Expectations Rising For Sarah Palin's Debate Performance

ABC captures what seems to be a newly emerging CW on Sarah Palin's debate prospects, at least among savvy political journalists. Jake Tapper:

it is a mistake to think that the Gov. Sarah Palin who you've seen in recent interviews is the one who will show up for the debate tomorrow night.

As Kate Snow nicely illustrated on Good Morning America this morning, Palin was quite impressive in her 2006 gubernatorial performances.

Here's Kate Snow's piece:

Tapper also cited the video I put together from Palin's previous debates, which he said "show her to be pretty on the ball -- sharp, concise, smart."

Update: Andrew Sullivan says the real test for Palin is a press conference.

She can debate when she knows what she's talking about...She can follow a script, she can repeat canned answers. We know that. What we need to find out is if she knows anything about national and international policy issues. Only a press conference will do that.

Comments

[OxamsRazor]

There's a factor that I think we've all over looked, and no one has bothered to state. We keep talking about how Palin won these debates in Alaska. How she gave non answers, and still ended up Governor.

Maybe it wasn't her performance or her charm that won her that gig. Maybe Alaskans are just stupid.

I'm sick of hearing about this 'angle' as if Palin would have ever won a debate if it were held in Cali or NY or Florida or Texas.

Educated people don't fall for this crap. And yes, Alaska, you are not educated if you fall for this line of debating. It's insulting to basic educational standards.

[nycmadman]

And Palin was her name-o

http://palinbingo.com

[mysterygirl18]

Well, she's not a princess in an ivory tower, she thinks she's tough- so they should be high. Everyone needs to quit coddling this woman.

http://www.myspace.com/wakeupnowpeople

[lifesucks]

One of the female pundits on Anderson Cooper verbally sparring with James Carville said that the McCain campaign should not be trying to fill Palin's head with knowledge - and spouted the prevailing mantra - "just let Palin be Palin." Why do you think they've kept her under wraps? That person who interviewed with Katie Couric is the real Palin. The Palin the republicans "fell in love with" was reading a prepared speech from a teleprompter. Are they suggesting that person was the real Palin?

[Peg head Pete]

Unless I'm mistaken (and I don't think that I am), there were several candidates participating in the 2006 AK gubernatorial debates -- at least in the one I saw. This particular confab looked and sounded more like a coffee klatsch chat around a kitchen table than a real debate. Tomorrow's debate is a one-on-one with a pretty shrewd and experienced debator - Joe Biden. My bet is that, in his long career, Biden has come up against more than a few Sarah Palins -- they're called right-wing Republicans and he'll know how to deal.


The Palin/McCain Campaign continue to go the trough, slurping up and belching out the same tired old Republican/Rightwing Christian clichés and talking points their ilk have been noising abroad for the past 30 years (tax and spend liberals, cut and run, death tax, marriage is between a man and a woman, etc., etc...) . I'm optimistic that these "psycholinguistic bon mots" have finally become as vapid, tiresome, intellectually barren and banal to the majority of Americans as they have to me for lo these many years.

As for S.P.'s statements to Couric about Joe's longevity in the Senate and her being the one with the "fresh ideas", I say, same old soup in a new bowl.

[Memnoch]

She stole Reagan's "there you go again" line....

The symbolism of the flute video shouldn't be lost on us. She truly is McCain's Pied Piper, leading the rats down the road.

[BarackMarley]

Apparently Newt Gingrich and George Will don't share you opinion. They called her a huge, avoidable gamble.

Watch the footage here
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/gingrich-and-will-call-palin-huge-gamble/