Alec Baldwin got the worst lines during the historic Sarah Palin appearance on SNL two weeks ago. Something about how good-looking she is in real life. We cringed.
He reasserted his biting comedic credibility last night on David Letterman (1) during his uncanny Palin impression and (2) his likening of Palin to a Spice Girl. (We won't spoil it and tell you which Spice ... just watch to the end.)
So Baldwin toughened up. But is Sarah Palin softening on opponent Barack Obama? Yesterday in Pennsyvlania, she called him "promising."
In other Daily Palin, guess who the actual, practicing "socialist" is. It's Sarah Palin! As governor, she presides over a state that has no income or sales tax, but is able to send each of its citizens a check for more than $3,000 annually. That money doesn't come from her wardrobe budget, it comes from oil company revenues. And it's mandated by law. AND! She raised the amount this past year to cover big jumps in home-heating costs. Someone gonna brief Joe the Plumber on that?
Speaking of Joe, where the hell was he when McCain gave him a shout-out at an Ohio rally yesterday? Dammit, Joe, you're just like that other one and turning out to be a real embarrassment!
Also, reality check on Palin's self-reported tight-fisted ways: She has a hometown friend helping her hold down the snow fort in Alaska while she's out on the road trying to get John McCain and herself elected. Palin pays this friend to keep the communication lines open between the governor and her staff in Juneau. But the extra expense doesn't come from RNC/wardrobe funds. No, Alaskans are subsidizing Palin's political aspirations and paying for this assistant's travel -- at about $1,000 per day.
Maybe Alaska and McCain would be better off if he just sent her home.
Not such great news for McCain if he's hoping the still undecided voters will put him over the top. This says that undecideds (and who ARE you?) kind of split down the middle once actually in the voting booth.
While Obama supporters worry of a Bradley effect (aka: I'm only a racist in the privacy of my mind and the voting booth), experts will also look out for the "bandwagon effect." This is where people just start voting for the guy who is ahead. (Again, who ARE these voters?)
What really matters, in the end, is voter turnout. So in states like Georgia, where McCain leads with likely voters (those who usually vote), Obama leads with registered voters (those who could turn out even for the first time ever).
Does this explain Hillary's loss in the primaries and Palin's instant popularity? Turns out, being pretty helps female candidates, while the only thing that matters for males is perceived competence.
Before you go adding links and leaving "tips" in the comments and warning us to look into this or that story about Obama (or McCain), scan this Politico piece because there's probably a reason the story hasn't stuck.
