1761

Sorry, I remain skeptical until I hear at least one heartfelt “WOLVERINES!” out of the woman.

1762

Seriously, our media is so fucking stupid sometimes.

This overblown fixation with the pregnant kid was completely the wrong angle to take. Now there’s this affair stuff, but that’s also something we need to drop. Conservatives are spitting mad at the media for this, and it’s playing into the GOP’s hands, because eventually, when the media eventually does get around to nailing her for something of substance, it’s just going to seem like yet another attack on her by the media.

Her entire central plank is that she’s a reformer, yet the media hasn’t called her out on her being Queen of Earmarks or being for the damn bridge that she’s been saying she was boldly against. Notice how she and McCain and the GOP keep repeating this, even though it’s completely false. Why? Because no one will actually, publicly, call them out for it. And until someone does, they’re going to keep trying to reinforce this image and try and drill it into the undecided voters’ minds. And it’s working!!!

Look, if the media nails her as an (alleged) adulterer, she’ll still be self-proclaimed MISS BOLD REFORMER. And, frankly, people will remember that Clinton proved that you could still be a pretty good prez even if you let your judgment go out the window when it came to a little sex on the side.

But if you rip out the central plank of her entire resume and prove that she’s not a reformer, then she’s just an (alleged) adulterer.

See the difference?

1763

Biden is fully capable of saying something winceworthy. And the lame way these debates are often moderated, Palin may well only have to know a discrete set of talking points to muddle through. And Kerry beat Bush in most of their debates and we still lost. Now, I want Obama/Biden to win, and frankly I think they will, but don’t count those debate chickens before they’re hatched.

Not for a second term.

I’d very much prefer they don’t even get a first, this time around.

1764

I thought that was funny.

But who would you rather have a VP – Sam the Eagle or Peggy Hill?

1765

I’m certainly not, but at the same time I think it’s safe to say that a strong showing from Palin in the debates will be surprising.

Good point on the Kerry/Bush debates, but I’m willing to bet Obama has the charisma to make his wins matter more than Kerry did. Then again, maybe success in the debates will just lose him ground with the people who don’t want to vote for him because they think he’s smarter than them. Er, sorry, I meant an elitist.

I’d very much prefer they don’t even get a first, this time around.

No kiddin’. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do if America hands itself back to the GOP after what’s happened in the last eight years. I’d like to have more faith in this country’s ability to perceive reality clearly.

1766

She reads following the text with her finger. As in, she has trouble remembering where her eyes were on the page before she looked up. She’ll be lucky if she can remember half the stuff she learns these next few weeks, and her rebuttals will likely make no sense at all.

1767

Pre-Palin, I kept announcing to my partner that we’re moving to Europe if McCain gets elected (maybe the Baldwins can give us a lift). Post-Palin I don’t know where we could move—antarctica? The moon?

And we’re Canadian.

1768

Have you seen any clips of debates she had in Alaska? Did you see her convention speech? I’d be very happy if she fell on her face, but I think assuming it will happen is a mistake, especially since “winning” debates or “making sense” in debates has not particularly done much in this or previous election cycles. If winning debates was so critical Kerry would have won and arguably Clinton would be the current nominee.

My core argument: Barring a really gigantic gaffe that transforms the entire narrative, the debates will largely be a wash.

1769

Maybe you should wait until after our Federal election before you make an hasty plans to move. (There’s a chance Harper may win a majority government if early polls are of any indication).

1770

Never mind.

1771

Yes, but the stuff you mentioned is super hard to understand! While on the other hand the other stuff is kinda like what we like to watch on the teevee so pregnant teens and cheating spouses is totally demographic approved!

1772

Yeah, I was discussing the debates with a friend and I was flabbergasted when he said the Bush actually won two of the debates with Kerry.

1773

Here’s an amateur anti-McCain commercial called One Heartbeat Away. This propaganda reminded me of the old President Lyndon Johnson Daisy tv commercial used against Sen. Barry Goldwater.

1774

No kidding. I can’t believe people expect her to fall apart in a debate. Debates are easy – just smile and stick to your talking points. Charm puts you over the top. Watch the Bush Kerry debates and go find interviews with Palin – she’ll do just fine.

And lowering expectations doesn’t help. At the rate things are going, if she manages to avoid drooling she’ll be declared the surprise winner.

The only place she might have trouble are unscripted press events, either longer one on one interviews or possibly a free for all question and answer. Someone might dig deep enough there. But the things we call “debates” in this country? You just have to fill up your time and sound confident. And I doubt she gets any non puffy press events. Hell, even Larry King would be at least a starting point.

1775

In most of these lame debates, the participants know the questions in advance so it’s simply a matter of being charismatic and sticking to your scripted responses. She’s definitely more photogenic and charismatic than Biden, so I’d expect people to come away from any debate with a more positive view of her. That is, unless she has to go off script which, unless she’s an incredibly brilliant woman and fast learner, will end badly. And by badly, I mean awesomely.

1776

1777

Check Greenwald on this:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/06/carney/

They are going to work themselves into a frenzy over this. And the right will hold Palin off just long enough for the outcry to become deafening. And then Palin will appear in front of a gargantuan television audience (again) on something like 60 Minutes — and do quite well. They are already working the media hard to make sure they don’t go for the jugular – and they won’t.

People need to get over the idea that Palin’s some kind of Britney Spears bimbo. She’s a professional politician and from the looks of it, a pretty good one. She’s not going to fall on her face on TV. They will build the expectations accordingly.

This is how it’ll play out, and the low expectations will propel her even higher. She survived a full unscripted interview – she’s so awesome!

1778

Let me make sure I have this straight: if she stumbles, she’s as dumb as the beauty contestant Funkula brought us, and if she does well it’s because expectations were lowered to a ludicrous level. Talk about a no-win situation!

1779

I sat through watching the last Alaskan governor’s debate, which was pretty damn boring unless you’re a Sarah Palin fan. It’s Sarah Palin, Tony Knowles, and some weirdo third party candidate. Knowles is a former two term governor, and she’s the mayor of Wasilla for a several years. She’s sharp as a tack and cleans his clock (or their clocks if you include the babbling car rental guy). If you want to watch the excitement of Alaskan public television here it is (and maybe just watch the opening bit to see the worst debate question I’ve ever seen asked):

http://gregransom.com/prestopundit/2008/09/sarah-palin-debates-tony-knowl.html

Palin’s going to kill Biden, I predict. This is Reagan/Carter 1980.

1780

Noun was right… she must have a damn tight ass, because yeah, McCain is pretty blatant about staring right at it while she’s talking.