McCain Camp Working On Palin-Biden Expectations Game

The expectations game is afoot in advance of the debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. The conventional wisdom's wonderment amounts to these two ideas: Will Joe Biden wield his foreign policy expertise like a bludgeon and hurt the frail damsel from Alaska? Will Sarah Palin be able to complete a sentence without offering up an arrhythmic mashup of ancient McCain talking points? Based upon the pre-debate chit-chat, the best thing either Veep candidate can do for their ticket is confound everyone by standing still and saying absolutely nothing!

So what's a McCain flack to do? If you are Nancy Pfotenhauer, you go on Fox And Friends, a mythical land where they still believe John McCain "suspended" his campaign, and where the idea that McCain bravely paved the way on the bailout package instead of dully gumming up the works still roams from glen to glen like a magical unicorn. Gretchen Carlson is especially adorable, telling Pfotenhauer, "I think this debate thing may have gotten in the way" of the bailout work. That's right! This "debate thing!" Yeah, what was that "debate thing" all about, anyway?

The conversation soon turns to talk of Palin's debate prospects, and Pfotenhauer cheerily intones, "If it's a battle of wits, we like [Palin's] chances." Clearly, the McCain camp has a definition of "wits" distinct from mine, but hey, fair's fair when we're talking about a guy who put FDR on teevee in the late 1920s. The thing is, this upcoming "debate thing" will not be a "battle of wits" (we hope!) but rather a series of questions, and the last time Palin found herself facing "questions" ... well, this happened:

Pfotenhauer knows it, too, which must be why she describes the Couric interview as "a series of trapdoor questions." That's right! Asking Palin things like, "But can you give me any other concrete examples [of McCain's record of leadership on oversight]?" and "You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?" -- those are some REALLY CAGEY TRAPS.

Anyway, the McCain camp is going to keep a close eye on this debate. As Pfotenhauer intimates, if moderator Gwen Ifill asks Palin too many foreign policy questions, she's going to have to answer for it. And to think at one point, foreign policy was considered McCain's strength!

[WATCH.]

Comments

[gnosius]

Palin has the looks of Chanel 5, yet it smells like goat cheese. I do not have high expectations regarding the Thursday night debate. I am actually planning to watch only the Saturday Night Live highlights. With all due respect for the Republican ticket, I would not be interested in rooting for a team whose quarterback is a grumpy old man accompanied by an extremely ignorant cheerleader who thinks children are a gift of god. Have your husband ware a condom or use the other gift from god, your mind, and see how all prospective on life, foreign policy, and the consequences of having sex at the wrong time of the month changes in a jiff.

[dve2z]

Future with Palin: http://pivotpoint2008.blogspot.com/

[jakure]

Republican Debate Camp = getting outfitted for the microphone/black box to be fed the answers
(remember the box on Bush's back)

[curocat]

I want to know one thing, were the questions given to the parties to study before the debate??? If so then PBS owes it to the public to let us know...

[justsaynosarahp]

Hear, hear! Enough spin and lies. For a pitbull, Palin seems a bit of a porch dog.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

If she can't navigate Couric's 'cagey trapdoors', what's she going to do when McCain bursts a blood vessel and she has to negotiate with Putin?

If you can't take the heat...

[RhinoCrossing]

Why should the press hold back on a candidate for VP who is one old man's heartbeat from the presidency? How much more absurd can this election get? I'm already embarrassed that 40% of the people in my state hate America enough to vote for McCain? Now this... My God, where are you?

[BabsfromKansas]

They better tell her that Hamas is not a dip for pita bread.

[Chillinout]

I doubt she knows what hummus is, and I seriously doubt she has ever had it.

That is way too lefty, elite, latte sipping for her.

[mojojanglesjoe]

Are they stupid???!!! Foriegn politics is John McCain's strong suit and Barrack Obama's weak suit but did they debate on it, yes. You don't situate debates based on people's strengths or weakness, you situate them around unbisaed issues and questions. IF THE LADY CAN'T ANSWER A SIMPLE QUESTION, then too bad.

Leaders protect their people, not the other way around. If she wants to play with the BIG Dogs, lady better start now

[luckyann]

This is just an embarrassment to women. Why should the debate questions be steered to be easiest on her? I just find the whole thing so depressing.

[atciii]

it is very sexist what the McCain campaign keeps doing, yet they say the media is being sexist. The biggest sexist move in this whole election was McCain choosing Palin as hi VP.

[mshazen]

I could not agree more.

[atciii]

Obama needs to do an ad outlining the events leading from McCain suspending his campaign and "rushing" to Washington.

he suspends campaign
cancels interview with David Letterman
instead does one with Katie Couric
stays in New York for the Night
next day speaks at Clinton Global initiative
goes to the White House, with Obama and other leaders, at the Invitation of the President
NEVER GOES TO CAPITOL HILL, but PHONES IT IN!!!!!

[newmedia1]

During the VP debates, Palin will attend both, the ether and the debate.

[atciii]

or such as and therefor, yeah that one too, exactly!!!!

[wagthedog1001]

When Putin "rears his head" will he be wearing gloves or even a condom?

[JulianJons]

I would like to make a plea to you guys. Please pass the word. Remember how much noise we made about the trip Sarah Palin made from Texas to Alaska to give birth and the mainstream press were forced to comment on it and it blew over. That is how much power we have now when we unite on the same thought. This time I would like to make noise about Joe Biden letting Sarah Palin speak at the debate. The more Sarah Palin speak, the more chances she has to trip and make a mess of herself. Joe has to be concise, be strong and defend his points and at the same time try to let her speak as much. She is not going to intrude on him when he is speaking. She will be happy for him to speak as long that is why he has to let her have the ball as long. Please pass the word.

JOE, LET SARAH SPEAK AT THE DEBATE!!!

[luvienne]

If Palin can't take the heat she should not be on Mccain's team. I thought she was so tough. These phonies shold be run out of Washington . This is leadership for the White House not the ladies garden club. Voters are tired of Mccain's spin. They're both out of their league. Obama/Biden 08

[timberdoodle]

For the sake of America's image around the world the debate should be cancelled as Palin has already made the U.S. a laughing stock. It wouldn't be so bad if the polls weren't so close but when outsiders listen to either McCain or Palin then look at the polls they just shake their heads. Hopefully Obama will pull ahead up to around the 370 electoral vote lead and maybe that will stop some of the misinformed opinions people around the world are thinking about Americans.