She's Now the Top of the Ticket

From Nate Silver at Five Thirty Eight:

I think some of you are underestimating the percentage of voters for whom Sarah Palin lacks the standing to make this critique of Barack Obama. To many voters, she is either entirely unknown, or is known as an US Weekly caricature of a woman who eats mooseburgers and has a pregnant daughter. To change someone's opinion, you have to do one of two things. Either, you have to be a trusted voice of authority, or you have to persuade them. Palin is not a trusted voice of authority -- she's much too new. But neither was this a persuasive speech. It was staccato, insistent, a little corny. It preached to the proverbial choir. It was also, as one of my commentors astutely noted, a speech written by a man and for a man, but delivered by a woman, which produces a certain amount of cognitive dissonance.

True. McCan't can't possibly top her effectiveness with the Christianist base, that flock of sheep (with corresponding intelligence) to which McCan't has surrendered his power. Now that the religious wing-nuts are in charge, John's just along for the ride now. It won't work.

Here's another Silver observation (for my mom, emphasis mine):

I think Palin's speech will be instinctively unappealing to other whole demographics of voters, including particuarly working-class men (among whom there may be a misogyny factor) and professional post-menopausal women.

Take it in, mom. Don't be afraid to dislike her; she sure as hell couldn't care less about you.