Can someone answer something for me?

[Erin Elizabeth]

All this stuff about Palin having an ear implant: how would that work? I don't mean the mechanics of it, I mean the helping you in the debate part.

Say Ifill asks a question, and Palin has to go first. Obviously whoever is talking into the mic going to the receiver in her ear has to hear Ifill's question first, and then tell Palin what to say, right?

So wouldn't there be some lag time between Ifill's question and Palin's answer while she waited to hear what to say? And wouldn't that be completely awkward and weird to see Palin wait before she starts every time she has to go first?

If Biden went first, then the person would be giving her her answer while Biden was speaking, thus she wouldn't be able to listen to Biden AND the person in her ear. So she'd miss Biden's answer, too.

And wouldn't having someone saying stuff in your ear just mess you up even MORE than going out there and doing it without any voices in your ears? I know for me that would just mess me up completely.

I don't honestly know if I believe the while thing in the ear theory. It just doesn't seem like it would be that effective in a debate. If we were talking an oral exam in which it was SOP to wait a few seconds to answer while you "think" sure. But not in this type of format.

[lob1]

1. All the journalists and talking heads on TV have an earplug and they use it

all the time. I'm sure they just use key words, not whole sentences. Sarah has experience using earplugs as a sports caster, so this may not throw her.

[MarkInCA]

3. But they are reading a script on a teleprompter

No way will she be able to speak off the top of her head while being fed lines in her ear.

[1corona4u]

5. Eh, she use to be a TV sportscaster...

she probably could...

[MarkInCA]

7. Exactly

Reading a teleprompter. She won't have that tonight.

Have you ever watched live coverage of a disaster and every time the booth speaks to the anchor person, they have to stop and listen?

I don't think she can handle two trains of thought at the same time.

We know she can't jog and chew gum at the same time.

:sarcasm:

[tekisui]

2. Do you remember the repubbie debate when mitt romney

had his mic pick a whisper "tax cuts". They would simply "cue" her on which memorized talking point to regenerate, could be done even while the question is still being asked.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. Have you ever seen BROADCAST NEWS?

The scene where William Hurt is reporting on an incident with Albert Brooks passing along bits of information.

You wouldn't dictate the whole answer, just provide bits of info or a general direction.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

6. Can you smell a turd over the phone?