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Note to Biden: Watch the 'Maturity Gap'
On Friday, Barack Obama went to debate on John McCain's home turf -- foreign policy (with a healthy dose of economic crisis) -- and every independent poll and focus group scored him as the winner. Why?
Each candidate got his points across. Policies were sketched out, neither with great detail. No one scored a decisive sound bite or became a befuddled mess. It was a draw on substance; style is another story.
McCain came off as antagonistic when sparring with Obama, making him look mean and angry. He seemed to refuse to look at his opponent much of the time, grew a smug smile and contorted his face when Obama said something he didn't like or agree with.
In contrast, Obama kept his chin up and fixed his stare on McCain when his opponent spoke. He didn't shift from foot-to-foot. His stance was steady -- almost like he was clenching, bracing himself. He was tough when returning McCain's lobs, but did it without the mockery McCain employed.
Obama seemed to listen to the things he didn't like to hear; McCain made faces and derided his opponent for not understanding. By the end, it was McCain who looked like the one who doesn't get it: Americans are tired of the taunter-in-chief model of George W. Bush. They want a president with some maturity -- not one who scoffs at those who disagree with him.
This is an important lesson for Joe Biden to take into his debate with Sarah Palin. This time Biden is in McCain's shoes -- times twenty. If some Americans are unsure of Obama, you better believe they doubt whether Palin is ready.
It's likely that Palin will come into the debate armed with one-liners and hope of scoring a killer blow. And -- as she has in her three solo television interviews -- chances are she will fail to effectively employ them. So, a debate with Palin filibustering her answers with stilted rhetoric and Biden talking about specifics and objectives is probably what most expect to see when they tune in on Thursday night.
If these expectations are met, how they carry themselves could be the deciding factor. Luckily for Biden, Palin will easily slip into sarcasm and condescension, as that's the nature of her most popular lines on the stump. Biden can look even more like the mature statesmen if he takes his cue from Obama on this one.
Maybe McCain feared that if he treated Obama as an equal, he would validate his standing? Maybe McCain is just angry by nature? Either way, his condescending debate performance only made himself look smaller. Biden should treat his disagreements with Palin with the collegiality he would give Senators Byrd or Kennedy. Listen closely. State your position forcefully. Win.
Follow John R. Bohrer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JRBwrites
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"how they carry themselves could be the deciding factor"
Absolutely. That's why Obama won their first debate even though all the pundits had said they thought McCain had. Pundits were paying attention to "points" and viewers, especially those undecideds, were paying attention to how they treated each other, how they spoke, how they attacked, how they responded to attacks. In the absence of any huge and blaring warning bells against one or the other, that's what we really pay attention to. In that respect, McCain REALLY blew it, and I have a feeling that the Obama/Biden folks are very aware of this. That's why they've been going on record stating that they've seen debate video of Palin's and that she's a very able debater and politician. They are very aware that if they come off as treating with anything less than respect for her deserving to be where she it, it works again. Now...if they actually BELIEVE it...that's another story!
I'm still not sold on John McCain making a mistake in selecting Sarah Palin. I still think it's a set up. Sarah Palin cannot be as densed as she's pretending to be. No one's that stupid. I think the McCain campaign is just letting the negative comments and sarcastic talking heads build up and from no where, she'll deliver a knock out punch in the debates followed by a John McCain surprise big political
news (run into a burning building to save a baby, another war, grey panther rally, etc.). Like I said, Alice in Wonderland has been levitating since her VP announcement. Somethings up?
As they've done time and time again, the McCain campaign is INTENTIONALLY trying to set expectations low for Palin going into the debate with Biden. So that she can easily exceed them! Just like what happened at the convention. Just like what happened last week with McCain's tom-foolery--expectations were set low going into the debate and so he easily exceeded them. America loves underdogs! America loves to see comebacks and will strain to make it happen. Biden should ignore the interview with Couric etc. because he's going to get a different woman on Thursday. This is all calculated. Don't take the bait, Dems.
www.getforward.blog.com
Rethugs have set the bar for Caribou Barbie so low that if she doesn't break into tears on the stage, the MSM will consider her the winner.
Biden does need to be careful not to lecture her, just to crisply and specifically point out the differences in policy andor any lies she delivers. I think for the most part speaking directly to her to point out the differences would be a mistake, I would take the approach of speaking directly to the electorate.
If Joe is relaxed, informed, ready with specifics (but not dull), and focuses on the differences between McCain (ready only for more of the same) and Obama (ready for the 21st Century), he will "win." Palin's "performance" (and everyone knows that's all she can hope for, a performance) will be irrelevant if Joe comes across as genuine and helps viewers focus on what matters most. "Performance" versus reality, fiction versus fact, the past versus the future. That's the ticket.
The very fact that Libs hate Sarah Palin proves beyond any reasonable doubt that she was the right choice.
As for Biden (who the heck was he?), here's the joke:
Obama wins the elections and on 1/20/09 walks Michelle into the presidential bedroom of the WH.
She looks around and asks:
"Honey, why is there a spare twin bed in OUR bedroom?"
"Oh, that's for Joe, sweetie", says Barak.
"?????????????????"
"Well, somebody needs to pick up the phone in case it rings at 3:00 am..."
This election isn't about jabs at who is wrong or right. It's about picking a Leader who will lead us through what will no doubt be one of the darkest and most difficult chapters in American history, enabling us to survive the aftermath of the complete disaster of the Bush administration. John McCain cannot do that, he cannot acknowledge that his party's policies of deregulation and war mongering have turned the United States of America into a second rate nation. The Neo-Con wet dream is over.
Biden will have a lot of defending to do when he debates Palin. Simply because Palin will not challenge his experience but Obama's. The good thing about this is Biden and Obama's position are in the same as compared to the father and daughter tandem. So it's easy to defend. Even in the abortion issue, Biden's position is more acceptable than Palin's. The bad thing is Palin will draw some ire from Biden and it may cause him to speak too much. Hopefully Biden would inject the coolness and patience that Obama has shown during the first debate.
The prefect strategy here is to let Palin speak. Let her destroy herself. Then he should educate her the finer points of foreign policy and legislative experience.
Palin is not an idiot, but she is woefully misinformed.
She doesn't even know the basics about foreign or domestic policy, or recent significant supreme court decisions. She'll hoist herself by her own pitard.
Let Joe be Joe.
Unfortunately, the bar is so low for Palin that the media will probably declare her as having done wonderfully if she walks out to the podium and doens't trip over the microphone chord.
'Just wanted to say that I agree with 96Bravo. Joe Biden doesn't need us to guide him through this.
Also, I was at the rally when he made the comment on Hillary possibly being a better pick. It was obvious the press would run with it the second he said it. Biden was responding to a disparaging comment made, by a member of the audience, about Hillary. He was being a gentleman and defending a friend. We should all be so lucky to have a friend like him.
As to Sarah Palin, I think she's been given enough rope. Thursday at appr. 10:30 eastern time we should see her dangling feet.
I agree with most of what you say.
The media have already forgotten what happened only 2 weeks ago - I hope Biden doesn't make the same mistake.
2 weeks ago the media discounted Palin as a lightweight. The Republicans responded by producing the perfect speech to be delivered just as perfectly by Palin. The low expectations amplified her success.
The media are making the same mistake again. They are dismissing Palin as an idiot after the Couric interview. Make no mistake, the Republicans will cosset her away, train her, give her cutting one liners, and make sure she is as prepared as she can be.
My hope is that her confidence has been so shot to pieces that she will fall apart in the debate. My fear is that Biden will produce intelligent well-considered answers, Palin will spout vacuous sound-bites propounding pride in her country and flag - the media will think Biden won, the public will think Palin did.
My advice to Biden:
Don't be scared to challenge Palin but do it sensitively. You can't allow her specious soundbites to go unchallenged but, as Obama showed, it is possible to take someone head on without appearing belligerent.
I don't believe Byden has anything to worry about during the debate. Neither gender, age, or beauty. After the example our dear House Majority Leader has set. No one watching the political seen would ever vote so that a Women could Ever again be drafted into a Powerful Position.
Biden should start off by saying that Governor Palin is the first clean, articulate and good looking , white- female candidate for VP. She could then respond by saying thank you and giving him some pointers on citing sources for papers and speeches.
No offense. But Biden doesn't really need our advice. He's a brilliant debater. He debated Hillary and Barack in the primaries and arguably won every single time. He said in recent interviews he has no interest in condescending or attacking Palin personally in their upcoming debate.
He'll do just fine. Let Joe be Joe.
Biden's best bet is to calmly ask her to defend McCain/Bush's record. That takes away the sting of sexism since he is primarily attacking McCain and Bush, but also exposes Palin as an idiot (because that's what you've got to be in order to defend the last 8 years).
I am anticipating that Palin will show up in full RNC, vicious pitbull attack mode. She will go after Biden with zippy one-liners about EVERYTHING from the FDR mistake to the plagiarism accusations. She might well throw in an attack on Barack Obama being a "secret Muslim" or a community organizer; she might attack Biden himself as a bad Catholic or go after something else in his personal life (don't think she'd stoop low enough to reference his family tragedy, if she's even aware of it, but she might mock the Amtrak stories or the Scranton references). Biden will have to gauge how much of it he allows to roll off his back, and how much of it he puts up with before the shark goes after the barracuda.
Well said.
I think we can surmise Biden's approach to his debate with Palin from the way he has answered questions about her from the media. Respectful in the extreme.
I think Joe Bidden should say "unfortunally this is not Sat. Night Live, this is real and the future of our country is at stake. The jokes are over and let's face it Sarah you are not VP material.
"I know Tina Fey, Tina Fey is a friend of mine, and YOU ARE NO TINA FEY!"
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