HOW ARE THE VP CANDIDATES PREPARING FOR THEIR DEBATE?

Catherine · **Posted:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:16 pm

How do ou think Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are preparing for their upcoming debate?

I figure Palin is getting measured for her wire....and the earpiece is being tested.

Catherine · **Posted:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:36 pm

[url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0908/The_Palin_defense_Biden_is_a_gaffe_machine.html]The Palin defense: Biden is a gaffe machine!
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Seeing a cariacture of a hapless Sarah Palin develop, McCain supporters are responding by not so much defending her as pointing out that Joe Biden makes lots of mistakes, too.

After showing the clip of Palin struggling to explain to Katie Couric the importance of Alaska's proximity to Russia, Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace asked of Lindsey Graham this morning: "What the heck was she talking about?

Graham, one of McCain's top allies in the Senate, quickly shifted focus to the other number two.

"But the truth is Joe [Biden] has said some things about FDR being on T.V.," Graham noted seizing on one of the Delaware senator's more recent gaffes. "He's right. These are human beings. She'll get better. She's very talented at what she's been asked to do in the past. She's been a really good governor."

Graham than sought to focus again on Biden before Wallace brought the subject back to Palin.

"She's going to have to show she's a valuable part of this team, that she's capable of the job, that she shares John's philosophy," Graham conceded.

But again, he used the Biden comparison, saying Palin shouldn't be judged only for the Couric debacle.

"If we're not going to judge Joe by one sound bite in one interview, which is fair to Joe, and we're not going to take a mistake that he's made and say that that's a death-defying blow, let's don't do it for her."

Joe Pounder, in the McCain Morning Update email to reporters, offered a similar tactic.

"If there was a 'Saturday Night Live' primary last night, Joe Biden lost because he wasn’t even mentioned despite some notable mistakes this week," Pounder wrote.

SNL, for the second time in three weeks, mocked Palin as being clueless.

dori · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:29 am

Yes, Joe has made some mistakes and every time I hear one I wince. But that doesn't take away from his experience--let's see, I believe he did do more than sit in an airplane in a foreigh country while it was refueled, right?

But then, he probably can't see Russia from his front porch.

Catherine · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:45 pm

McCain Campaign Attempts Palin Makeover

Sen. John McCain's campaign "moved its top officials inside Gov. Sarah Palin's operation Sunday to prepare for what is certain to be the most important event of her vice-presidential campaign: her debate on Thursday with Democrat Joe Biden," according to the Wall Street Journal.

Additionally, at the urging of McCain himself, Palin "will leave late Monday for his Arizona ranch to prepare for the high-stakes debate."

"The moves follow several shaky performances by Gov. Palin last week and come amid concern and grumbling from Republicans, and even a few queries from her husband, Todd Palin."

William Kristol: "I'm told McCain recently expressed unhappiness with his staff's handling of Palin. On Sunday he dispatched his top aides Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis to join Palin in Philadelphia. They're supposed to liberate Palin to go on the offensive as a combative conservative in the vice-presidential debate on Thursday

Read the comments at the link...

Catherine · **Posted:** Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:00 pm

IF any of you remember the debate between Dan Quayle and Sen. Lloyd Bentson in October, 1988 (GEEZ...almost 20 years ago!), you will recall Sen Bentson took Quayle down a notch or two when he said that Quayle was no Jack Kennedy.

Quayle's reaction to Bentsen's comment was played and replayed by the Democrats in their subsequent television ads as an announcer intoned: "Quayle: just a heartbeat away." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator,_y ... ck_Kennedy

I would love to see the Obama campaign put out a similar ad. Just imagine the impact it would have to have an ominous-sounding voice intoning "PALIN: Just a heartbeat away..." Nobody seeing such an ad would be able to forget that John McCain is 72 years old...and Palin isn't as smart as Dan Quayle!

Catherine · **Posted:** Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:13 pm

WHAT IT IS LIKE TO DEBATE SARAH PALIN

Former opponent says she's the master of the nonanswer.

Quote:

On April 17, 2006, Palin and I participated in a debate at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks on agriculture issues. The next day, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner published this excerpt:

"Andrew Halcro, a declared independent candidate from Anchorage, came armed with statistics on agricultural productivity. Sarah Palin, a Republican from Wasilla, said the Matanuska Valley provides a positive example for other communities interested in agriculture to study."

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.

"Andrew, 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.

Channel Zero · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:23 am

I understand that Ms. Palin keeps practicing --
* Dumb looking stares.
* The words, "Can I get back to you on that?"
* The comeback: "I know you are, I know you are, but what am I?"

HOW ARE THE VP CANDIDATES PREPARING FOR THEIR DEBATE?

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