Clinton's Supporters Could be Key for McCain/Palin

So per my last post, Gov. Sarah Palin deserves support from women, conservative and liberal alike, when she is treated in a sexist manner. But women should also feel free to express differences of opinion with her. What troubles me about Palin's speech on Wednesday night is her charm, high voice, and soft manner belie the depth of her arch-conservative and some would say anachronistic views on abortion rights, abstinence-only sex education, church and state, animal slaughter for pleasure, and the environment.

Her views on these topics are hardly in line with the views of most American women. An Emily's List poll conducted Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 shows, "a 55 percent majority of Clinton's voters say that Palin's inclusion on the ticket makes them less likely to vote for John McCain (just 9 percent say her presence on the ticket makes them more likely to support McCain)."

Sen. Hillary Clinton won 18 million votes, so 9 percent of that is more than 1.5 million votes. In a close election, if in the right states, those votes could turn out to be decisive. The website electoral-vote.com cites a new CNN poll showing Ohio (with its 20 electoral college votes) in a statistical dead heat, with Obama leading 47 percent to 45 percent. The website also tallies the electoral college votes, based on recent polls, with Obama winning 298 votes, McCain 227 and showing them tied in Virginia, which has 13 electoral votes. If those former Clinton, now likely Palin/McCain supporters are strategically placed in states where the race is tied or states now polling barely for Obama (including Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, and New Hampshire) and those states' 41 electoral votes tip into the McCain camp, that boosts McCain electoral support to 268, just two shy of the 270 needed to win the White House. This is an unlikely scenario, but one worth watching.