Biden On Debate Prep: I Won't Take Palin's Bait

LANSING, Mich. — Democrat Joe Biden has tapped Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to be the stand-in for Sarah Palin as he prepares for next month's vice presidential debate.

Biden predicted that Palin would try to make their debate personal and said he wouldn't respond in kind if she attacked him.

"She's going to try to make it as personal as she can. 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," Biden said at a fundraiser Tuesday night in Chicago. "That's not my style. I'm not going to do it."

Biden said Granholm had agreed to spend four days with him to help prepare for the Oct. 2 debate in St. Louis. The Obama-Biden campaign asked for her assistance, and she was pleased to accept, Granholm spokesman Liz Boyd said Wednesday.

Granholm, 49, graduated from the University of California-Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She is married with three children.

Granholm's superior performance in some of her 2006 debates against Republican opponent Dick DeVos, a businessman whose father co-founded Amway Corp., was credited with helping her win re-election despite the state's struggling economic performance.

According to the pool report from Tuesday's events, Biden said he'll be concentrating on national issues when he debates Palin.

"I'm not into the small-bore stuff. I don't care whether or not she built a bridge to nowhere. I don't care if she sold a plane," he said.

"What I care about is what in God's name is she going to do _ along with John McCain _ about the thousands of people who don't have health care," those struggling with other economic problems, and the foreign policy challenges facing the country, Biden said.

Comments

[mazees]

A UC-Berkeley/Harvard Law alum as a stand in for Palin? Kind of overshooting here, no? But it's nice to be reminded that there are women in politics today who have a more substantial education than 5 colleges in 6 years under their belts. I don't know why this hack has become the new face of American politics.

[jelow]

Americans are dumb and issues are boring...

Biden will make a huge mistake if he makes it just about the issues. He needs to make it about HIMSELF and the issues.

This shift in polls is because people are identifying with Palin (deal with it, they are).

They don't really care that she doesn't think climate change is real or doesn't have foreign policy experience.

They just like her b/c they can relate to her.

...And America becomes a little bit more insignificant in the process.

[LemonMeringue]

It's true, and that's why her out of control kids, her affair, her cheating the employer on per diem expenses, and all the petty vendetta firings don't bother them.

I still believe in America. I believe there are more of us - who at least try to be more than animals - than there are of them.

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/_palin_family_shockers_what_sarahs_really_hiding/celebrity/65407

[jacqmac]

Well now-if Joe makes it about HIMSELF and the issues, then JOE WILL 'WIN' THE DEBATE.
Joe made it about himself and the issues when Tom Brokaw tried to push him on 'faith v. abortion rights and he handled it BEAUTIFULLY! He also did a credible job of handling a Brokaw barrage about the Bankruptcy Bill. Brokaw tried to tell him that he 'only voted FOR it because of the influence of a major credit card issuer in Delaware and the fact that his son is a lobbyist.' Joe would NOT back down. Good, bad or indifferent-Joe didn't back down.

Oh BY THE WAY!! ALL 'LOBBYISTS' are NOT created equal. Nor do they 'compete' on an equal footing in Washington. Consider the 'lobbying budget' of an organization like the Human Rights campaign and the 'lobbying budget' of BIG OIL AND GAS! Consider the 'lobbying budget' on behalf of the CREDIT UNIONS of America. Compare THAT with the 'lobbying budget' of CITICORP, etc. Nope-not all lobbyists are 'cash cows' and not all lobbyists are paying for votes.

[rcozad]

Way back when I was a grade school er and attended a Truman whistle stop with my dad a person yelled out from somewhere in the back of the crowd: "give em hell Harry" to which he replied "I just tell em the truth and they thinks it's hell". No truer words for the current crop of Republicans can I possibly think of. I sometimes wish we Democrats could take a page out of Roves' play book and start some horrible lie about Mccain/Palin like her 5 month old was fathered by her husbands partner or Roves' original lie about Mccain "he father a black child" The Republicans have no and I do mean NO restrictions when it comes to slime and lies!! I can't stand it if Obama just takes it and doesn't fight back! The only thing we have to lose is our Constitution!

[Icantbelieveher]

I'm not worried about Palin's foreign policy experience. She went to Kuwait and Germany, but the thing that will really help her with foreign policy is her family vacation in Mexico. That will help if we ever have to find weapons of mass destruction in Mexico. I heard a rumor they were there! And the only one to protect us is Palin!

[Icantbelieveher]

She will not be answering the questions on her own. When the questions are asked, she will repeat whatever they are telling her to say (from her ear piece). She is nothing but a puppet. And how much faith do they have in her if she can't even talk to the press? Honestly, what are they afraid that she will say? That if you vote for Obama, you'll go to hell, like her the pastor of her church believes?

[Chanel]

You are echoing EXACTLY what I told my husband. They better check her for an earpiece, because they are using her as a puppet. And of course they don't want her doing interviews, she's already made a wrong statement about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which means, she doesn't even understand the concept behind those two mortgage institutions!

So of course they don't want her speaking from her own knowledge, because she DOESN'T KNOW NOTHING. If she starts speaking on her own without coaching and help, then the rest of America who are swept off their feet by her, will know too that she's nothing but a decoy, smoke and mirrors.

[jacqmac]

The debates are NOT extended campaign speeches. Sarah can NOT dodge questions or use cute one liners. BOTH candidates can have 'briefing books' on the podium, however,they are MOSTLY props. I think we can make an exception to this on Palin's count. WE NEED TO WATCH THIS! I know her voice just grates on ya doesn't it? But you know something-she's going to have to come up or OUT with at least the BARE outlines of a PLAN-she can't just come out with the same outworn slogans that have already lost McCAIN/Palin a POINT in national polls. Remember: The ONLY time that MONDALE/Ferraro (who Sarah credits) thought they had a REAL chance in 1984 was just AFTER Ferraro joined the ticket. Then-well-I wouldn't COUNT on this at this time-the scandal about her husband broke and Bush I and Quayle walked away with it. Remember also that DAN QUAYLE was pretty much a non-entity for nearly all of Bush I's terms. Palin doesn't want that! She wants action and excitement.

[Icantbelieveher]

I agree -- why else are they breifing her non-stop and not allowing her to speak with the press? Because they are telling her right now what she believes and what she thinks. Kind of like brainwashing, but she's a willing participant. When they ask her about foreign policy, she won't be able to say -- Obama is just a "community activist" like it's a curse word.

My hope is that people will watch the debates. But my head tells me differently. I have a friend who told me she likes her. I asked her about the comments Palin made in her speech about community service, and she said she didn't see it. So they follow blindly! Educate yourselves, people!!!!

[Icantbelieveher]

Funny how nothing was said about change from the Republicans until they saw how people were excited about Obama's message. They keep saying change, but how does their record represent that? McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time and Palin voted with him 97% of the time. Honestly, look at what a botched job Bush did with America, and they voted him in a second time. People say that democrats had control of the senate, but that was only for the last two years. Everyone knows it takes time to promote change. Republicans had control for 6 years. They promoted change -- honestly things changed drastically during their reign. We now have the largest debt America has ever had, forclosures are at an all-time high, unemployment (and this is just from people who are eligible to collect unemployment) is high, and jobs are going away at an alarming rate. Let's cut corporate tax and wait for that trickle down stuff -- it's working, right? I AM NOT BETTER OFF NOW THAN 8 YEARS AGO AND IT ISN'T THE DEMOCRAT'S WHO CHANGED THAT!

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

I have a feeling when this debate starts and Palin realizes she's been outwitted and gets that deer in the headlights look,it'll be over for McCain too for picking his Hail Mary running mate.

[RememberTheAlamo]

Joe who?

[Scott3843]

Joe Biden, you know, our next Vice President of the United States. That Joe.

[RememberTheAlamo]

LOL

[MMJones]

Granholm is much too intelligent and well-educated to play Palin! I am LOVING watching Biden lately. What a wealth of experience and substance he brings to the Party!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

[Fromageball]

you go, Biden! this is going to be good...

[UrbanAddictiondotcom]

I hope Joe talks her up one side and down the other on foreign issues. I hope he names, names and places and calls her on everything we know she isn't up on because she has been too busy ironing out the issues in her dysfunctional family.

Obama/Biden 08'

[day2night]

Smart money says that Biden should prevail, but the media spin is what people will pay attention to, unfortunately. So, if they set the bar so low and say that Palin won just because she looked liked she knew some things, then that's what people will remember.

It's unfortunate that the deep divisions that we have in this country have become so apparent, but I'm glad that they've now bubbled to the surface. Maybe liberals/progressives will start realizing that this is a contact endeavor and have no more illusions about bi-partisanship and "kumbaya". Reps don't want that, so why should we?

The dominant group and power elite don't care what you think about their tactics or what you think about them. They only care about winning and remaining in the power position that they've maintained since the nation's inception, and they will do and say anything to maintain that position. Best you remember this.

[MozKrew211]

very insightful.

[apoyo]

Why is the corporate media allowed to decide where the bar is set?

Shouldn't the voting public decide where the bar is set?

Is she running to fulfill the media's needs or the people's needs?

[day2night]

Good question, but I stopped asking it during this election. It is what it is... for now. Look at how the MSM speaks poorly of bloggers (admittedly, some bloggers on both sides of the political spectrum are intolerable). Their power position is threatened. As new media becomes the mainstream the MSM will lose much of its influence, but, unfortunately, that time is not now.

The voting public is a broad spectrum of people and I don't know if we would want all in that group to establish the bar because, apparently, many in that group have a low standard, as well, if the polls are any indication (but I don't believe polls).

In that the media forms many people's opinions, I guess that she is running to fulfill the needs of the media... first.

[Jacksonian]

Has anyone considered whether the McCain campaign will outfit Palin with a wireless earphone during this debate? It's certain that Mitt Romney made use of that technology during the GOP debates and likely that George W. Bush did so in 2004. THE DEBATE MODERATORS SHOULD ASK EACH PARTICIPANT DIRECTLY IF HE OR SHE IS USING SUCH A DEVICE. Also, there should be a way to screen for this. Let's see if we get the REAL Sarah Palin showing up for this event. If so, the contrasts between the candidates should prove stark.

[helen]

And if you need a little help with the debate, you might enjoy this:
http://www.youtube.com/gwoe2008

:)

[Bigeasy]

I think Joe is right she will try to make it personal cause she knows she can't compete with Joe on issues and experience. Joe has to stay focus on the issues and not get into a personal sluggfest with her.

[cobobs]

She will call in sick on day of debate.