Old "Blowmentum" finds a new way to sink a little lower all the time, doesn't he?

Too bad they're not doing the debate five minutes at a time over the next two weeks, like the Couric interviews. You can OD on cotton candy, you know.

As I said in an earlier thread, I think Palin is going to be vicious. She has to be, they're plummeting in the polls and being a vindictive prick is the only thing she's good at.

p.s. You know things are getting real bad for McCain when Mrs. Greenspan is taking a key surrogate to task.

I hope Joe remembers the sign the Obama campaign had posted in its headquarters. NO DRAMA. Be cool, Joe. Be cool.

That's Just What I Said

Down your drink if you hear the word "partition."

Indeed, the spin coming from McCain surrogates and strategists is that Palin has to do is pass a sort of artificial personality test, in which she strikes an emotional thread with the average voter -- question, answers, or intellectual capacity be damned.

Modern conservatism, with William F. Buckley at its head, used to pride itself on its rationality. Since the '60s, the Republicans were the party of grown-ups, as compared to all those squishy, feel-good liberals singing kum-bah-yah.

Now the GOP explicitly eschews rationality and objective reality -- as demonstrated time and again by our resident trolls -- and admits that all it has is appeal to emotion.

"She doesn't know every detail of all the questions senators deal with, but, frankly, that's her strength."

Joe Lieberman just wrote the Republican Party's epitath. How appropriate.

According to JoeyL all Palin needs to do is show up and smile all cutsey like. JoeyL thinks that is the type of person that can run this country...... this is a sad day! Anyone grilling JoeyL for the VP slot would have buried him alive with not knowing the details of this job - all aspects of the job. To not expect it of her is very very sad and an insult to us.

"She's not lived in the world of Washington, so she doesn't know every detail of all the questions senators deal with," Lieberman told NBC's Andrea Mitchell. "But, frankly, that's her strength.

That's going to make her supremely qualified to have the responsibility to cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

Maybe she can just flip a coin.

Come on, be nice. We're all s'posed to notice how pretty she is and want to have a beer--or something--with her. That's democracy we can believe in!

I think Palin is going to be vicious neilt

I'm sure that's part of the plan. But I suspect she's been spending just as much time practicing the "umbrage" card. "People think Alaskans don't read." "I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinions." Republicans love it. Remember Lynn Cheney getting so offended when Kerry mentioned her lesbian daughter, or when Sam Alito's wife cried during his confirmation hearings.

Washington Post had a poll today showing 46% think Palin is "capable" of understanding complex issues. This from a country that elected Bush twice. Ouch!

My prediction is she will go on attack with the heaviest Fargo accent we've heard to date, Joe will rip her a new one, the right will accuse him of assault and battery tomorrow on a woman.

The fact is McCain/Palin won a small victory with the no follow up policy, but I'd love to see Joe ask her a follow that she can't answer.

She does the attack well. If she is successful at this tonight, it may preserve her political career. There really isn't anything she could say to improve the GOP ticket.

At this stage McCain is not enough for a McCain/Palin ticket, which is great news for Palin's future ambitions and relieves her of scape goat status as to why the ticket lost.

Biden needs to keep his cool, his answers brief. The audience will surmise she hasn't said anything of value in the end.

I alway turn to Joe when I want an expert opinion. Someone needs to show him a tape of his 2000 debate where it was actually expected that he "know something" about the stae of affairs in the world. That odiferous pile of dog droppings.

"question, answers, or intellectual capacity be damned"

So she'll be supplying Tina Fey and people at SNL with plent of material for this week's show. This is the tactic used in her Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson interviews. It worked out pretty well for her.

Palin needs to be pressed for specifics,
for examples,
for clarity --
in a calm but clear fashion--as Katie Couric did.

Otherwise, she will glow with rhetoric and folksy tales that appeal to those who like a down-home gal, those who feel comfortable with a simpleton who is cute and seems to have strong values.

If the test requires nothing more than that she speak in complete sentences...well then she's still got a pretty big problem, doncha know.

neilt wrote: "I think Palin is going to be vicious. She has to be, they're plummeting in the polls and being a vindictive prick is the only thing she's good at."

Palin will have to be very careful not to be intimidating or condescending towards Joe Biden.

Since he is a man, it would make her appear sexist.

Funny how so many liberals have a "penchant for adopting liberal positions on taxes and other issues."

So Joe Loserman has found his calling in life - being Sarah Palin's top surrogate.

Pathetic.

I guess this is the Lieberman corollary to the Hruska thesis:

Back in 1969, when Nixon was trying to get the manifestly deficient Harold Carswell appointed to the Supreme Court.

When one critic described Carswell as a "mediocre" candidate, Nebraska Senator Roman Hruska responded, "Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance?"

It happened with Reagan, with GWB, and now with Palin. A lazy, uninformed Republican will be held to have "won" the debate simply because he/she exceeded expectations -- i.e., didn't drool and spoke at least one complete sentence.

[...] the new line from the McCain campaign is that she's confused and uninformed, but that's a good thing, because "regular people" are confused and uninformed, too. -- Steve Benen

Yeah, that was evident in her "Joe Six-pack" reference but, I wonder... Joe Six-pack already has one like that, at home; she tells him what to do, what to think and how to spend his money. Given McCain's age and health, there's real possibility that Palin will become the step-in, emergency, President. So, does Joe-Sixpack want someone just like his wife at the White House as well? Isn't the one at home enough?

And, from what I've seen of some of the Joe Six-pack's wives, not all of them are altogether taken by her, not by a long shot (ie not inclined to vote for her). The wife may not be able to influence Joe Six-pack's vote (his "small rebellion" in the privacy of the booth) but other guys could...

Just speaking as a "regular person", personally, I want a shrewd, well-informed, clear-thinking person, savvy in the ins and outs of Washington wheeling and dealing, to represent my interests. That way, us regular persons out here would have a chance of having our regular old concerns addressed in a substantive way. Someone as confused, ignorant and unprepared as I am myself, wouldn't be as likely to get as much accomplished. You know, in the way of doing things that us regular people might find beneficial and all.

It isn't that she doesn't know all the details to all the questions; it's that she seems never to have heard of half (charitably) the questions.

Funny how so many liberals have a "penchant for adopting liberal positions on taxes and other issues."

And again, using liberal as if it's a smear word doubltess punches the buttons of movement conservatives -- the dead-enders of McCain's base -- but with the Republican brand so toxic, it's clearly not playing with the middle.

That McCain's campaign clearly believes they still need to rally their base, to the exclusion of the center, in freakin' October boggles the mind.

If the Palin-McCain ticket wins in this election, I look forward to an eventual remake of Mr Smith Goes to Washington. As black comedy.

... and penchant for adopting liberal positions on taxes and other issues.

Wait ... you mean ... a Democrat ... **gasp** ... has held liberal positions?!

THE HORROR!!!111!!!eleven!!

These idiots don't realize that a majority of Americans agree with "liberal positions," do they?

As far as her just being a regular ol' gal -- maybe it's just me, but I don't want the White House inhabited by the same idiot who can't figure out a four-way stop, who thinks "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" is the toughest quiz show to ever air, and who is convinced Larry the Cable Guy deserved an Oscar for "Witless Protection."

No. Fucking. Way.

I think they are leaking a misleading strategy. I think she will be on the attack, yes, but with memorized stock answers to the general topic asked, not the specific question. Doing this will make her look smarter than we thought and give her a resounding "win" for the debate. They haven't rehearsed her for a week just to watch her do the Couric again.

Now that the Couric interview has set the expectation so low, any sign of brain activity from Palin-even if the needle twinges- it'll be deemed a victory.

I predict Palins beauty will distract Biden and force him to say something really really sexist.I bet he calls her "Doll" at least once.

In response to every question, Palin will be spouting scripted sound-bite bumper-sticker liberal-bashing fodder for the dittohead base. That's all she's good for. And the dittohead base is all the Republicans have left.

Palin has surely memorized a boatload of short answers, cliches, and attacks that will see her comfortably through 90 seconds per question.

Nonetheless, here are some questions I'd love to hear:

"Governor, Senator McCain has claimed that he turns to you for advice. Please list some subjects on which he has asked your advice, and please summarize what you told him."

The protection you got at your church against witches, does that work against all kinds of witches, or just some of them?

Governor, which is bigger and which is less justifiable - the per capita increase (for each U.S citizen) in the national debt that President Bush racked up in his eight years as president, or the per capita public debt that you racked up for each citizen of Wasilla while you were mayor?

Governor, one of the biggest problems for the Bush administration has been the appointment of a seemingly endless stream of incompetent lackeys. You'd never do anything like that, would you? While you've been governor, how have you ensured that you've selected the highest-quality candidates for your appointments?

Governor, you've met Cindy McCain. Last spring, Senator McCain characterized her with a really bad word. Do you agree with your running-mate's evaluation?

As a follow-up, would you consider it good judgment or poor judgment to leave her alone in a room with your son's medication?

In mid July, Senator McCain spoke about the Czechoslovakia situation. Could you comment on the situation, particularly whether you see it the same way he does?

At about the same time, Senator McCain spoke about the problems in the Iraq-Pakistan border area. Could you share with us your thoughts on the problems and the best solutions, please?

In the last five years, have there been any decisions by the Alaska Supreme Court that you've disagreed with? Please summarize the issues, and why you disagreed.

I wish we could have a moratorium on the use of reductionist, condescending demographic sterotypes like "Joe Six-pack" and so on. What the f#@$ do they mean in real terms? Nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with slicing and dicing to make the sale (caveat emptor). I'm sorry I'm ranting, but I'm bone weary of the way we all adopt and legitimize these stupid tropes every election season. It's like everyone finds their inner David Brooks and lets him out without a sensible escort.

Speaking as a "regular person," I hate it when my auto mechanic seems to know more than I do about fixing cars.

How can a campaign dole out nonstop fearmongering about how dangerous the world is and say in the same breath that it would be refreshing to have a down-to-earth know-nothing a heartbeat away from the Presidency? It's enough cognitive dissonance to make your head explode.

If it's any consolation to Palin, though, at least tonight she'll be sharing the political stage with someone who won't be staring at her ass. I'm convinced that's the reason McCain could never look up and make eye contact with Obama--his neck is craned permanently downward now...

Steve's got an important point here: the public's expectations are low, but the McCain camp's expectations are up above the clouds. They need her not only to restore her own credibility, but also to touch up Biden and Obama enough to staunch the flow of blood from McCain's campaign.

You heard it here first: I'll just bet that Palin doesn't attempt any high-wire acrobatics to try to save the McCain campaign, but pursues the much more modest goal of repairing her credibility and enhancing her viability as a Republican leader of the future.

I'm a nice guy, Vietnam vet, married thirty years, taking care of an autistic son and I volunteer in the community. Although I don't know every detail of all the questions dentists deal with I would appreciate the opportunity to drill Joe Lieberman's teeth.

Actually, McCain really wanted to nominate either John Edward or James Van Pragh, so if the inevitable happened, he could continue to rule the country.

Although I don't know every detail of all the questions dentists deal with...

If you've ever been to a dentist office, or at least driven by one, you are an expert in dentistry. Even more so, if you can see one from your home.

Now that I've had my 'bad taste moment for the month' seriously, I expect that the people who are worried about Palin because of her Alaska debates should relax.

To use a baseball analogy yet again, there have been a lot of rookies who did well in the minors, and for the first month they were brought up, because they don't use much videotape in the minors.

But once they got to the majors, they discover that pitchers have studied all of their at bats, and if they had glaring weaknesses, the experienced ones learned how to use them. If they don't, or can't adjust, they wind up batting about .217 after the first month, and the next month they're back in Double-A.

I hope Palin has her bats and gloves packed and likes long bus trips.

What Lieberman said is true. Ignorance is the strength of the Republican Party.

The media analysis before and after debates is turning what should be a national discussion of our country's issues and the different ways the candidates would handle them into smack-down wrestling matches.

The liberal wins...no the conservative smacks him with a chair...WTF? Why is the media after a "winner or loser" decision instead of a great discussion of the issues and the ways each side presented itself...not whether Liberalism was victorious over conservatism.

It's about liars and ignorance and false promises being scrutinized and how plans can work etc not who wins.

btw...how can anyone ignore the last 8yrs of failed conservative policy and our current disaster. Pretend it never happened?? or just ignore that 8yr. melt down? With that in mind...why are they even debating...tradition??
We fucked up everything...let's have a debate.

Funny how so many liberals have a "penchant for adopting liberal positions on taxes and other issues."

Yes. That is funny. Ha-ha funny. I'm laughing right now.

But penchant...isn't that one of those freedom words?

According to the McCain ad that Steve Benen links to, Biden's assertion that, "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am," is evidence that Biden is not "ready to lead."

I hope that any Hillary supporters who are still considering voting for McCain notice McCain is now saying that Hillary isn't qualified to be Vice President.

Sen. Joe Lieberman -- a man not unaccustomed to the pressures of such a forum -- actually proclaiming that Palin's relative ignorance helped her relate to "regular people."

"She's not lived in the world of Washington, so she doesn't know every detail of all the questions senators deal with," Lieberman told NBC's Andrea Mitchell. "But, frankly, that's her strength.

Hmm, ignorance is strength. Where have I heard that before?

(Someone brought this up earlier in the thread, but it bears repeating.)

Obama the next president...

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