Does anyone have a friend/ family member who LIKES Palin?

[npincus]

I do... a friend of mine, an intelligent and hard-working single-parent whom I admire and respect, considers herself an "Independent" (but I suspect swings Republican). She has not "come out" to me as a McCain supporter (she knows I am hardcore for Obama), but her 5 year-old daughter ratted her out and I am sure it is because of Palin. I asked her how she thought Palin did in the debate, and who she thought won... she said she thought Palin did "great" and had won. UGH. Of course, she didn't volunteer any of this-- I asked.

When she asked for my opinion (all this by email) I had to say that I love it when a VP candidate winks at the audience and acts adorable... that she had only set feminism back about 10 years, that her responses lacked substance, and then questioned why she schleps her infant around all the time and passes him around like a hot potato. My friend didn't respond.

Can anyone here relate?

[Liberalboy]

1. All of my in-laws

LOVE her, but something tells me their kids don't

[NC_Nurse]

2. My dad. Of course, she could come out on the stage, squat and take a dump

and he would say it was brilliant. He's a winger extroardinaire. Sigh.

[ErinBerin84]

my grandfather likes her

But he's a Republican, who gets his political news primarily from the NY Post(!). His impression of her? "She's a looker...she's very easy on the eyes....what a looker!" Yeah, that pretty much says it all. My other grandfather is a Republican for Obama...thank god.

[mscuedawg]

11. Sounds like my father-in-law...hurl LOL eom

[fizzgig]

3. i'm sure there's a fair number of people in my extended family with hearts all aflutter for her

but i don't talk to any of them

[Kookaburra]

4. My brother said she was feisty

I explained to him that I'm feisty too, but nobody would want me a heartbeat away from the presidency. There's a lot more to running a country than krinkling up one's nose and winking into a camera.

He admitted that was true, and we let it drop. He still thinks she cute. I still think she's a waste of oxygen.

[Starry Messenger]

5. My Dad.

He lives in a Fox news bubble. That's the only explanation. He's not really that conservative as far as issues go but he just strongly opposes the Democratic Party. The republicans could be running zombie Stalin and he'd find a way to dress it up and vote for it.

[dee15644]

6. My Dad

loves her, ugh!!! He always says he is independent but he always votes Republican! He talks about how she is an "outsider" and how popular she is in Alaska!

[Lorien]

40. Ah, he's an O'Reilly style "independent"

I meet loads of them down here in Florida. They listen to Faux noise, Limbaugh and Hannity, ALWAYS vote for whatever the repugs put out there, but they claim to be "fair and balanced" independent voters who vote for the person, not the party. :eyes:

[Inspired]

7. Yes, my husband of all people.

He is a registered Democrat but only because he wanted to caucus for Edwards. He's actually a Republican.

He liked Edwards. He hates Obama. The fact that both candidates support similiar ideas for America doesn't matter to him. He votes for the person he can relate to.

Getting through this election, with my marriage intact, might prove to be one of the most difficult things I have ever had to go through! I'm not one to keep my mouth shut and having to do so in my own home is very frustrating!

Right now I'm just trying to convince him to vote for Bob Barr because he is very much against the bail out. At least that won't be a vote for McCain and at this point that is all I can hope from him.

[mscuedawg]

9. I face the same fight with my dad!

He's a republican, but my mom admitted to me on the phone last night that during the VP debate, dad said "The more this woman opens her mouth, the less I think I can vote for them..."

He's not sure about Obama's stand on the issues...but I'm feverishly sending him Obama's policies...and keeping my fingers CROSSED!!! : )

[npincus]

19. Your poor thing.

I'm having trouble squaring a friend's opinion, a husband is a whole nother lovel. If your hubby liked Edwards, then there is hope... my brogther-in-law hated Obama (he's a Dem, but a hardcore Hillary supporter) but as soon as Palin came on the scene, he said with absolute certainty that he was voting Obama. That was a big deal, in my family!

I hope you can get him to vote for Barr... what is it about Obama that he doesn't like?

[Neutralator]

32. well...

My mom and dad never agreed on their vote and I think they voted against each other most of the time. They disagreed on policies too but they have been together for a long long time. Just wanted to throw it out there for you.

[mscuedawg]

37. My parents too...they have been cancelling each other's votes for years!!!!

Edited to welcome you to DU! :hi:

[Inspired]

45. Thanks and welcome to the DU!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

53. Dear me, how do you stay married?

I feel for you. :(

[mscuedawg]

8. My 88 y/.o grandma...

It is an unspoken pact that she and I dont discuss politics...she is the epitome of RW relgious, (i.e. she loves Rush Limburger) but oh yeah, she went there the other night on the phone...

G’ma: So, what do you think of the election…

Me: (rolling eyes) Oh, it’s gonna be a doozy…

G’ma: What do you think of ‘Saaaaaaaah-ruhhhhhhhhh’???

Me: I think she’s vile.

G’ma: REALLY? Oh no, I just LOVE her…I could do without McCain, but she is wonderful!

Me: Oh, well, I’ll be voting for Obama…I’m much more impressed with his stand on the issues…

G’ma: I don’t trust him.

Me: REALLY? I trust his policies to be more for the middle class and after reading his books, he is a great Christian man…

G’ma: How’s your mother….

:banghead:

[AZSlacker]

28. Oh my. I wasn't aware I had a family member on this board!

It sounds like we have the same grandmother. I had to lay down the law a month or so back and insist that politics no longer be argued discussed.

[mscuedawg]

33. Ah yes, in cases as such...it is easier to just NOT talk about it...

Her daughter (my aunt) is married to a Free Methodist pastor...BUT my natural father is an atheist and a Democrat...

Its quite the dinner table...LOL

[Honeycombe8]

10. I do. Family and co-workers. nt

[ShortnFiery]

12. OM Gosh, you betcha!

My beloved secular right wing mother called me the day after McCain named Moosilini as his running mate gushing, "She's just like you! She likes GUNS and she's a professional, woman's lib ... Just like you!" To tell you the truth, I was aghast and replied, "Mom, we both like guns but that's where the comparison ends. Palin is NOT a feminist and I can't believe she's ever been for 'Women's LIB.'"

Hey, you can't disown family who are sadly mislead. I think it has something to do with FOX news cable TV on 24/7 the entire time I visited her this past summer. :(

The best FIX I can think of is that when we come to visit over Christmas=time, I'm going to have my portable radio and earphones on KPHX, The Valleys Progressive Talk Radio Show. :shrug:

IMO, it's an ideological problem and once the mindset is tuned into nothing but FOX propaganda talking points, all is lost with regard to changing our beloved Family Members' opinions.

[cbear70]

51. so can understand..

my mom and fix news.... all day, every day...

"but they are fair and balanced" :banghead: uggggggggggggggggggg

[lonestarnot]

13. Fuck no!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. I don't know for sure

But my sister-in-law is the kind of person that is probably pretty ecstatic about her given her fundie creds. At least it would be a MASSIVE shock if she wasn't. My poor brother is probably being forced to support the Republican ticket at the risk of losing...ahem.....marital relations.

*As you can probably tell, I keep the discussion of politics OUT of any conversations with them.

[chiefofclarinet]

15. I'm happy to say no

Most of my friends and family are Obama/Biden supporters. The only ones that aren't are a paleo-conservative that is begrudgingly voting for McCain and is not particularly excited at Palin, and a libertarian who could not stomach Huckabee and probably is as nauseous at the idea of President Palin as I am. I had a lot of Bush worshipers back in my hometown that I went to school with, but nothing else.

[RoadRage]

16. 3 of my girlfriends.. and several co-workers..

But, i'm in Nebraska.. so have no fear, our electoral votes never belonged to Obama to begin with. ;)

I'm 31.. my friends are all about the same age - and we're equally divided in our like/hate for Palin. It seems to go right down the party line.. my repug friends love her, and my dem friends hate her.

I think it's all about party ideology here.. if you're a republican and you'd rather see McCain in the white house then Obama.. you embrace Palin, because what other choice do you have?

Of course when I brought up the Katie Couric interview.. none of the republican friends had actually seen it.. they'd just heard about it. (HEAD IN FUCKING SAND)... but they all saw the debate where she did just fine! :eyes:

It's a lost cause... and there are some things that are more important to me then politics.. and friends fall into that catagory.

[fNord]

17. I do, shes doing more for democrats than any repuke in history n/t

[mw]

18. My nutball fundie stepmom and step bros/sisters in Indiana

I swallowed the red pill long ago, and can't go back to their ignorant, mouth-breathing ways.

But they love Palin. And my stepmom can't even converse about Obama. She starts sputtering.

[frickaline]

20. I'm terrified because I'm going to visit my parents soon

They run an apple farm in Minnesota and it is harvest season. I am flying in to help with the harvest. My parents are both Republicans and I suspect many of the farm workers are as well. I hate being the only Dem in the room. I'll just have to try stay quiet while they make all their slanderous remarks (which is SO not me and might prove impossible). But I know that trying to convince these people they are wrong would be about as effective as convincing the sun not to rise. I'm sure there will be some Palin love expressed.

[obietiger]

21. If they do

they are not letting me know!

[palintology]

22. In what respect ... Charlie ?

[moc]

23. My fundie sister-in-law. She told my husband yesterday that Obama was clearly "out of his league".

:eyes:

Project much? :rofl:

[Pennie109]

24. Most of my co-workers.

Then again, I live in Charleston, SC. :shrug:

[nyc 4 Biden]

25. My best friend supports McCain...

...mostly because he is a Navy vet and doesn't really follow politics. I stopped talking to him about politics like a month and a half ago because it was so frustrating and I didn't want it to effect our friendship. Well, last night was the first time I've seen him in about two weeks and the first thing he says to me is that he HATES Palin and thinks she is an idiot. I didn't push the subject but I will now try and convert him to Obama before election day. Not that it really matters because we are in NY. So I guess the answer to OP is no I don't know anyone who likes Palin.

[freespirit5]

26. Some people are easily deceived

by the surface

[stuntcat]

27. my neighbor

I was starting to make friends with my neighbor. She's a lot younger than me but she's okay, she's a lesbian and an animal lover so that was 2 things good about her. I thought she was cute and funny. Once she brought a big Bible over here :eyes: (even though we have like 6 of them stacked up somewhere, just for reference though, we've grown past that stuff) and I thought, Oookay, she's very young, when I was her age I was figuring things out for myself. I was glad to make friends with a neighbor so I tried to forget that incident. But then she was over here using my internets when Palin came on tv and I said something about her wanting to teach creation in school and my neighbor said "well what's wrong with that?" then she said some more about how she likes Palin.. for being female and super-Christian I guess, I was so freaked out I couldn't hear well.

Since then I avoid her. When she calls I don't answer the phone even though I know she knows I'm here, I mean her house is only a few yards away. I actually wrote her and told her I can't be friends with someone who'd vote against the environment, but she didn't believe me, I guess she thinks I can't be serious since I'm clearly mental. Also she can get fast internet as long as she's in our house.

Now her dad put up an Obama sign in their yard :P she told me before that she and her dad didn't agree on political stuff. I'm cool with her dad, not with her.

[Blue_In_AK]

29. There are still people here who like her,

even some in my immediate circle, but NO ONE thinks she's qualified to be VP. And with all the stonewalling on the Troopergate investigation, even people who have liked her in the past are getting pretty pissed off. She was really stupid to accept this nomination, knowing that everyone in the world would be digging around to find the skeletons in her closet. It's amazing how much has become known to us that was hidden before.

[rainbow4321]

30. My mother.....

just gushed over her after the very first prime time interview..we got into it when she told me how wonderful she did..then I said "yeah, sure...and about that she is just fine with us going to war with RUSSIA????", and then I tacked on some of her other dumbass comments. Mom's response "oh, uh, I didn't hear those parts"..I almost asked if she had the fucking MUTE button option on during the interview.
Needless to say, mom changed the conversation topic..to the weather.

[Libby2]

31. NO!! Thank goodness.

[Neutralator]

34. yes a nice friend of mine...

My friend is 26, pro-choice, supports gay marriage and holds liberal views in lot of other aspects she says Palin did not let media define her and kept her persona intact as who she real is! oh, she's mostly republican though!

[mitchum]

35. No, I don't hang out with stupid people and I come from a smart family

[Amerigo Vespucci]

36. Yeah, a fundie friend...

...who is right at the top of the "excited" segment of the GOP. He bought into everything, including the story about her selling the jet on eBay that she really didn't sell on eBay.

A big part of the "excitement," I believe, stems from the total LACK of excitement that many Republicans feel for McCain. The motto of this same friend, up to the Palin nomination, was "hold your nose and vote for McCain."

[Ilsa]

38. My mother-in-law likes her and likes McCain because

my father-in-law went to Vietnam. 3 times (Special Forces). She hasn't got a clue what they stand for. "We Army wives are sensitive about this," she claims. She also claims "We owe him," and I've used analogies to explain it, but she is stubborn.

[Lorien]

39. Yeah, my only other illustrator friend in town

he's the only other artist I have in town to bounce my work off of. He listens to too much talk radio and Faux news. He said "in the past I never would have considered voting for a woman for President, but I think she can learn on the job" :wtf: I told him that the Presidency is a job that a candidate needs to be ready for from day one with NO exceptions, and he dropped it. He may be a talented artist, but he's none too bright!

[all.of.me]

41. I don't dare ask.

I have a co-worker who I just love. She is intelligent, creative, funny and super helpful. Her only drawback is that she is a staunch Republican. We can't even talk politics at work. So I have never said a word about the pick of Palin or the idiotic things she has said and done. I'm afraid that if I bring it up, it could ruin our friendship, which is more valuable to me than knowing where she stands right now.

Everyone else I know is a Dem or Independent leaning towards something more progressive. Thank God. :)

[Sugarcoated]

42. A few people, but precious few, thank God

A woman across the street who worked for the conservative radio station here in this area (till she got laid off recently) said she's disgusted with Bush, is very impressed with Obama, but also likes Palin. The station, called "The Big Talker", has a lineup includes Rush, Hannuty, O'Lielly, Dom Giordano, Glenn Beck and Michael Smerconish. The neighbor actually tried to tell me it's not a conservative station, citing Smerconish supporting Obama as her proof. :rofl:

Ironically, the guy next door to her, an indie, said he was thinking he would vote McShame until Palin, and I honestly think that's the way it's playing out in SE Pennsylvania/South Jersey and Delaware part of the country.

I hear my non-political not-too bright, but usually pleasant SIL likes her, and got pissy with my daughter when she expressed her intense dislike of Palin. SIL knows better than to even bring the subject up around me.

Judging from the neighbor-to-neighbor canvassing my husband and I did (and are continuing to do) in our neighborhood here in Montgomery County, my husband's large and extended family in the NE (of Philadelphia), his co-workers (oil refinery), and all of our friends, my analysis is, choosing Palin has pushed many more who were 'just not sure' to Obama then the other way around.

I'd say most of the people voting McShame are voting for him in spite of Palin. The majority of the McShame supporters that I'm aware of are my husband's coworkers, but even in a "macho" blue collar setting, the common sense rational thinking people, the anti-Bush/anti McShame/gung-ho Obama people edge out the VotingRepublicanNoMatterWhat people.

[olegramps]

43. How can you have a "close" friend and disagree on such a fundamental issue

If you disagree on such fundmental issues, I have a very hard time seeing how you could consider the person your best friend. How can you support Palin for example and disagree with her radical religious convictions. Religion for many people is a major aspect of their beliefs that affects their entire personhood. It defines their approach to a myriad of issues. I have found that when I encounter a person, regardless if they are a realive or not, that hold ridgid political or religious views without any degree of differentiation or equivocation then I certainly couldn't imagine them as a possible best friend. I would only consider them to be someone that I may be forced to assiciate with at armns length. I may share some common interests with people I don't agree with politically, but this constitutes a major issue that would block any real close relationship. Who leads this nation is of the highest concern to me and is a major factor in who I would closely associate with. I can't imagine being married to a person who doesn't share my basic views; it would be hell on earth.

[Vinca]

44. I know someone who hates her so much someone told me not

to say anything about Palin around her because she goes so nuts.:rofl:

[emdee]

46. Yes

My sister is telling everyone (except me) that she's voting for McCain because he suffered in Vietnam and Palin is pretty. Other relatives are voting GOP because Obama is black. Others are voting GOP because "liberals are immoral" and they receive all of those idiotic emails and believe them. And, some are not voting - mainly because Obama is black. I'm so disgusted and frustrated and disappointed in all of them.

This IS the Deep South and I'm hearing the music from Deliverance louder and louder with each passing day. I would really love to know what state would be more liberal-friendly even though I was born and raised here.

emdee
:grr:

[codjh9]

47. I'm sure my brain-dead fundie brother does, as well as my uncle who used the 'n' word

re: Obama... probably a few brain-dead cousins as well... and oh yeah, another aunt & uncle. Thank God - no pun intended - that I have OTHER relatives, several, who are big-time on OUR side as well. :^)

[RC]

48. There are at least two women at work that have said they will vote for Palin.

They're not voting for McCain, it is Palin they are voting for. Why? One said that she is voting for Palin because "...we need more women in leadership positions in government". No other reason. This peculiar woman is the offices Tweedledum of Tweedledum and Tweedledee fame.

The other woman is actually quite intelligent and puts Sarah to shame as to looks also. But this woman will vote for Palin solely because of her abortion stance. She's not married and has two small dogs for her kids. Yeah, one of them.

[KingFlorez]

49. No

[cbear70]

50. I just came on here to post that..

My mom is driving me nuts with the Palin talk and the anti-o talk...It makes me sad..I just don't understand. And my best friend of 11 years will go on and on about Palin... hearing them talk scares me but I make sure to come to DU to feel better.. LOL.. I see the poll numbers, I see the hard work, I know that people I work with are with me in the feeling that " you have got to be kidding me, you like who?? "

How can anybody actually like and respect her? To me , she is a joke and I am horrified that she received the nomination. Just makes me work that much harder for Obama!!

[ShortnFiery]

52. IMO, we just have to love them as they are and "let them go" their own special way alone politically...

IMNSHO, we can not ever change their mindset ... well, at least without great risk to our emotional connections and future kinship ties profoundly strained.

Bluntly put: like animals preserved in formaldehyde, the constant droning of FOX news in their psyche makes them unreachable.

I'm not suggesting that we give up on changing republicans to democrats - only that it's best to WORK ON (converse with) people we don't have an emotional connection with. That way if things don't work out right, you won't have to deal with those "hard feelings" at the next family gathering.

For an enjoyable life: don't talk politics with the right wingers that you love and/or must meet often at family reunion. FWIW. ;) :shrug:

[crazy_vanilla]

54. my sister in law

We no longer discuss politics or we'll have to claw each other's eyes out.

[ShortnFiery]

55. LOL!

Bill Clinton would quip, "I feel your pain." :-) :hi:

[Quantess]

56. Sarah Palin is a poor role model for your friend's little girl.

Too bad your friend can't see that.

But no, no one has admitted to me that they like Palin. I don't ask everyone, though.