LinkIt's hard to blame Sarah Palin for her booing on the ice in Philadelphia this evening. It's almost a truism of politics that if you send a pol to a sporting event, he's going to get booed. Politicians, as a class, aren't all that popular, and it's what sports fans do. According to legend, Eagles fans once booed Santa Claus. Still, not a great moment. The Times hockey blog says the boos were "resounding." The Wilmington paper says it was an "avalanche." The booing of Palin (and her young daughter) was also predicted by sports types who spoke to my colleague Ken Vogel before the game. "I am surprised that the candidate would go on the ice in Philly ? Philly fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus and booed Beyonce(*) because she was wearing a Michael Jordan dress," said Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals, a conference rival of the Flyers. "This is dangerous territory." Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a former Philly mayor and big fan of the town's sports teams, also said before the game he didn't think the puck-drop was a good idea. "Sports and politics, I believe, never mix," Rendell told Politico after introducing Barack Obama at a North Philadelphia rally. "But the mayor threw out the first pitch at the Phillies game and he got a standing ovation," Rendell said of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who also attended the rally and was standing beside Rendell. "It was a strike," Nutter deadpanned. Video of Palin's turn on the ice is here.

haha. She deserves it

Palin showing off her athleticism.

Pretty funny.

There are many reasons to boo Beonce...its her fault for giving them more ammo.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

 

If Obama or Biden (especially Biden) were there, they'd get a standing O.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

 

If Obama or Biden (especially Biden) were there, they'd get a standing O.

I'm not sure that's true either. Really, most arguments was that their owner, who is a big GOP contributor, was trying to shove Palin down their throat. I think if he was a Dem and it was Biden instead, he might have gotten the same thing.

 

Then again, Biden is from Scranton, so he actually has a connection with Eastern PA. He'd probably be well received.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

 

If Obama or Biden (especially Biden) were there, they'd get a standing O.

 

 

Highly doubt that. It would be half and half just like it probably was for Palin.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

 

If Obama or Biden (especially Biden) were there, they'd get a standing O.

 

 

Highly doubt that. It would be half and half just like it probably was for Palin.

 

You kidding me? Philadelphia is HIGHLY democratic (75% dem, 15 % GOP, 10% other), and Joe Biden 's home state of Delaware is like 20 mins from the arena. He is very well liked in Philadelphia.

I don't think she was booed because she was a politician. She was booed because she was a politician with no ties to Philadelphia and many Flyer fans felt like their right wing conservative owner was trying to use opening day as a political platform.

 

Or maybe because they think she is hardly fit to be the principal of Wasilla Elementary--let alone VP, or ultimately the President, of the United States of America.

 

 

Or maybe because it's Philadelphia. When don't they "boo?"

 

If Obama or Biden (especially Biden) were there, they'd get a standing O.

And that just shows you how stupid the general public is.

I'm not sure that's true either. Really, most arguments was that their owner, who is a big GOP contributor, was trying to shove Palin down their throat. I think if he was a Dem and it was Biden instead, he might have gotten the same thing.

 

Then again, Biden is from Scranton, so he actually has a connection with Eastern PA. He'd probably be well received.

 

I think you are not realizing how democratic of a city Philadelphia is.

Or even how close Wilmington is to Philadelphia.

to the subject of whether PA is a swing state or will even be closed McCain will lose PA by a significant margin . Of course the fact that he is losing by alot in many states has not stopped him spending alot of time in states he has no business in . McCain has ran one of the worst campaigns I have ever seen this was confirmed to me yesterday when he was in Iowa . Instead of focusing on states he might actually win , state he needs to win with his path to the presidency narrowing, again the man is in Iowa where he has no connections and polls show he is down 9-13 points . John McCain is an idiot

to the subject of whether PA is a swing state or will even be closed McCain will lose PA by a significant margin . Of course the fact that he losing by alot in many states has not stopped him spending alot of time in sttaes he has no business in . McCain has ran one of the worst campaigns I have ever seen this was confirmed to me yesterday when he was in Iowa . Instead of focusing on states he might actually win , state he needs to win with his path to the presidency narrowing, again the man is in Iowa where he has no connections and polls show he is down 9-13 points . John McCain is an idiot

It still surprises me that his campaign essentially forfeited Michigan, especially when I had not seen polls showing Obama with much of a lead at all. Maybe it's a money thing?

You kidding me? Philadelphia is HIGHLY democratic (75% dem, 15 % GOP, 10% other), and Joe Biden 's home state of Delaware is like 20 mins from the arena. He is very well liked in Philadelphia.

 

True, but don't forget, its a hockey game.

to the subject of whether PA is a swing state or will even be closed McCain will lose PA by a significant margin . Of course the fact that he losing by alot in many states has not stopped him spending alot of time in sttaes he has no business in . McCain has ran one of the worst campaigns I have ever seen this was confirmed to me yesterday when he was in Iowa . Instead of focusing on states he might actually win , state he needs to win with his path to the presidency narrowing, again the man is in Iowa where he has no connections and polls show he is down 9-13 points . John McCain is an idiot

It still surprises me that his campaign essentially forfeited Michigan, especially when I had not seen polls showing Obama with much of a lead at all. Maybe it's a money thing?

 

Not to give McCain any advice, but if I were him, I'd engage in the "mountain" strategy. Take your resources out of Kerry states like PA and MI and the Bush states Obama has locked up like IA. Concentrate them in swing states that he simply cannot afford to lose and for which a loss would cost him the election, specifically CO, VA, OH, and FL. This also means he should minimize his resources in traditionally red states like NC, IN, and MO. Just like armies sometimes rely on mountainous regions for provide a natural defense such that they don't put troops there, he needs to pull out of those states and hope that then natural republican leans of them hold on. If he loses NC, he's lost VA. If he loses IN, he's lost OH.

 

His margin is extremely narrow and he has few resources, the issues are against him, and he is from the incumbent party. If he wins this race, it would be the greatest political comeback of all time.

 

It's an interesting race. I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch. I'll still be out canvassing for Obama in Northern Virginia.

I agree that McCain is wasting his time and money in Iowa. He needs to concentrate 100% on defending the remaining Bush states where he's not behind by over 7 points (OH, NC, VA, FL, MO, etc.). He can afford to lose Iowa and NM (and there's nothing he can do to change that anyhow) and the remaining Kerry states from 2004. All his resources need to be in the remaining Bush states that are currently swing states. I disagree with F_M about hoping that his base is large enough to get him a win in NC, IN, and MO simply because Obama is going to grind it out on the ground in those states till the end. You have to have some presence, otherwise you'll get swamped.

 

McCain's problem is that he simply doesn't have the financial resources to keep up with Obama or the enthusiastic supporters that can allow him to close the financial gap.

 

And there's an unsubstantiated rumor that Obama raised in excess of $100MM in September, which explains why he can afford two half our primetime television spots on network television the week before the election. This is like a boxer going up against an opponent that maintains his energy at first round level for twelve rounds. This is the 9th round and McCain is weazing while Obama is moving like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

 

To be brutally honest, McCain can only win if some external force fundamentally alters the trajectory of this race. It's out of his hands at this point.

To be brutally honest, McCain can only win if some external force fundamentally alters the trajectory of this race. It's out of his hands at this point.

That appears to be the case, even in the opinion of Republican or conservative pundits.

Hasn't McCain been narrowing the gap?

Hasn't McCain been narrowing the gap?

No.

 

From when Lehman went down he got steadily worse going from +2 to -6 and then the VPs debated and it stayed at -6 for a few days and then it came down to -5 but now it's back -7.

 

I don't think a candidate that gets booed in his rallies has a shot to win. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it.