Palin limited attention span - aides who prepped her Alaska Debates

[RamboLiberal]

During Palin's brief exposure to the high-stakes environment of political debates, she has unnerved both her handlers and her opponents. At times she has been handicapped by her lax approach to learning the nuances of policy and state issues, but she has also projected a Reaganesque ability to offer up pithy answers and charm on camera.

Two aides say they struggled to get their candidate to focus for the gubernatorial debates:

Palin, the former aides said, had a sharply limited attention span for absorbing the facts and policy angles required for all-topics debate preparation. Staffers were rarely able to get her to sit for more than half an hour of background work at a time before her concentration waned, hindered by cell phone calls and family affairs. "We were always fighting for her attention," said one of the aides.

Her skill at the dodge was compared to Muhammad Ali's:

Larry Persily, a panelist questioner in the campaign's final televised debate, said Palin flummoxed her rivals "like Muhammad Ali dancing around the ring." She avoided statements and tough questions that could have impaled her and repeatedly stung her opponents. And Palin, a former sportscaster, was easily the most comfortable in front of the camera. "She knows television," said Persily, who participated in other debates and has watched Palin closely for years. "She knows how to look at her interviewer."

> Past debates show a confident but vague Palin (The New York Times)

Reporter Katharine Seelye looked at Biden and Palin and their debate styles. She drew heavily from Palin's 2006 gubernatorial displays.

But just as she does now, Ms. Palin often spoke in generalities and showed scant aptitude for developing arguments beyond a talking point or two. Her sentences were distinguished by their repetition of words, by the use of the phrase "here in Alaska" and for gaps. On paper, her sentences would have been difficult to diagram.

These tendencies could fuzz her meaning and lead her into linguistic cul-de-sacs. She often used less than her allotted time and ended her answers abruptly.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/542605.html

Are we sure she's not Chimpy's long lost sister or cousin?

[tblue]

1. Rambo, I know Muhammed Ali. I served with Muhammed Ali. Muhammed Ali is a friend of mine.

Rambo, SP is no Muhammed Ali.

Though I do expect she will aquit herself well. She will be mean and hurtful but with a certain kinda charm.

[Vincardog]

2. Chimpy's long lost sister and cousin. Inbreeding leads to bad results.

[eshfemme]

3. People neglect to factor in one thing though.

That's the national scrutiny of a national election campaign. Sure, she might have gotten scrutinized by the local press about her debates in the Alaska gubernatorial campaign. But it's nothing like the intensely election-focused coverage of the cable news networks, YouTube and the internets and the existing storyline that she doesn't know what the fuck she's doing or has any substance.

If she tries to coast by on her ability to give a non-answer in such an environment, she's gonna get creamed.

But hey, maybe she'll prove me wrong and show that she'll be able to pull it off. But I seriously doubt it.

[amitten]

4. I don't think her answers are in any way sufficient. Not in charm,

and not in logic. She mutilates her answers in such a way that she loses the listener completely. Just because she's smiling doesn't make it any better.

[lyonn]

13. Ahhh, but you're a thinking person

Apparently there are more sheep out there than you realize.

Hey, I'm with you, but, 8 years ago I had a slow awakening......

[torbird]

18. Don't Worry.

This time, there will be a moderator and an opponent. Something tells me that neither Ifill or Biden wants to put up with the same kind of foolishness we saw Democrats and moderators put up with in 2000 and 2004 (I think Gwen learned her lesson about being a sloppy mod).

[KoKo]

5. Sort of describes Chimperor. Limited attention span, scant aptitude

for developing arguments beyond a talking point or two.

Perfect Veep for a 72 year old man. Chimpini to follow Chimperor... Sheesh. :banghead:

[lapfog_1]

6. ADHD -

jumps from subject to subject, incomplete thoughts, interrupts her own sentence to inject another, unrelated, topic. Can't focus, short term memory issues.

But a real need to appear to be in charge and responsive.

[Frustratedlady]

9. That was my first thought, too.

I notice she tends to get agitated when questioned again and again.

That's all we need. A female George.

[lapfog_1]

12. Much like my niece who is now in my charge.

I noticed this right away in the "charlie" interview, but more pronounced in the Couric interviews. I suspect the stress of running for one of the two most visible offices in the land has triggered more "acting out" behavior. When my niece is under stress at school, I notice that she has this tendency to lose focus and engage in hyper activities... i.e. talking rapidly and on many subjects at once and having a hard time concentrating on memorization tasks (something Sarah's handlers are talking about now).

Probably she needs to be on meds like Strattera... however, I would not trust my country to someone taking this drug. But it does help the ADHD individual. It also has side effects that would be troubling (sleep pattern disorders, etc).

[City Lights]

7. She's George in heels and a skirt.

Yikes!

[redqueen]

8. We should have been pumping up expectations all week.

This is great... I'm definitely going to start passing it around:

Larry Persily, a panelist questioner in the campaign's final televised debate, said Palin flummoxed her rivals "like Muhammad Ali dancing around the ring." She avoided statements and tough questions that could have impaled her and repeatedly stung her opponents. And Palin, a former sportscaster, was easily the most comfortable in front of the camera. "She knows television," said Persily, who participated in other debates and has watched Palin closely for years. "She knows how to look at her interviewer."

[dgibby]

10. Attention span of a gnat!

VP Palin, POTUS is indisposed. You'll have to take the call on the red phone.

Red phone? Oh, that reminds me. I bought some red fingernail polish. It matches my red lipstick. I had to get more of that, too, 'cause the pitbull and the pig used it all. Speaking of pigs, did ya see that football game last night?

Mrs. VP, about that red phone?

Red phone? What red phone? I thought we were talking about football, or was that hockey? Speaking of hockey, .....:nuke:

[lyonn]

14. Perfect! n/t

[Blaze Diem]

11. ADD?? Manic? How long before the 'charm & new kid' intrigue' wears thin &

the need to have a straight answer for one's questions turns to frustration at the lack therof.

How can anyone with a brain be duped by this woman.
Master of bullshit. She knows nothing more than that.
A career with Faux News would be ideal.

I doubt I can watch the debate, for the fact that I cannot stomach the sight nor sound of this fraud, Sarah Palin.

Demeaning to Joe Biden to have to share the spotlight with such an uneducated, heap of blathering b.s. like Palin.

-----------------------

[lyonn]

23. To show my ignorance, I looked up Blaze Diem and here is what I found

And Blaze Diem I especially like your last sentence, Biden having to demean or lower himself to this vapid person and try to debate without being bashed for not showing this fraudulent person for who she is.

I believe I got this from the Dictionary.com??:

"Seize the Day!
I Would Rather be Ashes than Dust
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze
Than it should be stifled by dry rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor,
Every atom of me in magnificent glow,
Than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.
Jack London

Life
Life isn't about how many breaths we take, it's about how many times we are left breathless.
Anonymous

Circle of Friends
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Success
To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give one’s self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch,
Or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

from The Celestine Prophecy
The more we can love and appreciate others,
The more energy flows into us.
That's why loving and energizing others
Is the best possible thing we can do for ourselves.
James Redfield

On Love
I love you,
Not only for what you are
But for what I am
When I am with you.
I love you not only for what
You have made of yourself
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
for that part of me
That you bring out.
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped up heart
And passing over
All the foolish weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple,
Out of works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.
I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.
Roy Croft

It's Me!
Have you ever wondered if I am the one
Who loves you more than the earth loves the sun?
Anonymous"

This was just comfy quotes that feels good in a crummy political and personal situation we all find ourselves in. I see these quotes all over the internet including Facebook, etc. Mostly it has been the young people that are using these quotes, but voting age!

[Blaze Diem]

26. I am humbled. Thank You.

I knew only of the meaning 'Seize the Day'.

Now I am enlightened to the entire meaning of the phrase.
And I am renewed. Alive. On Fire.
I surely can make it until the end of the campaign and the beginning of creating our OWN New World Order, with Barack Obama and his capable cabinet, a Dem super-majority in the House & Senate, and an end to mistrust and destruction buried in our brains like Pavlov's Dogs.

There is much to rebuild to make this Nation strong and its people proud again.
But we are generations of proud people and rebuilding will not be outside our American spirit to willingly do.

Our American shoulders are strong, and our dreams are still their. Fortitude and Faith that this Nation will again be looked upon as one that is governed of, by, and for the people.

------------------
The party of George Bush will not crush our America.


----------
We will seize November 4th and hand the GOP our own version of shock & awe.

Thanks
Blaze

[lyonn]

27. A little clarification here....

I typed in Blaze Diem and one of the listings was "Carpe Diem" which is what the above was drawn from. Hey, close enough I thought.

[torbird]

15. Ouch. My Face Hurts.

I have been grinning like a fool for several weeks. Sarah Palin just cracks me up, constantly. I am as happy as I've ever been, at least as far as I can remember (which is about, oh, 7 years!). Truly, this candidate is a gift from God.

When Obama is president, I will miss Sarah Palin and her painful struggle with the spoken and written word, and thoughts in general. She has reaffirmed my flagged faith in the eternal, incurable, obvious, and comical stupidity of Republicans.

Bless you, Sarah Palin. I wish Joe Biden didn't have to kill you. But oh well.

[PA Democrat]

16. "On paper, her sentences would have been difficult to diagram."

LOL. I've noticed she does have a tendency to speak in grammatically torturous run-on sentences.

[Larry in KC]

22. ...then abruptly stops and nods, without benefit of a period.

[theothersnippywshrub]

17. Biden should use the phrase "linguistic cul-de-sacs" during the debate.

[TexasObserver]

20. Yikes! Do you want him to lose?!

We already HAVE the votes of everyone who would appreciate or understand that phrase.

We already HAVE the voters whose IQ exceeds their body temperature.

That kind of comment will only alienate all those voters who will say "what does that mean?"

[theothersnippywshrub]

24. You're probably right but it's a nice phrase. Maybe Tina Fey can use it. n/t

[TexasObserver]

25. I love the phrase!! But I'm an over educated white liberal elitist!

Idiocracy is about the GOP!!

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. When you work in a field where people have to answer complicated questions on comnplicated topics

You learn to spot this sort of thing fairly quickly.

The roundabout expressions, the repetition, the sideways remark, the charming aside. These are all symptoms of the unprepared. All of us do it from time to time, but your training is meant to reduce it to a rare minimum. You should actually have the answers, or you should find another thing to do.

The problem is that most people don't consider an election a job interview, even though they should. So the charming aside, for instance, goes a long way, even though it is a clear symptom of ignorance if it is not a small proportion of the total set of answers.

[Fleshdancer]

21. So there is truth to this lolz after all: