fairness, this woman possibly does think she is independent. She’s from BERKLEY! If she once had a thought that America was a nice place to live. that makes her the most Independent thinker she knows!
petunia on September 4, 2008 at 4:34 PM
What she needs to do is call a quarter announcers booth.
MarkTheGreat on September 4, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Yes. That God’s Children thing he says… I’m going to write this in case they have someone who looks at the blogs to see what people really think.
Of course they are God’s Children. The entire population of the world are God’s Children. If that is all it takes to be an American well we are totally sunk.
Why have borders at all if all God’s Children should be allowed to be automatic Americans?
petunia on September 4, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Berkley, Michigan…NOTHING like BerkEley, California. Thank God! I’ll be watching for this Ilene person around town :)
ConMom on September 4, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Fake is the new black.
Urban Infidel on September 4, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Last night I switched over to C-Span where they had a young woman whose job it was to check the blogs, both right and left, for reaction to Palin’s speech. She briefly mentioned a favorable review on RedState and then focused heavily on Sullivan’s negative reaction before ticking off numerous negative liberal responses.
Disturb the Universe on September 4, 2008 at 5:22 PM
Oh, you know the Dems are aching for Danny Boy ’bout now….with some good ole’ fashioned news stories.
BTW, I hear Lucy Ramirez is back in Texas and is scheduled to slip some freshly forged documents to a prominent political commentator. Unknown sources say it’s hard to know exactly who’ll get them, but they’re sure the last name starts with O,l,b..or something close.
BobMbx on September 4, 2008 at 5:24 PM
“On a scale of 1 to 10?
Bingo!”
mikeyboss on September 4, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Where Oblahblah bowled gutter balls, Sarah Palin was knocking down strikes…
VOTE JOHN McCAIN * SARAH PALIN 2008
byteshredder on September 4, 2008 at 6:27 PM
VOTE JOHN McCAIN * SARAH PALIN 2008VOTE JOHN MC BRILLIANT * SARAH’CUDA 2008
Fixed it.
ManlyRash on September 4, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Just so you know, the suffix “-sama” in Japanese is a sign of great respect, reserved for those one recognizes as socially superior to themselves.
Oddly enough, “O” is big and important, sometimes used in place of “boss” or “king.”
I am suddenly curious how the Japanese report on terrorism.
Count to 10 on September 4, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Actually, in 2004 the Democrats went so far as to leak fake exit polling to the media, as they were following pretty much the same plan you list above.
18-1 on September 4, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Actually, I think the problem is that conservatives and right leaning independents are too disgusted by members of the media to want to spend the time talking to them.
18-1 on September 4, 2008 at 8:39 PM
Yeah, this woman is such an independent thinker that she manages to parrot three Dem talking points in less than 30 seconds. To her, “independent” just means “not a right-wing fascist nutball”.
inmypajamas on September 4, 2008 at 11:37 PM
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