Biden VS Palin:Who Will "Win" VP Debate?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Biden VS Palin:Who Will "Win" VP Debate?
134
Sun, 09-28-2008 - 5:00am

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080927/pl_politico/14014

Obama campaign calls Palin 'a terrific debater' Mike Allen
Sat Sep 27, 11:47 AM ET

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters Saturday that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is “a terrific debater” who could give Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-Del.) a run for his money when they meet Thursday.


“We’ve looked at tapes of Gov. Palin’s debates, and she’s a terrific debater,” Plouffe told reporters on a conference call. “She has performed very, very well. She’s obviously a skilled speaker. We expect she’ll give a great performance next Thursday. “

The single vice presidential debate will be at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday at Washington University in St. Louis.

Lowering expectations is a common campaign practice before a debate. But the Obama campaign's claims will surprise the Republicans who have begun to fear the debate following Palin’s performance in network interviews. The Obama campaign says they have nothing to worry about.

Some Democrats were worried that Biden would have to hold back to avoid running up the score. But they shouldn’t fret, either.

“She’s obviously prepping this weekend in Pennsylvania,” Plouffe continued. “Anyone who watches any of her previous debates would be impressed by her debating skills.”

Obama national press secretary Bill Burton added: “What’s missing is knowing where she stands on a lot of the important issues that will come up at the debate. Preparing to debate against someone who is really largely unknown, who’s spent so much time preparing for the debate, will be a real challenge.

“She’s not out there on the stump that much. She’s not doing a whole lot of interviews. So she’s spending a whole lot of time — hours and hours a day, apparently — preparing for this debate. And we suspect that she’ll come in fighting form.”

Plouffe also said:

— On the McCain ad mocking Obama for saying five times in Friday’s debate that McCain is “absolutely right”: “It’s the kind of ad only someone who’s spent 26 years in Washington would put out.”

— “The two candidates’ responses over the last couple of weeks may be seen as a turning point in the election. … He comes in … suggesting he’s riding in on his white horse, and kind of disrupts things. People are looking for steady leadership and not someone who’s chasing news cycles.”

— The tight economy could hurt the campaign’s fundraising: “We obviously understand that people are struggling … Their first priority needs to be trying to make sure that they can take care of their families. So, that being said, we’re very pleased with where we are financially. … It’ s not just the money — the volunteer hours that are happening now are really exploding . … We expect to be able to execute our budget.”

— On battleground states: “We don’t pay much attention to polls. We think this is a close election. So there’s not going to be that much volatility. … I wouldn’t expect any major movements.”

— “We like where we are in these battleground states. We think we strengthened the Kerry states in the last couple of weeks. We think states like Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri – to name a few — have really become stronger for us in the last couple of week. I mean, obviously, John McCain can ill-afford to lose any of those.”

— “We think Florida’s going to be an absolutely dogfight until the end.”

— On the town hall format debate coming up Oct. 7 (a week from Tuesday) in Nashville, Tenn.: “Obviously, we will be a decided underdog in that encounter . … probably done more town halls than anyone in presidential political history. … If we can just escape relatively unscathed against the undisputed town-hall champion in Tennessee, we’ll be thrilled.”

— “For the people at home watching — who are working hard, economically distressed, worried about the future and focused very much on the economy — I think Barack Obama spoke to them last night. John McCain kind of spoke by them and engaged in a lot of Washington talk.”

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2005
Mon, 09-29-2008 - 12:29pm

"Also, I think she should not offer long answers and yield the balance of her time to Biden and just let him talk and talk. "


It's pretty sad when the best chance she has is to keep her mouth shut (but likely true).

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 09-29-2008 - 2:16pm

((Biden's challenge in the debate on Thursday will be to highlight as strongly as possible the enormous chasm in experience and knowledge between them without hitting that third rail of sexism.))

Yes, delivery style is crucial. IMHO, John McCain's contempt for Barack cost him the debate. And so Joe needs to be aware of not being condescending or grumpy like McCain. However, it is really a slap in the face of accomplished women to say that it is sexist to ask legitimate questions of a woman running for the VP slot. Especially, when that woman is as misinformed and unintelligent as Palin.

Just because Sarah does not have a firm grasp of the issues and therefore is unable to answer them coherently, the McCain camp should not be allowed to get away with crying false sexism. Not only is it a sign of weakness and desperation, but it reminds us how little integrity there is in the McCain camp.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 09-29-2008 - 3:19pm

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/09/obama_endorseme.html


Obama endorsement questions Palin pick

September 29, 2008 01:26 PM

Another early newspaper endorsement for Barack Obama, and this one is as much a critique of John McCain, particularly his judgment in picking Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Endorsing a Democrat for president for the first time in 72 years, the Stockton Record in California praised Obama as an inspirational leader.

"He has demonstrated time and again he can think on his feet. More importantly, he has demonstrated he will think things through, seek advice, and actually listen to it," the newspaper said in its Sunday editorial. "Obama is a gifted speaker. But in addition to his smarts and energy, possibly his greatest gift is his ability to inspire."

Of McCain, the editorial compared him unfavorably to President Bush, saying "He tends to shoot from the hip and go on gut instinct. The nation cannot go through four more years of literally and figuratively shooting now and asking questions later."

It also questioned the Republican for his surprise choice of Palin, who struggled in her interview last week with Katie Couric of CBS. "We worry he won't have four years," the editorial said. "If elected, at 72, he would be the oldest incoming president in U.S. history. He's in good health now, we're told, although he has withheld most of his medical records. That means Gov. Sarah Palin could very well become president. And that brings us to McCain's most troubling trait: his judgment.

"While praiseworthy for putting the first woman on a major-party presidential ticket since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, his selection of Palin as a running mate was appalling. The first-term governor is clearly not experienced enough to serve as vice president or president if required."

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Mon, 09-29-2008 - 4:42pm

Even Fox had to admit this.lol.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/28/analysis-pressure-builds-palin-ahead-vp-debate/

Analysis: Pressure Builds on Palin Ahead of VP Debate

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.

FOXNews.com

Sunday, September 28, 2008

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.

Biden, too, spent the past week tripping up his own campaign -- bungling facts on the Great Depression and even criticizing a Barack Obama ad.

Biden's gaffe-prone ways, though, are well-documented and tempered somewhat by a perception that he is seasoned in national affairs, while Palin still is making her debut on the national campaign stage.

Her interview earlier this week with CBS News' Katie Couric was scrutinized closely in the run-up to the vice presidential candidates' one-time debate Thursday in St. Louis.

In some cases, the criticism runs beyond liberal blogs and tabloids. Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote a scathing article in the National Review Online lamenting that she could no longer defend the first-term Alaska governor's placement on the Republican presidential ticket.

"Palin's recent interviews ... have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League," she wrote. "No one hates saying that more than I do."

Parker said the interviews revealed "there's not much content there," and she called on Palin to leave the Republican ticket.

FOX News analyst Bernard Goldberg said some of the criticism Palin is fielding is unfair, since Biden's gaffes regularly receive a pass.

"The preconceived notion about Joe Biden is that he's an expert on foreign policy no matter how many mistakes he's made," he said.

But Goldberg said Palin's latest interview did not "instill confidence" and Parker "may be right" in saying she's out of her league.

The criticism stems from a few answers Palin gave during the wide-ranging CBS interview. She seemed to struggle when asked to explain her claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia bolsters her foreign policy credentials.

"Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side the land boundary that we have with Canada," she said, before turning the question back on the media.

"It's funny that a comment like that was kind of made to -- I don't know, you know, reporters," she said.

She then said her foreign policy credentials are enhanced because "our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of," and that "we have trade missions."

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska," she said.

Palin also struggled when asked to cite specific examples of when McCain led the charge for more oversight of the finance industry -- aside from supporting stricter regulations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you," she said at the end.

Geraldine Ferraro, the history-making Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1984, told FOX News that Palin "has until Thursday" to brush up.

"She has got to sit down and go over all of John McCain's votes," she said. "If she doesn't know it, she is going to be in a disastrous position against Joe Biden."

The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol placed some of the blame on the McCain campaign for sheltering Palin from the media, and in turn placing an inordinate amount of pressure on her to perform well in the few prime-time interviews she's been given so far.

Historian Douglas Brinkley said that after the first presidential debate Friday ended in what he called a "draw" even more attention will be on the vice presidential candidates' face-off Thursday.

While Biden needs to "watch his tongue," Palin needs to show that she's ready to be president, Brinkley said.

"She's cunning and smart and people who underestimate her could be sorry," he said.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-28-2008
Mon, 09-29-2008 - 11:28pm
my best friend's mom is better qualified than Palin to be VP.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-30-2008
Tue, 09-30-2008 - 1:21pm
Well why is everyone so surprised? I am an 8yr USAF veteran, served in the first gulf war fiasco that was played out under the first Bush presidency, my daughter now serves the USAF in her 2nd term as an officer, another gulf war, this under another Bush!!! So why r we so surprised that the republicans choose this woman to represent them... Really what is her record???? Who did she really sleep with to
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Tue, 09-30-2008 - 1:28pm

One thought keeps going threw my mind.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 1:05am
Your post is both offensive and honest. You have not typed anything worse than has been said on Capital Hill about Barack. But it is a new day. Thank GOD. You and your daughter's service to our country is commendable, and I hope your daughter stays safe. I hate to think that we are reaping what has been sewn by our leaders, let alone say it, because America is doing some great things, but our transgressions will always be there, too.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 1:14am
Yes. But there are a lot of smart, coherent, articulate people that don't have to have a teleprompter to say a complete sentence...in order. Sarah has yet to do that...or not fillerbuster.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 1:20am
The more Biden can rein himself and "let Sarah just be Sarah," the worse she will do.

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