Vice Presidential Debate Expectations: Obama Camp Calls Palin "Terrific Debater"

**Read all about the Vice Presidential debate.

On a Saturday conference call with reporters, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called Gov. Sarah Palin "a terrific debater" who has "performed very, very well" in previous debates with opponents in her state.

Politico's Mike Allen writes:

"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." [...]

"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."

As Allen notes, campaigns regularly play such expectations games in the days leading up to a debate (in this case, Thursday's vice presidential debate).

But despite Palin's multiple cringe-inducing interview moments over the last few weeks, this sentiment from Obama aides is not just theater for the media's consumption. Privately, Democratic campaign officials have sent video clips of Palin's previous debates to the Huffington Post, noting her strong performances against more experienced Alaskan pols.

There is a legitimate sense of unease that the bar has been set so low for Palin that even a modest performance will be seen as a major success -- and that Palin may be capable of much more.

UPDATE: Some footage of Palin at a 2006 debate discussing her opposition to abortion rights:

Comments

[cruisepuppy7452a]

There is a big difference in debating in a small venue, and debating with someone with Joe Biden's background and knowledge. That is like pitting a poodle against a pit bull. The Pit will shred the poodle. Biden plays to win, and he isn't going to allow her to upstage him in any way. The guy is bright as hell, you can't trip him up on his facts. He is ethical, moral, areas she tried to paint him as ammoral. Does she even know who she is going up against? I feel sorry for her, that women is going to make such an ass of herself. You go Biden.

[nextpres08]

Ok I just watched the '06 Palin debate and it didn't seem all that great to me, not impressive at all. If that's the extent of her great debate skills then I think Biden can take her..LOL

However, I also agree that you can't take anyone for granted. She has done terrible so far with speaking to the press without a teleprompter but you never know.....she might surprise everyone.

But...my money is still on Biden to whoop her!!!

[Fonguli]

Sarah Palin is a governor of the State of Alaska...she is a big girl and she is capable of taking care of herself. Whether she can play the game at the same level of Biden is doubtful, but to act like she will shrivel, goof up, or blow it big time is just silly. Biden needs to go in and dish with her as an equal, and if she can't keep up, too bad, that is what the debates are all about. If he goes in there and treats her as an poor little lady who got mixed up with the wrong crowd, she could surprise him and that will rally the republicans.

The democrats have to stop acting like nice guys and start taking charge. As Obama said "Enough!"

[ObamAtomic]

McCain people will present her,the most humanly ,down earth woman
running for the office,McCain in the debate made reference about her maverick attitude .
We know,she can not outperform Biden,expect low grading.....what else?
She created the atmosphere,her bravado,roaring to every one.....Consequences?

[buenavista836]

Palin lacks even the verbal ability to form a coherent answer from the small bits of knowledge she does possess. McCain will be exposed this Thursday for the venal political operator he is....basing his choice for his vice-president on purely on political motives...the Republicans got so much less than they bargained for....

[flippinheck]

How does this clip demonstrate her "great" ability to debate? She isn't even debating here. She simply states her opinion. It's the men at the table who are talking about the idea in depth. Maybe she won because others agree with her stance on pro-life. I'm not convinced she has a clue from this clip. Sorry. This is a subject on which she's "well versed." Ask her about how her proximity to Russia and Canada means she has foreign experience, and then we'll see her "debating" skills.

[Carolab]

Alaska's elections were very dubious.

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=91&Itemid=296

[totalliberal]

Sarah Palin "a terrific debater"

And "Devo" is a great rock group.

LMAO

[truthforme]

Hey! No dissing Devo

[Steph 66]

I agree! What did Devo ever do to you?
Whip it, whip it good!

[ObamAtomic]

i suspect she will do her *talking points,she do not know economy,security,foreign matters
she will hinder by her short vocabulary,her regional mode will be*kicking*running
her mouth wildly in desperation in her desire to made Biden look foolish.
Her mouth,attitude will be her doing,herself.....remember the Convention.

[pgurlatl]

I just can't bear hearing "heck", "ya", and "eye-ran or eye-rack". It makes me want to hurl.

[gluchnurse]

What worries me is the double standard of having the McCain campaign and her supporters talk about what a strong woman she is-yet you know if Biden gets aggressive it will be that he 'ganged up ' on a woman. What crap! Being treated as an equal means just that-you can take it as well as dish it out. Frankly, if she is supposedly capable of being president, then she should be able to stand up for herself in a simple debate without her supporters crying foul every time she is hit with a verbal jab.
Either you are qualified, or you aren't. There isn' t any in between...Oh, and I'm one of those 50+ something women who allegedly would have been her demographic. NOT!! And I was a registered small town Republican for 30 years who just switched to Democrat because of Obama. And trust me, Palin in no way represents me!

[pixy242a]

The McCain camp should consider sending Tina Fey as Sarah to the Debate. I am sure she is as well-versed on us and foreign issues or better.

[one4obama]

She sure would do a Sarah Palin that even Palin can't do.

Send in Tina! Not only would she portrait her in a manner that might make the Mccalin supporters see the light, but Biden would win the debates and the viewing audience would have been treated to an outstanding Emmy worthy performance.

[SpencersMom]

Ms. Fey is far more intelligent than Palin, has traveled extensively, and is certainly more knowledgable on just about any issue! But that bar isn't set too high...

Don't know if Tina could field dress a moose or shoot a wolf from a low flying plane, but I'm fairly certain that she wouldn't want to, and perhaps even find such act barbaric.

PEACE

[Carolab]

Very good tactic (or is it a strategy...). Already we see the "Sarah sympathizers" out en force. Witness the opinion piece in the New York Times that insists we feel "sorry" for Sarah for being put out of her element and now suffering the consequences. Moreover, we are being led to believe that she will not handle herself well, since the Gibson and Couric debacles. Again, we are being fed the bigotry of soft expectations that came with last night's debate--weeks of even "conservatives" saying they doubted McCain's abilities, that he was unraveling, was not making sense, etc. I watched Chris Wallace ask Joe Biden after the debate whether he would "resist the temptation to be condescending and talk about all the places he's been in the world". Biden was not only onto him but had the perfect response, "oh no, no, I'm not going to do what John did". Bravo, Joe.

[barelymakingit]

If you give her the benefit of the doubt she probably could be an effective debator in Alaska. She understood the people and their issues. It is doubtful that she understands the diverse popluation that is USA and she does not have a grasp of the complex National Issues.

Her ambition is driving her and her lack of preparation will inflict mortal damage. Maybe she will surprise everyone and talk, wink , think and chew gum all at the same. It will be a first.

[musicka]

She is a great debater......in Alaska, about Alaska. Plouffe is obviously being a gentleman about it, and to raise expectations for her performance. I think one thing has become very clear about Palin in the last few weeks. Not only is she not qualified to be VP or a potential POTUS, I don't even think she is really qualified to be a governor. Perhaps when this is all over and she sells her Valentino makeover wardrobe on eBay (for a loss) there will be a recall effort? I think the moose and caribou demographic will insist on it.

[the steamer]

Did you watch the link? I thought they were talking about the moderator being ultra-sharp Palin at first. What did she do? She stuck by a tired old talking point and gave no content to back up her extraordinary disdain for the sovereignty of a woman over her body.

[TruthSeeker09]

She was able to adhere very closely to her talking points in this debate... One thing is clear: She doesn't deviate from her talking points; listen to how she answered the abortion question. If the debate stays close to questions that will allow her to regurgitate her talking points and the moderator (Gwen Ifill) doesn't really press her, she'll be fine. The question is how much she'll be pressed in the debate; she gets into serious trouble when asked to elaborate or explain her views. Also, it's worth noting that some of the questions she'll be asked in the debate may cover issues she's never had to think about on a personal or political level. When this happens her rote regurgitation becomes apparent. If the moderator comes out of left field with her questions, which moderators love to do -- just to keep debaters off their talking points, Palin could be in serious trouble. I wouldn't dismiss her outright though. The more structured format should work in her favor, since Biden can't really ask her anything directly.

[happycat]

It's irrelevant to me how Palin does in the debate, she is still woefully unqualified to be V.P.

[Carolab]

You have to realize that there are many people who are not truly aware of her actual qualifications and have been already told what to think in advance. I think it's fair to assume that the general public has been shown to be pretty easily manipulated by first impressions or images and that there is not a great deal of civic responsibility in finding out the truth about the candidates. I see this every day in just my small personal circle. Even those who read the papers and who try to keep up and consider themselves involved and informed really are not.

[BigSurf]

Her performance or more specifically her lack of performance will have an impact on undecideds, independents and even her base.

They should all soon realize that her possibly being VP or P has to scare the hell out of you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/26/jack-cafferty-if-sarah-pa_n_129724.html

Everyone (including her base) should also realize she should step down

http://planetpalin.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/cnn-palin-should-step-down-conservative-commentator-says/