How do you think Palin will do in the debates

[TheCoxwain]

I am feeling butterflies in my tummy


I fear she will come out like she did in the speech - in a Mean-Spirited, Name-Calling kinda way... with NO Real substance .. just 90 minutes of insults ...

I am no sadomasochist and I will not enjoy it one bit if that happens ...


What is her down side if she does that? Do you think the media will run with it?

[sharp_stick]

1. I think she will do alright

but she won't really answer any difficult questions. She's proven that she can hammer off a one liner or two with the right set up and that will be her go to strategy. If she gets thrown for a loop it could get funny, then she may go into her little incomprehensible Katie Couric interview chatter and entertain millions on live TV.

[TheCoxwain]

2. I hope she goes into a tail spin on one of the questions ... That will be funny to watch

[terrya]

3. She'll be aggressive and throw off some nasty insults.

If that constitutes a "win" in debating, then I guess she'll do "better than expected"

[Johonny]

4. the damage is already done

half the people are tuning in to see her fail. If she doesn't they aren't simply going to start to like her again. Their simply going to be disappointed.

[mokawanis]

5. I think she'll do ok

I see two possibilities tripping her up:
1. She answers a question adequately but then impulsively adds additional comments that contradict what she's just said.
2. She just wanders away from prepared talking points and talks gibberish like she did in the Couric interview...when she said the bailout would be about health-care reform, job creation, etc.

If she screws up as badly as she has in recent interviews and makes a "you can see Russia from Alaska" type of comment the ridicule will only intensify and the negative brand will be nearly impossible to overcome.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. No real substance sounds likely

There have been threads about her debates in her governor race - eg http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7265705&mesg_id=7265705

So I think she'll be more articulate than in her hopeless interviews, but won't answer the questions unless they're exactly what she's prepared for - she'll go off-topic. She'll count on the moderators not wanting to look like they're taking sides if they pull her up for deviating from the subject - it's rare to get such direct criticism in debates as interviewers will make. So Biden will have to do that - work in many observations of how she's not answering, but using her pre-prepared talking points, while making sure he doesn't come across as dismissive. Because god knows, we'd all feel dismissive of her if we were there. But the time when some of the polls went Palin's way was when the media were saying she was being picked on unfairly.

[BrokenSocialScene]

7. The expectations are so low...

All she has to do is speak English at a 4th grade level and it'll be a success for her. Much like Friday's debate unless Palin crashes and burns or Biden blurts "OK seriously guys, this bitch is just dumb" the effect Thursday will have on the election will be small.

I'm crossing my fingers for some comedy, but I doubt she'll try and stray from the canned answers this time around.

[Window]

9. LOL! "OK seriously guys, this bitch is just dumb."

:rofl:

[TheCoxwain]

11. I am not sure if crossing the low bar is the GOP objective .. the polls are slipping away

and they are looking to make Headlines..

and they can afford to let Sarah become the attack dog ( or Barracuda ) ... She already has a reputation preceding her .. Plus they have nothing to lose..

So expect them to come out blazing with insults and innuendos

[flakey_foont]

8. it's like an NFL team playing a high school team

if the NFL team wins big, yeah, that's what was expected...if the high school team even gets a first down, it's "wow! Look how great they did!" Expectations are so low for Palin.....if she shows up and doesn't babble about aliens or Bigfoot or shout out "Git R Done!" ..then she has pretty much surpassed expectations

[Rocknrule]

14. The "Git R Done!" comment mad me laugh my ass off just now

:rofl:

[TheCoxwain]

15. can you elaborate?

[Rocknrule]

17. Just the timing did it

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. They might go easier on her if she dyed her hair. n/t

[youthere]

12. The problem is that the bar is set so low...

all she has to do is manage not to stab herself in the neck with the mic. and she'll be declared the winner.

[AlinPA]

13. The media will decide how she does in the debates. Sound bites and one-liners and

facial expressions are their chief measure of "success". Substance does not count. Therefore her zero or Joe's 100 won't matter. It is a TV show, and she will appeal to the majority: totally dumbed down 'muricans.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. I think Palin will try to charm everyone, not try to have a command of the facts

and I think Biden will look like he's medicated, trying not to attack her or point out how utterly vapid she is.

[book_worm]

18. If she's agressive but dumb, and Biden is charming but smart it will hurt her.

[PBS Poll-435]

19. She is going to knock it out of the park.

She is going to do so well! She is going to be lucid and calm. She is going to be superior to her opponent in every possible metric.

And then, Ed McMahon is going to knock on my door. He will be holding a big check from the Publishers Clearing House.

[Mz Pip]

20. She'll suck

but she will come across as a homey and "JUST LIKE ME!!"

But pretty much she will suck.