Five Battleground States Where Sarah Palin Might Hurt McCain's Chances

As I have pointed out in a previous article here, there are several battleground states where Sarah Palin should prove to be a real asset to John McCain and his campaign, but there are also a few where she will likely prove to be of no help and maybe even hurt his level of support. The states where she hurts the McCain team are typically states that have more of an urban population and states that not very conservative on social issues. Which of the battleground states is Palin most likely to hurt McCain's chances?

Five battleground states where Palin may hurt McCain

5. Virginia- This could be a toss up as to whether she will hurt or help in Virginia since she will likely help in the western side of Virginia with the base, but she could well hurt McCain's support among moderates in the northern Virginia suburbs and even in the Virginia Beach area. The reason I list this as a state where she could hurt McCain is that the vote that she is helping with in western Virginia likely would have gone to McCain in the end anyways, but the more moderate voters may be swayed the other way.

4. Missouri- Once again this is a state where Palin will have positive impacts, but in the end it could be a state where she hurts in the moderate suburban areas of Saint Louis that kill the campaigns chances in the state. A huge portion of the vote in this state comes from the greater Saint Louis area, and republicans know that the inner city will go strongly for Obama, so they really need the suburban vote on their side. I believe that how conservative she is could hurt in these areas.

3. Wisconsin- It has always been highly unlikely that John McCain would win the state of Wisconsin, but the campaign continues to fight in the state. While a portion of the state is certainly rural and may like Palin quite well, I believe she may drive quite a few from the Milwaukee area in the other direction. She will also certainly cause the students in areas like Madison and Marquette to come out even more strongly for Obama, since her stances aren't popular at all with them.

2. Pennsylvania- This is a case of Palin hurting the McCain campaign in the areas they need the most in the state. It's no secret that a huge key to winning Pennsylvania is the vote in the greater Philadelphia area. In recent years the republicans have been losing their hold on the surrounding counties such as Burks and Chester Counties. Palin will probably be unpopular with moderates here and I wouldn't be surprised to see Obama carry some of these typically republican suburbs.

1. New Hampshire- Of all the battleground states there are none that are more socially moderate and liberal than is New Hampshire. A large percentage of the state is pro-choice and Palin's strong pro-life stance will be viewed quite negatively here. Palin may well have hurt the McCain maverick image in this state, that has come through big for him twice in the past.

Sarah Palin has proven to be a person that one either loves or hates. There seems to be no in between for her. These are states that she might hurt the republican ticket in the coming election.