Interesting NY Times behind the scenes Obama (and Biden) debate preparation

[karynnj]

From my take, they put the problem down to Obama not liking debates and spoke of how doing his job as President often got in the way.

Interesting point is that for months the Obama campaign has run against Romney as a committed conservative - they pivoted to the charge of shape shifter debate night.

The Obama team started meeting 10 minutes before the end of the debate - to define where they should go - they knew it didn't go well.

Obama had been inconsistent in practice - sometimes on; sometimes not.

It sounds like this puts lots of pressure on Biden to go more negative than he otherwise would. (this might be my inference rather than what was directly said.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/us/politics/biden-up-next-obamas-aides-plot-comeback.html?hp&_r=0

[Larkspur]

1. I trust that Obama will be much better in his 2nd debate

He's not a firebrand but he is a competitor and I'm sure he hates that fact that Romney "beat" him in debate #1.
The 2nd debate format is closer to Obama's style. It's a town hall format as opposed to a podium one.

I think Biden will sound a lot like he did during his DNC speech -- praising Obama and needling the Romney-Ryan camp.
Biden isn't a great debater but he is more experienced at it than Obama, thanks to his long years in the Senate. I expect Joe to attack Ryan with a smile. Biden will play "Wise Uncle/Grandpa Joe" and explain to the people how Romney-Ryan will take us back to the disastrous policies of Dubya.

[karynnj]

3. Biden was actually pretty good in the 2008 primary debates

He was never a serious contender as only Clinton, Obama and Edwards were designated as that and the second tier failed to do anything in Iowa or NH where they could have if they genuinely could move people.

He had a variety of ways he acted. His answers on foreign policy, including his IWR vote were tight, clear and better than others (on fp in general and the vote vs Clinton and Edwards.)

There was also the debate that was before unions. Biden was clearly angry that Edwards was reinventing himself as a strong union advocate who claimed he was the only one on the stage to be as committed. Biden tore into him - with questions on his votes and demanding to know anything he did before (I think) 2005. (true answer - he was not pro union then) Primary debates are different than general election ones - and in that one, Biden spent nearly his entire time exposing Edwards - after speaking of his decades long support of unions and their strong support of him over that time.

In neither did Biden make any gaffes I can remember. He also was not gaffe prone for all the years he was one of the go to foreign policy guys for Sunday talk shows. I suspect the gaffes are more things said at rallies where he is less prone to filter what he says before he says it.

[oswaldactedalone]

2. Hoping Biden avoids a game changing gaffe

Maybe he should avoid characterizations that include the word "buried."