Monday May 28, 2012

Palin gets chance to overcome doubts in VP debate

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  • 0

    rjd_jr

    This is gonna be a good one, going to grab the popcorn and watch. This will be more fun than a dozen 'Judge Judy' episodes.

  • 0

    reddragonguy

    With leaders like McCain/Palin.....the demise of US hegamony is inevitable!

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Palin is toast.... there is no WAY she can avoid saying something ridiculously unrelated to the role she's going for, and no way she can defend comments she's already made. My prediction is that she's desperately going to repeat over and over the silly bombast she spewed out for the convention and avoid all questions posed to her by trying to change the topic and blaming Biden for something other than the question asked.

    Moderator: What do you have to say about the idea that you've engaged in earmarking for pork barrel spending in the past.

    Palin: I am against earmarking and my record shows it. Biden, on the other hand, wants to raise all your taxes!

    Biden: Actually, I'd like to step in here, Sarah, and point out that in fact you HAVE engaged in porkbarrel projects and supp--

    Palin: Joe Biden wants to cast a shadow over your babies while they sleep, and steal all your money! Didn't you see our campaign commercial! Aren't you SCARED?!

    Anyway, the absolute BEST that Palin and Co. can hope for is that she can get by on avoiding all questions and Biden puts his foot in his mouth.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    As for everyone suddenly having doubts about Palin... as if they were actually dumb enough to NOT have doubts about her! Everyone with a brain knew well before hand it was just a stunt to beef up McCain's failing campaign, and now that that's gone out the window the s$#t is hitting the fan for republicans. Hell... how much is McCain trailing by this morning?

  • 0

    timorborder

    Looking forward to this. Be interesting to see if Palin is really as dumb as the pitbull she claims to be (sorry dog owners). I tend to think that Joe Biden will run rings around her. Then again, over confidence might also take Biden down a couple of notches.

    On a different note, given McCain's age, US voters really have to look at Palin as a potential President (if McCain casts off his mortal coil). Based on what we have seen of Palin so far (playing loose with the truth over foreign policy experience, etc. and putting on the little girl persona when pressed on difficult issues), I don't think she is a viable option.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Up to now, I think The Sarah Palin is so out of her depth it just isn't funny anymore, but today's debate will see whether it is worth changing any opinions.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    smithinjapan,

    I don't think there is any question that Palin is currently unqualified for the job. However, I think there is some question as to her learning curve and whether she can become qualified for the job. That is why this debate is so important to her.

    In the runup to the debate, the Republicans have been stressing learning and preparation. So, Palin's task in this debate is simply to appear more prepared and more knowledgable than previously. (And what if Palin had been sandbagging in the Couric interview?)

    I also don't think there is any doubt that Biden is currently more qualified than Palin. However, that will not be what the debate is about. Biden is not exactly gaffe-free and the danger is that, with its controlled format, the debate will be a beauty contest.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Sez - "I don't think there is any question that Palin is currently unqualified for the job."

    I don't think there is any question that you are wrong.

    "I also don't think there is any doubt that Biden is curently more qualified than Palin."

    I also don't think there is any doubt that Biden thinks Hillary Clinton is more qualified than he is.

    Biden has more experience than Palin, but he doesn't have the right kind of experience.

    smith - "Palin is toast"

    That would be Biden.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Sarge - !I don't think there is any question that you are wrong."

    HAR!

  • 0

    Everton2

    Where is Sarge on this one? I am surprised he is not here defending the indefensible. When Palin was first selected and the stories about her personal life started to unfold the Republicans moved to Canonized her. They rallied behind her teenage daughter's pregnancy as if it was a badge of honor. Now they are virtually running for cover every time she speaks.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Everton - Sarge IS defending the indefensible.

    That's what is so funny :-)

  • 0

    Sarge

    Columnist Michelle Malkin on PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who is serving as moderator for the debate: "she's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."

    Hee hee!

  • 0

    Sarge

    Biden's hope to become VP will be over in another 24 hours.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sushi: Not only is it hilarious that sarge is defending the undefendable here, but as usual he can't even formulate an original argument. Look at every single comment he made; he simply cut and pasted and changed a single word or two. Very school-yard.... PRE-school-yard!

    sarge: Come on, bud. Get with the program. A couple of weeks ago you were talking about how much McCain was going to win, and as usual your 'predictions' have pretty much guaranteed the opposite. You also talked about how smart and qualified this woman is, when she has proven to be neither. She's a dolt, and as I said she's toast... the polls have more than tipped in favour of the democrats, my friend -- in fact, they are overflowing. Doubt that Palin can do her job effectively as VP has grown more than 100%, and if the same people were asked if she could be PRESIDENT if McCain croaked? My guess is about 5% would say she were qualified, and they would be cut-and-pasters with no credibility.

  • 0

    Nessie

    Columnist Michelle Malkin on PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who is serving as moderator for the debate: "she's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."

    Not really wise to mention oxygen lines with reference to McCain's campaign, Sarge, which is on its last gasps, and particularly with reference to McCain himself. He's fallen and he can't get up, not even with a leggy Alaskan whippersnapper around.

  • 0

    Nessie

    McCain's been managing expectations. If Palin shows up, she'll have exceeded expectations.

  • 0

    Sarge

    smith: "She's a dolt"

    She is not.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Nessie - We'll see, won't we?

  • 0

    cleo

    smith: "She's a dolt" Sarge: "She is not"

    Wow, can't beat that logic, Sarge.

    If only you had one tiny bit of evidence to back up your claim.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sarge: "We'll see, won't we?"

    WE most certainly will... the question is, will YOU finally see the truth once the debate is over? After 8 years of bush you STILL can't see the truth, and support him completely whilst you support a man who claims to be against many of bush's policies in an attempt to distance himself himself from the man (and yet, in reality he actually espouses many of the same flawed plans, etc.).

    So, sarge... if she utterly flubs up in the debate and, as she is likely to do, once and for all definitively prove she is not up to the task, will you finally 'see'? I challenge you to admit that she is unqualified for the task if she does poorly in the debate. As such, I will come on here and state that she is more qualified than I thought if she does very well. Care to put your money where your mouth is?

  • 0

    tclh

    Don't worry about VP position, the P is what most important. These days many people live forever ; but if the one of 70 something can die any time, so is the one of 44! Same thing.

  • 0

    chardk1

    Don't worry about VP position, the P is what most important. These days many people live forever ; but if the one of 70 something can die any time, so is the one of 44! Same thing.

    Uh, you're not an actuary are you? The probability that someone 72 will die in the next five years of is his life is approximately ten times that of someone 47.

  • 0

    Sarge

    smith - "She's a dolt."

    Wow, can't beat that logic, smith. If only you had one tiny bit of evidence to back up your claim.

    "you... support him ( Bush ) completely"

    Not on the Wall Street boondoggle. You must have missed my posts on that.

    smith, if Palin "utterly flubs up" in the debate, I'll concede. But she won't.

    cleo - "If only you had one tiny bit of evidence to back up your claim ( that Palin is not a dolt )"

    For one thing, she has 80% support of the people in her state.

  • 0

    tclh

    he he , we are talking about the position of US president here...possibility ,probablity anything you like but you must put in the " extraordinary risk" factor as well.

  • 0

    adaydream

    After a couple of those, How does Russia being close to Alaska give you foreign experience? questions and Sarah Palin will be toast. < :-)

  • 0

    taniwha

    SmithinJapan

    Palin is toast....

    How is that? Remember George Bush jnr during the Presidential debate and the lump under his jacket? Turns out he had not overnight developed a physical mutation. More than likely he was wired and making use of prompts as he has appeared to have done (but mostly visual and without the wire) for most of his speeches since.

    I doubt whether you'd even see any evidence of a radio device attached to Palin now, they'd have improved on them since that Bush/Kerry debate. Of course Palin will sound a lot less confused compared to her performance in the recent series of interviews.

    Look, Palin is perfect for the job.

    She is totally in keeping with the quality and type of candidate being pushed forward for the job of puppet in the oval room. Particularly so for the job of Vice President. If McCain suffers a heart attack during his presidency the very last thing the puppeteers would want is a replacement that thinks for themselves, is informed, and with the potential to not follow the script.

  • 0

    adaydream

    taniwha - Apparently you didn't see the Katie Curic interview. < :-)

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sarge: "For one thing, she has 80% support of the people in her state."

    Which makes what percentage of the country as a whole? Better yet, what's the percentage of Americans as a whole that support her? hahaha... that's rhetorical, sarge... of the 40% some that approved of her before, almost half have now joined the call that she is unqualified.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    Sarge,

    I could be wrong, but I think there is at least some question about whether I am wrong or not. I seem to be in the company of at least 47% of Republicans who believe that Palin does not have the right qualifications for the job--and that's very strange company for me, indeed. Added to that, only 25% of Americans believe she does have the right qualifications. So, I think there is at least some question whether I am wrong.

    On the other hand, I have no question that you believe that Palin is currently qualified. I think you are wrong about that, but I will do you the courtesy of not stating so categorically. I think that any candidate is currently unqualified if they must be kept away from the media or cannot appear except in very controlled venues. Our leaders must be able to speak knowledgeably, off the cuff, in any number of situations and it is obvious that McCain's campaign does not trust Palin to do that.

    Still, the real question I posed was not one of whether she is currently qualified but one of whether she can grow into a qualified person. If she can, fine. Personally I have my doubts about that, but that is one of the things that the upcoming debate--controlled though it may be--will test.

    As for Biden's qualifications, whether Clinton was more qualified is beside the point. You contend he has the wrong experience, but I don't think that Palin's experience as a mayor or as the governor of Alaska really prepare her for duties as a Vice-President. The Vice-President works closely with the Hill and if the person who occupies that position is a lightweight, the relationship will not be a good one.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    And, just in general, I think it would be a serious mistake to underestimate Palin. I think it would even be a mistake to misunderestimate her but that, hopefully, will be a story for my grandchildren.

  • 0

    taniwha

    adaydream

    Apparently you didn't see the Katie Curic interview. < :-)

    This is a presidential debate. Quite different to an interview.

    Saw the Curic interview. I don't think she has done anymore interviews since that one, has she?

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sez, 85% of Americans believe Congress doesn't have the right qualifications to be Members of Congress, so Palin actually comes out lookin' quite good by your statistics.

    Twain: "There are lies; there are damnable lies. And then there are statistics."

  • 0

    cleo

    Sarge -

    "If only you had one tiny bit of evidence to back up your claim ( that Palin is not a dolt )" For one thing, she has 80% support of the people in her state.

    Sorry Sarge, but after the last two presidential elections, the ability of the average US voter to pick out a dolt and not vote for him/her/it is not a bankable commodity.

    can't beat that logic, smith. If only you had one tiny bit of evidence to back up your claim. (That Palin is a dolt)

    She says that men and dinosaurs walked on the earth together 6,000 years ago. She thinks creationism should be taught in schools.

    She fluffed around giving speeches and taking long-distance flights after her waters broke, putting herself and her baby in jeopardy.

    She kills animals for fun.

    She thinks wolves should be shot from helicopters so that there will be fewer of them to kill the moose that she wants to kill.

    The evidence appears to show her to be a dolt many times over.

    taniwha -

    I doubt whether you'd even see any evidence of a radio device attached to Palin now, they'd have improved on them

    Small enough to fit in a topknot. :-)

  • 0

    adaydream

    taniwha - Yeah, I can't wait either. The interview was easy. The debate she'll actually have people watching her live. It's going to be so much fun to watch.

    More popcorn and beer. < :-)

  • 0

    SezWho2

    USARonin,

    You would be falling into the statistics category. It's a pity that Twain didn't do us the favor of putting "misapplied statistics" into his hierarchy.

    Palin will not be debating Congress. She will be debating one member of Congress who, at the very least, a majority of his own constituents believe to be qualified.

    Here's just one (WSJ sourced) poll from a week ago that says 49% of Americans believe that Palin is unqualified but that 64% believe that Biden is qualified:

    http://www.newser.com/story/38314/poll-biden-more-qualified-than-palin-to-lead-nation.html

    Where there are lies, there are liars. And where there are statistics there are those who want to snow you with them and, as Twain observed, that's worse. If you want to demonstrate the inadequacy of the statistics in this article, fine. But don't try to snow us with incomparable statistics.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Sez: "Still, the real question I posed was not one of whether she is currently qualified but one of whether she can grow into a qualified person. If she can, fine."

    I can see picking a 14 year old kid with no experience to be a dishwasher in a restaurant and hoping he or she will grow into it (and there really being no massive harm done if not). I can see picking an adult with little or not training to read to little kids or the elderly, and hoping the pick up the ability to do so effectively when they lack it in the beginning.

    Choosing a person to be VP and HOPING they grow into the role is folly, and very dangerous, given the gravity of the job and in her case, since McCain could likely die of old age during the term (in the miracle they were elected), an even greater role.

    sarge: I don't have to prove Palin a dolt, she's proven it herself in her words, even in CONTROLLED interviews. You just choose not to see it, my friend.

  • 0

    Everton2

    This debate is going to be totally different from anything she has done before. It will challenge her knowledge base in just about every area. If Palin does poorly and is still elected she will basically have no influence or credibility as a VP. Her lack of knowledge will be laid bare for all to see. It would be difficult to come back from that position and expect to be taken seriously.

    McCain thought he was being smart when he picked Palin, but he never factored in the debates, that she would need to talk to the media and have an opinion that extend beyond the Alaskan border. McCain's campaign will be sacrificed at the debating alter of incompetence and ineptitude.

    This woman is no Hillery, the 18 million voters out there that sit in readiness to shatter that glass ceiling don't see her as qualified to lead that charge. Palin is exactly the type that these women are seeking to jettison, she does not represent their views or core belief.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    "In the new poll, the declining sentiment for Palin was noticeable even among Republican likely voters: Just 47% now believe she has the right experience to be president, down from 75% in the previous survey."

    Says it all right there.... a more than 33% drop in a couple weeks, and in her own party!!! HAHAHAhahaha!!

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sez, why incomparable?

    The stats I gave you indicate that the American people believe Members of Congress aren't trusted to make those kinds of judgment that you offered?

    Do you make decision based on what the percentage is that others may or may not believe?

    Not moi.

    The public and the government are fickle entities.

  • 0

    USARonin

    "even among Republican likely voters"

    Gee, another interestin' subset of statistics to play with.

    I think I'll ask a group of folks who feel they are most likely to join Sam's Club in the next two years.

  • 0

    Madverts

    Bah, what does it matter what Palin actually says to some posters on JT?

    We all know some will be watching "Sarah" without sound. Heh.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Sez - "I think it would even be a mistake to underestimate her"

    You are correct there. And that's exactly what smith, cleo, and others here are doing.

    Cleo, in particular has a personal distaste for the woman and looks down on her even though she's done many great things. Jealousy, perhaps?

    adaydream: "More popcorn and beer for the VP debate"

    No pot?

  • 0

    USARonin

    Madverts, it seems like you should vote the Obama-Biden ticket. Yes?

  • 0

    cleo

    Sarge -

    I'm jealous of what? Her moose-killing record? Her cavalier treatment of her handicapped baby's health and welfare? Her rejection of science in favour of superstitious poppycock? Her topknot?

    Seriously though, these things (with the exception of the topknot, which I admit is very fine) turn me off her much, much more than whatever policies she might be advocating. They point to the kind of person she is. I don't know what 'great things' she's done apart from get elected, but lookit some of the other politicians cluttering up our TV screens - they've all managed to get elected at some point in their lives, and the vast majority of them are far from 'great'.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    More mumbo from The Sarah Palin - from an interview broadcast Wednesday on the "CBS Evening News."

    Asked again to name a decision she disagreed with, Palin replied: "Well, I could think of, of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today."

    That must be partly why Barack Obama has opened up significant leads in virtually every key battleground state, according to multiple polls released Wednesday. The size of the shift towards the Democratic nominee may indeed be historic.

    More: www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/battleground-polls-show-sn131039.html

    Go Sarah! We love you!! :-)

  • 0

    USARonin

    Interesting... Women afraid of a strong woman.

    Men afraid of a strong man.

    I think they have issues they haven't overcome and may never overcome.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    It's time for john mccain to sack The Sarah Palin.

    Even Republicans are encouraging her to step aside 'for family reasons' as they are seeing The Sarah Palin is all style and no substance.

    Her small town experience is simply not enough to even be considered for the VP position, especially considering Bush 44 - sorry, I mean john mccain - is so old and has a history of cancer.

    How any supporter of The Sarah Palin can look into their heart and honestly say they would have confidence in this women should she need to step into the role of president, is simply beyond imagination and invites ongoing ridicule.

    It's now all too clear that the rapidly dwindling band of The Sarah Palin supporters are only backing her because - let's be honest - there's no one else on the radar screen.

    Can't wait for the debate! :-)

    I believe it will show that Obama has made a very wise decision - he has backed himself with experience in picking Joe Biden, whereas mccain has done the complete opposite and backed himself with an incompetant VP pick who is so out of her depth it is astounding.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    john mccain has put Country Last by choosing The Sarah Palin.

    [From www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/sarah-six-pack-needs-to-pb130977.html]

    Yesterday, Palin said the following to talk radio wingnut Hugh Hewitt:

    "Oh, I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying you know what? It's time that a normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency, and I think that that's kind of taken some people off guard, and they're out of sorts, and they're ticked off about it."

    There's so much awfulness in this quote, it's difficult to know where to begin. Out of sorts? Ticked off? Oh you betcha.

    For the last eight dark years we've had a president who continues to be framed as a Joe Six-pack type. And it's been a disaster. No-one, at this point, is disputing the toxicity of the Bush presidency.

    Here's the difference, though, between President Bush's Joe Six-pack persona and Sarah Palin's. For better or worse, George Bush -- and I can't believe I'm writing this -- had attained a respectable level of schooling while also coming from a family deeply rooted in American politics. In other words, be it the fake Crawford "ranch" and his cowboy drag, George W. Bush is mostly pretending. He's "Joe Six-pack" insofar as he's running away from his silver-spooned, cheerleading, Skull & Bones background. That doesn't mean he's any less ignorant.

    He's still a disconnected, incompetent nothing. But at least he possesses something resembling the heft required of the office.

    **Sarah Palin, on the other hand, is, by all indications, a bonafide hooplehead -- so dangerously out of her depth and so delusional -- perhaps blinded by ambition -- that she is in total denial about the real-world ramifications of her ineptitude. **Instead, she's excusing her embarrassing television interviews and farcical candidacy as an historical breakthrough for "normal Joe Six-pack Americans."

    Exactly, exactly.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sushi, I think you should vote the Obama-Biden ticket.

    It seems like Palin just isn't to your liking.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    USARonin - "It seems like Palin just isn't to your liking."

    It seems lke The Sarah Palin isn't to many people's liking.

    Her support is plummeting, which is great news for patriotic Americans.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    "She's [The Sarah Palin] very skilled, and she'll be well-prepared," Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said Sunday night while flying with Biden back to Delaware to help him get ready.

    ha ha! Niceties aside - she's toast and patriotic Americans worldwide are going to enjoy seeing her burnt to a crisp in the upcoming VP debate.

    BRW, what happened to ColAmerica?

  • 0

    Farmboy

    Just watching a few commentators talk about this. Palin has to sound like "one of the folks" without sounding stupid or overrehearsed. Biden has to avoid sounding bullying or condescending. Nobody really seems to think it matters much what they say, just how they appear...the world of sound bites, I suppose.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    It has been proven time and time again how dumb Sarah Palin is and how stupid mccain is.

    In the Katie Couric interview, The Sarah Palin couldn't name one newspaper or magazine that she read to stay informed.

    I mean, c'mon, can't she come up with the NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times, Newsweek, heck, People magazine, the local paper, anything? Unless the GOP keep sweeping certain issues they don't deem important under the rug, all we hear is attack, attack, attack.

    They can't talk issues, all they do is mention the words "Senator Obama can't/won't" every other word. We know more about what Obama "can't/won't" do than we know what the Republicans will do.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Cleo - You don't know what great things Palin's done because all you know about her is what you read here on JT or some liberal media. Here's a good place to start checking out her record:

    http://hubpages.com/hub/Sarah-Palins-Accomplshments

    Sushi: "It's time for john mccain to sack The Sarah Palin"

    No, it's not, and it ain't gonna happen.

    The Democrats and their cohorts in the media are doing everything they can to destroy Sarah Palin because they know she has energized McCain's campaign and she is a threat to their taking the White House.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Ronin: "Men afraid of a strong man."

    Why are you afraid of Obama?

    Cleo: It's actually sarge that's jealous of Palin... so no worries (not that you are at all, nor should be).

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sushi, isn't that an oxymoron... leftist Americans who can be "patriotic"?

    Selfish. Yes. Self-serving. Yes. Emotional rather than rational. Yes, yes.

    Kerry said Bush beat him in all the debates. What a revoltin' development. What will Biden say?

    Heh, heh...

  • 0

    USARonin

    Smith, I'm concerned Obama might end up takin' the oath next January.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Also from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/sarah-six-pack-needs-to-pb130977.html

    "We learned the other night that Sarah Palin reads every periodical in existence. "All of 'em," she said. So she must know that we're engaged in two wars, while a third war is heating up with nuclear Pakistan, and a fourth with a potentially nuclear Iran. We're drowning in one of the worst financial meltdowns since the Great Depression. We have an energy crisis. A climate crisis. A Medicare crisis. A healthcare crisis. Crumbling infrastructure. Increasingly frequent natural disasters. And what about that guy who apparently rears his head over Alaska all the time like that weird Sunshine baby on the Teletubbies -- President Bush calls him Pooty Poot. What about him?

    Compound all of this with the fact that Senator McCain is 72-years-old and then ask anyone who will listen: Do we really want a "normal Joe Six-pack American" sitting in the Oval Office in January tasked with managing these problems?

    No wonder everyone is ticked off. And Senator McCain, knowing all of this (as well as the average heights of Koreans apparently), acquiesced to the far-right by selecting Sarah Palin anyway, just prior to launching a general election campaign centered on the ridiculously incongruous theme of "Country First."

    **If John McCain was really interested in putting country first, he would ask Sarah Palin to step off." **

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    "The interview with Katie Couric was a tipping point. Frankly, Palin looked like a deer caught in the headlights and, clearly, was disseminating. **The only questions that arise are not whether she can help McCain win, but rather how could you put a candidate who who is so obviously unschooled in foreign affairs a heartbeat away from the presidency? **And how could you vote for a presidential candidate who has shown such a massive lack of judgement in selecting her as a running mate?"

  • 0

    Madverts

    usa-r....,

    Heh, you know fine well I won't be voting not being American. But please don't let that spoil my enjoyment of the childish antics over the pond....

  • 0

    USARonin

    For someone who can't affect one thing one way or the other in the up-coming American election, you seem to spend a disproportiante amount of bandwidth obsessing over it.

    Time well spent, I reckon.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Ronin - With the U.S. economy in turmoil ( to the Democrats' delight ) and 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, Obama should have at least a 20 point lead in the polls. Instead he's barely leading - it's a virtual dead heat. Why? Americans are not as dumb as Obama and Biden think.

  • 0

    USARonin

    On this VP debate... The moderator is a woman who is strongly biased in favor of Obama, and, in fact, has a book about him - not just a chapter that's mentioned above - that is scheduled for release on 20 January, the traditional date for American presidential inaugerations.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081002.CAMPAIGNDEBATESIDE02/TPStory/International

    Ya can't make this kind of stuff up. Really.

  • 0

    USARonin

    "“My friend Joe Biden has a tendency to talk forever and sometimes say stuff that’s kind of stupid,” McCaskill said."

    Goes with sayin'.

  • 0

    Farmboy

    The question is not whether McCain is a poor choice or whether Palin is a worse choice. The question is whether the religious right will blindly support Palin because of her abortion stand, whether the conservatives will vote against Obama because they perceive him to be weak on the economy, and whether the racists on the right will vote against Obama because he is black and perceived to have some foreign background in the family's recent past. Perceived this way, the debate won't matter that much (if people think Palin is okay now, they will continue to think so), but any perceived weakness about the economy from McCain or perceived strength on the economy from Obama could be enough to tip the balance. Whatever people say, I think this will be a very close election.

  • 0

    goodDonkey

    sarge said:

    Columnist Michelle Malkin on PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who is serving as moderator for the debate: "she's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."

    You mean Michelle Malkin, defender of the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, Michelle Malkin? She is a NeoCon hack. Figures you would quote someone like her. Gwen Ifill is very well respected. Only professionals at the top of their game end up as a moderator for such a prestigious debate. Palin will be long gone from the spotlight in a few months from now and Gwen Ifill will still be at the top of her game in a decade from now.

    Since you, sarge, were blatantly callous enough to post the comments of such an offensive person to Japanese-American culture I will use a quote to denounce her lunatic ravings:

    John Tateishi, the executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League issued a media release on August 24, 2004 stating:

    /

    Michelle Malkin's book In Defense of Internment: The Case for Racial Profiling in World War II and the War on Terror is a desperate attempt to impugn the loyalty of Japanese Americans during World War II to justify harsher governmental policies today in the treatment of Arab and Muslim Americans.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sarge: "Ronin - With the U.S. economy in turmoil ( to the Democrats' delight ) and 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, Obama should have at least a 20 point lead in the polls. Instead he's barely leading - it's a virtual dead heat. Why? Americans are not as dumb as Obama and Biden think."

    Hahaha... and only a few days ago you were bragging about McCain's ratings, and in a mere few days you'll be screaming sour grapes with, "Well, oh well, Obama should be leading with 90%!", etc. It's getting tired sarge, and you best acknowledge defeat before you look even worse. Hell, even if Obama is only 'a few points ahead' in the end, it's still the White House, my friend, and goodbye to the Repubs in the oval office!

    Ohhhh.....! Stick to sumo, sarge; that's ANOTHER failing arena, but one you're halfway decent at predicting.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sarge: I forgot to mention AGAIN just how quickly, in mere days in fact, even the republicans are bailing on Palin.... so, it's quite clear that Americans are indeed not stupid enough to stick behind McCain/Palin convention speeches; only a few remain in the ignorant and/or utterly clueless position of supporting the sinking ship that is McCain/Palin's campaign. Utterly hilarious to watch you guys panic!.

  • 0

    cleo

    Sarge, from the page you linked -

    In 2 years of office the only thing you could mention about her accomplishments was that she sold a jet, fired a chef, and helped with the oil pipeline which has been in the works for years before she became governor. This is supposed to be impressive?

    To be fair, as a 'hockey mum' it is impressive. But as a potential Prez......?

    The same commenter goes on to mention refusal to answer subpoenas, opposition to sex education in public schools and the fact that she is despised by environmentalists for being in favour of shooting wolves from the air, and for wanting polar bears off the endangered species list despite scientific proof of their dwindling numbers. (Maybe she wants to go shooting those, too?)

    Sorry Sarge, I'm still not impressed. But then again, she'd have to do something pretty darn marvellous to cancel out her killing habit and atrocious treatment of that little boy.

    Second thoughts, nothing cancels out those things.

  • 0

    USARonin

    "Panic"?

    You must be gettin' some kind of thrills at the JT Olympics others of us aren't gettin'.

    Heck, man. This is just cyberspace.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Ronin: "You must be gettin' some kind of thrills at the JT Olympics others of us aren't gettin'. Heck, man. This is just cyberspace."

    Agreed... it is indeed just cyberspace. I would hardly call them thrills... it's more humour while checking the panic of those fearing President Obama... makes me chuckle. YOU are not in a panic yet, to be sure, but I've seen you fly off the handle (and change handles, for that matter) more than once; it's only a matter of time before you start talking about 'true-blooded' Americans and YOUR rights while immigrants or second generation Americans have none, etc. etc.

    Anyway, happy reading... and enjoy watching McCain's ratings slide... slide... slide down.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Palin's going to go down like the Hindenberg, puffing out nothing but gas and hot air. Can't wait to watch it. And again, all the republicans can do is pray that Biden screws up as much as Palin already has.

  • 0

    USARonin

    I, too, am lookin' forward to these debates but the outcomes are really moot for any American postin' on the JT Olympics because... simply:

    Conservatives don't vote liberal and liberals don't vote conservative.

    There's really no need for all the political posturing that I observe here and all over these threads. It's all for naught.

    And if there's a category below 'naught', that would be those who cannot even vote on these matters. That's what I say is a kind of "twistin' in the wind" relevance.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Uh, oh...

    This is what some of you have been passin' off as truth:

    http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/interview.asp

    You may wanna recall some of these posts and a whole bunch of your emails.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Ohhh... well... if SNOPES says it's true, it must be!! hahaha... come on, Ronin... if you're going to paste links, paste links with an ounce of credibility.

  • 0

    WilliB

    The moderator has a book on Obamas presidency coming out. It is naive to assume that she has not slipped Biden a copy of her questions to him so that he can prepare and look good. Look forward to a very one-sided contest.

  • 0

    Nessie

    Smith, I'm concerned Obama might end up takin' the oath next January.

    I'm concerned Palin might end up takin' the fifth in her sooper-dooper troopergate scandal.

  • 0

    taniwha

    Watch for the wires.

    Maybe Palin's minature earpiece gets somehow dislodged. Otherwise I am sure you are going to see Palin speaking far more like a future Vice President this time around, that is, compared to her amazingly bad performance in the recent interviews. Its amazing how technology can cover incompetence, and you can be sure that her team will be employing the very best the high tech world of prompting can offer.

    Oh, and you can be sure if Palin is employing a prompter who's feeding lines to her through digital wizardry that Biden will be doing the same.

    I guess it really gets down to who can best deliver the lines.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Nessie, feelin' as you do, you should vote the Obama-Biden ticket.

    I apologize if our Clinton trooper-gate caused you anxiety several years ago.

  • 0

    USARonin

    taniwha, so what you're sayin' is: "It's all fake. Watch 'Two-and-a-Half Men' instead.

    By the by, taniwha, since you're into 'digital', have you heard of 'Project Echelon'? Folks who're into technology will really appreciate this.

  • 0

    Nessie

    Nessie, feelin' as you do, you should vote the Obama-Biden ticket. I apologize if our Clinton trooper-gate caused you anxiety several years ago.

    You'll find me on record for calling for Clinton's resignation during the oval office bruhaha, USARonin, when he made air strikes as a distraction. Check it out.

    Clinton lacked judgement and self-control, to put it mildly, but at least he's never been the moron that Palin is.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Nessie, no Clinton was never a moron for sure.

    As for Palin bein' a "moron", you've just insulted nearly all of America so your critique isn't goin' to go very far.

    If you want to play "moron", Google "Biden gaffes".

    Good stuff. Bring Guinness.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    USARonin,

    I already explained why the statistics are incomparable.

    First you are comparing an individual to a group and the group is not even running for the office in question. Comparable statistics between Biden and Palin do not show Palin in a favorable light.

    Add to that the unknown provenance of your statistics. What is your source? Are you giving statistics that say that 85% of Americans don't believe Congresspeople have the right qualifications or are you giving statistics which show that 85% of Americans aren't satisfied with the job Congress is doing?

    My daughter is qualified to make A's in school but sh

  • 0

    SezWho2

    Oops. New computer keyboard.

    As I was saying, my daughter could make A's in school. However, she prioritizes her friendships and gets lesser results. She's qualified, but I'm not particularly satisfied.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sez, and I'm invalidatin' your original premise that the folks who comprise your statistics are overwhelmingly nullified by the statistics in my group. You are tryin' to proceed from a logical fallacy.

    If you don't believe me and feel like it, you can Google the American public's satisfaction with Bush and the Democratic Congress. The liberal Democratic Congress rating is less than half that of Bush's. Bush's is around 30-something and Congress is around 15.

    You say your daughter is qualified to make A's in school. That's what every school counselor has told a dejected parent since time immemorial. I wish her well.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    smithinjapan,

    Palin is a Governor of a US state and she has a good approval rating in her state. She has had prior experience as a city mayor. She comes to the position with administrative experience that Biden does not have--nor any of the other candidates either.

    As I said before, I do not think she has the intellectual and experiential qualifications to be Vice-President. However, this debate is not about that. This debate is about convincing the American public that she has the capability to be the veep.

    Biden may try to make it about experience, but Palin seems to have been able to confront this kind of challenge before in debates for the Alaska governorship. She has the advantage of format. And her eye-candy appeal will not hurt her either, especially when subdued into a severe presentation. And if Palin knows anything, she knows how to make a presentation.

    Biden is exponentially more qualified but he lacks appeal in the popular imagination. I think the debate is Palin's to lose.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    USARonin,

    I've explained your logical fallacy. Now, if you can, please explain mine.

    I don't say that "the folks who comprise [my] statistics are overwhelmingly nullifed by the statistics in [your] group". At first blush that sounds backward. I'm claiming that my statistics are appropriate and that yours are not. So, if anything, I would think the claim would be that my statistics nullify yours. On closer look, I find that I don't really have any idea what your statement means--folks nullified by statistics? How does that work?

    Furthermore, it is now very clear that you are comparing answers to "do you think that X is qualified for the office of Y?" with answers to "are you satisfied with A's performance?" Ability to do a job is not the same thing as actually doing it. And assessment of ability to do a job is not comparable to satisfaction with the job done.

  • 0

    USARonin

    Sez, it's not so complicated.

    You're sayin' that Group A makes an assessment of B.

    I'm sayin' another Group Double-A states that group A is so disrespected by Group Double-A that Group A is not qualified to make an assessment of B.

    Your original premise that Group A is quaified to assess B is a logical fallacy.

    It is clearly not.

    You must start from the beginning.

  • 0

    zurcronium

    Congress is half republican, if there were more democrats the rating would be much, much higher. Not that it matters.

    bush is now polling at 23 percent approval. Lowest every recorded. He is just one person, one total loser. Not 535 members.

    The endless repeating by the repubs of congress ratings are worthless. 97% ger relected so the numbers on the congress as a whole are stupid to discuss. But that does not stop the wingers from making up stuff to try and spin the bush failures and the collapse of the repub party.

    Landslide in one month, get ready all you losers.

  • 0

    adaydream

    Is Sarah Palin the very best the the republicans could get to enlist as the candidate for vice president? I think that there are serious doubts as to her qualifications. Or should I rephrase it, there are many more people I'm sure more qualified that wouild have been McCain's running mate.

    Is she the best qualified for the job?

    Can't wait to hear her answers to tonight's questions. < :-)

  • 0

    Sarge

    zurcronium - "Landslide in one month"

    I dunno... I think Obama's going to make a respectable showing.

  • 0

    SezWho2

    USARonin,

    I do not have any premise that "Group A is qualified to assess B". I have merely observed that "Group A has assessed B". In addition to your fallacy in comparing apples to oranges, you can add error in identifying the oranges.

    This whole discussion arose because Sarge claimed that "there [was] no question that [I was] wrong" in claiming that there was no question that Palin was durrently unqualified for the job. I introduced the statistics to show that a good many people, in fact a majority, also do not believe she is qualified. So there is at least some question whether I am wrong.

    Now, if you mean that because some people believe that Palin is qualified there is at least a question that she is qualified, that would be a good point. That would have been a very easy point to make. However, neither Sarge nor you have bothered to make it.

    Furthermore, I am speaking for myself, expressing my opinion. It would have been an easy point to make that a more accurate statement from me would have been that "I have no question that Palin is currently unqualified". That would would have been a good point. Again, however, neither you nor Sarge bothered to make it.

    In neither case, however, would those points have changed the fact that only 25% of Americans believe now that Palin is qualified for the office. Nor would they have changed the fact that I, yours truly, believe she is unquestionably not now qualified. Your introduction of the public's approval rate of Congress and your attempt to compare public confidence in Palin with public approval of Congress is an inappropriate comparison which (a) compares public ratings of an individual with public ratings of a group, (b) ignores the more direct comparison between Palin and Biden and (c) distracts from the issue.

  • 0

    WilliB

    daydream

    " e I'm sure more qualified that wouild have been McCain's running mate. "

    It is interesting to see how coordinated the talking points are. First, it was all about here disabled kid, then about her pregnant daughter. That didn´t stick, so now the new slogan is "experience". That seems to get some traction, so MSNBC and the parrotting crowd sticks with that.

    An interesting talking point though, considering that she is a) only runnning for VP and b) is more experienced than the no. 1 guy on the democrat ticket.

    But whatever sticks, right?

  • 0

    SezWho2

    WilliB,

    One thing Palin is not is "more experienced than Obama". While it is true that she has 1 more year of official public service (maybe 2 if you count her energy commission service), she has less experience of state service and no experience of national service.

  • 0

    Nessie

    One thing Palin is not is "more experienced than Obama". While it is true that she has 1 more year of official public service (maybe 2 if you count her energy commission service), she has less experience of state service and no experience of national service.

    Aren't you forgetting her PTA-level experience?

  • 0

    SezWho2

    Nessie,

    Yes. My bad. At this late date I would try to balance with some mumbling about community organizing.

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