It won't work in the debate to let 'Sarah be Sarah' as some republicans suggest

[bigtree]

The 'hockey mom' act won't get her far in that forum. I forget where I heard this first, but folks don't really want someone who's just like them in the White House. I certainly don't believe I'm qualified and I wouldn't vote for me.

Palin is either going to effectively demonstrate her knowledge of the issues or she will be forever afterward (correctly) ridiculed and made fun of for her performance. Bringing the corny, homespun act to the debate is just going to earn Palin even more hilarious parodies by Fey and others.

And, I don't expect Palin to 'effectively demonstrate her knowledge of the issues' in the debate. It's like a lady on Rachel said yesterday, Palin hasn't managed to read a newspaper from front to back. She has no context, so she has little depth or understanding of the words and phrases she's being coached to deliver in response to the nuanced questions of the moderator.

[livetohike]

1. I don't understand why the Obama/Biden camp agreed to

the modified debate format :shrug:. I want to see "Palin be Palin" and I'm sure the millions of viewers watching want to see her comedy act too.

[rufus dog]

4. What part the sitting down or short response format?

I think they were smart with both.

Sitting down takes away the imposing big bad Joe picking on Sarah visual, and Joe being forced to have short replies will be fine.

[livetohike]

7. As I understand it, there won't be any challenges - Palin

will respond to the question and Joe can't challenge her answer and vice versa.

[secondwind]

10. I don't know about that. ...As I understand it , it will be 2 minutes, 2 minutes,

then 30 seconds, and 30 seconds.

[uppityperson]

11. I am waiting for them to debate like that also. Not dumbed down, but normally. eom

[rvablue]

15. From what I read

the are going to be standing at lecturns. The repubs conceded to this so that they could get shorter answer times for Palin.

Am I wrong -- did something change --- because I don't like the idea of them sitting down either.

[RichGirl]

5. Agreeing to modify the debate for Palin will be an advantage for Obama/Biden in the long run.

If Palin does badly, which she most likely will, they can't blame anyone. She will have done badly even though the format was modified for her.

If she does pretty good, it's not like she did good by the same standard that has been used for debates. She did good in a debate that was essentially dumbed down for her.

[livetohike]

6. I see your points, but I think the agreement is definitely sexist

Why not debate normally?

[rufus dog]

2. It's all they have left - right?

They need an excuse for her horrible performances to date so they have to stick to the arguement that she is over coached.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

3. I want the press to interview Katie and Charlie...What was left on the cutting room floor?

..And you are correct. Thursday's debate is not going to go well for Mrs. Palin. That's for sure.

[yardwork]

8. It doesn't matter what the Republicans say or how they spin it.

They have very little to work with. They can claim to be letting "Sarah be Sarah" or they can claim that she is being "over prepared" but it doesn't and won't make any difference in her performance.

Sarah Palin has had one mode since she was announced as the VP nominee - she comes across as a mean, nasty airhead. She's one of those mean girls who roamed the halls of middle school while cutting class because she was failing everything but P.E. With her tattooed makeup and her hair extensions, she looks ok for a former beauty queen, but she's got no class, no style, no endearing qualities whatsoever. Her vacant deer in the headlights look only comes half alive when she's saying something mean about somebody else. Everything she's told us about her record has proven to be a lie. I think she's probably lied about most of her personal life as well. She has no apparent friends. No "friends of Sarah" helping her through this supposedly difficult time.

Palin will walk out on stage Thursday night and start shooting the pre-rehearsed zingers at Biden and Obama because that's all she's got. She'll say, "As Senator McCain says...." about twenty times. She'll make a reference to lipstick. She'll make fun of community organizers and the Harvard Law Review and liberals. The rest of what she says will be a jumble of memorized phrases stuck together like 50-card pickup.

[bigtree]

16. that's a good summary

I think EVERYONE watching will require more from her than that to regard her with any respect at all, though.

[Ah Xoc Kin]

9. debate will accomodate her weaknesses

It's more important to avoid embarrassing a candidate
than to "inform" and "educate" the public.

The debate will not be the usual setup.

She's not going to be prepared there's just not enough time.

[Fire1]

12. Who knows? She might do well.

[CrispyQ]

13. Can I have a hit of what your smoking?

;)

[bigtree]

14. 'well'

You mean she will appeal to the majority of voters watching in some different way than she already has presented herself? I doubt it.

The best she can hope for is to bore us to death.

[spanone]

17. that's the new meme...even pat buchanan said it...just let sarah be sarah...the hockey mom blah blah

[earthlover]

18. Sara IS Sara...that is her problem!

[johnnydrama]

19. as Olbermann pointed out

The two times that "Sarah was Sarah" was Sarah reading a teleprompter.

[VolcanoJen]

20. Really great post, bigtree.

I concur. And I'm not in the "bar has been set low" camp. In fact, there is more pressure on her than there has been on a VP candidate in decades.

There was Dan Quayle, and although we remember Poppy Bush winning that election, I think we also remember that we never really heard from Dan Quayle again after that debate, nor after his vice presidency.