Palin will be able to come out swinging...Biden has to step lightly due to his clear intellectual advantage over Palin. If Biden were debating Hillary Clinton it would be a true intellectual battle. Palin will be able to be scrappy and attack but Biden will not. Why not? I wish he would apply the same rules that she will be able to play by.

This is not going to be a fair debate...because Biden is going to be held back by Sarah's clear intellectual disadvantages.

Let's just hope Biden answers clearly and stays on target. If he allows Sarah to be herself she will knock herself out.

I agree with Jack. This woman is a complete idiot. She is fine when she is on script and on talking points. But if she has to speak off the cuff on anything, she shows her complete ignorance and makes a complete fool of herself. It scares the hell out of me that anyone can seriously consider her for any office. She is someone who has obviously faked her way through her career. And now we should make her VP ... and possibly president? I hope Joe Biden takes her to school tonight and exposes her for what she is -- an absolute nobody.

National exposure is what has helped America discover just how ill-conceived this whole notion of her selection for the Republican ticket. The more she opens her mouth, the more Americas see how utterly silly she is. November is going to be a tidal wave of blue voting. We've endured eight years of Bush's leaderless style and corrupt effect on our country-NO MORE! We've had enough. Republicans are TOAST.

Palin can do passably well with prepared, scripted remarks in front of a favorable audience who probably would have applauded wildly if she'd belched the national anthem.

This is, perhaps, why McCain supporters were so eager to promote the 'no teleprompter' story after the convention. It would show that she has the chops to wing it and speak extemporaneously.

The interviews with Katie Couric show that she's anything but capable of speaking to a live audience. She can't even handle softball questions.

Predictions for tonight's debate:

1. If Sarah has her hair over her ears, you will see a fairly coherent set of responses to the questions, and she will hesitate a few seconds after each question before she answers - she'll appear to be thinking about the question, but she will really be listening to the voice in her earpiece.

2. If Sarah's hair is behind her ears, look for her to use stock, scripted answers to every question, whether they actually apply or not - she will have memorized a set of responses, and won't dare deviate from those answers.

3. If she manages to speak reasonably coherently, and doesn't drool all over herself, watch the repubs claim that she won by a huge margin.

Nobody actually takes this stunted, thunderously stupid bint seriously.

But they have to PRETEND they do. It's called preserving the appearances ("saving face").

But nobody in a position of power will spill the beans, and reveal that the selection of Palin was a mere cynical ploy designed to add "plausible deniability" to the McC(umst)ain campaign strategy: Give white voters a reason ot to vote for the Kneegrow..."

Biden debating Palin?

She'd lose to a Fifth-grader.

woody, tokin librul @ 14:

Biden debating Palin?

She'd lose to a Fifth-grader.

You're insulting all the kids in third and fourth grade.

I have a Palin story to share. Yesterday my husband was at a business meeting. He was in Florida's most conservative area. There was a female attorney present. During a break, she and my husband struck up a conversation. Somehow politics became the subject of the conversation. The lady said she and her family had voted republican all their lives but this year she would be voting for Obama because McCain had insulted her. She said by his choice of Palin, he had insulted all women. She said Palin was a horrible example of women today. She said if McCain thought Palin was the best Republican to replace him in case something happened to him, it showed her his judgment was reckless and thoughtless.

Hey, woody, I think you just insulter my fourth grader's debating skills. Have a nice day!

you just watch what you say about palin. john mccain has got his earhorn out.

.....or, Biden should kill her with kindness. He should begin by sympathizing with Palin on how the media waits like attack dogs for flubs and how being under the public microscope can be daunting and tiresome. Biden should then say that he believes Palin is doing well and he is honored to have the opportunity to meet and debate a person with such poise and personality.
Thereby yanking the rug from under Palin. After Biden says that, anything mean Sarah says will be seen as bitchy and that's how she will be viewed. Biden will be seen as a grandfatherly gentleman. Someone McCain will never be.

L&L@5 I don't think that those who think there are few differences between the parties are necessarily trolls.

I am an independent, and the Democratic Party has been frustrating the hell out of me.

Even though I realize that the Democratic majority is scant, I would like to see them make more noise about the issues that have hurt us.

And, yes, the Republicans have set a record for filibustering in the last two years, but why haven't the Dems raised holy hell about it?

This bailout business would be a good place for the Dems to make a stand for the reinstitution of oversight, regulation and a remedy for people who are losing their homes.

But I'm not hearing anything about that, except from my old Cleveland homey, Dennis Kucinich. We need more like him!

People are hurting, angry and longing for an end to all of this Corporate/Republican misrule.

Angry people have a tendency to lash out.

It's Palins "Gidget" personality that has catapulted her to the status of the worlds most talked about woman.

oops, er, "insulteD" that'll teach me to hit spell check in the early hours. But honestly, my boy (youngest of four, but none plays hockey) is more articulate and has a significantly more expansive vocabulary than our "friend" Sarah Palin. (He probably wouldn't know what "fungible" means, however. I'm not sure I do either.)

We got the Gubberment we deserved.

I don't care much for either Biden or Palin to be honest.

Dale @ 17:

Biden should ignore Palin and go after McCain.

ya...treat her like a non person and get ripped as a sexist

do you always drink so early in the morning?

what biden will do is talk on the issues, and i do hope that he is careful not to ramble

shoot, even mccaskill admitted that biden at times says stupid stuff....which is why i didnt want the guy

he cannnot be condescending....

and yes, he should engage her at the appropriate moments

uncle joe mccarthy @ 36:

Dale @ 17:

Biden should ignore Palin and go after McCain.

do you always drink so early in the morning?

Unnecessary.

McCain / Palin are the worse. Makes Dan Quayle look like Werner von Braun.

Snip . . . .

Sarah Palin's real coup is that she brings out the snobbery of the left in their dismissal of her as an ignorant hick typical of small town red state America. They vastly underestimate her. Just like they have underestimated George Bush for the past eight years. While they laughed, George Bush managed to get everything he wanted and assist the looting of America in his spare time. No matter that he is vastly unpopular now even among Republicans. He has fulfilled his purpose to the powerful corporations and financial institutions that animate American politics.

Avenger@39 Where's the opposition party?

This is why one hears the term, "Republicrats."

45 rick street Says: I liked the “wind-up doll” comparison the best to describe palin.

Not blow up?

Dale @ 24

Brilliant strategy! I hope Biden uses it.

Mick Piobr@26
Nothing is absolute Mick. But the theory tossed around that this election is a "flip of a coin" is fostered by the GOP and trolls. It's a ploy to bring Obama down to their level. Grandpa and his worthless henchwoman are simply proof that in this election there is no way that is true.

Oh and good morning LA Confidential,
I see you brought your usual cup of piss and extreme negativity with you.

pacioccone @ 23:

Dale @ 17:

Biden should ignore Palin and go after McCain.

Exactly. THAT'S how he will win the debate. Ignore her. She is dumber than a box of hair.

Then he'd be called sexist ... in fact it likely doesn't matter what he does he'll be called sexist.

pissed off patricia @ 18:

I have a Palin story to share. Yesterday my husband was at a business meeting. He was in Florida's most conservative area. There was a female attorney present. During a break, she and my husband struck up a conversation. Somehow politics became the subject of the conversation. The lady said she and her family had voted republican all their lives but this year she would be voting for Obama because McCain had insulted her. She said by his choice of Palin, he had insulted all women. She said Palin was a horrible example of women today. She said if McCain thought Palin was the best Republican to replace him in case something happened to him, it showed her his judgment was reckless and thoughtless.

I'm up working in Winter Park (FL) in very rightwing Orange County for a few days. While hardly a scientific barometer, Obama yard signs and bumper stickers outnumber Gramps' signs by at least 2 to 1. Just sayin'...

Hidden in that word salad on the Court; Simple Sarah is now programmed with the rightwing hook for bigots down south since Andrew Johnson. With a nod and wink to racists, States' Rights is the dodge to win votes and influence ballots. `The states should decide about such private matters as lynching.' She now says the states should decide, and hopes to ease the Roe misgivings of the dumber of the Hillirarybillies so they come along and sing the song and join the jamboree.

JohnnyThief @ 27:

I love the whole 'if the American people bless us with this job' thing.

No one is 'blessing' you, you rube. We are not 300,000,000 priests or holy people. We are not 300,000,000 little gods. We are people. If you get in, it's because about 500,000 racist rednecks who have never read the Bible but grew up on 'christian' hate speech bumrushed you in because they'd rather die than vote for a black man.

AMEN BROTHER!

She's a damn witch hunter. Everything is fighting for the Lord for her. Someone should remind her that we're voting, not casting spells.

WTF

Biden should ignore Palin and go after McCain.

I think he can effectively go after both.

I would love to hear Biden mention McCain & Palin's palpable hostility towards the press/media and if they can't handle a little criticism from the them how the hell are they going to be able to effectively deal with other govenrments and countries??

Palin is a walking, talking exhibit "A" for the bumper sticker:

If you think Education is expensive, try Ignorance!

Don't underestimate this woman. She'll shiv you in the back all the while smiling that syrupy sweet smile. She's the Machiavellian housewife, make no mistake.

I hope more than anything she flubs up on this debate, but from what I've seen of the Alaska debates, she took control and made her opponents look downright stupid.

Biden is up to the task, but he better not think this is a cake-walk.

fastfeat @ 57:

pissed off patricia @ 29:

Here's how it goes.
If Biden is in any way pleasant to her, they will say he was patronizing.
If Biden speaks back to her, they will say he was bullying her.

If she doesn't wet her pants, have a nervous breakdown on the stage and start reeling off a string of curse words, they will say she was victorious.

This is why Biden should use his time to knock McCane, not Palin. He should smile, make eye contact with her, etc, but direct his attacks at McCane, not her. Make her seem as irrelevant as she truly is, and force her to "chase after" him with her vacuous words so that she stupidly tries to get the focus on herself, to her own detriment.

I don't know, you don't want to seem like you don't take women seriously. I think first he needs to show what a complete idiot she is (or at least let her do it herself), then he can attack McCain.

I seriously doubt that she'll have to do anything except recite 30 second speeches that she's memorized, so she'll probably be fine.

what i hate is that my country has given itself the opportunity to elect such a fucking airhead. John, you seriously suck.

L&L@50 I basically agree with you; it is NOT a coin toss - especially when one thinks about the future of the SCOTUS.

I just get the impression that people would like to see more action (think Kucinich)and less talk (think Conyers) from the Dems.

AndrewK @ 61:

rick street @ 45:

I liked the "wind-up doll" comparison the best to describe palin. I think Joe should kill her with facts and smiles. Nothing personal or religious, let the ads do that. Biden should just use his folksy charm and basically say in response to anything palin says: "that's nice, but here are the facts..."

Nah, just soft ball her for specifics. Seriously. If she says she likes to bake cookies don't ask her about the grade of flour she uses, ask her if she uses butter, lard, or margarine. If she says she participates in trade missions to Russia, don't ask about trade rules, ask her what her involvement as governor. Just gingerly feed the rope out to Palin and give nothing to the people who want to whine about gotcha questions, and how it's unfair that Palin is expected to know everything.

Yes, i agree, if you give her enough rope, she'll do the rest. I'd like to hear Ifill or biden, in response to her glittering generalities, say "Could you elaborate on that?"

L.A. Confidential @ 34:

I don't care much for either Biden or Palin to be honest.

During the John Bolton nomination hearings Biden was impressive. Biden as well as Dodd, Kennedy, Boxer, Republican Lincoln Chaffee, were so pissed that Bolton and the Bush administration were continuing to hold back the NSA intercepts that they were demanding and have a Congressional responsibility to review. I thought Biden was going to jump over the desk and rip Bolton's jugular out. These intercepts "allegedly" have to do with Bolton's internal spying on Colin Powell and members at the UN. Sidney Blumenthal has written about this in this article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/28/usa.comment
The good soldier's revenge

"In Colin Powell's battle to block Bush's nominee to the UN, far more is at stake than John Bolton's unsuitability
The Bolton confirmation hearings have revealed his constant efforts to undermine Powell on Iran and Iraq, Syria and North Korea. They have also exposed a most curious incident that has triggered the administration's stonewall reflex. The foreign relations committee has discovered that Bolton made a highly unusual request and gained access to 10 intercepts by the National Security Agency, which monitors worldwide communications, of conversations involving past and present government officials. Whose conversations did Bolton secretly secure and why?

Staff members on the committee believe that Bolton was probably spying on Powell, his senior advisers and other officials reporting to him on diplomatic initiatives that Bolton opposed. If so, it is also possible that Bolton was sharing this top-secret information with his neoconservative allies within the Pentagon and the vice-president's office, with whom he was in daily contact and who were known to be working in league against Powell.

If the intercepts are released they may disclose whether Bolton was a key figure in a counter-intelligence operation run inside the Bush administration against the secretary of state, who would resemble the hunted character played by Will Smith in Enemy of the State. Both Republican and Democratic senators have demanded that the state department, which holds the NSA intercepts, turn them over to the committee. But Rice so far has refused. What is she hiding by her cover-up?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biden also really hammered Condi "mushroom cloud" Rice when she was being moved to the Secretary of the State position.

Biden also voted against the recent warmongering Kyl/Lieberman amendment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npzN3dZR6JM

You think the Republican ticket didn't know this about her? HA! They had hoped to keep Palin out of the public eye long enough to slip her in under the door. Why do you think they kept her away from the media for so long!!!

Couric has done a Yeoman's job and all the heavy lifting for the media on Palin's qualifications by her allowing Palin enough rope to choke herself with. (Especially with the self-censored media since Maureen Dowd got thrown off the Double-Speak Express Plane.)

I have a feeling this will be a heavily watched debate - not because anyone thinks she can actually pull it off, but because so many people will enjoy watching her fall on her cute little face.
Unless of course, she decides to bail.
And is it legal for her to wear an earbud? Wouldn't that be the first thing you would demand as a guideline for the debate, that the debaters actually have to come up with their own answers? I mean, I know GWB did it, but obviously that doesn't make it right...

Jobless claims at a 7 year high. How do you think McCain will spin that?

Joe needs to simply treat her as he would any man he might be running against. Call her on her mistakes and profit from them when possible.

As a woman, I've met Sarah Palin a thousand times....most of us have. She's gotten by on cute her entire life. She was, undoubtedly, popular, sought after and an average student. But people cut her a lot of slack because she was smiley, pleasant and had sex appeal. None of this is wrong. It's not even wrong for a woman in politics....if she wants to be the mayor of a town of 7000. It is wrong for a possible President of the United States who has been allowed to wing it for a lifetime. We need a little bit more than cute and perky to run the country in these troubling times.

I believe that tonight Sarah Palin will be the "October Suprise". I predict that tonight she will announce that she has her own economic plan that will be a comprehensive, never-ending, ever flowing, three dimentional approach that will ensure health care for all, job creation,good crops in the field and.........world peace. A true reformer.

Kathy@82, You are right. I went to school with a lot of Palins, You know the preppie types who always had money for cheerleading and and the adoration of the Teachers and Priciples. I ,on the other hand, was a burn-out who unfortunity was poor. The Jocks and the Preps ran the school, The other kids were treated like dirt. Reminds me of the 'Breakfast Club'.

78 P.D. Says: Jobless claims at a 7 year high. How do you think McCain will spin that?
_________________________________________________________________

People spending more time with their families.

She may have been a good debater when running for governor, but she knew the issues. She gave a good speech at the GOP, but that was written FOR her. She comes across as giving an answer to an oral exam that she crammed all night for but can't remember. She's being coached not for performance but to remember what the GOP/McCain positions are -- and she's not remembering very well. If she had real opinions, she wouldn't be giving these roundabout answers that say NOTHING! It was glaringly clear that Katie Couric knew more about the topics and Sarah hadn't even thought about them. If she has to be told what her talking points are, she's not qualified. She's pulling on the hipwaders and giving a wordy response that says NOTHING.

pissed off patricia @ 65:

Noah @ 47:

McCain says the election is about judgment.

If it was Christian fundamentalists that selected his running mate, McCain abdicated his responsibility, and he fails because of his lack of judgment. If it was actually McCain who selected Palin, he fails because of his poor judgment.

McCain who, according to him, spent five and a half years as a POW and would not reveal anything to his captors, now will go against his better judgment and bend to the demands of the religious right, in order to attain the highest office in the land. Why does he cave so easily today when he wouldn't do it 40+ years ago? I would like to ask him that very question.

His nickname in the Hanoi Hiliton was "song bird."

A military "hero" does not rush like a madman to seal his military records. Much less screw the MIA families like he did a while ago.

So let's stop with the whole "military hero" that has somehow fallen from grace BS. Is it so hard for people to tell it like it is: That McCain has been a douche from way back?

New James Bond plot, mad scientist reprograms the world's voting machines to vote in Homer Simpson.

You've painted up your lips and rolled curled your tinted hair
Ruby are you contemplating standing on a chair
The shadows on the wall tell me your campaign's going down
Oh Ruby. You're such a fucking clown

"brown man thinking hard" on racial animosity and obama:

Talking about race in America is uncomfortable. It calls into question a person's own sense of morality. It forces people to examine closely all those inequities we have learned to rationalize instead of challenge. The Obama campaign strategists seemed to anticipate this right up front, devising as the backbone of their game plan what they call a "grass roots" organizing strategy. But what I see is really more of a hybrid of community organizing tenets and multi-level marketing techniques that has traded, from the beginning, on the power of personal relationships between individuals to build what is probably the largest peer-to-peer network we ever seen dedicated to a political pursuit.

http://simplifythepositive.blogspot.com/2008/10/afraid-of-dark-racial-an...

91 STP Says: She may have been a good debater when running for governor, but she knew the issues. She gave a good speech at the GOP, but that was written FOR her. She comes across as giving an answer to an oral exam that she crammed...

_________________________________________________________________

sarah probably spends a lot of time with oral exams and cramming.

99 P.D. Says: ysbad@89, LOL! It’s like episode of the Simpsons whan the reacter core was ready to explode and Mr. Burns said, “I wouldn’t call this a meltdown, I call it an unexpected Fusion excelleration.”
_________________________________________________________

Although Montgomery Burns says exxxxcellent alot, I believe he said acceleration.

Mick Piobr @ 81:

fastfeat@54 Same thing in Phoenix AZ. The city, that is; haven't been to the outback lately.

I see more McCain bumperstickers on out-of-state cars. Not scientific, but encouraging at least.

My mom (white) and her new husband (black) live in rural Yavapai County, AZ, just a few miles from Sedona, AZ. She says that even there, their neighbors and friends at least, think that their "native son" is not their choice for Pres either.

You've painted up your lips and rolled AND curled your tinted hair
Ruby are you contemplating standing on a chair
The shadows on the wall tell me your campaign's going down
Oh Ruby. You're such a fucking clown.

Apologies to Mell Tillis

Tyler Durden @ 92:

pissed off patricia @ 65:

Noah @ 47:

McCain says the election is about judgment.

If it was Christian fundamentalists that selected his running mate, McCain abdicated his responsibility, and he fails because of his lack of judgment. If it was actually McCain who selected Palin, he fails because of his poor judgment.

McCain who, according to him, spent five and a half years as a POW and would not reveal anything to his captors, now will go against his better judgment and bend to the demands of the religious right, in order to attain the highest office in the land. Why does he cave so easily today when he wouldn't do it 40+ years ago? I would like to ask him that very question.

His nickname in the Hanoi Hiliton was "song bird."

A military "hero" does not rush like a madman to seal his military records. Much less screw the MIA families like he did a while ago.

So let's stop with the whole "military hero" that has somehow fallen from grace BS. Is it so hard for people to tell it like it is: That McCain has been a douche from way back?

Just to set the record straight, I prefaced my comment with the phrase, "according to him". I didn't say it was gospel.

Tyler Durden @ 107:

StirFry @ 105:

Oh man ....

McCain : Five and half years
Palin: Five and half babies

coincidence?? They are "the one !"

Didn't Cheney have like 5 deferments too? LOL

Guys, poor taste here with the talk about the baby. You can do better. She has plenty wrong with her without using that.

Don't tell me that nobody is THAT dumb... We have 8 years of solid evidence, that someone EXACTLY that dumb can still win an election.

STP @ 91:

She may have been a good debater when running for governor, but she knew the issues. She gave a good speech at the GOP, but that was written FOR her. She comes across as giving an answer to an oral exam that she crammed all night for but can't remember. She's being coached not for performance but to remember what the GOP/McCain positions are -- and she's not remembering very well. If she had real opinions, she wouldn't be giving these roundabout answers that say NOTHING! It was glaringly clear that Katie Couric knew more about the topics and Sarah hadn't even thought about them. If she has to be told what her talking points are, she's not qualified. She's pulling on the hipwaders and giving a wordy response that says NOTHING.

I have seen some footage of her Alaskan debates, and she wasn't that great.

Her speech at the GOP convention was horrific.

The expectations in this country are running really low. Let's be clear: being able to enunciate properly does not make a great speech. She is an incompetent buffoon which has not a single redeeming feature, since that woman Palin is rotten to the core. She needs to be squashed, period.

Karin Byars @ 111:

Walrus@75

Yes, the campaign is deceptive but we expect that from the likes of Smith. Palin is not Mensa material but she is not as dumb as she comes across in the interviews.

The part that is disturbing is that a evening news anchor will pass of this farce as news. Catie Couric should be run out of the business for that, as should CBS. Can you imagine Walter Kronkite pulling a stunt like that?

McCain is a gambler and he may well think that Palin will stop his decline if she goes in to the debate as Bozo the clown and comes out as Joan of Arc.

If he would gamble on something like that, that would explain why he has to live off his wife's money.

Jo @ 115:

pissed off patricia @ 33:

Every time Palin opens her mouth, she makes me feel smarter.

Best comment of the day!

Thanks Jo, but it is the honest truth.

What are the odds of Sawah being pre-menstrual today? Is there an algorithm?

pissed off patricia @ 108:

Tyler Durden @ 92:

pissed off patricia @ 65:

Noah @ 47:

McCain who, according to him, spent five and a half years as a POW and would not reveal anything to his captors, now will go against his better judgment and bend to the demands of the religious right, in order to attain the highest office in the land. Why does he cave so easily today when he wouldn't do it 40+ years ago? I would like to ask him that very question.

His nickname in the Hanoi Hiliton was "song bird."

A military "hero" does not rush like a madman to seal his military records. Much less screw the MIA families like he did a while ago.

So let's stop with the whole "military hero" that has somehow fallen from grace BS. Is it so hard for people to tell it like it is: That McCain has been a douche from way back?

Just to set the record straight, I prefaced my comment with the phrase, "according to him". I didn't say it was gospel.

No worries, I wasn't directing my comment at you. I am just massively pissed that the buffoon McCain gets to piggyback himself on the shoulders of real heroes to further his political career.

I am just amazed about how much mileage this SOB has been able to gather from being captured by the enemy.

Maggie @ 119:

I'm betting the hair will be down and covering the ear piece. Please check for the bulge in the back!

Their disingenuous attacks and Gwen Ifell make me ill. Gwen is a journalist not an info"babe". and there are damn few of them left in this country. Lay off. They have known for several months that Gwen was writing a book.

That and the Fact that ALL Journalist write books make the whole idea of Gwen not being suited very stupid and playing to the Moron Factor.
Gwen book is not out in publication yet either.

Jo @ 115:

pissed off patricia @ 33:

Every time Palin opens her mouth, she makes me feel smarter.

Best comment of the day!

This is her greatest weapon.
Murkins (by and large, and some present company excluded) are so conscious of the inferiority of their educations and the parochiality of their lives that they'll FLOCK to a cndidate who makes 'em feel smart.

The size of Murka's (innate) international inferiority complex is reflected by the size of the compensatory strategy, Murkin "Exceptionalism..."

At which USers are really only surpassed by the (far more circumspect, far less celebratory) Japanese and Chinese...

I.e., we're not #1 in Olympic Gold medals--that's China--=but we ARE #1 in second and third place finishes...EWE ASS AYY!

☺☻Bangkok Bob☻☺ @ 124:

Maggie @ 119:

I'm betting the hair will be down and covering the ear piece. Please check for the bulge in the back!

Their disingenuous attacks and Gwen Ifell make me ill. Gwen is a journalist not an info"babe". and there are damn few of them left in this country. Lay off. They have known for several months that Gwen was writing a book.

That and the Fact that ALL Journalist write books make the whole idea of Gwen not being suited very stupid and playing to the Moron Factor.
Gwen book is not out in publication yet either.

And thanks to the McCain campaign, Ifill is getting tons of free advertisement for her book. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Relevant movie quotes:

"When you first entered the restaurant, I thought you were handsome... and then, of course, you spoke."

"The best thing you have going for you is your willingness to humiliate yourself."

Tyler Durden @ 79:

Karin Byars @ 67:

I am going to say it again, NOBODY is that dumb. These interviews are scripted to make Couric increase her ratings and allow Palin to lower debate expectations.

Couric is not saving the world, she is saving her ass and her job. Palin is playing dumb so she can shock and awe us tonight. Why would the McCain campaign let her go off like that? Do you think she is alone with Couric? There are 20 little Rove clones hovering right off camera.

Have we dumbed down so severely that we swallow that shit?

You are giving the GOP too much credit. They are *THAT* dumb...

They are also psychotic too, do not miss lack of conscience with smarts....

The whole "setup" thing Karin proposes is a possibility, but if it's not and she really does end up giving equally bad answers during the debate, her fundamentalist base won't care a whit. They want someone just like themselves that goes to their kind of church and gives all the "right" answers...stands for the same "values" as they do. Anybody more well versed or with "too much book learning" or experience is just one of those hated "elitists!"

Maggie @ 125:

pissed off patricia @ 116:

Karin Byars @ 111:

Walrus@75

Yes, the campaign is deceptive but we expect that from the likes of Smith. Palin is not Mensa material but she is not as dumb as she comes across in the interviews.

The part that is disturbing is that a evening news anchor will pass of this farce as news. Catie Couric should be run out of the business for that, as should CBS. Can you imagine Walter Kronkite pulling a stunt like that?

McCain is a gambler and he may well think that Palin will stop his decline if she goes in to the debate as Bozo the clown and comes out as Joan of Arc.

If he would gamble on something like that, that would explain why he has to live off his wife's money.

He actually said on MOrning Joe's "that's why I'm not a rich man"........WTF

So he admits he makes bad decisions? Not a smart move for a guy who is running for president.

When he was on Fox and Friends this morning he said he suspended his campaign while he went to DC to try to fix the bailout mess. He also said he pulled all his ads during that time. He did not! I saw his approved ads on tv during the "suspension"

karen marie @ 131:

i expect any minute that the brilliant defenders of palin are going to rise up and demand that the selection of president and vice president in future be done through a lottery -- the name of every citizen be placed in the hat and the winner is announced and sworn in on january 21st.

imagine the excitement this would generate! everyone would be on the lookout for the white-house-prize patrol! you too can be president!

Considering the slide in the value of the dollar, it might be better than waiting for the Publishers Clearinghouse check...

liberalNmoderation @ 127:

I think that no matter what the outcome of tonights debate, the McSpain/Plain camp will declare victory.
Even if she gets her ass handed to her.
Who knows, she may save herself from looking like a complete buffoon...but so what?
Biden is going to be very professional, and the BEST thing he can do is let her run her mouth.
She will put put her foot in her mouth quite a few times before the debate is over.
I, myself, will be gettin a six pack, lightin a spliff, and kickin back and enjoy watching Biden watching Palin make an ass of herself.
This will be an historic debate folks.

Lib, Same thing I will be doing, but not a spliff, buying papers here is hard so I use my old Proto-Pipe from way back in my Berkeley days. So, Proto-Pipe, Box of Oreos, Ice cream in the fridge. It will be early in the morning for me, so no booze before breakfast.

120 Kate Says: What are the odds of Sawah being pre-menstrual today? Is there an algorithm?
___________________________________________________________________

Al Gore's a Baptist and doesn't dance

People might think he and Tipper are boinking standing up.

JM @ 132:

Tyler Durden @ 79:

Karin Byars @ 67:

I am going to say it again, NOBODY is that dumb. These interviews are scripted to make Couric increase her ratings and allow Palin to lower debate expectations.

Couric is not saving the world, she is saving her ass and her job. Palin is playing dumb so she can shock and awe us tonight. Why would the McCain campaign let her go off like that? Do you think she is alone with Couric? There are 20 little Rove clones hovering right off camera.

Have we dumbed down so severely that we swallow that shit?

You are giving the GOP too much credit. They are *THAT* dumb...

They are also psychotic too, do not miss lack of conscience with smarts....

The whole "setup" thing Karin proposes is a possibility, but if it's not and she really does end up giving equally bad answers during the debate, her fundamentalist base won't care a whit. They want someone just like themselves that goes to their kind of church and gives all the "right" answers...stands for the same "values" as they do. Anybody more well versed or with "too much book learning" or experience is just one of those hated "elitists!"

I think Karin MAY be right, but I think the possibility of them sandbagging this whole time would be pretty damn difficult to pull off...
She has done ok in in previous debates in Alaska, with candidates most in the lower 48 have never heard of.
She's not dumb, at least I'm pretty sure she's not a complete moron anyway.
But she's not gonna be debating a novice politician here...she may be sly and snarky, and able to spew touching stories that mean something in Alaska.
She's not in Alaska, and Biden is not some small time politician who can be cowed by Palin.
Also...don't forget who the moderator is...she's not gonna be pitching softball questions to Palin. Or Biden for that matter.

possible gotcha question for ifill...

governor palin, we don't mean to belabor the point, but, NOW can you tell us some of the journals you get your news from, a supreme court decision you take issue with other than roe v wade, or perhaps any specific piece of legislation that john mccain has worked on that, well, at all? did you get a chance to bone up on which journals it is that you read so much? how is you're going to keep an eye on russia now since, thanks to you, they've put up a privacy fence?

I just watched video footage of the Couric's interview with Palin on Roe v. Wade, then Couric's interview with Biden.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

I cannot even begin to describe how incompetent she appears next to Biden. Biden did not ramble. He was clear and concise in his responses and showed honest conviction. Palin rambled incoherently, then spouted off her talking points when stumped to come up with another Supreme Court decision. "As a Governor and a Mayor and God-willing if I am so priviledged to be Vice-President". Oy-vey.

I agree now. All Biden needs to do is show up.

liberalNmoderation @ 127:

I think that no matter what the outcome of tonights debate, the McSpain/Plain camp will declare victory.
Even if she gets her ass handed to her.
Who knows, she may save herself from looking like a complete buffoon...but so what?
Biden is going to be very professional, and the BEST thing he can do is let her run her mouth.
She will put put her foot in her mouth quite a few times before the debate is over.
I, myself, will be gettin a six pack, lightin a spliff, and kickin back and enjoy watching Biden watching Palin make an ass of herself.
This will be an historic debate folks.

I'm saving the doobie til after it's over.....It might take too long...all that pause and rewind...It would be 1AM before I finished watching the debate portion....but I will have a lemon drop martini to start!....I sure hope it's as much fun as I'm planning!

blootoo @ 144:

possible gotcha question for ifill...

governor palin, we don't mean to belabor the point, but, NOW can you tell us some of the journals you get your news from, a supreme court decision you take issue with other than roe v wade, or perhaps any specific piece of legislation that john mccain has worked on that, well, at all? did you get a chance to bone up on which journals it is that you read so much? how is you're going to keep an eye on russia now since, thanks to you, they've put up a privacy fence?

HA!
Good one!