Discussion of politics where I work is rare, as I suspect it is in most organizations that employ more than a handful of people, and thus provide a less "intimate" environment for such an emotionally-charged topic. Last night at work I was sitting in the nurses' station with a black, middle-aged woman with grown children who is a C.N.A. and a white middle-aged woman with grown children who is an L.P.N. I noticed the C.N.A. had some internet news site or other opened on the computer, and out of the blue she says, words to the effect of, "They need to leave that woman alone. Her daughter has nothing to do with her running for Vice President." Then the L.P.N. pipes up and says something like, "I know. Isn't it awful?" This went back and forth for a couple of minutes, with them making comments about how vile the rumors have been and about how her family's business has nothing to do with her as a candidate. I kept my mouth shut for the most part and just listened, except to comment that the slander had begun the moment Palin had been announced as being picked for the slot. (Feds are real sensitive about someone being seen as "campaigning" on the job.)
Now, these are two ladies I have known for years and as far as I knew were pretty much apolitical, never indicating the slightest interest in elections. The kicker is, when I came in to work this afternoon they were talking about it again, voicing disgust over Palin's daughter being dragged through the mud and used as a talking point against her candidacy.
I can't help but wonder how this translates to independent women voters, especially those with children. I think they're going to feel the same disgust my co-workers feel, and they're going to be pushed big time into McCain's camp, especially with the way Sarah Palin has faced this barrage of slime from the Left with dignity and courage. The average American voter might not be as well informed as many of us political animals here in the blogosphere, but they still know what BS smells like. The shrieking harpy Left, with their unreasoning, uncontainable hate, has screwed up royally.
