Palin At Debate Refuses To Answer Question

A strange moment in the debate, where Sarah Palin refuses to answer if her ticket would have to pull back on some campaign promises in light of the financial crisis.

Ifill: "As Vice President, there's nothing you've promised as a candidate that you would take off the table because of this financial issue?"

Palin: "There is not, and how long have I been at this? Like five weeks?"

Comments

[spartanmom]

01:55 PM on 10/04/2008

"Massive oversight" !!!???

Is she promising complete re-regulation of the banking industry?

or

Is she saying that the American people are so cynical that they now expect the government to make the kinds of massive oversights that were the result of key regulatory positions being intentionally left unfilled?

[DonDavis]

12:19 PM on 10/04/2008

At Debate, Palin Admits a Candidate is Not Viable at Five Weeks
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=3739

[i approve this message]

03:42 PM on 10/03/2008

According to Andrew Halcro, someone who has actually debated Palin before,

"...she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality."

That's exactly the Sarah Palin we saw last night.

[SidStoic]

03:42 PM on 10/03/2008

If one wishes to speak at a town hall meeting, one may vary one's responses to how they wish. When one is at a debate with a moderator, one answers the questions asked, else it should be viewed as evasiveness.

What bothered me about Palin was here misunderstanding of the Legislative purview of the Vice President...a continued balking at the US Constitution in the vein of Cheney. Biden, however, offered a good response, citing the Constitution, and INFORMED Palin that the Vice President under Art. I may merely function as a tie-breaker in Congress, and NOT as a legislative extension of the Executive Branch. People...be wary! I am not a Democrat, but then I am also not an idiot. The McCain-Palin ticket offers some promise, but then has a scary edge to it. I shall definitely throw my lot at the Obama ticket...I simply cannot see how McCain & Co. will change the political atmosphere in this country, and it indeed must change!

[darnic]

03:41 PM on 10/03/2008

How about that winking, thinking she was fliritng with all the "Joe Six Packs" out there. Just what we need, a Vice-President who can't answer questions and resorts to flirting. Sarah, you are cute, but not that cute!

[spartanmom]

01:48 PM on 10/04/2008

Yeah, but do you think that Joe-Six-Pack's tired over-worked wife is going to appreciate it?

[blood1]

03:19 PM on 10/03/2008

What concerned me about the response of answering what she wanted and in the manner in which she felt it appropriate...consider if she was in a discussion with a foreign dignitary...and she gave that type of response...gee, I don't want to talk about what you want...I am only here to discuss what I want. America needs to re-build our standing in the world using diplomacy...I don't think that she understands that concept, as was displayed in her handling of those who did not agree with her ideas in Alaska ( fired them).

[philosopherkingtomas]

02:43 PM on 10/03/2008

from the New Republic:

Palin's final quote was from Ronald Reagan, warning that without vigilance, "you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free."

In fact, Reagan was not warning about a general lack of vigilance about freedom, he was warning what would happen if Medicare was enacted.

[FaceYourFears]

02:23 PM on 10/03/2008

Like, too long if you ask me....

[rayboston]

02:15 PM on 10/03/2008

I think this was a big misstep. She walked right into her own lack of experience.

But I really think she lost the audience when she came out and said she wasn't going to answer the questions. She added "the way you want me to," but people hate it when a politician doesn't answer questions. I can't see how that comment will help her.

[dva1946]

03:48 PM on 10/03/2008

And today, Sarah has now said "It was a mistake to pull out of Michigan". Do we have a little power struggle in the Palin-McCain Camp?

Guess if she does not get her way, she will take away the hockey puck and go home. No, no. Don't go home yet, as you are doing exactly what is need to finally finish off the Palin-McCain ticket.

[DCtrain]

02:00 PM on 10/03/2008

I wish that these debates had a panel of three judges just like "America has got Talent", and when the candidates deviate from the question, the judges can ring in with a big red X to stop the candidate dead in their tracks and after the debate, we could do a Gaffe count. Going off topic or not answering a question would then be scored as a major Gaffe --- bad for America.

[dva1946]

03:49 PM on 10/03/2008

I like that idea. When U run for VP (lol), we will do it.

[moonrider 73]

01:53 PM on 10/03/2008

I'll answer the question's, then John will tell what I really meant. If your really mean to me I won't buy your book next year, I'll buy someone else's to hold the door open.

[MJJM]

01:50 PM on 10/03/2008

When will the Main Stream Media get tired of her IGNORANCE and just tell their listeners and readers that she is to STUPID for any office.

We need all the help we can get to keep this woman away from the VP office!!

[dva1946]

03:59 PM on 10/03/2008

While I agree with what you say, I do think SARAH is going of fine job of proving her intellectual capacity.

That said, I was out to lunch today w/7 people, and everyone said "Sarah did great in the Debate". When I asked someone to tell me why she didn't answer questions, they did not have an answer.

Then I told everyone of them: I don't care how any of you vote, because Palin-McCain has lost Colorado already. Oops, no feedback. Also, probably only 3 of the 7 will vote.

In closing, Sarah keep up your good work - LOL.

[SunshineDaydream]

01:30 PM on 10/03/2008

nico - great job this morning. it was quite a shock to learn i am a commenter on the most evil website on the web. lmao.

as for sp - i found her extremely condescending. and like rachel said last night, would you rather have boring and factual or folksy and misleading? she seems to lack compassion, humility, and respect - and we've had a long eight years of that.

[dva1946]

04:03 PM on 10/03/2008

SP's ego is obvious. Blowing kisses, winking, wiggling her nose. Why didn't she come out in a cocktail dress, too.

The chick is clueless, and furthermore Alaska is starting to figure SP out, too. SP, when she returns to AK, will find out life will be a-changing.

[jadeba]

01:21 PM on 10/03/2008

Basically, she just admitted she isn't qualified for the job and doesn't know anything. Hopefully, one would come into the campaign with necessary information and knowledge and not have to learn it all in 5 weeks.

[dva1946]

04:03 PM on 10/03/2008

Again, it is all driven by SP's ego. And of course, First Dude's been stroking it for her, too.

[Blue in NH]

01:02 PM on 10/03/2008

By refusing to answer questions Sarah Palin demonstrates that she is eminently qualfied to be a member of a Republican adminstration. And she would change, or ignore, the Constitution to strengthen the role of the VP. Sound familiar?