Palin says voters 'irritated' by robocalls
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/18/art.swain.cnn.jpg caption="Palin discussed GOP robocalls and socialism on Sunday."]COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) - All of a sudden, Sarah Palin is eager to meet the press.
John McCain’s running mate took questions from her press corps for the second time in three days late Sunday after flying into Colorado Springs. But Palin was not completely on message.
Wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and standing on a breezy tarmac, Palin said that if she had her way, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee would not be flooding battleground states with automated phone calls tying Barack Obama to former radical William Ayers, as they have done over the last week.
Several top Republicans, including Senators Susan Collins and Norm Coleman, have condemned the tactic. Asked about those criticisms, Palin at first dismissed the matter as "inside baseball stuff" and said it's "some of the campaign top brass’s call on that."
But when asked if she would approve the use of robocalls if she were running the campaign, Palin said she’d probably chart a different course.
"If I called all the shots, and if I could wave a magic wand," Palin said, "I would be sitting at a kitchen table with more and more Americans, talking to them about our plan to get the economy back on track and winning the war, and not having to rely on the old conventional ways of campaigning that includes those robocalls, and includes spending so much money on the television ads that, I think, is kind of draining out there in terms of Americans' attention span.
"They get a bit irritated with just being inundated," she continued, "and you're seeing a lot of that of course with the huge amounts of money that Barack Obama is able to spend on his ads and his robocalls also."
Ultimately, the Alaska governor said she was not calling for an end to the automated calls, and she did not say if she had spoken to campaign officials at any point about the calls.
Palin was also asked if she and McCain believe that Barack Obama’s tax plan, which would raise taxes on Americans making over $250,000 and provide tax credits to middle and lower-income workers, is socialist. At a campaign rally in New Mexico earlier Sunday, Palin said Obama wants to "experiment with socialism."
"There are socialist principles to that, yes," Palin said of Obama's plan. "Taking more from a small business or small business owners or from a hard working family and then redistributing that money according to a politician’s priorities. There are hints of socialism in there."
Asked if she thinks the government’s plan to inject billions of taxpayer dollars directly into troubled banks amounts to socialism - a belief held by many conservative legislators, talk radio hosts and bloggers - Palin said, "No, I do not."
"I believe that there are those measures that had to be taken by congress to shore up not only the housing market but the credit markets also, to make sure that that’s not frozen, so that our small businesses have opportunities to borrow, and that was the purpose, of course, and that part of the bailout and the shoring of the banks," she said.
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So we still have people who still think that after 20 months of interviews, investigations, 30 debates, more interviews, and fact checking, that Obama is "unknown" and they can't vote for him, but those same people are comfortable voting for a woman who merely claims to be ready to be President. That same woman is facing ethics charges in Alaska, has not been on any credible news show(Fox is not), won't take questions from reporters, has been in one national debate in which she didn't answer one asked question, allows her husband access to government emails, to sit in on personnel meetings, advise her, and we are supposed to just embrace her because McCain, who met her twice, says she's legit? If that is the Republican logic, please elect Obama! Todd Palin with top-level security clearance and the nuclear codes, terrifies me.
Naughty, naughty Sarah! Being critical of your own campaign.
Linda I myself do not have alot of money and struggle to get by but have made as many contributions as I could to the Obama campaign because I believe in him. I believe he will help to bring about the change in America that we need. To me these contriutions do not signify buying the election but rather helping Obama against all of the McCain and RNC negative attacks.
Actually, it's okay to have a different opinion, that's the beauty of a true democracy. But I guess you moron bloggers who work for Obama are not allowed to have a different opinion! Otherwise his cronies and msm will send their investigation team after you!! As for Risk and Reward, that would be called Capitalism!! No Socialism, No Marxism, No Obama! McCain Palin '08.
We are voting for Obama/Biden because this woman is as scary as it gets! She doesn't understand what socialism is.. socialism is Social Security – get it, Palin? "Social" security. And now she and her cohort want to decrease benefits to the seniors of this country by cutting Medicare – yeah, they REALLY care about Americans, don't they?
I'm am so tired of those two who claim to love America, but don't care about Americans.
Stew October 20th, 2008 7:10 am ET
I must say I am very disappointed with Colon Powell. His endorcement is nothing short of racism. I have lost all respect for him and his lame explanation for his endorcement.
This is a racist statement. (You need to get a life) You can not get more American than Colin Powell. Just because he told the truth, you don't like it. Get on a ship and sail to Alaska where all the other Sarah Palin addicts live and take John McSame with you.
Why has she not done Meet the Press? Why has she not done ANY interview that would allow her to speak for herself and be asked questions she should know the answer too? Why do you think she is qualified to be President and can't even talk for herself? The only shot they have at winning this election is letting her go unscripted and either sink or swim! If it proves shes not ready then so be it.....but they will loose this election if she is not interviewd by tough questions that Obama, Biden and McCain have all been through! Are you women voting for Palin out there in la la land afraid of her answers? Do you love her so much that you are willing to accept any stooge to sit in the oval office? You people in the Bible Belt and Bread Basket need to wake up and smell that coffee when it comes to electing people! Party, Race and Religion aside!
Have to give Palin credit on this one. However Colin Powell's endorsement of Senator Obama solidified my decision to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket.
They found out how BAD the ATTACK ADDS are doing now they do not know what to do so Palin is out trying to say something but can't get it straight.
It's her party putting out the robocalls. What a nut job this lady is.
OBAMA/BIDEN 08
The McCain/Palin ticket has rallied the public. Until this year I had never contributed or volunteered to a campaign. It is good to see that the majority of us don't want to see this type of campaigning continue. I can't wait til Obama wins although I doubt the Repubs will change their ways. Republicans are blind to what the general public wants.
To aneel
"unfair to take money from a hard working person and give to drug using/beer drinking/couch potatoes". Who taught you those lines? You might try thinking some, for a change. Senator Obama is NOT spreading the wealth around, as your mentors keep repeating. He DOES want to redistribute some of the money of those who earn in the top brackets. And money is necessary and it usually does not grow on trees.
It seems you consider yourself a hard working person, who doesn't drink beer, use drugs or watch TV. If you also have a business and employees, then you'll probably get the point of having more physically apt workers, who don't miss work often. Also of having better roads and public transportation so everybody can get to work sooner and your products get to their destination more cheaply.
If you don't have a business you'd still need to make more than $200,000 individually, after all the allowed deductions. And then you'd only be taxed on the amount that EXCEEDS the $200,000 limit.
If you're still worried, then you are making a lot of money and are not very christian (I guess you think Christ is a socialist even worse than Obama). I suggest you drink some beer once in a while and watch some TV.
GOP stop generating the ROBOCALL and stop distributing propaganda IE Islamic radical CD's in newspaoers
To Chris Anderson.....Nobody really has to bash Sarah Palin....she's doing a fine job on her own. She has replaced Dan Quayle as the most blundering politician EVER.
Obama's robocalls? Can she give an example of Barack Obama using robocalls????
Too late Palin........you should have thought about this before.
You are a terrible representative of women in America and not too bright either. So start packing your bags as you will be going back to Alaska SOON!
Gee... I wonder what Palin's extreme right wing consertatives thought about her SNL performance?
I think she's loving all the attention that Hollywood is putting on her – look how she changed her look....more makeup, highlighted hair, expensive clothes, and those black dominatrix boots. LOL
Anyway – stop the lies, Palin, stop the hate.
Since when is a tax credit considered welfare or socialism? They're clearly desperate and trying to put every possible label on Obama to see which ones resonate with the voters. They've called him a terrorist and a socialist. Pretty soon they'll call him a communist, just like some of those who attend McCain's rallies.
Do you think that Colin Powell and Warren Buffet would really endorse someone who sympathizes with socialism or terrorism?
Wow – she really gives new meaning to the definition of verbosity. Please someone in the McCain/Palin camp, please just answer the question simply.
Shut up Sarah and tell us something that we don't know. Oooops, I forgot you don't really know anything.
OBAMA/BIDEN 08-12
I really believe there are enough smart people in the US that would vote for the choice that is best for our country. It's very hard to believe anything that Palin is saying (given that she's even changed her accent just for this campaign). Why would they think we'd want to hear a phony? I know a lot of people who were either 1) going to vote for McCain or 2) were undecided until McCain picked Palin. A very odd choice, but they still gave her a chance. She has proven time and again that she is not the right choice. Now they are voting for Obama (or more accurately, voting against McCain/Palin). These are definitely very interesting times for America. Let's see what we do!
When is the public going to understand that businesses are taxed on profits, which are by definition what is left over after expenses and salaries are paid. So even if the guy earning more than a quarter of a million dollars has to pay a little more tax, there is no reason for that to impact his business operations. My husband earns roughly that amount in most years – and his tax rate is noticeably higher than Cindy McCain's- $4.2 million earned, $1.1 million taxes paid. You go do the math. And despite the cool license plate, she doesn't actually work for that money.
Hillary better watch out. In 4 to 8 years Palin will have plenty of experience to be the Republican Presidential Nominee. Palin v. Hillary. Hillary will be McCain's Age and Palin will be young like Obama. I have a feeling the Clinton's and their followers will be voting for McCain in the privacy of their voting booth.
I think Palin first learned about Ayers through the twisted eyes of Hannilty like republicans. That was a few sweeks ago. Now she knows the truth of the matter like the rest of us. It's all crap and she knoes it.
If the Republican ticket of McCain/Palin cannot, or will not, control their own campaign and prevent the GOP leadership from doing things that they each condemn and state they dislike, then how am I supposed to believe that they will be able to lead in the "Maverick" style they claim if they are elected? If they can't lead their party now, we can't expect any difference later. So I guess we WILL just see 4 more years of the same tired platform.
Either they are completely lying and insulting our intelligence when they claim that they abhor their own tactics, but allow them anyway, or they are lying and insulting our intelligence when claiming to mavericks for change.
Which is it?