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Nov

13

If Palin makes good on calling Clinton, they can discuss how polarizing they are


When, during the primaries, I would hear or read even President-elect Obama – say that Hillary Clinton is so divisive, is so polarizing, I kind of knew but didn’t really understand for a long time what they meant by that.  If people feel one way or the other, strongly in either direction about someone, that’s about the people with the feelings, more than the person whom others are saying is divisive. That a person elicits strong reactions, in one direction or another…well, if you want to win elections, we know that’s not the best way to be, so wouldn’t you think a candidate would work their darnedest to gravitate toward being something other than polarizing, right?

Well, today, Gallup came out with some numbers about how people feel about Sarah Palin – nothing incredibly new or surprising.  But this conclusion at a post about the numbers at Real Clear Politics really echoed from Clinton:

All in all, not much new here: opinions of Palin remain sharply divided along partisan lines, and while her image appears to have improved marginally in the days following the election, she’ll probably remain a polarizing figure in the years ahead.

Really interesting.  I want to know: are the candidates divisive, or is it the electorate that feels divided about them?  And is that connected to them being women? See – I think there’s something in that, not them themselves.  But that’s just a thought.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping an informal lookout for when Palin makes that call she told Greta Van Susteren she was going to make to Hillary Clinton:

VAN SUSTEREN: Have you ever talked to Senator Clinton?

PALIN: Have not, but I’m going to call her tomorrow.

VAN SUSTEREN: You are?

PALIN: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: What are you going to tell her?

PALIN: Yes. I’m going to tell her, More power to you. You — I’ve got a lot of respect for what she has accomplished. And she — you know, I feel like she certainly — having gone before me, she helped shatter glass ceilings left and right. And yes, that one is still there above Hillary, above me, above every woman.

But she certainly cracked it a lot. And I have respect for what she was able to accomplish. Still disagree on a lot of the policies that she would adopt if she were to have been elected, but just understanding what she went through also, and that life-work balance that no doubt she’s had to strike all these years. I have a lot of respect for that.

That was aired on Tuesday, November 11.

By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:36 pm November 13th, 2008 in Culture, Hillary Clinton, Politics, Sarah Palin, Women 

Comments

2 Responses to “If Palin makes good on calling Clinton, they can discuss how polarizing they are”

  1. 1 Angellight on November 13th, 2008 5:17 pm

    Palin is quickly making a “record” for future fact-checkers with these whirlwind interviews she is particpating in. And unfotunately for her, her ambition is bigger than her talent. She is like someone pursuing a singing career who cannot sing. Let Palin burn her self out as she is quickly wearing out the welcome mat!

  2. 2 Oengus on November 13th, 2008 8:10 pm

    Her attempts to stay in the public eye, how long can she do that? I cringe at the thought of her doing commentary for the next four years? I think painfully embarrassing, stop and go back to being governor and come back if you must in 2012, tell us how to fix the social security shortages, the mass unemployment and worthless dollar. Try not to blame it on the democrats, but for sure she will.

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