Could Palin really turn Biden into a Liability?

[kennetha]

Here's a quote from an old article on Politico that seems to me to accurately describe Biden on foreign policy:

"Biden is the quintessential pragmatic centrist realist — sometimes he’s center-right, sometimes he’s center-left,” says Council on Foreign Relations fellow Leslie Gelb, who co-authored Biden’s Iraq federalization plan. “At the start of the war he leaned to the conservative side. ... Several years ago, as things went wrong, he moved to the liberal side of center. He’s very solid and predictable in this regard, the way he responds to circumstance.”

Biden and Obama come together on Iraq

Gelb is trying to make Biden's flexibility sound like a good thing. And maybe it is. I'm not at all taking a side on that question. But it does seem to me that in the hands of an adept political opponent, Biden's flexibility could easily be turned against him. He could be made to sound like a man who is devoid of principles and lacking the courage to stick with tough decisions. An adept, well-informed opponent would try to make Biden explain, in the heat of the moment, all of the changes in his thinking about Iraq. Remember, he's gone from gung-ho advocate, who just wanted to be Bush's partner, to having second thoughts about who would do the heavy lifting (he was an early advocate for getting Nato more involved), to wanting to divide Iraq into three, to wanting to beat a retreat. If the opponent, by contrast, could present his/her side as steadfast in its overall objectives (while willing to adjust tactically to the changing situation), the opponent could score many points on this front against Biden.

But Palin, we all know, is not an adept, well-informed opponent. For her to try to put Biden on the defensive for his shifting positions on Iraq would be a major league challenge -- sort of like bringing one of my little leaguers up to face CC Sabbathia.

But you can sort of dimly see what the McCain campaign might be thinking. If she could pull this off -- which, again, would be an utterly astounding feat on her part -- she would not only score points against Biden, but by undermining Biden's wisdome and experience would undercut the argument that although Obama may not yet have great foreign policy cred, he's got the wise and experienced Joe Biden at his side.

Anyway, that is my guess as to what they are thinking. But like I said expecting Palin to execute this strategy is, well, pretty laughable.

[Dumak]

1. When the democrats change their mind

it's a flip-flop. When the republicans do it, they're a maverick.

[SuperTrouper]

2. No

[AlCzervik]

3. No.

[kennetha]

4. you are probably right.

But that doesn't mean that she won't try.

[AlCzervik]

5. she's going to try everything but what it comes down to is that she is a total

naif when it comes to foreign policy.

I'm not looking down on Palin, she's done well for herself but lets face it, she doesn't have the qualifications for the job of VP, she does not have the skill set.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I agree. It matters little what Palin's skills are in this instance.

She has writers who have no doubt primed her with specific talking points to slip in when she can.

[jakem]

7. No.

[progressivebydesign]

8. Of course not. Some stupid ass bimbo from Alaska is NOT going erase the accomplishments..

.. of a distinguished statesman. The guy was summoned to Georgia in the heat of the crisis, and she was summoned to.... ummm... to the Wasilla Kmart for the blue light special.

[kennetha]

12. I agree about the Bimbo part

But you do have to admit that Biden has been all over the map on Iraq -- sometimes right, sometimes wrong -- and I said that an "adept and well-informed" opponent might be able to score some points. I agree, though, that Sarah Palin is no such opponent.

But I do think that the McCain campaign has probably primed her with all kinds of talking points designed to make Biden have to explain himself on this or that subject where he's been a bit flexible in his approach.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

13. She is going to try and make Biden appear weak, submissive, she

will attempt to emasculate him. Biden needs to remain the solid rock. He is offering the country the security his
years of experience can offer. He can't flinch for a moment.

[man4allcats]

9. I don't think she could do it.

Without getting into the semantics of "strategy vs. tactics," it does seem like a good tactical approach, but I really doubt Palin has the intellectual alacrity to pull it off convincingly. As has been noted, "One would not think it possible, but she (Sarah Palin) makes George W. Bush look like Noam Chomsky." - Alicia Morgan

[kennetha]

14. ha ha. really good one.

[dbmk]

10. Given that the spoils they are fighting over atm are the undecideds

..and probably some conservatives - I'd say she would be hard pressed to make that work against him.
Independents in the the middle like to hear pragmatism and conservatives will like to hear that he sometimes is on their side.
Don't see it working for her, really.

Their only chance atm is trying to paint the two as Lenin and Trotsky. Prepare to hear LIBERAL over and over.

[1corona4u]

11. You know, people are entitled to change their opinons...

things change, circumstances change. I have never bought into the flip-flop thing, regardless of who it was for/against. The only time I would mention it is IF it was clearly for political posturing, which I don't think Biden has ever done. He means what he says, and if he changes his stance/mind on something, it's more likely because the situation called for it, or he thought it through further. I can think of one such thing...

[amborin]

15. article: Palin debate strategy: Go after Biden

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/14220>

she's been coached by Rove's disciple, Schmidt

[jillan]

16. If you're worried about this, than you really don't know Joe Biden very well.

He is very comfortable in his own skin and will have no problem answering to any attacks on his positions.

I have watched him defend himself on that awful vote on the bankruptcy bill, and he can do it.


He has such a deep command of the issues that you shouldn't worry about him defending himself, or answering any attacks on his positions.

[kennetha]

19. Not worried just analyzing strategy in light of what's coming out

I agree about Biden being comfortable in his own skin and having a massive command of issues. But we're talking the war of sound-bites here. If Palin can force Biden to defend his shifting views about Iraq, the explanations of the shifts won't get much play. But the quips/questions/barbs forcing Biden to explain would get a great deal of play.

I still don't think Palin can pull it off. This is the kind of thing that a Reaganesque simpleton could pull off. Palin is a different kind of simpleton. And Bush the II yet another kind of simpleton. (Repugnants are pretty darned good at getting simpletons elected president for some reason. )

[CreekDog]

17. You should edit your post to put your last sentence first

because that's the key question really.

[depakid]

18. I'm sure she will try- after all, what else has she got?

Nothing of her own.

[TheCoxwain]

20. What is Worse - Liability for Elections or Liability for the Country?