Free Palin? McCain Camp Readies VP For Debate

Despite bad reviews from all sides, John McCain's campaign has decided that having Sarah Palin do big broadcast interviews was a good idea, the National Review reports:

Team McCain tells me the strategy of having Palin talk to traditional broadcast networks ABC and CBS was designed to allow Palin to reach the maximum number of viewers. "Coming off her tremendous performance at the convention, our goal was to allow as many Americans as possible an opportunity to see her answer questions about her record, her biography and her principles and convictions on as large a stage as possible," one campaign source told me this afternoon. The new CBS interviews, to be done tomorrow, are intended to keep Palin in the public eye as she prepares for Thursday's debate.

In fact, the new interviews have already been recorded but will air before the debate.

Bill Kristol says McCain isn't happy, however, with the way his staff has been handling Palin and is making some changes for the debate:

I'm told McCain recently expressed unhappiness with his staff's handling of Palin. On Sunday he dispatched his top aides Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis to join Palin in Philadelphia. They're supposed to liberate Palin to go on the offensive as a combative conservative in the vice-presidential debate on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal has more on Palin's liberation:

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis and senior adviser Steve Schmidt are planning to coach the candidate ahead of the debate, according to senior advisers. They traveled Sunday to meet the Republican vice-presidential nominee in Philadelphia. After her appearance with Sen. McCain at a rally in Columbus, Ohio, these top officials plan to fly with her on Monday to Sen. McCain's ranch in Sedona, Ariz., which they hope she will find a comforting place to prep, these people said.

More broadly, the McCain campaign aims to halt what it sees as a perceived decline in the crispness and precision of Gov. Palin's latest remarks as well as a fall in recent polls, according to several advisers and party officials.

...

Some prominent Republicans and senior members of Congress have expressed worries about certain facets of the Palin campaign, particularly that Gov. Palin may be "overprepared" and not encouraged to be herself, an adviser said.

"She hasn't had the time or inclination to question the judgments of the people telling her to hit her marks," said one Republican strategist. "Gov. Palin is a team player, but the campaign needs to adjust to a game plan that works for her.

...

"It's time to let Palin be Palin -- and let it all hang out," said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist."

Comments

[TimboM]

10:41 PM on 10/07/2008

Todd scored it a knockout for Sarah.

Hear Todd's opinions and insights at www.dearfi­rstdude.bl­ogspot.com

[grf67]

05:41 AM on 10/03/2008

Palin was freed, but there is no substance or depth there.

[mdacmac]

12:56 AM on 10/03/2008

While talking about the economy I believe I heard Palin say, "It's a toxic mess on Main Street that's affecting Wall Street. " Uhmm...isn­'t it the other way around?

[guerillaBo]

07:04 PM on 10/02/2008

LET HER LOOSE!!!! if she's going to make a fool of herself, then so be it. I can only hope that Biden can keep his feet a safe distance from his mouth during the proceeding­s...

[RobertHewson]

05:42 PM on 10/02/2008

You've GOT TO READ this hilarious parody of McCain talking about Palin to Couric about "gotcha journalism­" and about the DEBATE!

Love that good satire, I do.

http://hea­dofstate.b­logspot.co­m/2008/09/­mccain-and­-couric-on­-gotcha-jo­urnalism.h­tml

[DeepTruth2008]

02:44 PM on 10/02/2008

Sen. McCain is NOT a rich man. It has been obvious over the last 4-5 years he has mortgaged his soul to gain respect within his party culminatin­g with his nomination of Republican Presidenti­al Nominee. I feel bad for John. I think he would be a lot happier if he just retired at the GOVERNMENT­S recommende­d age of 65-66.

Riddle me this: WHY is there a floor (35 years of age to run for president) and not a ceiling (65-66 like all other men and women who have jobs in the American Workforce)­?????

35 minimum age for the office of Presidency
__________­__________­__________­_

66 maximum age for the office of Presidency

*** DeepTruth2­008 ***

[bearcck]

10:40 AM on 10/02/2008

People who are naturally concerned or curious about this nation tend to read anything they can get their hands on! They ask questions and seek answers all their lives. It's what got her to be govenor of ALaska. It is apparent that she has had little concern about the rest of the country, nor would I if I lived in ALaska.

She is not a bad person, she has just never been interested in the rest of the nation until John McCain set her up and flattered her into this. I am great at running my household, but I would never flatter myself that I can run other peoples households­. I can do my taxes....b­ut when people ask me to their taxes, I say I am good at my own because I know my financial life.....I do not know yours. I never take the leap to think I am a tax guru.

Palin took the leap. She said she didn't "blink". When you take a leap you need to know where you are landing...­..sometime­s these leaps lead you into Iraq.

[DrDemon]

10:30 AM on 10/02/2008

"McCain Camp Readies VP For Debate"

There's No Ready-ING! It's OVER! They Are THROUGH!

[KitWit]

10:07 AM on 10/02/2008

If her hair is down during the debates, there is undoubtedl­y a transmitte­r in her ear.
Watch carefully, to see if she speaks differentl­y, and in full sentences. If so, something'­s up.

[keepacoolhead]

11:07 AM on 10/02/2008

My thoughts exactly.

[jlc0426]

09:54 AM on 10/02/2008

All I know is, me and my popcorn can't wait.

[grf67]

09:51 AM on 10/02/2008

Prepping palin is like putting lights on a Christmas tree with no electricit­y. There is no background or knowledge base to connect the numerous facts that make up daily issues confonting the government­.

[musicka]

09:51 AM on 10/02/2008

I do think Palin is over-progr­ammed. Why else could she not answer the simple question of what newspapers and magazines she likes to read. She was so afraid to offend this demographi­c or another that she just went round and round the question saying nothing. On the other hand, letting 'Sarah be Sarah' may not be a good idea either, since she seems to now absolutely nothing that relates to the world outside of Alaska. Biden will ignore her and go for McCain. He will just ride the wave that already has him at the top. In fact, I predict the debate will be quite boring, because Biden will not take her bait. It is as if she is not even there.

[KitWit]

10:09 AM on 10/02/2008

Sarah IS sarah. When Couric asks her questions, Sarah Palin is free to answer antyhing. She chooses to answer in blurbs about nothing. That IS what Sarah is. It's not like we haven't let her be. In fact, she has had ample opportunit­ies to show us her genuine side, but instead, she botches what few chances she takes, and bans media from giving her more chances. She is digging her own grave.

[gintheb]

08:42 AM on 10/02/2008

As long as Palin doesn't pick her nose on camera she'll "win" the debate because the expectatio­ns of her are so low.

[KitWit]

10:09 AM on 10/02/2008

haha

[mamala4]

07:35 AM on 10/02/2008

I just think that you cannot cram hundreds of years of history as well as contempora­ry issues into her head in a matter of days. No one could handle that, no less this bimbo's small mind. If Biden just answers the questions in a concise and simple matter, he will do fine. Let her talk - even though she has nothing to say, she always says way too much!

[UpstateNY]

07:35 AM on 10/02/2008

Let Palin be Palin? Who have we been seeing? From what I've seen in her debates in Alaska - this is the 'real' Palin. She doesn't think facts matters; no matter what she said, she doesn't look like she reads a whole lot of anything. Except for energy (and for Palin that means, oil and natural gas and drilling everywhere­!), she wasn't terribily interested or knowledgea­ble about anything in Alaska either.

The 'real' Palin uses her charm and dispositio­n to 'cute' her way out of serious questions. She turns questions around to 'homey' subjects. McCain looks to her for advice - besides the fact the he chose her as VP in the first place, that is one of the most scary things he has said and both these moves should disqualify him for the Presidency­.

This is just another political stunt in a long line of political stunts from the McCain camp! For a group that is supposed to be putting "Country First", they seem to be putting their campaign first most of the time.