[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/17/art.palin.signature.gi.jpg caption="A self-titled 'hockey-mom' is getting all the attention."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Politics is a popularity contest and if you are keeping count on the blogs, V.P. candidate Governor Sarah Palin is the belle of the ball. On a single page of an ABC news blog, Palin's name appears 24 times, McCain's twice, Biden's once and Barack obama's– not at all. It's not scientific, but it's indicative of something bizarre.
And she's a big hit offline too.
When Palin and her running-mate John McCain– he's the one running for president by the way– appear together, people cheer for her. Then when he speaks they begin to file out. Ouch! When they campaign separately, her crowds dwarf his. What's wrong with this picture? He has all the experience and she has very little.
In today's New York Times, columnist Maureen Dowd suggests the Palin phenomenon is like a trip back to junior high school...Where the popular girl gets all the attention.
Here’s my question to you: What does it say about us that Sarah Palin is attracting more attention than the two men who would be president?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Marc writes:
Gov. Palin is a real feminist phenomenon. She has broken into the 'old boys club' and done the job instead of just talking about it. Yet, she didn't try to imitate a man when doing so. This flies in the face of many American feminists and they hate it. Despite her flaws, she is genuine, decent and not pretentious. And the coffee house intelligentsia hate that. It is these very same attributes that draw Middle America to her.
John from Boca Raton, Florida writes:
By us, I hope you mean the news media. I doubt anyone else is interested in Palin. You guys are causing all the problems in her regard.
Paul writes:
It says we are shallow and stupid, an infantile bunch of American Idol watchers who ought to be taking a little more seriously the responsibility of choosing the leader of the Free World.
Rob from South Bend, Indiana writes:
It’s very easy, Jack, people realize a vote for a 72 year-old candidate with a history of health problems is very possibly a vote for the VP, which happens to be her. Oh and it does not hurt that he has the personality of a thumb tack.
John from Levittown, N.Y. writes:
I think her 80% popularity with Alaskans has something to do with it. She is likable and the first thing she did was clean up her own party. Someone must be truly special to have such backing. I defer to ordinary Alaskans. They know her better than anyone.
Bill writes:
Alaska Barbie's popularity? It says that we'd rather talk about Brittany than the economy, two wars, a failed President, and our bleak future. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. Her popularity is like stopping to watch EMTs and ambulances and firetrucks and wreckers clean up after a bad fender-bender.
Frank writes:
Since she has been on the ticket I haven't heard McCain remind eveybody that he was a POW. That's change I can live with.