Sarah Palin is the face of the GOP, Democrats say with a smile
| Washington
Sarah Palin has taken on a central role in voters鈥� perceptions of the Republican Party, and two top Democratic strategists who spoke at Wednesday鈥檚 Monitor-sponsored breakfast for reporters could not be happier.
鈥淟ook at this dynamic that is produced with Sarah Palin,鈥� said Stanley Greenberg, chairman of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. 鈥淵ou have John McCain having to have Sarah Palin to save him [in a primary election race]鈥︹��
In the aftermath of the passage of healthcare reform, the ongoing discussion is 鈥�Barack Obama against Sarah Palin on healthcare,鈥� he said.
Mr. Greenberg, who served as President Clinton鈥檚 pollster, argued that 鈥淭he face of the Republican Party to the country is not the 'tea party,' it is Sarah Palin.鈥�
James Carville, President Clinton鈥檚 campaign manager and the other speaker at Wednesday鈥檚 breakfast, suggested a test to the assembled journalists. 鈥淒o me favor. Call five Democratic consultants and leave a message and say I am doing a story on Sarah Palin and call five Republicans, and see who returns the phone call. I think we all know the answer to that. The Democrats will be on the phone so fast.鈥�
A released earlier in March underscored the risk for Republicans in Ms. Palin鈥檚 high profile. One example of her continuing prominence is her recently announced 鈥�Take Back the 20鈥� effort to oust a score of Democratic members of Congress from around the country.
The Post poll found that while Palin enjoys the support of 71 percent of conservative Republicans, she is much less popular among the independent voters who often decide elections. Some 55 percent of independents hold an unfavorable view of Palin, the Post poll found.
That unfavorable figure is mild in comparison with Palin鈥檚 85 percent negative rating among liberal Democrats.
