Biden / Palin VP Debate, Oct 2nd @ 9PM EST

[CrackerBarrel]

According to Kristol - McCain is angry at the way the camp has handled her and has his two top campaign staffers with her getting her ready to go on the offensive against "Stand Up" Joe. Apparently he is furious that the former Bush aides that were supposed to be coaching her on foreign policy have instead transformed her from the attack dog she was when she was introduced into someone always in a "defensive crouch" ala the Bush White House looking for journalists out to trip her up.

If they can get her back on the attack she'll do fine. She's a good speaker (as you saw in the first week she was on the trail), the coaching has backfired and hurt her. Her job isn't to go out and outsmart Biden, it's to just do alright but attack Obama and get him distracted and responding to her instead of campaigning - the same thing that spiked McCain's poll numbers up when he first introduced her.

[moe.ron]

I agree, she's being way to protected by the McCain camp to the point that she looks she can't do anything. I have always wondered why they did that, she was doing a good job in the beginning, all of the sudden she went down faster then the Dow Jones yesterday.

[pinksirfidel]

Did anyone understand the joke she made today at an Ohio rally about seeing Joe Biden debate since she was in 2nd grade? The crowd was laughing. But if she saw Joe debate since 2nd grade, that means John has been debating long before she was even born.

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by pinksirfidel

Did anyone understand the joke she made today at an Ohio rally about seeing Joe Biden debate since she was in 2nd grade? The crowd was laughing. But if she saw Joe debate since 2nd grade, that means John has been debating long before she was even born.

No, I don't watch every speech because quite frankly I don't care what they say, I know who I'm voting for and nothing's going to change that now.

But, you may want to check your facts on your John v. Joe who's been debating (meaning in politics) longer.

Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972 - while McCain was still a Vietnamese POW. McCain didn't retire from the Navy until 1981, was elected to the House in '82 and the Senate in '86. So she saw Biden debate when she was in second grade, and she was in college before John McCain entered politics.

I think you mis-spoke on that one, but really, at least you tried to play the "old card", you really did.

[pinksirfidel]

Originally Posted by CrackerBarrel

I think you mis-spoke on that one, but really, at least you tried to play the "old card", you really did.

True... i'll whip out the "old card" anytime. Especially when speaking of John McCain!

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by CrackerBarrel

According to Kristol - McCain is angry at the way the camp has handled her and has his two top campaign staffers with her getting her ready to go on the offensive against "Stand Up" Joe. Apparently he is furious that the former Bush aides that were supposed to be coaching her on foreign policy have instead transformed her from the attack dog she was when she was introduced into someone always in a "defensive crouch" ala the Bush White House looking for journalists out to trip her up.

If they can get her back on the attack she'll do fine. She's a good speaker (as you saw in the first week she was on the trail), the coaching has backfired and hurt her. Her job isn't to go out and outsmart Biden, it's to just do alright but attack Obama and get him distracted and responding to her instead of campaigning - the same thing that spiked McCain's poll numbers up when he first introduced her.

Hmm.. here's a thought: Maybe she should already know this stuff and not have to be "coached"? I don't think being coached by someone makes you into a "defensive croach"... lack of knowledge does.

If she had a smidgen of a clue of what the interviewers were talking about, she wouldn't be so defensive and give lines like "uhhhh I'm just gonna have to get back to ya!" and ramble on about stuff that has nothing to do with the question being asked.

The first week on the trail she didn't do interviews... the only reason she looked like an attack dog was because she was standing on a podium in front of a bunch of people and throwing out her key phrases like "maverick" and "change" and "energy".

Hell, that woman was in a podium doing a rally and she couldn't even get the Fannie/Freddie thing right and no one even asked her a question about that.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Hmm.. here's a thought: Maybe she should already know this stuff and not have to be "coached"? I don't think being coached by someone makes you into a "defensive croach"... lack of knowledge does.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Maybe you should check how much of that campaign fund for both parties goes directly into the pockets of consultants and campaign managers? Unless you think that Obama or McCain really knew that much about the economy and mortgage-backed securities trading before, oh, 4 months ago?

While it would be ideal to have candidates that fit your mold, I don't think they exist. Palin's failure is 100% a failure of preparation - we're looking for aptitude to become a great politician, and whether by her own fault or the fault of others in preparation, she's not displaying that, even though she has some innate qualities (good public speaker, by all reputation a reputation for efficient and effective work once in office) that should make this relatively easy. McCain has every right to be upset at his staff - they've done a piss poor job. It doesn't even matter whether Palin is particularly well- or ill-suited - their job is to make her into a viable candidate, and that hasn't happened. Whether you give a chef a prime cut of sirloin or the crappiest flank steak, you still expect it to be cooked correctly.

[OneTimeSBX]

mkay, so she bombed two interviews. that much is obvious. but i am super curious how people expect so much from her and she has to be coached SO MUCH.

a VP candidate should already have an OPINION AND KNOWLEDGE about most issues. The McCain camp should only have told her what his side was and to agree. she didnt fail those two interviews because she wasnt prepared correctly. she bombed because SHE DIDNT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. PERIOD.

i am so excited about this debate. i hope Biden doesnt listen to the "handle her with kids gloves 'cause shes a girl" type of nonsense and handle her like he would any other man up there. you're in the big leagues now, girl. time to show and prove.

[Munchkin03]

I really wonder about this debate, and how it's going to turn out. Sarah Palin may be a little Special, but Joe Biden is batshit crazy.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I really wonder about this debate, and how it's going to turn out. Sarah Palin may be a little Special, but Joe Biden is batshit crazy.

Yeah, they've both had their share of verbal gaffes, so it should be entertaining if nothing else.

[ajuhdg]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I really wonder about this debate, and how it's going to turn out. Sarah Palin may be a little Special, but Joe Biden is batshit crazy.

Funny you said this. I had to be in the ER last night, and we started talking about the market....which of course lead to politics. He talked a little bit about all of them, and then when my husband asked what he thought of Biden, he literally yelled 'HE'S A F*CKING CROOK!' (I swear the ER got silent) Then proceded to say how he should be hung in the streets for being a war time profiteer (as he also thought Cheney should) charged with treason like the old days.

I don't know anything about Biden, but his ferverent attitude for being an indpendent got my attention. Interesting how much history these people have, cept for Obama and Palin.

Oh, and I'm scared of that doctor too...

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Maybe you should check how much of that campaign fund for both parties goes directly into the pockets of consultants and campaign managers? Unless you think that Obama or McCain really knew that much about the economy and mortgage-backed securities trading before, oh, 4 months ago?

While it would be ideal to have candidates that fit your mold, I don't think they exist. Palin's failure is 100% a failure of preparation - we're looking for aptitude to become a great politician, and whether by her own fault or the fault of others in preparation, she's not displaying that, even though she has some innate qualities (good public speaker, by all reputation a reputation for efficient and effective work once in office) that should make this relatively easy. McCain has every right to be upset at his staff - they've done a piss poor job. It doesn't even matter whether Palin is particularly well- or ill-suited - their job is to make her into a viable candidate, and that hasn't happened. Whether you give a chef a prime cut of sirloin or the crappiest flank steak, you still expect it to be cooked correctly.

OK then... why are they playing the blame game? Ooooh it's all the fault of those people coaching her!!!

Maybe she should take a little iniatitive and try to figure that stuff out on her own. When we were in college I didn't blame bad grades on anyone else.. I was the only one to blame for that.

I don't expect all politicians to know everything about everything, but at the very least, it's nice when they have an idea what they are talking about so that their answers at least seem legit.

Palin can't even do that.

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

OK then... why are they playing the blame game? Ooooh it's all the fault of those people coaching her!!!

"They" aren't. William Kristol (who while conservative is hardly part of the McCain campaign) said in a piece about strategy for the Republican party that McCain is mad at the coaches. I haven't heard the campaign come out and say "It isn't Sarah messing up, it's these retards coaching her!"

[pinksirfidel]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Maybe you should check how much of that campaign fund for both parties goes directly into the pockets of consultants and campaign managers?

...Or lawyers to help defend a candidate involved in an ethic investigation!

[pbear19]

The scene from St. Louis this morning is pretty interesting. I cannot say that I have ever seen so many police vehicles in one spot before! And we've got hours to go until showtime.

I drive past Washington University every day, and I live but a couple of miles from it. Streets are closed down around campus, at least on the side I use. It makes me wonder if they are having classes today, and if so, how miserable the logistics must be for the students.

And just as I was patting myself on the back that my evening errand tonight takes me to St. Louis University, a few miles to the east and theoretically out of the traffic, I read that the post-debate rally for Palin is on SLU's campus! (Ok, I wasn't really patting myself on the back, because the Obama HQ is right by SLU and they are having a debate watching party there.) I scheduled tonight's errand at SLU several weeks ago and didn't realize it coincided with the debate, so I'm a bit bummed I'll have to catch some of it online afterwards instead of watching it live.