For the first time in the three months since the general election campaign began, John McCain last week generated more coverage than Barack Obama. But he was still outshone by another newsmaker during the GOP convention””his own running mate.
Sarah Palin, the first woman on a Republican ticket, was the focus of feverish attention as the media tried to find out more about her, convey her record and biography, and calculate her impact on the race. For the week of Sept. 1-7, Palin was a significant or dominant factor in 60% of the campaign stories, according to the Campaign Coverage Index from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. McCain was fairly close behind, a significant or dominant factor in 52% of the stories.
Put another way, Palin enjoyed more coverage as a VP candidate during the GOP convention than Obama did a week earlier when he became the first person of color to accept the nomination for president of a major party. With the other ticket making most of the news, Obama was a focus in 22% of the stories last week, by far his lowest week of coverage in the general election season. His running mate Joe Biden registered at 2%.
I want you all to visualize something that I doubt that you have, until now, thought of. Consider Vice President Palin, President of the US Senate, negotiating with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Consider also those times when I’m sure she will pass the gavel and argue before the US Senate.
Things will likely get interesting.
Don
One more thing….
Until now I considered John McCain as useless in being able to accomplish any improvements to the Supreme Court during his presidency (should he be elected).
With President of the Senate Palin, I have changed my mind.
These are protentialities that the media must consider. We may be seeing that.
Don
The Vice President of the United States only rarely actually presides over the Senate and by long standing tradition does not address the Senate. His / Her vote wold be limited to breaking ties. Palin’s significance as a potential VP is limited to her position as the heir apparent to John McCain who if elected would likely serve only one term due to his age.
ICXC
John
I want to see Sarah up there behind McCain and next to Nancy during the stat of the Union address. What a contrast.
Today’s Obama ad: Something like this, ” . . . You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” I think that will surely backfire. This just get’s better and better.
[blockquote]The Vice President of the United States only rarely actually presides over the Senate and by long standing tradition does not address the Senate. His / Her vote wold be limited to breaking ties.[/blockquote]
And yet there is nothing constitutionally to prohibit or even to discourage the Vice-President’s presiding over every session of the Senate, or addressing the Senate.
I just want to point out that the left is simply ADDELPATED (look i t up!) over Sara Palin!!
Consider her wherever you want to; the left does NOT know what to do with her.
And she will do JUST FINE as President of the Senate!
[blockquote]Today’s Obama ad: Something like this, “ . . . You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.†I think that will surely backfire. This just get’s better and better. [/blockquote]
Macaca.
Meanwhile, here’s what the “pig” and “old fish” were doing today: [url=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YTNkNTU4YTZiMGZlYWFlNTAwM2M0NmZjZDRiOTFiM2E=]LINK[/url]
drjoan, great word, but it’s spelled “addlepated.”
The level of vitriol directed at Palin seems to be directly related to the size of the effect she’s had on the race.
It really does look like the Vice Presidential pick is going to win the race. That’s a first.
I believe that the American electorate is demonstrating the fact that, underneath all the media noise and the pollster noise, the nation is center – right in its political and social orientation. It is true that we will very likely elect a left-of-center congress in 2008, but it is also true that Americans understand very well the system of checks and balances set up by the Founders, and we are likely going to take care of that systems of balances in November.
I think that by and large we like divided government. It seems that everytime we get an all Democrat government they want to ban and confiscate something I wanted to keep.
#9, great link and pictures. Thanks.
#13, yes, they want to confiscate your money!
#9 What a great story! Loved the pics, too. Thanks. And to think, for many on the left that pretty little girl should never have been born.
Great link, Jeffersonian, #9, thank you. I sent it to friends who have a son with Down’s.