Report: McCain Aides Complain That Palin Is "Clueless"

Radio talk show host Ed Schultz reports:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people are more than concerned about Palin. The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

On Friday, conservative columnist Kathleen Parker said that after seeing Palin in interviews, she thinks the vice presidential nominee should drop out.

Comments

[ajax2]

John, you could have had Joe Lieberman for thirty schekles of gold.

[ProsperosMagic]

Nice one ajax2.

[Hemmingplay]

I believe it would be a mistake to take this report as factual. More likely, this is a careful plant with a known liberal to give it credibility. It's now on Huffington Post, and the danger is that this little nugget will be taken as the truth.

I would take this as merely a way to keep expectations low, so low that if she shows up and doens't mispronounce her own name that she'll be hailed by the chattering monkeys on the right's spin corps as the next coming of Margaret Thatcher.

That's absurd, but that's what they'll do in any case. Let's not take our eye off the ball. McCain is the real danger, not only because he's corrupt, a liar and temperamentally disqualified to be president. She's merely a symbol of his own incompetence and his gambler's personality. We will see a seemingly endless stream of stunts, vicious and untrue attacks, and massive efforts to change the subject for the next five weeks. It's not nearly as ugly and desperate now as it will become. This man, McCain, represents the worst and most depraved parts of American culture. As each day goes by, it will only get worse.

Palin will probably do just "ok" in the debate. She is not as bad as her interviews so far indicate, and this little leak is nothing but a head fake.

[jorydozier]

Keep telling yourself she isn't as bad as her interviews indicate. I am just going to keep on enjoy watching her and the McCain campaign fall apart right before our eyes.

[Chandidevi]

Hemmingplay - You say "the danger is that this little nugget will be taken as the truth". Hey buddy, all one has to do is watch Caribou Barbie in her inteviews to KNOW it is true. She is a disaster. She doesn't know anything. She is not qualified for VP or even dog catcher. The American people no longer look to the pundits to form their own opinions. We have learned through the last eight years of media controla and spin by Republicans, that our own opinions based on what the candidates actually say and do, is enough. Americans have grown up during the past eight years. She's a mess.

[kid5rivers2]

Leave sarah Palin alone, people! Why? 'Cause I like her! She's the best candidate for Veep that Mc B ush could've selected!
Why do I say that?
'Cause I'm for Obama/Biden, that's why!
And, so, I want Obama/Biden to win this thing.

[Stretchluv]

Yo Kid5,

Don't underestimate the IDIOTS in this country. These IDIOTS think Palin is just like them. I ask these IDIOTS "Do you think you should be VP or President?" They give a dumb answer as a reply. Be careful because Bush was re-elected in 2004 by these same IDIOTS.

[Chandidevi]

Bush STOLE the 2004 election also. That's why the Democrats for Obama need to turn out in droves in order to avoid the same problem.

[GeoLee]

I have heard others say she is shrewd. I hope this past week has not been a hoax on the public and she shows up with her game clothes on next week and sinks shot ater shot and wows the public. I refuse to be too optimistic that she will be bad as people like Kathleen Parker would gladly feed into this ruse and so might even a David Brooks.

[freedomfighter1]

And whAT ,pray tell , WOULD possibly THE MOTIVE be for
Palin to 'play stupid' until she bursts out and becomes a Rhodes Scholar on debate day?

[Chicago1968]

cunning isn't it ?
all part of macs accidental brilliance

[AlaskanWannaB]

Palin is cunning; she is not shrewd or intelligent.

[Chicago1968]

Yup Yup they are helping to formulate the low expectations so that a poor showing will be easier to stomach.

[Lotus19]

And yet another antt-Palin rally in Alaska:

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/539236.html

[IndependentforObama]

What a dry piece of information! The shock would have been... if she had a clue.
This woman is barely lettered... has a bachelors degree from some back woods university and speaks with a peculiar accent.

I guess she now wishes she had blinked or closed her eyes long enough to think things through.

For Palin, she thought this was the beginning of something great for her... instead.. she is living her worst nightmare!

What a mess!!

[scottysbeam]

I've seen some of her debate footage, and she is good. If she even comes close to Biden, the media and the conservative base will go nuts. I just don't think it's possible to be as weak as she was in the CBS interviews and still be governor. I think she's setting expectations very low. She can't be that bad. Biden better be careful. Biden should just answer the questions and target McCain not Palin. We just need a layup here Joe, nothing fancy.

[Tinkeraw]

This is a lowering of expectations comment. Part of the strategy.

[blastit]

The GOP is playing their old tricks they' ve been schooling Palin...and they are trying to say she is bad so that she can go out an perform good in the debates...its the lowered exspectations thing....

Don't fall for it.

[FreeExpression]

We all need to RAISE the bar for our expectations of Palin's performance at the upcoming VP debate or else she will win with a mediocre performance!

I agree. Be very, very careful on how low the bar has been set for Palin. This is another strategy by McCain's team to setup the American voters to expect her to fail miserably. And when she handles herself better than expected; then the pundits will reevaluate their opinions on air and in ads saying how wonderful she was.

We should all go into the VP debate expecting Palin to perform WONDERFULLY and hopefully the bar will be so high that she will not succeed using her talking points. I don't think Gwen Ifill is going to let either Biden or Palin to get away with much.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Did you write to Gwen @PBS?

[Snoop2]

As Sarah is the current Governor of Alaska I assumed she had some intellectual prowness.

I was wrong, she would have trouble having a converasation with a 5 year old.

What a total air head! Trying to answer Katie Courics questions was a monumental challenge

for her, and Katie only asked basic stuff thet even Sarah should have been able to handle.

Truly pathetic, the worse political performance I have ever seen.

I would be surprised if the VP debate goes on, at this point I think McCains handlers are

desperately trying to prevent the interview for from happening!

If the interview goes on its' all over for the Republicans!

[muypolitico]

she was disastrous with a polite, kind and gentle reporter like Couric. The GOP is fortunate that good man and giant reporter Tim Russert is no longer among us. Could you imagine Palin in an interview with Russert?

[ProsperosMagic]

65% chance, Palin skips debate. 35% chance, Palin drops out and is replaced by Lieberman. 100% chance, Repubs are using the Palin-is-a-disaster spin to lower expectations before the debate.

[jcahill]

if you notice in that last couric clip-palin is glancing at notes...

something rare in "face to face" interviews....

she glances down... grabs a buzz word and then tries to toss together a "word salad"_string enough buzz wording together and

ya git what ya git_ya got it?

looking for brains?

"i'll see if i can find ya sum and bring em to ya"....

[instagladiator]

You mean like when she was "searching for THAT word and couldn't locate it on her list" and katie said 'Mock?' and Ms Moosh said 'Yeah Yeah, that's the word I was searching for. Yeah!'
Can't wait for the Paylun Jokes to hit the net (which will surely, or Shirley, sweep the blonde jokes right out the door).

[jorydozier]

If you go back and watch the interview, and watch Couric's expressions, you can detect that Couric can't believe what she is witnessing.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Palin will have her notes with her on debate night too.

[grata2ude]

Its common knowledge that McCain is a craps player. He's been describeds as an addict to this game and is willing to lay down some big bucks. Well when he first rolled the Palin dice he assumed he would win because the press went all ga ga over this perty little cutie.

But the dice is slowing falling onto the crap table and it looks like its going to cost him plenty.

Well Senator, you gambled that the voters in this country were stupid- you lost. You gambled that women would vote based on hairstyle, glasses and perkiness= you lost And you gambled that the office of the VP does nothing but attend diplomat's funeral.-----you lost.

Snake eyes.

[StandUpAmerica08]

"I'll get back to ya on that Katie"

[JoeQuint]

New video:

Sarah Palin and Gabby Johnson... Separated At Birth?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Tw9TaM_cQ

[ReelBusy]

I'm predicting this Rovian Trick for the Palin Debacle Debate.

She will not do well and the GOP spin will start pre-debate that she is very tired and was up late taking care of her sick baby the night before.

[BarackMan]

I predict something will happen this week to her and she will have to cancel i.e. death in the family, Alaskan fish crisis, or a snow machine sale at Wal-Mart.