[sanjuro]

LOL!

Palin is ready to defend us from our enemies abroad and within. She is afraid to meet with conversative Californians in the radical hotbeds of Orange County and Santa Clara, because people like me would lie down in tear gas to protest.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...ls_c.DTL&tsp=1

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was to star at two major California fundraisers and an Orange County rally for 15,000 next week, has canceled her two-day swing throught the Golden State, campaign sources said.

The change is a shocker, because Palin's presence had electrified the GOP base in California. Party insiders were distributing 15,000 tickets to her Sept. 26 rally in Orange County -- and fundraisers reported an almost instantaneous sell-out of her two $1,000-a-head Sept. 25 fundraising events in Orange County and Santa Clara.

Both fundraisers had generated such high ticket sales that the OC Lincoln Club event was moved to the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and the Bay Area event was moved from the Woodside home of Tom Siebel to the huge Santa Clara Convention Center.

The change comes in the same week a new Field Poll showed that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama still leads Republican presidential candidate John McCain in California by a whopping 16-point margin.

So Palin's pullout from her Western state swing is sure to ramp up chatter that the GOP ticket -- which has insisted it will compete here -- may be reassessing its Golden State presence. (Team McCain says it's just a scheduling issue.)

The Field poll had some troubling news for McCain-Palin here: The Alaska Gov's addition to the ticket, while strengthening the GOP base, hasn't advanced the ball for the Republican team among the 1 in 5 California voters who are independent or decline to state.

Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo noted this week that those independents and middle-of-the-roaders are the same critical voters who elected Arnold Schwarzenegger here -- and weigh heavily in the election nationwide. A New York Times poll released today, which shows Obama ahead by 5 points, appears to reflect the same trend.

Just last week, powerhouse Bay Area GOP fundraiser Kristen Hueter said Palin was a ''gangbusters'' fundraiser with folks snapping up tickets and coming from around the country for her Sept. 25 appearances.

''It doesn't happen in my world like this," Hueter told us last week. ''People are flying in ... from the Virgin Islands, Florida, Massachusetts, all over.''

The Palin events were aimed to benefit the Republican National Committee, and the California Republican Party (chairs and hosts were being told they could give as much as $40,800 a person for those causes). It's unclear if the fundraisers will go on without her, GOP officials said.

 

[reflux]

I'm not surprised at all, seeing as how Bush completely ignored campaigning in California because we have traditionally voted Democratic. Although, I am curious to see if there will be any fallout from her decision to cancel. Does this in any way come across as the McCain/Palin ticket turning their backs on California supporters? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened this election.

 

[sanjuro]

I'm not surprised at all, seeing as how Bush completely ignored campaigning in California because we have traditionally voted Democratic. Although, I am curious to see if there will be any fallout from her decision to cancel. Does this in any way come across as the McCain/Palin ticket turning their backs on California supporters? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened this election.

This is a fund raiser, not a rally. Fund raisers limit access to just people who can afford $2,000 tickets. Rallies anyone can show up.

I am sure the fund raiser is not offering refunds, but the RNC had to know that while inside might have been peaceful (anyone could buy a ticket, though), there would have been blood outside.

Do you think SF/Berkeley protesters would have made a scene outside the fundraiser?

 

[reflux]

Oh, I was focusing on the Orange County fr and rally. After all, the OCPAC is about 10 minutes away from work.

At any rate, I am in complete agreement with you. The RNC in no way will refund the tickets; it's not their style.

Bay Area protests of Palin would have made the Olympic torch protests look like childs play. Protests down here would be decidedly tame to whatever goes down up north. You Bay Areans are relentless.

 

[ohio]

I am sure the fund raiser is not offering refunds

Really? I don't know how this stuff works, but I would be fuming if I'd dropped 4G's on a dinner for two and it was cancelled with no refund.

 

[sanjuro]

Gift cert at Chili's instead.

 

[sanjuro]

I was on the phone with my buddy, a family man, union electrician, who was going to protest.

We are not commie hippie anarchies (well at least he's not). But I feel like no one in my government is listening to me, so protests is the only way I can be heard.

 

[Defenestrated]

byogm

bring your own gas mask

 

[$tinkle]

Really? I don't know how this stuff works, but I would be fuming if I'd dropped 4G's on a dinner for two and it was cancelled with no refund.

i'd be more pist if i spent 28 large on dinner & had babs striesand making a comeback in my ear.

but that's how i roll

 

[stevew]

Really? I don't know how this stuff works, but I would be fuming if I'd dropped 4G's on a dinner for two and it was cancelled with no refund.

You get a signed picture of her clown car vagina instead.