Biden's Strategy for the Debate: Give Her Enough Rope

[Zomby Woof]

I have been reading Senator Biden's memoir Promises To Keep as of late, and one of the more telling anecdotes involves his Cinderella senate campaign in 1972, against popular entrenched incumbent Cale Boggs.

In their first debate together, the venerable Boggs stumbled on a question, posed by an audience member, about the Genocide Treaty, which was under consideration by the senate. The treaty was important in the Jewish community, and was put together as a response to the Holocaust. Naturally, it was opposed by the ultra-rightist John Birch Society, and other reactionary corners. Though not a front-burner issue at the time, it is understandable that it should have been given due consideration by U.S senate candidates, as they would be expected to have a working knowledge of any or all prospective treaties.

Boggs' reply: "I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with the specifics of the Genocide Treaty. I'll check on the details and get back to you." (At least Boggs had the good graces to pronounce "you" without using Alaskan Valleyspeak).

The audience member then asked Biden, and the moderator allowed it, even though it was contrary to the debate rules.

Biden had studied for this debate with extreme thoroughness, and knew he had the answer cold. But in deference to Boggs and his esteem, he pretended not to know the answer either, not wanting to appear too arrogant or too much of an upstart.

That little tale is a measure of his character, and why so many of us are proud to call him our VP nominee.

It can give one just the faintest pause, however, on what his approach may be this coming Thursday, when this time he occupies the role of seasoned veteran, and she is revealed as the greenest of neophytes.

We can be sure that she has not studied any of today's pressing issues with any initiative or depth. We are confident she is being coached to the point of hypnosis, in some miasma of sound bites and talking points, rehearsed with smirking precision.

We know that with so much more at stake than a rookie senate campaign, Biden must not allow his good manners and respectful disposition to overcome his imperative to 'punch the bully in the nose', to recall his mother's sage advice. But he can strike just enough of a balance between those two impulses to allow Palin, as demonstrated so aptly in the the Gibson and Couric interviews, and underscored so ably by Tina Fey, to hang herself by her own rank ignorance and congenital cluelessness.

Give her enough rope, Joe. That's all that needs to be done. Don't even prepare the knot.

[Lint Head]

1. Give her enough rope and she'll hang the entire Re-Pubic-Rat

party. :dem:

[1corona4u]

2. Don't ya love the book?

I really enjoyed reading it.

[Zomby Woof]

3. I am in the thick of the Bork hearings

Ah, nostalgia! I was starting my junior year of college, and remember fondly how Bork became a verb. :D "Let's Bork 'em!"

After all these years, I am finally getting the ultimate inside account of that battle. After the Summer of Ollie North, the good times tearing down Reagan were going pretty well.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. Obama has a similar mentality.

Remember when he whispered "Katrina" to Bill Richardson during one debate when Richardson wasn't paying attention to what the moderator asked him?

[kansasblue]

5. sound bites and talking points and ' Ann Coulter zingers'

that's my prediction.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. whatever happened to Ann Coulter? Is she alive, in jail?

[gateley]

6. I have so much faith in Biden - he knows what's at stake, and he knows

his weaknesses. I think we'll still be proud to call him our VP nominee.

I just heard someone on Anderson Cooper say "Oh, she knows all the right answers, she just doesn't understand the questions' == loved that, and sums it up well.

[Zomby Woof]

7. 2 more days

[Zomby Woof]

8. Debate Eve

[burythehatchet]

9. Just let her talk.

[nini]

10. JOEY THE SHARK!!

:P

I have confidence in him - I couldn't do it though because I'd have to go over there and get all Wilmas on her :evilgrin:

[Zomby Woof]

11. That smirk of hers alone

:nuke:

:evilgrin:

[Clio the Leo]

12. A friend of mine said the same thing 3 weeks ago.....

... when we were wallowing in the post RNC convention speech muck. Back when folks wanted Barack to go on the attack and rip into her ..... just give her enough rope and she'll hang herself ..... my friend said ..... not a pundit, not an expert on politics, just a fitysomething year old FL voter. Back then we had not fully realized Palin's potential toward stupidity and the notion seemed far fetched.

But I took a deep breath and sat back and waited ....... and the next thing I knew, she was sitting face to face with Charles Gibson.

[Zomby Woof]

13. In what respect, Clio?

;-)

:D

[Clio the Leo]

14. I'll have to get back to ya. NT

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. I would ask her about the draft

it will be rehearsed. She will have shed the old skin and have a new one for this debate.

However, the questions directed at her should require in depth answers and she should be probed. Getting back to 'ya' will not be acceptable.

If I was the questioner I would ask he about the draft and how she would pay for another futile war in the present climate.