The thing about raising expectations for Palin that I don't get...

[Drunken Irishman]

If she's so coachable, why didn't it show in her two big interviews?

I mean, I guess I can understand the Gibson interview, since it was her first major one. However, after she bombed there, they had to have prepped her before she went and sat down with Couric. Then she bombs again and what does McCain do? He has her sit down with Couric one more fucking time.

When you're debating in an Alaskan election, you don't need to have a firm grasp of the issues. However, in a vice presidential debate, you do. Yes, people might look at Bush as an example of someone who coasted on little knowledge of domestic and foreign issues, but I don't ever remember him making as many mistakes and having as many non-answers as Palin.

It just seems unlikely for Palin to turn it on tomorrow. If there is a question about something dealing with international affairs, why shouldn't I expect her to wilt?

[Wetzelbill]

1. Bush is, holy shit I can't believe I'm typing this, much better than Palin

He can handle himself somewhat, she trips over every other word she says and rambles. He can memorize talking points and stay close to a script for the most part.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. No discussion about any substance. It'll be "Obama is a terrorist!"

NO matter what the topic.

[firedupdem]

3. They didn't know anything about this lady! At the last minute

McCain took a gamble and chose her! He probably hadn't forgotten her since the one meeting they had. When everything came out about her family they thought Charlie would be easy...she bombed...then they thought she could recover with Katie....WRONG! You can't teach years of experience to someone like her.

[babylonsister]

4. To me, one of her 'hot stuff' on her resume, the PTA? Not so much.

She didn't even do that. I say we ask one of her elder kids. They might have some stories to tell.

And what about her newborn child who has Downs Syndrome? WHY is that kid not important? That pisses me off. :grr:

[TexasObserver]

5. Palin will have a multi prong approach.

1. Charm

2. Personal stories (whether true or not)

3. Factoids to drop into each topic of discussion

4. Names to drop into each topic of discussion

5. Attack lines for Obama and Biden

6. Big Ups lines for McCain

7. Code words for the religious right

[AuntPatsy]

6. I fail to see the charm, I honestly do, not a partisan view point either...

personal stories that lack the above charm become mute....factoids are good granted if you have not already proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you have been recently very recently taught these facts you should already know when running for the second highest position in this country, another mute rings loudly....name dropping? Who is unable to name drop, muting.....attack? What can she attack? Age? umm mcbush anyone...experience? self anyone....muting.....up lines? proved rehearsed...past few weeks are more than proof for even the person with a small attention span...muted...code words..religious right.the only thing she has because those people are beyond help if you ask me..they are already brainwashed or braindead, either discription applys...and thankfully they aren't even close to the majority of american citizens.

[rebel with a cause]

8. But she is not talking to you or me.

She will be talking to those out there that think she is one of the working class, not one of the elite. Just like they loved bush and wanted to have a beer with him, they will love her and want to have a baby with her. :puke: That was meant to be a joke but it make me throw up in my mouth a little. Anyway, that is the point. She is not for the thinking person, she is for the 'golly shucks' folks out there and those that want their votes. JMHO

[AuntPatsy]

11. I'm not so worried about those fence sitters wanting someone in office they would

like to party with because frankly quite a few of them in the bushy years have now lost the ability to fund those beloved party days nor can they afford or in some cases find the gas it takes to get to said location....naw....the only ones she still appeals to are the fundies who's only wish in life is for armegeddon to wipe out humanity, the very same humanity they profess to care about with thier faux war on pro choice constructed for the braindead to win elections and so in my mind the only other group out there who she will appeal to and I am sure you must agree are the out and hidden racists who will simply not vote for a man of color regardless if a white blood also runs through his viens even if it means they will more than likely wind up homeless and begging for their next dollar to buy that long ago luxary, a single beer can....no those people will surely be unable to vote because their hatred runs so deep in that age old racist pit and they will bite the bullet and become trodden and threadbear before being made to do the unthinkiable....well unthinkable to only this strange eerie hateful little mindsets.

[rebel with a cause]

16. Yes, I do agree with you that the racist and the fundies will be

voting mccain/palin this November. But I think there are still some out there that have deluded themselves into believing that education equals elitist and dumb ass rich people equals one of the common folk. They don't understand that people of common backgrounds can become educated enough to make sense when they talk and people with rich backgrounds can drank and party their youth way and end up as uneducated as any redneck but still not understand what it feels like to work for a living or have to worry about where your next paycheck is going to come from. These are the others that palin will be speaking her gibberish to when she is not giving her right wing and fundie talking points. Of course these others could also be some of the racists that would not vote for Barack anyway.

[rebel with a cause]

7. Yep, she will be prepared.

and people having low expectations will be her biggest asset. "Wow, she showed them didn't she?" will be the repub talking point come Friday. And the headlines will read, "palin does better than expected" and Biden with either be barely mentioned or "did not do as well as he should have". I hope I am wrong, but doubt it.

[TexasObserver]

9. Yes, they have established such a floor, it's hard to see how she can fail to exceed expectations.

[Drunken Irishman]

14. Like she was during the two interviews?

If she wasn't prepared for two huge interviews, which were going to introduce her to the public, why should I expect she's prepared for the debate?

[rebel with a cause]

17. The interviews were not based on political talking points.

This debate (which it really is not going to be) will be. These questions will probably all be on matters that she will be prepped on. No what newspaper do you read and such things that she could not know was coming. In the interviews she got caught by her own BS, and I don't know if we can count on the moderator to hold her feet to the fire tonight or just move on.

But honestly, I don't know what will happen tonight. I only have an opinion. And my opinion has been wrong before. :7

[Parker CA]

10. Okay, something that has been conveniently overlooked by the media and everyone worried about this

debate, is that the Moose's history of debates that are receiving all of this praise and gushing admiration were conducted on a stage so far from that on which she will be performing tomorrow night that the speculation that she will be a formidable opponent has no reasonable basis.

The commentary as it exists is akin to saying that if the local high school basketball team can defeat all of their opponents within the district, that they could realistically enter into a game against the Celtics at the Garden in Boston after only a few months of intensive practice and conditioning. The notion is absurd. Those debates literally have Palin sitting around a large dinner table with other potential candidates in an Alaskan gubernatorial race. Not to discount all AK politicians, but the point is that the stage is so far removed and so isolated from the national stage in the lower 48 let along the stage for the VPOTUS that the comparison is laughable. The physical audience in the room is tiny compared to what the Moose will face tomorrow. The friendly AK way of speaking and her snide and undercutting way of commenting will not play well on the large national stage to the majority of viewers.

She did well in the convention because she was reading directly off of a rolling script, a diatribe produced by handlers. People responded only to her character's ability to act. She exhibited zero true definable substance. Tomorrow, she is, for better or worse, unplugged. She can cram, cram, cram all she can for this exam of her life, but the reality at the end of the day before she walks onto that stage is that she is woefully unprepared.

Her tactic to attack Obama might have been a good one had been allowed to avail herself to the press and to more than three very controlled interviews. Even though the Couric episode was an epic failure, she was in a controlled environment and had only to answer to Couric. She has no credibility when she attempts to go it alone. Her attacks will seem baseless and contrived.

Her single biggest issue though, is that before an election has even taken place, before she has had a chance to even achieve a position in office long enough to provide adequate fodder and demonstration of her true character, she has become the butt of endless comedic mockery, satire, and humiliation on nationally televised programs. She has her fan base, but the majority of the public will not, repeat, will not support a candidate that is literally a joke. Will not.

Tomorrow will be a blip on the radar regardless of the outcome. The vote on the bailout/rescue bill will come quickly on the heels of this debate, completely overshadowing the previous night's episode much like Obama's speech was swept under the rug by the hate fest. The pukes, the handlers, the Liar, and the Moose will all be left further back in the polls, more demoralized, and with a direct view of only the backs of their opponents and the democratic party continually distancing themselves for the next four weeks.

[stevil]

12. Perfect Analogy

Free throws at high school are much different than in the NBA Palyoffs.

[Snazzy]

13. one good thing about this

I had never realized that I was competent enough to run the state of Alaska. Maybe been doing East Coast stuff too long, but how the fuck did she get elected again?

Let's see, considerations: move to Alaska and get oil kick back of $1K+ per annum. Homestead land still somewhere? Dunno. Looks beautiful but freeze ass off. Armed with an actual curiosity about the world, not to mention my "book learnin'" and "politicin'" skills I'm a friggin' 21st century Solomon (lightly frozen).

And so are YOU...

Well I feel better anyway.

[rufus dog]

15. Think of her biggest fuck ups with Katie

It was usually the follow up question that made her look stupid. (Follow up on McCain legislation, follow up on Supreme Court decisions, follow up on what she reads) She will not have to deal with that tonight. She will just have to confidently respond to meet the lowest expectations ever.

That being said Katie did the Country a great service in those interviews. Now more people will be looking for these incoherent answers or more correctly non answers. The visual will not be nearly as striking though. Finally it will be interesting to see what CNN and NBC do with the instant polling and tracking. If these are deemphasized during the first hour then they are definitely 'gaming' the system. Both of these were the reality check on Friday, the talking heads tried the initial spin for McCain, and got caught with there pants down and quickly switched to calling it a tie.

My own take is the McCain ticket has been mortally wounded via Letterman, Couric, Cafferty, and the almost open disdain for the ticket. The spin against Olbermann and his type can be managed, much tougher to spin that Katie or Letterman are partisan hacks when the Country has not had this opinion of them for over twenty years.

Sarah's "Joe Six pack" now have a preconceived idea that she is too light for the job. (Based upon the demographics it should likely be 'Sally wine cooler')

[amborin]

18. Biden vs Palin: analysis from article:

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2008/oct/02/uselections2008.joebiden>