Palin Train Wreck Is Dead Ahead

Yawn-- this is the same post over and over same as last time same as next time

get a life

I can't wait for that debate. Although I'm not voting for McCain, the sickening smugness and hypocritical sexism that has been rained down on Palin by women and men alike makes me want to see her shine. Incidentally, name more than 5 American governors who know hardly anything about foreign policy. Foreign and national economic policy is not their bailiwick. Seriously, anyone damning Palin for her lack in that area doesn't know what _they're_ talking about. And does anyone have a clue about how Presidents govern and set policy? They have advisors! Obama has less foreign policy experience - almost none in fact - than any candidate in my memory, and I go back to Roosevelt.

"Incidentally, name more than 5 American governors who know hardly anything about foreign policy."

We might start with Gov. George W. Bush of Texas, who has been chainsawing down America's image and influence in the world more effectively than the Communists and al Qaida ever could. At the other pole is Gov. William J. Clinton of Arkansas.

But why bother? The point is that, while Gov. Sarah Palin can do the job that McCain cynically recruited her to do - pep the Republican base - very well, she would be in hopelessly over her head if she had to do the job she's asking us to give her on Nov 4.

It is less about foreign policy experience (what did Harry Truman have, for instance) and more about having familiarity and fluency with issues, concepts, thinking, etc. Did you watch the Couric interviews? Gosh, the spoofs were almost kinder than the originals. We'll see more in the debates - maybe she was just over the top nervous - but she was pretty grim as possible leader of the free world.

Adding to the above list of conservatives commenting on Palin:
The Times’s David Brooks called her candidacy “embarrassing.”

Now, tj, these are CONSERVATIVES talking - you can't just brush that off.

And "Shirley", you post reads like something Ms. Palin said to Couric - incoherent and nonsensical. But I will ask - based on your comments, are you now going to contact Scarborough, Brooks, the National Review, etc. and complain to them about their "sickening smugness and hypocritical sexism"?

Were I to edit the Gettysburg address the way they edit Palin I could demonstrate Abe's desire to make slaves tax deductible and to rejoin England.

Playing the old media "blame game" again, eh Walt?

Rumor has it, though, that no editing is needed with the next part of the Couric interview: old Pathetic Palin came up completely empty when asked to discuss Supreme Court cases beyond just Roe vs. Wade. Just sat there and said nothing.

So now what's the next excuse, Walt: McSame had a "senior moment" when he picked her?

In 32 days, Palin has had ZERO news conferences. If she is elected, she will be next in line to a President who has had four melanoma's, one which was stage 2. The press isn't going away. If she is the pitbull they claim, then she should just deal with them. Secondly, the U.S. voter needs to have some basis on which to vote beyond canned speeches and TV commercials. McCain repeatedly says he is very happy with his choice. Let us be happy with that choice by letting her speak for herself.

Sing along with McCain:

Every time I go to town
The press keeps kickin my dawg aroun
Makes no differnce if she is a houn
They gotta quit kickin my dawg aroun

Mr. Wallis how do you know how much editing is/was done to the Palin speeches? Can you supply us with unedited copy to prove your point?

It's on the net, Tom. If you want it you can find it. I understand the network is disbanding their news department and replacing them with Saturday Night Live.

And, Paul, you got the words wrong. Among other things.
And, Tom, the network apologized. And check out the "moderator" of the Veep debate. The democrats are scared spitless of Sarah.

Were I to edit the Gettysburg address the way they edit Palin I could demonstrate Abe's desire to make slaves tax deductible and to rejoin England.

LMAO

..a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...government of the people, by the people, and for the people...

My how far we have fallen.

And Biden opposes coal and believes we had TV in 1929 real brain IMHO

biden did sponsor and support the most onerous bankruptcy bill in modern times. friend of the working class?

The moderator for the debate is publishing a book supporting obama, the conflict of interest is clear, in addition she will be drugged for her broken foot, I look forward to the fiasco, Tania Harding has revenge I doubt

I don't think Palin is going to be as bad as you think. If her handlers are smart, they will stop trying to have her memorize lines and instead tell her to not answer questions. They should have her just tell folksy stories. She doesn't have to actually say anything factual to win.

Gwen Ifill isn't writing a book supporting Barack Obama, she's written a book examining the changeover in generations of black politicians. I don't see how having knowledge excludes her from being able to moderate.

It's hard to believe that Palin will be as bad as predicted, but then the interview gaffes just keep coming. She couldn't even tell a Fox reporter what newspapers and magazines she read to stay informed. I mean her answers really are on the level of the latest airhead movie star. Bono could kill her in a debate. She'd have a shot against Scarlett Johanssen.

Joe Biden just needs to get out of his own way on this one--no improvising stories to win over the crowd dude.

If they let Palin be herself, I predict she will score big with the Republican base and flunk miserably with the honest patriotic thinking American majority. No smart strategist can risk that. Therefore, be prepared for a heavily scripted, out of character Hockey Mom.

Paul,

I wonder how scripted Palin can be? She doesn't even seem to be handling the softball questions well at this point--like what do you read?

Folksy anecdotes and anti-Obama diatribes, I suppose. Biden will be sort of interesting--he can say totally goofball things, but on the other hand, there's something genuinely likable about him--he's more folksy than Obama. I don't think he's going to type well as a villain, which might hurt the effectiveness of Palin's attack mode.

Basically, the best thing that could happen to Palin is to have Biden patronize her, but I think he's too savvy (or his advisors are) to do that.

Backwards and in high heals Sarah will still show Biden for the stumble bum he is. And who reads newspapers for news any more? The fems had one thing right - they need to be twice as good. Sarah is that and then some.

As I said, Palin goes over big with the (ever-shrinking) Repub base and nobody else. Her best hope is to deflect from the moderator's questions to things she understands: lipstick, pit bulls, shotguns (Speaking of which, did anybody else see her Newsweek cover image with the shotgun on her shoulder? Reminds me of those 60s rad-fems who liked to swagger around with guns on their shoulders. Wonder if they'll let her bring it to the debate.)

Biden only has to play his role straight and resist all temptation to gloat or smirk. I'd advise him to prep by playing poker to develop the proper face.

Here's what we might well get: per Andrew Halcro, who evidently debated her 20+ times when they ran for governor in 2006:
Web Link
"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

Palin is a master of the nonanswer. She can turn a 60-second response to a query about her specific solutions to healthcare challenges into a folksy story about how she's met people on the campaign trail who face healthcare challenges. All without uttering a word about her public-policy solutions to healthcare challenges.


The question will therefore come down to: Will the American people buy such empty answers?

"The fems had one thing right - they need to be twice as good"

walt, you are right, and what's sad is that the ultra-lib feminists and press are the worst when it comes to this hypocrisy. they don't respect women...they only respect women they agree with...i call that groupthink, not feminism

"they only respect women they agree with...i call that groupthink, not feminism"

Actually, I think they're referred to as "ditto-heads" - their head leader is a cigar-chomping drug addict.

In the new poll, the declining sentiment for Palin was noticeable even among Republican likely voters: Just 47 percent now believe she has the right experience to be president, down from 75 percent in the previous survey.
Web Link

Here's what we can expect more of tomorrow - pure gibberish:
Web Link
Asked what other Supreme Court decisions she disagrees with, Alaska's governor couldn't name any.

"Well, let's see. There's, of course, in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American," Palin said. "And there are, those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but ...."

Asked again to name a decision she disagreed with, Palin replied: "Well, I could think of, of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today."

Palin's political future is on the line but very little else. Palin is pretty much irrelevant except for McCain's health. This VP debate will be good theater but mean almost nothing. Democrats would be better off ignoring the Palin baiting and just focus on McCain.

But Palin could become another Quayle and never hold another elected office.

Observer,

Interesting observation. I think, in this instance, the glittering generalities are not going to fly simply because Palin's been so heavily criticized for her ignorance. She's got to be able to say something specific.

And lately I think she's not been the mistress of the nonanswer. Her poll ratings wouldn't have tanked if she were. Her gibberish sounds like gibberish.

I assume in Alaska she knows the local issues so even if she wasn't wonky, she was going to make sense. But on national and international she just isn't informed. I don't know how much of a crash course you can do in three weeks.

Pam, a real feminist thinks women are capable of performing as well as men. If one doesn't, then we have no problem in holding her accountable for her shortcomings.

Enough with the tokenism.

Suggested opening for Sarah Palin tonight:

Congratulations, Gwen, on your new book on Senator Obama.

I'm not going to ask you to stand up.

Well, Sharon, it would clearly once again show how ignorant Palin is--the book is not about Obama--it is about african-american politicians and there is a chapter about Obama. Anyway, McCain's people agreed to have her as the moderator and her book was no secret.
Need something new to fulminate about? I would be more worried about Palin being turned into a crying, smeared lipstick, quivering bowl of jello by the end of the debate tonight.

"Palin is pretty much irrelevant except for McCain's health."

She is very popular with a certain segment of the Republican base who may be quietly praying about McCain's health.

McKinley's people probably have said that about their young upstart VP named Teddy Roosevelt. They lost the gamble, and look what a disaster he turned out to be for bedrock Republican principles.

"She is very popular with a certain segment of the Republican base who may be quietly praying about McCain's health."

This is true - and will continue to be so, no matter what the results are tonight - but that a quarter will get you a ride on the subway. She needs to do much more.

So I think what you are going to see is exactly what has been leaked out to the media - she's going to go right after Biden and Obama, being the pitbull she's supposed to be.

Whatever the specific question is, she'll ignore it and just give out pre-planned sound bites about the general topic area at hand. Thus, she doesn't have to actually think or (God forbid) debate, just memorize some biting lines and deliver them similar to her convention speech. I do think you'll know they were "canned answers", though, as she'll be nervous and fumble over there delivery a couple of times.

Also, there's no need to talk about herself, because there's nothing there. The only topic that she may go into any detail on on her own is oil drilling - the only thing she seems to knwo anything about (and even then, she seems to stretch the truth).

Walter--your comments are so sad. Biden a stumblebum? why because he is a democrat?
And who reads newspapers for news any more? Plenty of people do. It looks like Palin doesn;t read at all? Can she? Or is she just good at smearing lipstick on her face.
We will see tonight, when Biden disposes of her.
Your North Korean handlers will be disappointed with you, Walter, you are a shadow of your former self

Paul,

This may be off-topic, but I liked your houn' dawg song parody, which was much in keeping with another interesting campaign. How do you happen to know the Missouri dog song?

Champ

palin did quite well...biden got bit on the tush...ouch!

Pam,

So doing well is losing the debate and seeing your rival's approval numbers rise while yours drop?