Debating Sarah Palin: A First Hand Account

Christian Science Monitor :

When he faces off against Sarah Palin Thursday night, Joe Biden will have his hands full.

I should know. I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.

Read the whole story: Christian Science Monitor

Comments

[dRwOOD]

This is the only area that worries me about tommorows debate, will the moderator ALLOW those type of answers or will they respectfully demand a coherent answer???

Tim Russert - we miss you!!!

[jadedat51]

The debate is just going to be another "photo-op" for Palin.

[utd]

Bah just because this guy got stomped by the Wasilla gorilla it's a far cry from a guy like Joe Biden getting his a$$ kicked.

This is a national stage and the media have been growing balls. She is in serious trouble.

[grf67]

The expected series of non-answers and generalites will get palin and mccain sent to the toilet of political history.

[robertsandimas]

Yes, she's in the big leagues now. She's never debated before 60 million people. They'll see that she is indeed incompetent, clueless. Let's hope Biden is deathly sweet to her. :)

[Saxton]

Remember she refers to herself as "Joe six-pack" and that is who she will be marketing herself towards and of course these people will mostly be watching Fox News. I would not underestimate her if she can dwell in generalities than she will look good without really saying anything. Also beware of the MSM wanting to spin this to being a win for Palin just to make the election "interesting" and close - afterall it is all about corporate media profits as the country is not dealing with any real issues.

I wonder if Gwen Iffel is receiving a lot of pressure from outside and within about how she will go about moderating this debate. Also, I hope she is the only person who know what she will ask of the candiates.

[TheGuide]

Unfortunately, they're trying to get her to step down as moderator sighting a book she has written. Demonize Iffel now so they can blame her if Palin does badly.

[razorblade]

"Joe Sixpack"? Shouldn't that be Jill Sixpack?

See what happens when you skip sex-ed? You don't even know what gender you are.

[lcats]

All Biden has to do is to state that he would vote for her as "Miss Congeniality" due to her pleasing non-answers.

[dRwOOD]

Funny - but Biden has to toe the "sexism" line

[Sumocat]

Good information. I also notice her comfort zones seem limited to attacking her opponent and talking about Wasilla life experiences and issues. Worked for her in a state contest, but she hasn't really been exposed to people in the rest of the country. If Biden can offer stories of people he's met in different parts of the country, Palin will be hard pressed to counter with anything but Alaska stories. We'll see how those stories fly on the national scene.

[TheGuide]

Good one.

[WritusMaximus]

Great point. However, if her bosses have done their homework, she'd be ready with how she and Alaskans are just like you and I, full of Mr. & Ms. Six Pack, so any attacks on her are attacks on the common folk.

It's up to the moderator to insist on answers, but I wonder if the charge of bias in favor of Obama will muzzle Ms. Ifle. The dog with lipstick takes no prisoners---Palin's words, NOT mines.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

amazing that exposing a vp candidate's lack of knowledge would make one considered a bully.

and people wonder wtf happened to america.

[JailNeoconVicts]

BRILLIANT article. It's the Beauty Pageant approach: "Bob, my ambition is to help achieve world peace!"

Biden should read this part over and over and over and over:

"I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

[dRwOOD]

I hav to agree

[WritusMaximus]

Another great point! Excellent comeback if Palin foolishly tries to paint Biden as experienced in do-nothingness (Ouch, McSame!) and piles on with them non-answers and one-liners. Biden could quote her, but only IF she is on record as saying such idiocies. Otherwise, it is a he said/she said.

However, there are some serious pitfalls in this plan. Take it for granted, she will quote him. Example: the charge against Palin is that she is not qualified, but Biden is on record as saying Hillary would be a better dem vp pick. Biden be ready with answers!

[SquareDeal]

This is the same thought that I had about her non-responses. They're what you would typically hear from a beauty pageant contestant to make her appear congenial. Wasn't Palin voted Miss Congeniality in the Miss Alaska contest?

[teronhussein678]

Don't underestimate her ...........!!!!!!

[Shannon2008]

Nothing she demostrates that she learned at debate camp can get me to reassess her qualifications for Vice President. I've seen a few too many Katie Couric interviews.

[WritusMaximus]

Ways she can be seen as holding her own/actually winning:
1-She will surprise the many with her vast knowledge of foreign policy, economic policy, Supreme Court rulings, etc. All you need is a transmitter---repub hacks, and a receiver---Palin. Sorta like an invisible live feed/transmission.
2-As previously stated, she will dwell on generalities and will soon follow them up with attacks on Obama/Biden, quoting both senators.
3-She will "identify" with the common folk, Joe and Jane Sixpack, and rehash her biography and contrast it against the "experienced" Biden and community organizer Obama, but conveniently omitting any and all contradictory facts.
4-She may take a swipe or two, perhaps more, at Ms. Ifle if Ms. Ifle demands answers from Ms. Palin. After all, the word is out that Ifle has a pro-Obama book scheduled to hit the shelves shortly after inauguration. Kudos to the McBush team for the investigative work.

Plenty of non-answers for sure, masked as "speaking like and for Joe and Jane Sixpack."

I expect her to use first three lines of dodge/attack/defense, will unleash the fourth only if Ms. Ifle refuses to do a Hannity/Limbaugh imitation with her questions and follow-ups. The repub base will love it, and the media will have to explain how the book deal did/did not affect Ifle's questions/performance.

[kc1963]

oh please, they have the bar set so low that all she really has to do is show up

[oommoore]

I refuse to beleive that the people are as stupid as McCain thinks. Mark my words, she won't answer a single question. If the Katie Couric interviews are any indication, she'll just smile and try to woo the audience with her folksy accent. I want a real debate! If she wants to be 2nd in command she darn well better have something between her ears besides air.

[rustydarbonne]

Oh, you can believed it. Were you here in 2000 and 2004?

[Chanel05]

I can't wait for Thursday. I am certain that she's going to be completely off balanced because of the "tutoring" she's getting this week in Sedona at the Mccain Ranch. She'll have to filter all of the stuff she's been learning and come up with a way to make it her responses and she'll not be able to do it. She'll blunder through the debate all the while, making snide remarks and comments about her opponent inbetween -- "yeahs", "uhs", "ums" and "blah blah of" non sensical statements. Then, we'll all be treated to the MSM version of -- "Awww, she's soo cute and personable....she did well" -- the bar is set very low for her much to the dismay of many other more qualified Republican women.

[rodeman]

Hope the Biden camp is perusing this article.

[magnetplanner]

The go-by debate for Joe Biden is Bill Nelson v. Katherine Harris in the 2006 senate race in Florida. He did not try to call her out or show her up. He was a gentleman, answering the questions briefly with insight and specifics. She talked and talked, then talked some more - and said nothing. In the process, she exposed herself as a lightweight.

[oommoore]

Shockingly, Katherine Harris is actually MORE qualified than Sarah Palin!

[Pogopaws]

I'm hardly surprised. Isn't that what Republicans always do?