Vice Presidential Debate Thread: Debate Night in America!

[Franny]

I know we have 2 more days to wait but...

Who Ya Got™?!

Caribou Barbie?
The Human Gaffe Machine?

By now everyone on this board has learned that Sarah Palin shouldn't be a governor of a real life U.S. State let alone VP of the U.S. and I know everyone expects me to say she will get smoked in this debate by Handsome Joe.... but I actually think she can pull this off. here's how:

Franny's debate boot camp.

Zingers. Zingers. Zingers. Mrs Palin proved during the RNC that she can deliver an insult. She has taken such a beating by the MEDIA ELITEs that I think people will actually be o.k. with her fighting back.

Talking Points. Don't get into the details of any topic Mrs Palin. Talk high level about "less government" and "job creation" but DO NOT attempt to talk about how those things are accomplished. And don't forget that you want to put government back in the hands of the people. Ohh and CLEAN coal. Talk about the coal.

40% of America Still Loves Mrs Palin There are old ladies out there who do not have the Internet and don't watch cable news, so they don't know exactly how inept Mrs Palin is. They still see you has a heroine. Talk HIGH LEVEL about money for children with special needs and pro life. No one will mock you for that.

Thanks but No Thanks. If you start fumbling, talk about the bridge to nowhere or the plane that you sold.....errr didn't sell on eBay. These stories get people pumped.


Finally,

You are a Maverick. If you don't know an answer - use that to your advantage. You aren't from Washington. You don't know but you are a quick learner. You are a Maverick!!

Essentially: Being superficial is the key to winning this debate. Style points are more important than substance points.

If Palin can seem cool and confident without confusing herself and making everyone watching uncomfortable, She can "win" this thing. The bar is that low. Should be fun to watch. I expect her to have some hardcore scripted mocks ready for Biden and especially " the opponent" (Obama)

[master_of_muppets]

if i'm a fanboy of Gov. Palin, it is only matched by your loathing of the woman.

i think you just jumped the shark, franny. this post was.... ummm... interesting?

[Franny]

Originally Posted by master_of_muppets

if i'm a fanboy of Gov. Palin, it is only matched by your loathing of the woman.

i think you just jumped the shark, franny. this post was.... ummm... interesting?

Now that you've had a chance to actually hear how this woman speaks and realize that she is as ready as you or me to be VP, I am interested in hearing your take on this debate. You've been very silent on Palin lately. Your only attempt at defending her is to mock me.

But thereagain, I suppose if anyone just yells "I support Less Government" you will slurp them, even if it was Big Bird.

Also - didn't you already declare that I jumped the shark last week?

[master_of_muppets]

i probably did give you a jump the shark thing last week, too. one of my biggest flaws as a person is that i can hardly ever recall what i've told someone - not even the most minor stuff. anyway...

i've been silent on palin, etc. because i've just sort of made up my mind, and don't see the point in talking as much about it anymore. i expect my absentee ballot any day now, and once i've completed that, i'll shut it down completely as far as the election is concerned.

palin did not do well with couric. i'll grant you that. her answers were rushed and befuddled, and i was disappointed in it as a whole.

but here's the thing: Big Media has removed all credibility from themselves over the years, and this election makes it very clear whom they want to win. the simple question of "why?" is not asked of obama's past. not even remotely compared the degree which palin experienced.

so when i watched couric interview palin i didn't see 1 woman whom i was disappointed in. couric was more interested in racking up soundbytes for obama ammo than she was in asking good questions. i'm positive you don't see it that way.

and, yes, i would vote for Big Bird if it promised to reduced the size of govt. i'm pretty sure Big Bird is more qualified than obama, anyway.

later this week i'll vote for mccain/palin. you won't vote for them. what more is left to be said?

[Franny]

later this week i'll vote for mccain/palin. you won't vote for them. what more is left to be said?

Watch this debate before doing so. Don't rush this. Your vote is too important. Don't let McCain get away with this!!

[osu99jp]

Originally Posted by Franny

Watch this debate before doing so. Don't rush this. Your vote is too important. Don't let McCain get away with this!!

"Sarah Palin was such a bad pick, I thought that Al Davis made it."

- Chris Rock -

[master_of_muppets]

Originally Posted by Franny

Watch this debate before doing so. Don't rush this. Your vote is too important. Don't let McCain get away with this!!

a vote for anyone BUT McCain is a vote for obama. i'd literally rather have Big Bird as POTUS than Obama. the guy has waaaaaay too much yet-to-be-vetted skeletons in his closet that for whatever reason Big Media won't touch.

if Palin had just one of Obama's skeletons, they would have applied the kind of pressure that causes someone to throw in the towel by now.

face it: big media is covering a lot of shit for obama. that alone should throw red flags about who this man is not.

[Franny]

face it: big media is covering a lot of shit for obama. that alone should throw red flags about who this man is not.

Yes. Because "BIG MEDIA" is smart enough to know that the McCain-Palin ticket is a joke. Well, all media outlets except for those owned by Murdock.

Anyways... Discuss the debate here. Talk about Obama's supposed skeletons in one of the other 20 threads WM has running about those allegations.

Anyone else with me on the debate? I think Palin can improve her public image if she follows my tips and tricks.

[osu99jp]

Originally Posted by Franny

Yes. Because "BIG MEDIA" is smart enough to know that the McCain-Palin ticket is a joke. Well, all media outlets except for those owned by Murdock.

Anyways... Discuss the debate here. Talk about Obama's supposed skeletons in one of the other 20 threads WM has running about those allegations.

Anyone else with me on the debate? I think Palin can improve her public image if she follows my tips and tricks.

I think that "regular Joes and Janes" are going to love Palin no matter what - she's "just like them" - as Bill Maher said the other night, "she's just like they are...MORONS" - but she will probably be widely ridiculed by the smug, "highly educated" masses on the networks and cable news outlets. Fair or unfair, that's how I see the reaction playing out.

I am not expecting Palin to crash and burn like I did initially - she will have everything memorized by Thursday night. I fear she will come off as "RoboPalin" and her responses will sound rehearsed to death.

Btw, I don't have a link for you - but I saw a funny site out there linked on Andrew Sullivan's blog, similar to "Chuck Norris Fact Generator" but it's a "Sarah Palin Response Generator"...if you're interested, it shouldn't be too tough to find. Some funny stuff.

[V3n0M]

My vote for Bob Barr (or Chuck Baldwin) is a vote for Bob Barr (or Chuck Baldwin). It is not a vote for Obama, it is a vote for "None of the Above".

They have the same views on the economy (both wanted the bailout to go through) and the same views on foreign policy (keep all bases open, keep fighting somewhere in the Middle East) and the same views on the Federal Reserve (keep pumping in that play money) - they're the same guy wrapped up to look different and make people think they have a choice. They don't.

They're going to lead us down the same destructive path as the other.

Ok.. so on topic... Where's Darrell Castle in the VP debate? Where's Wayne Allen Root? The Reps and Dems run the debates and lockout any opinion that doesn't sound like their own. We're all being swindled by these so-called 'debates'.

[master_of_muppets]

Originally Posted by Franny

Yes. Because "BIG MEDIA" is smart enough to know that the McCain-Palin ticket is a joke. Well, all media outlets except for those owned by Murdock.

Anyways... Discuss the debate here. Talk about Obama's supposed skeletons in one of the other 20 threads WM has running about those allegations.

Anyone else with me on the debate? I think Palin can improve her public image if she follows my tips and tricks.

come on, franny!

you could have just said, "I humbly confess that I have been defeated in this conversation, O Great Master Of Muppets. To your authority and infinite knowledge do I now pledge my everlasting support and devotion."

you didn't have to do a song and lapdance just for me. no, really, i'm not that special.

[osu99jp]

What it's like to debate Sarah Palin:

Anchorage, Alaska - When he faces off against Sarah Palin Thursday night, Joe Biden will have his hands full.

I should know. I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.

On paper, of course, the debate appears to be a mismatch.

In 2000, Palin was the mayor of an Alaskan town of 5,500 people, while Biden was serving his 28th year as a United States senator. Her major public policy concern was building a local ice rink and sports center. His major public policy concern was the State Department's decision to grant an export license to allow sales of heavy-lift helicopters to Turkey, during tense UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks.

On paper, the difference in experience on both domestic and foreign policy is like the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing a bullet. Unfortunately for Biden, if recent history is an indicator, experience or a grasp of the issues won't matter when it comes to debating Palin.

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.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

Palin is a master of the nonanswer. She can turn a 60-second response to a query about her specific solutions to healthcare challenges into a folksy story about how she's met people on the campaign trail who face healthcare challenges. All without uttering a word about her public-policy solutions to healthcare challenges.

In one debate, a moderator asked the candidates to name a bill the legislature had recently passed that we didn't like. I named one. Democratic candidate Tony Knowles named one. But Sarah Palin instead used her allotted time to criticize the incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski. Asked to name a bill we did like, the same pattern emerged: Palin didn't name a bill.

And when she does answer the actual question asked, she has a canny ability to connect with the audience on a personal level. For example, asked to name a major issue that had been ignored during the campaign, I discussed the health of local communities, Mr. Knowles talked about affordable healthcare, and Palin talked about ... the need to protect hunting and fishing rights.

So what does that mean for Biden? With shorter question-and-answer times and limited interaction between the two, he should simply ignore Palin in a respectful manner on the stage and answer the questions as though he were alone. Any attempt to flex his public-policy knowledge and show Palin is not ready for prime time will inevitably cast him in the role of the bully.

On the other side of the stage, if Palin is to be successful, she needs to do what she does best: fill the room with her presence and stick to the scripted sound bites.

• Andrew Halcro served two terms as a Republican member of the Alaska State House of Representatives. He ran for governor as an Independent in 2006, debating Sarah Palin more than two dozen times. He blogs at AndrewHalcro.com | .

[Franny]

She can also just lie... which is what our boy Andrew Sullivan says she'll do

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

I'm posting this because none of the direct, indisputably proven, factual untruths that Palin has uttered has yet to be retracted by this candidate or her running mate. When you have a leading politician running on a record of outright lies, and those lies are deemed irrelevant, you have a problem. Each one has been fact-checked to near-death. They are not the usual political lie - hyperbole, parsing, exaggeration, spin. They are factual, checkable, indisputable untruths.

Palin could not have asked her girls for permission to accept McCain's veep offer if she also says she accepted the offer unblinkingly and right away. Palin did fire a police chief even as she insisted to a reporter she hadn't. She did violate the confidential medical records of Mike Wooten. She hasn't met with any trade missions from Russia. She does not have any gay friends that anyone can find. She did not oppose the Bridge to Nowhere. She did not sell that plane on eBay. Her Teleprompter did not fail in her convention speech. Alaska's state scientists did not conclude that polar bears were in no danger. She did deny publicly that humans had anything to do with climate change.

Alaska does not provide "nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy," as she claimed. The gas pipeline she touts as her major "mission accomplished" has not broken ground and may never do so. She did not take a pay-cut as mayor of Wasilla. And on and on. Anyone with Google can check all of these out. Including reporters.

These are all documented, bald-faced factually irrefutable lies. More to the point: she refuses to cop to them or be held accountable for them or take questions about them. Until she does, we can rightly infer there is no reason to believe anything she says, and that includes her recent medical history. A liar like this cannot be taken on trust. We have to verify it all.

Release the medical records and tax returns now.

[Franny]

Really... did the media censor this woman?

Palin Gives Debate Preview: Palin came out swinging during an appearance on Sean Hannity's radio show on Wednesday:

She gave a preview of how her preparations for Thursday's debate in St. Louis are going and said she has been researching Barack Obama and Joe Biden's voting records, "Everything is going well and I'm out here in Arizona getting some fresh air even as we are studying up and reading a lot of voting records and realizing how extremely liberal the other ticket is so this is a good time to be here and I so look forward to tomorrow night getting to speak to Americans about the very, very clear choice they are going to have on November 4th."

Palin also claimed she was eager for the debate since the media had been 'censoring' her: "Getting to speak directly to Americans without that filter of mainstream media trying to I think maybe censor some of my comments as we lay out those contrasts between these two different tickets."

I've seen a lot of Palin clips, I don't think there have been any filters applied to her nonsensical responses to questions.

[osu99jp]

They have been censoring the shit out of her. When Couric essentially asked her to name a Supreme Court decision (ANY Supreme Court decision)...she actually rattled off about seven she disagreed with. But through clever editing, CBS made her appear clueless.

Same with when Couric asked her to name a single newspaper that she reads regularly. She named several. But once again...editing.