The Conversation: 'Sarah Palin Doesn't Speak for Me'
Politico reporter explains why Palin opponents launched new web ad.
Aug. 18, 2010— -- From the moment Sarah Palin stepped onto the national stage in the 2008 presidential race, she has been a polarizing and powerful figure. Capitalizing on Palin's unpopularity among some people, liberal political organization EMILY's List has launched a new website and video ad: SarahDoesntSpeakforMe.com.
"We really felt that it was so necessary for women and men around this country to have a place to go to just make it clear that Sarah Palin and her set of candidates do not represent them," said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List.
The EMILY's List project plays off Sarah Palin's "Mama Grizzlies" political video released early this summer and viewed about 433,000 times on YouTube.
Palin's video features scenes of the former Alaska governor with cheering crowds and her narration, saying, "Moms kind of just know when something's wrong. Here in Alaska, I always think of the mama grizzly bears that rise up on their hind legs when someone's coming to attack their cubs."
In the EMILY's List video, which has more than 50,000 views, women wearing "mama grizzly" costumes chime in with explanations on why they're opposed to Palin.
"Yeah, I attack when my cubs are threatened," the women say, "but want to know what threatens me? My daughter not having the right to choose."
What's the political calculation behind targeting Palin?
"This is one effort from EMILY's List, and you know a lot of Democrats have tried this, to raise money off of Sarah Palin and the vitriol that she inspires on the other side," Politico reporter Andy Barr said.
"The video goes around, you know, people laugh at it, but the question is whether they go with the video and then actually go to the site and donate."
Today on the Conversation, Barr and Schriock spoke with ABC News' Linsey Davis about the politics of the mama grizzlies and the "Sarah Doesn't Speak for Me" campaign. We hope you'll watch.