Corn: Palin could help Democrats in 2010

Sarah Palin found herself with some unexpected supporters Tuesday. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is hoping that the former governor will get involved in Republican Congressional races. And Mother Jones' David Corn thinks the Democrats' tactic could work.

The DCCC hopes to use the unpopularity of Palin to their advantage. They have launched a website to encourage her to get involved in "the most divisive and messy House Republican primaries in the country."

Recently Sarah Palin declared that she will be getting involved in Republican primaries like she did in her losing effort in last fall’s special election in Upstate New York. At the tea party convention, Palin stated, "Contested primaries aren't civil war; they're democracy at work and that's beautiful." [Sarah Palin, 2/6/10].

To make her job easy, the DCCC is launching "Palin's Primaries" a new site that will track the most divisive and messy House Republican primaries in the country.

Palin will have plenty to choose from: There are at least 55 competitive Republican primaries, many with Tea Party candidates, in Frontline races, open seats, targeted Republican districts, and other races House Republicans are trying to hype. The DCCC will regularly feature the messiest House Republican primary races out there.

Corn told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann that the DCCC website is a "stunt" intended to make the coming elections a choice between Democrats and Republicans rather than a referendum on President Obama.

"Right now, the atmospherics are looking pretty good for House Republicans in the coming elections in November. Unemployment is high, if it stays high, independent voters and others will be looking at incumbents and feeling rather ticked off. There are more Democratic incumbents out there than there are Republicans, so Democrats have a lot to fear," said Corn.

Linking the unpopular Palin to House Republicans could turn off voters, according to Corn. "And what is the best way to tar the Republicans all at once? Well, find a few leading Republicans that are just really pretty unpopular. And Sarah Palin, in the latest polls, 71 percent of the public said she`s not qualified to be president, her unfavorable to favorable rating was 55 to 37 percent," Corn explained.

Corn concluded that Palin will help Democrats more than she will hurt them. "To any degree that the Democrats can tie local Republican candidates to Sarah Palin, it probably will help them in many districts. Not in every district, but probably in enough," he said.

This video is from MSNBC's Countdown, broadcast Feb. 23, 2010.

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