September 04, 2008

Media Elites Continue to Focus on the "Real Issues"--And The People Know the Score

Sadly, the writers at the Boston Herald don't appear to be nearly as concerned with Gov. Palin's thoughts on the pressing issues as they are with her "passe" hairstyle:

The 44-year-old Palin’s pulled-back, I’m-too-busy-for-blowouts-and-a-blunt-cut look says more than Joe Biden on the Senate floor.

“It gives me the impression that she just washed her hair, pays attention to the front and throws up the back in a bun,” said Belmont stylist Leon De Magistris.

“She’s disheveled. It’s way too long,” he added. “She needs a cut.”

In fact, some argue Palin might be a little too long in the tooth for such tresses, sparking another squabble: to cut or not to cut after hitting 40. Yes, long hair evokes youth, but long hair after 40 can flirt with desperation.

In other news, the steady drumbeat of attacks on Palin's looks, family and religion are having predictable effects, particularly in the eyes of women voters and independents. The cause:

Since McCain announced Palin as his running mate on Friday, she has been subjected to an unprecedented wave of negative media stories, many focused on her personal life and especially the pregnancy of her unmarried 17-year-old daughter. The focus of the coverage, especially in the blogosphere, has even prompted Obama to distance himself from it.

Over half of U.S. voters (51%) [including 49% of independents and even 28% of Democrats -RD] think reporters are trying to hurt Sarah Palin with their news coverage, and 24% say those stories make them more likely to vote for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in November.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) also believe the GOP vice presidential nominee has better experience to be president of the United States than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama...

Most Republicans and unaffiliated voters say the stories show the media’s double standard against women, but a majority of Democrats disagree...

...[W]omen voters by a 48% to 35% margin believe the coverage of Palin reveals a double standard in the media