VP DEBATE: We call the debate for Joe Biden.
Sarah Palin did well by not doing disastrously. She didn't answer
questions, stuck to her talking points, and was painfully folksy at
times. Biden commanded the stage. Palin had no awful Couric moments. The
GOP will be pleased, but Biden won easily.
What must Palin do?
She must stick like glue to the index cards the McCain camp
has provided her with.
According to reports from McCain staffers, Palin has been
disastrous in debate rehearsals. She can't stay on topic, her
sentences ramble and meander, and she tries to bluff her way
through difficult questions.
Palin needs to repeat the simple talking points her speech
writers have given her. She'll be going into the debate with a
bag of sarcastic zingers to deploy as opportunities
arise. Palin must be careful not to be too insulting. She has a
tendency to get snooty and personal in her attacks.
What must Biden do?
Biden must stay on point. He tends to ramble when given the
opportunity. He will need to focus on pithy answers. He needs to
remember he's addressing the nation, not his buddies and
opponents in the Senate.
If the committee-Biden enters the ring, Palin will dodge and
duck and jab him with one-liners about his fog of words. Biden's
verbosity can suffocate anyone not interested in the minutiae of
political decision-making. A skilled debater like Biden should be able to set traps for
Palin so that she ensnares herself. Biden's best hope is for Palin
to lose herself in long rambling sentences with no point,
structure, or end.
Joe Biden, the six term senator,
takes on newbie Sarah Palin. Will the urban
sophisticate from Delaware force the Alaska Governor to return to the
political wilderness of Wasilla?
The Vice Presidential
Debate 2008 pits one of Washington's most experienced senators against
newcomer and Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Most voters are expecting an
easy victory for Biden, but there might be surprises along the way,
especially if Biden does not watch his guard.
Biden has to be very
careful. If he outshines Palin, some might see him as an arrogant and
patronizing Washington insider, priding himself on his grasp of details
while humiliating a young, female opponent. That's how sexism works in
politics. We haven't reached the stage where the guys can play tough
(unless they are facing Hillary Clinton).
Palin might score points
with undecided voters by her refusal to play by Washington rules. So
far, Palin's press interviews have been pitiful, ham-fisted affairs.
She's unable to grasp facts and figures; she's uncomfortable with
penetrating questions, and she' unable to construct coherent sentences.
Without even trying, Katie
Couric threw Palin off balance, making her appear childishly ignorant.
This was not the Palin who debated well during her campaign to be
governor of Alaska. She prefers scripted speeches. Palin is not good
when speaking off the cuff, but she can deliver killing zingers and
sarcastic remarks. Some of her anti-Washington jabs will hit home.
Palin does not fight fair.
She'll kick Biden when he's down, then cry foul if he complains. She
won't pull any punches, nor will she think twice about hurling personal
insults at Obama and Biden. She is well aware that Biden must pull his
punches. If he doesn't, he'll be accused of being ungracious toward a
woman.
Biden has a tendency to
ramble and run his mouth. He can be very funny, but he can also shoot
himself in the foot when he's too relaxed, forgetting names and dates.
Biden, like Palin, has a blue collar touch that will appeal to many
voters. He's by no means an academic genius -- he called himself a lazy
student -- but he is one of the most respected senators, chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee, and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary
Committee. He will draw on his six terms of senate
service in an attempt to dazzle viewers with the depth of his knowledge
and expertise.
"This
time, you buy the movie, I buy the popcorn... Oh man, not another
chick flick!"
What Palin is saying
On the bailout: "I, like
every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this position
that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail
out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are
concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help
shore up our economy, helping the—it's got to be all about job
creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the
right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining
in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for
Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not
as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created
in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more
opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation.
This bailout is a part of that."
On Russia: ""As Putin
rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States
of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over
the border. It is from Alaska that we send out those to make sure
that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia,
because they are right there, they are right next to our
state."
On Obama-Biden's lead in the polls:
"“I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans
at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at
track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about
solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some
opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?”
On the need for government
reorganization: "This, the vital job, you know, to reform
Washington, improve it, cut out the waste because there is so much
waste and people are crying out for change wondering where their
dollars are going and I wonder too -- but you see we can't rest
until the job of creating jobs is done, and that job is a part,
cleaning up Washington, taking on the networks of good ol' boys,
being ready for that fight because insiders, people who have been
there since I was in second grade and I am 44, who don't want
change and they want to keep on like it is, which is not good for
America obviously because we wonder where our money is going --
and health care reform which plays into that though it should be
private and government has extended into that part of our lives so
there is government everywhere where it shouldn't be so I will be
looking at that, with advanced research another matter too to be
encouraged with the education system as a whole, the schools and
so on and military spending, the need for a strong defense-- it's
reform on those levels, bottom up and the top down, and the
middle."
On energy: "Oil
and coal, of course, it's a fungible commodity and they don't
flag, you know, the molecules, where it's going and where it's
not. But in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there
are very, very hungry domestic markets that need that oil first.
So, I believe that what Congress is going to do, also, is not to
allow the export bans to such a degree that it's Americans that
get stuck to holding the bag without the energy source that is
produced here, pumped here. It's got to flow into our domestic
markets first."
On why she has
not traveled more: "I'm not one of those who maybe
come from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduated
college and their parents get them a passport and a backpack and
say, 'Go off and travel the world.' The way that I have understood
the world is ... through mediums that have provided me a lot
of perspective on the world."
Palin assesses Biden: "He's got a tremendous amount
of experience and, you know, I'm the new energy, the new face, the
new ideas and he's got the experience based on many many years in
the Senate and voters are gonna have a choice there of what it is
that they want in these next four years ... Joe Biden's pretty
doggone confident – like he’s sure he’s going to win.”
Getting nasty: "I do look forward to debating
Senator Joe Biden. I'm looking forward to meet him too. I've never
met him before. But, I've been hearing about his senate speeches
since I was in like 2nd grade."
What Biden is saying
On energy: "If I could
wave a wand, and the Lord said I could solve one problem, I would
solve the energy crisis. That's the single most consequential
problem we can solve."
On fuel efficiency: "I
think we should be able to get to 40 miles per gallon by 2017. I
think we should have every single vehicle in America have to get
one mile per year additional fuel economy, based on the class and
size of the automobile."
On political achievements Biden
is proud of: "It took me 10 years to protect all of the
beach on the Delaware coast from Cape Henlopen down to Rehoboth
Beach, and put it in trust for the people of the country so that
no development can take place on any of that area. I'm also proud
that I convinced the state of Delaware to take the entire White
Clay Creek watershed and turn it into a scenic river, stop the
development in that whole region, and purify that watershed."
On debating Palin:
"It's kind of hard to prepare, because I don't know what she
thinks. There's been no - I just don't know a lot about her, so
therefore I'm assuming; I have to assume for purposes of the
debate, that she agrees with John on everything ... Every election
people are making up their minds later and later because there's
more and more at stake. Everyone should just be a little patient
here. Eventually Sarah Palin is gonna have to let everyone know
what she thinks, what her record is."
On Pakistan and Iran:
""I'm a hell of a lot more worried about Pakistan, which
already has nuclear weapons, as opposed to Iran, which is still
working on nuclear enrichment, a possible step on the way to
developing them. I wish we'd pay as much attention to Pakistan as
the saber rattling we're doing with Iran."
On faith and those who disagree
with him: "“They believe in their faith and they
believe in human life, and they have differing views as to when
life begins. I’m prepared as a matter of faith to accept that
life begins at the moment of conception.”
On energy and the environment:
"I would be most capable of getting this country back into an
international climate regime, getting us back to the table the
fastest and with the most prospect for success, because of my
extensive engagement in foreign policy. I'm also in the best
position to make it clear to the United States Congress that this
is not merely an environmental issue, it is a security issue. I
held hearings this year pointing out that if we do not do
something of consequence about global warming, drastically and
soon, we literally are going to find ourselves reconfiguring our
entire military to deal with occasions for new wars, which are
going to be about territory and arable land."
On the Wall Street crisis:
"It's this government's policies that have caused [the middle
class] to get in great trouble."
On John McCain: "John
McCain is my friend. We've known each other for three decades.
We've traveled the world together. It's a friendship that goes
beyond politics. And the personal courage and heroism John
demonstrated still amaze me. But I profoundly disagree with the
direction that John wants to take the country."
Biden assesses Palin: "Governor Palin
gave one heck of a political speech [at the GOP Convention] but
her silence on the issues was deafening ... She didn’t mention
the words ‘health care’. She didn’t mention the word
‘education.’ She didn’t mention college education … Not
one time did I hear the phrase ‘middle class ... She's going to
take a lot of straight lefts and jabs at me, she's going to try to
get me to respond, she's going to try to get me to respond in a
personal way ... I will be unrelenting in my debate with Gov.
Palin in terms of the positions she has taken."
A Republican Take On The Debate
"Expectations are so low that all Sarah Palin has to do is
turn up and she will win the debate. It's the snow machine
against the wnd machine. When Biden responds to simple questions
with long-winded answers, he'll lose millions of votes. People
will warm to Palin's brash and confident refusal to be a
Washington insider. She does not need to know the details now in
order to do a good job. She'll learn all that stuff. It's called
On The Job Training. She's a mother, a Christian, and a
conservative, that's what matters to people. Who cares if she
doesn't know the biggest city in Moldova."
A Christian Point
of View
A problem with evangelical
Christians is they believe there is only one way to read the
Bible, only one path to a faith-filled life.
Evangelicals are often afraid,
terrified of change in society, worried at the influx of
immigrants who do not look, speak, and behave as the evangelicals
would like them to. Many
evangelicals are also anti-intellectual. They're suspicious of
science, they don't like books, they take no interest in
non-evangelical ways of looking at the world. To them, secular, or
academic, philosophy is garbage. The only truth you need is the
one you get from God, one to one, the personal savior.
Palin's convictions seem to be
strong and unwavering, but they are based on fear. It's a fear of
other people, of ideas, and also a lingering anxiety that if they
don't continue to hold fast to their rigid beliefs, the world will
unravel. She will appeal to evangelical voters if she stokes the
fire of their fears and offers simple simple to difficult
problems.
JUST
IN: McCain Demands Change of Tactics From Palin
It's
return of the attack dog as Palin tries to recover from her slow
death by interview on the CBS Evening News. Many pundits,
Republicans included, believed Katie Couric had put an end to
Sarah Palin's career as a top-drawer politician.
In a
throw it all at the wall final effort, the McCain camp wants Palin
to attack Joe Biden, hammering him for his liberal voting record,
his gaffes, and long experience.
“This is going to finally
put her back into a position where we see her like we saw her the
first couple weeks,” a McCain official said. “She was herself.
She was authentic, and people related to that. ... Tonight,
she’ll get into a rhythm. You’re going to see her in a way
that you haven’t seen her yet.”
Palin's popularity is
dipping to its deepest low at a time when John McCain is pulling
out of Michigan, stopping his tv ads in the state, and ending mail
drops.
A
Democrat's Perspective
"Sarah Palin cannot win the debate because
she does not know the issues. She has no experience. She'll score
points with zingers and insults, which will convince those
supporters with ADD/H, the ones with no attention span. Joe Biden
must tread carefully, be bracious, polite, not too aggressive. As
the debate progresses, I expect Palin to make a fool of herself as
she tries to BS her way through tough questions. Biden will be
charming and convincing. Voters like and respect Joe Biden."
From The Pundit's Chair
This is an easy match, right?
Six-term senator against a governor who's never read a book or had
to think too deeply about anything.
On paper, that's the case, but
politics in unpredictable. All Palin needs to do is learn her
talking points and stick to them. If she's asked a question she
doesn't understand or doesn't know, go to the nearest talking
point, or repeat a previous point. Keep all answers short and
crisp. Smile a lot. Be confident and yet self-effacing. Make
Biden's knowledge and experience seem part of the problem. Tell
the viewers that Washington after six terms of Biden is still the
same lazy old place, the economy is a disaster, insiders can't get
things done .... "That's why you need John McCain and me, two
mavericks."
This will work on all those voters
who cannot stand listening to facts, figures and detail. They want
humor and charm, they want zingers. Palin might win.
Biden Debate Strategy: Steady
As She Goes
For Joe Biden, Sarah Palin is not
the main target of the vice presidential debate. He'll focus most
of his attention on John McCain and the failed policies of the
Bush regime.
In Biden's eyes, Palin is a
celebrity lightweight who must be treated with respect but she has
neither the experience nor ability to debate effectively. And she
certainly not ready to be vice president.
Unfortunately for Biden, he cannot
press Palin too hard. She is no Hillary Clinton or Margaret
Thatcher, who expected to be handled as equals and were tougher
and knew more than most of their male colleagues and opponents.
Palin will pull the "Lady
Card" if Biden goes on on the attack, claiming that Biden is
being patronizing and sexist.
This is a FrICTION exclusive. Cut and
paste if you must, but credit us. We thank everyone concerned for their assistance. Be sure to tune to CBS Evening News for the
Couric-Palin interviews. Katie Couric is in her element)
John writes: "Her
experience in any field is relatively inmaterial. None of the candidates
are experts at everything and therefore rely heavily on advisors. I am
therefore not looking to see if she knows the capitol or leader of any
country but rather does does she believe in the general conservative
ideals that will lead her to make appropriate decisions."
Cocoa writes: "You
people are morons."
Patricia writes: "Palin
is out of her league, she doesn't know anything about foreign policies,
and she just received a passport not long ago. A slight degree in
journalism? Okay? I want a vice president who is intelligent. Palin,
needs to stay at home and do what she is good at: making babies."
Keith writes: "Why
does Palin make fun of Biden's age when he is younger then her running
mate? Or is that another of the facts that she can't get straight or
remember?"
Janie writes: "All
Biden has to do is use her own words against her. Or ask her a question
and let her answer. I am sure she will be the captain of her own sinking
ship. She says she doesn't know the answers and can't connect the dots.
Is that who we want to run our country?"
Jill writes: "I'm
almost at a loss for words, sort of like Sarah when asked what magazines
she reads! On the one hand, she adds some humor to the campaign (though
unwittingly), but it's no laughing matter to seriously think of her
possibly being President of the U.S. (or even of the P.T.A. for that
matter). If this was the best McCain could come up w/for V.P., I'd hate
to see his cabinet picks, maybe the Spice Girls?"
Jack writes: "Who
writes the copy on this site? I wouldn't mind if it was intentionally
funny. Though I will accept unintended humor, I suppose. "Choose
any issue you like and Joe Biden has superior knowledge, intellect, and
vocabulary." That's the Biden who has never made an exectutive
decision as he rose without trace in the Senate. An undistinguished
blowhard, running his ignorant mouth off at every opportunity; and who
doesn't even know who was President in 1929. You clearly live in a
parallel looniverse. Biden the liar, the plagiarist, and the fantasist.
I don't think so. You are going to be eating crow Friday morning, that I
guarantee you."
Jess writes: "What is
to prevent responses being fed to Palin during the debate through an
electronic ear piece?"
Arlene writes: "I
think that Sarah Palin is an insult to American women. She is unprepared
and does not represent me nor the majority of women I know. I think if
Obama was white he would be winning this election hands down. I am sorry
to those that are offended by this but Sarah Palin is not ready and I do
not see her ever being ready in the near future to be Vice-President of
United States. Charm wins beauty contests and does not qualify you to be
a V.P or President, or does it? So sad. I fear for our county if McCain
and Palin are elected."
Barrow writes:
"Although I am not a Republican, I understand those who have
started to get upset with Palin's brainless rants on national
television. John McCain knew what he was doing when he prevented the
media from interviewing her. He made a mistake and felt that the
American public was dumb enough to allow him to hide Palin. Well McCain,
she's out and she sure represents your character and philosophies quite
well. Personally, from the moment I read about McCain's pick for VP, I
knew that he did not take his run seriously. As a woman, I am offended
that he could not choose from the highly intellectual and experienced
pool of Republican women he has met as a result of 26 years as a
Senator. Republicans STAND UP AND BE OFFENDED! LET PALIN SPEAK."
Tammi writes: "I am
sick of the sexist attacks on Sarah Palin. She's a woman for goodness
sake. How on earth can you expect her to know about the economy, foreign
countries, the housing market, and everything else a man knows? She is
McCain's trophy in heels and lipstick. That's her job. Why do you expect
her to know more? When she's VP she won't do anything important. She'll
just attend banquets, wave to crowds, open factories and schools. You
have to be pretty for that job, not clever. I vote for Palin on looks
alone."
Colin writes: "The
reason we have long primary seasons and endless campaigns is to find the
very best candidates -- to allow the cream to rise to the top. It is
obvious to everyone except the most biased and blind supporter that
Sarah Palin is not one of the finest politicians and brains in the
country. In fact, she's probably one of the most stupid public figures
in the nation ... and I am a Republican."
CNN Focus Group: A confused viewer responds to
Sarah Palin's comments on climate change
WHAT THE MEDIA ARE
SAYING ABOUT THE VP DEBATE
Boston Herald: "One
hundred million Americans may tune in Thursday, half of them hoping
she’ll blow it. Even conservatives now call her out of her league, and
the dim-bulb brunette jokes continue apace ... During the [presidential]
debate, John McCain kept saying Barack Obama didn’t understand the
difference between a tactic and a strategy,” says local jokeman Ben
Alper. “Sarah Palin later emphasized the point by saying a tactic is a
tiny mint.”
Guardian, Michael Tomasky: "I understand
that there are people who don't think it matters that a candidate knows
anything about American history. If she's 'like me,' that's enough.
Well, I'm sorry, but if she's 'like you' and you can name only one
supreme court decision from all of history, then that's not enough to be
the vice-president and help run the country, and I'm not an elitist for
saying so."
Boston Herald:
"Against Biden, Palin will face a man who was first elected to the
Senate in 1972 and, through previous runs for president, has extensive
debate experience. And although Palin has nearly a month to make herself
better known, it’s likely many viewers will tune in for a first look
at how she handles herself"
Guardian: "Expectations for her performance
on Thursday are so low that she [Palin] may well stumble through. Ifill
and Joe Biden will both have to be deft. We all have to go through this
charade of pretending that the obvious isn't true. The threat is that
the charade may overpower the truth. But even if it does, the truth will
still be the truth, and the truth is that she does not belong anywhere
near national leadership."
Washington Post: "While Palin has become an
instant celebrity and has energized many conservatives, she has also
struggled through a series of unscripted moments and has been relatively
absent from the campaign trail for much of the past week. Since meeting
with foreign leaders in New York last week, she has held a handful of
low-profile events and taken few questions."
Washington Post: "Unlike his Republican
counterpart, Alaska Gov. Sarah
Palin, Biden has not been shy about talking to reporters, but
comments he has made since Obama chose him last month have presented
Democrats with their own problems and revived the longtime senator's
reputation for gaffes."
Chicago Tribune: "One talks too much. The
other hasn't talked enough.
For voters, Thursday's vice presidential debate promises a transfixing
match between the loquacious veteran Sen Joe Bidenand the still-underexposed Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. For the
campaigns, the encounter in St. Louis represents a potential
white-knuckle moment: The free-wheeling Biden vs. the tightly managed
Palin in a test of knowledge, fluency and grace before millions of TV
viewers."
Chicago Tribune: "Palin and Biden will be
questioned by Gwen Ifill. Under the format, each candidate will have 90
seconds to respond to a question, followed by a two-minute discussion.
That is tighter than Friday's presidential encounter, when the
candidates had up to five minutes to mix it up. The shorter discussion
period should favor Palin."
New York Times: "At the insistence of the
McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for
vice president, Gov. Sarah
Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph
R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than
those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also
be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the
running mates. McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose
format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a
disadvantage and largely on the defensive.
New York Times: "McCain advisers said they
were only somewhat concerned about Ms. Palin’s debating skills
compared with those of Mr. Biden, who has served six terms in the
Senate."
FOX News: "Pressure is building on Sarah
Palin to demonstrate her leadership credentials when she faces off in
the vice presidential debate against Washington veteran Joe Biden next
week, as Democrats and even some Republicans lob criticism of her latest
latest interview performance."
Washington Post: "Fed by her halting answers
in interviews, Palin has become a television comedy staple. CBS'
"Late Show with David Letterman" featured an Alaska resident
saying Palin tried learning about foreign policy by going to the
International House of Pancakes. NBC's "Saturday Night Live"
has also taken aim: Last Saturday, Tina Fey portrayed Palin in a mock
interview with Katie Couric and described her family's recent trip to
New York, including 'that goofy evolution museum.'"
WHO IS GWEN IFILL?
The VP Debate moderator Gwen Ifill is the managing
editor and moderator for Washington
Week (PBS)
and a correspondent for The
NewsHour (PBS). She is working on a book,
"Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," about
upcoming African-American politicians, which conservative critics argue
makes her a bad choice for moderator of the VP debate. The far right
critics argue that an African-American journalist will be biased towards
a black candidate, whereas a white journalist would be neutral.
The argument is not compelling. McCain says: ""I think that
Gwen Ifill is a professional, and I think she will do a totally
objective job because she is a highly-respected professional."
A PSYCHOLOGIST'S VIEW
We tend to think of our own decisions as
rational and our opponents as irrational. Voters pay some attention to
facts and figures, but it is by no means decisive. Body language and
posture, humor, style, and manner are all vital. Palin can win by
knowing little but being funny and charming.
From
top to bottom: Amy Brenneman, Madonna, and Sharon Stone
BRAINPOWER RANKINGS
We have ranked the four candidates
according to the Brain Power Intellect (BPI) formula, which
compares college transcripts, test scores, time taken to complete
degrees, place of learning, class ranking and verbal skills. A
score of 90-100 represents a brilliant mind; 80-90 is gifted; 70-80 is
clearly above average; 60-70 is above average; 50-60 is average; under
50 is below average intelligence. The results:
1) Obama, 92
2) Joe Biden, 79
3) John McCain, 73
4) Sarah Palin, 52
The Obama-Biden ticket is clearly ahead
on brainpower, as measured scientifically, but other factors persuade
voters. These are emotional and have little to do with a candidate's
experience or intellect.
Sign of the times
John McCain is pulling his entire team
out of Michigan and moving them to the more competitive states of
Wisconsin and Ohio.
McCain is dropping all his tv ads,
canceling speaking engagements, ending mail drops and door to door
visits.
Obama is so far ahead in Michigan, McCain
is wasting money by being there.
New surveys show Obama is building leads in traditional
battlegrounds like Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and building an
advantage in states like Virginia and Nevada where Democrats rarely do
well.
