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: 03-25-2007
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 1:37am

The debate format has been arranged to favor Palin's strengths:


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin


(snip)


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.


The wrangling was chiefly between the McCain-Palin camp and the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which is sponsoring the forums.


Commission members wanted a relaxed format that included time for unpredictable questioning and challenges between the two vice-presidential candidates. On Wednesday, the commission unanimously rejected a proposal sought by advisers to Ms. Palin and Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee, to have the moderator ask questions and the candidates answer, with no time for unfettered exchanges. Advisers to Mr. Biden say they were comfortable with either format.>>>


There are low expectations for Palin in this debate.

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 1:40am
You are right. Sarah is being trained to "bait" Joe, and he will need to dial it down and not take it. Once she realizes he's not going to play her game...she will not know what to do. Just like the Couric interview. She didn't know what to do when given too much leeway.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 2:35pm
So are you suggesting that military service is honorable/valuable only if one politically supports Republicans?

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 3:32pm

He is the one always letting it be known he is black, not half black, but black. Is he American first? No, he is black first otherwise he would be saying it all different.


iVillage Member
Registered: 05-23-2005
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 4:25pm

Recall when he began and for months nothing was said about race, no one mentioned it, it didn't matter. Then, when he began to challenge Hillary, he and his campaign solicited the black voters away from Hillary by 'reminding' them he is black. Never has he said he is as American as everyone else. His actions all along in college and after as a community organizer has patronized a racist attitude. His wife is worse. Both however put self first and will take what they can get until they are in power, then the other will surface. Barak is not dumb, he knows to play it for what it is worth, he learned that works, there are those that give to the so-called afflicted. That's where he is today, knows he has the black vote, and hopes he has enough of the givers to win. If he does, the real Barak, the self-centered Barak and his wife will emerge. Everyone other than his racist buddies will be thrown under the bus.


He could have squashed any and everything about race by saying his white grand-mother raised him but he chose to throw her under the bus, said black-men scare her. What a bunch of crap.


And I haven't even mentioned what social programs he will initiate, take from the rich and give to the poor. Again the thinking is whites are rich and blacks are poor, never thinking American rich and American poor, it all race to him and the idiot who wrote the post that enraged me.

Thanks for helping
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 4:46pm

There will be no social programs to initiate because of this bailout...

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 4:54pm
J.C. Watts, eh? Funny you should mention him (from just under a year ago):

For longer than I've been involved in the political process, the Republican establishment has claimed to want to provide an alternative for the black community, yet party elite refuse to show up for the game.

The more I ponder some of the boneheaded decisions GOP candidates have made of late, I can't bring myself to believe that they are serious about capturing more than about 8 percent of the black vote.

I have often said one of the reasons more blacks don't support Republicans is because they don't trust the GOP establishment. I can, without fear of contradiction, assure you the Conventional Wisdom Caucus and the Status Quo Caucus and the same-old-tired-establishment consultants are running the GOP front-runners' campaigns -- and aiming to get no more than 1/12th of the black vote.

As evidence, I point to Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who was the only Republican presidential candidate to speak at the Urban League convention in July, and the fact that none of the Big Four GOP candidates showed up at Morgan State University (a historically black college) for a candidate forum hosted by National Public Radio commentator Tavis Smiley. Hmmm.

I'm perplexed by these actions because candidates say one thing about inclusion and outreach but they do another. How can you do outreach and not reach out? Not showing up for these events was a grievous and inexplicable error. I certainly don't consider inclusion to be baking a cake, then having me watch as everyone else eats it, as today's consultants would seemingly have us believe.


Same ol', same 'ol....




iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 5:09pm

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


I suspect both sides will claim that their side won.


I think Palin will probably do rather well. The format has been changed to favour her (and her style). This way she can memorize sound bytes for specific issues that will likely to be asked. Biden will have to watch his step so he doesn't come across as overbearing or condescending (not to mention the possibility that he might make some gaffes ;o).


There are reduced expectations for Palin after the terrible interviews she has given lately and because of this.....anything that falls short of an unmitigated disaster on her part,

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2008
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 5:14pm
I haven't seen the "Palin Wins" proclamation
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Wed, 10-01-2008 - 5:15pm

LOL! The ad has probably been ready for weeks.


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