Why more briefings won't help Sarah Palin

Posted By Blake Hounshell Tuesday, September 30, 2008 - 8:43 AM Share

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Adam Nagourney has a good story in the New York Times about growing Republican fears that Sarah Palin, the GOP's vice presidential nominee, is going to crash and burn in Thursday's debate with Democrat Joe Biden.

Palin flew to her running mate John McCain's Arizona ranch yesterday to begin three days of intense debate preparations. Will she be ready?

Given Palin's abysmal performance in her recent interview with Katie Couric of CBS, I seriously doubt it. She just doesn't seem like she has given any thought to major issues in economics and foreign policy, ever, and the "gibberish" she utters when forced off her talking points shows it painfully. Nor does she appear to have the base of knowledge necessary to absorb the briefings she is being so desperately given -- something that takes years, not days, to acquire. And that's why this automated computer script (thanks, Andrew) sounds about as intelligible as Palin does. It's why Saturday Night Live could use actual quotes to mock the Alaska governor in a comedy sketch.

As the Atlantic's James Fallows, an Obama supporter, put it after seeing Palin speak with Couric about foreign policy, "After thirty years of meeting and interviewing politicians, I can think of exactly three people who sounded as uninformed and vacant as this. All are now out of office. One was a chronic drunk." The average reader of USA Today would do better, frankly.

I'm sorry if this sounds unduly partisan, folks, but I have to call it like I see it. McCain is a great hero, he has done some good things in the Senate, and he might make a wonderful president. But if he wins, he damn well better stay alive.

EXPLORE:DECISION '08

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KIDZIB

1:44 PM ET

September 30, 2008

McCain Playing Expectations

The McCain campaign is playing the expectations game quite well with this upcoming Palin debate. Now everybody thinks she is going to make a complete fool of herself on Thursday. But she won't. She will be fine and maybe make one gaffe. But all in all, she will exceed the expectations placed on her by a WIDE margin and this will ultimately help the McCain-Palin ticket. The media is buying the whole "Palin is doomed!" theme hook, line, and sinker. Tell me: why else would people on McCain's STAFF be leaking details about how badly she has performed in mock interviews? It makes zero sense. Y'all are about to get punked...

BEN

3:43 PM ET

September 30, 2008

Er . . .

So tell me, in your theory is Palin performing abysmally in the interviews as part of this scheme? Is the idea to make her look like a complete buffoon now so that when her knowledge of foreign policy turns out to be mediocre, we will actually view that as an improvement and come to want to vote McCain? Or are you desperately hoping that you are not watching your dreams of victory for the Right sinking on the HMS Palin?

KIDZIB

4:42 PM ET

September 30, 2008

I meant "mock debates"

I have no doubt that the interview with Couric was 100% sincere and that there was no "performing" involved. That said, Palin will wildly exceed the debate expectations placed on her if she simply comes across as half-competent, which I think she very well might. That said, I hope she bombs terribly :-) No dreams of victory for the Right from me! I'm just making observations of where the expectations game stands at the moment.

BEAINCHICAGO

3:09 PM ET

September 30, 2008

reservations about Sarah Palin as VP candidate

I'm one of many people who have reservations about Sarah Palin being Sen. McCain's running mate. My reservations have never been about her intelligence or commitment. My reservations and those of many others include:
- her unreadiness. Unlike Gov. Palin, Sen. Obama has experience at the national level, in addition to several years' experience in the Illinois legislature. Her performance during TV interviews left much to be desired.
- her record on the environment. An article in the LA Times, includes this quote: She's continued the extractive political ideology that has defined Alaska for decades," said Rick Steiner, a University of Alaska marine biologist.
The link to that article is http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-mccainveepenviro30-2008aug30,0,6706698.story.
- her attempt to have books banned at the Wasilla AK library. The link to this list is http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/bannedbooks.asp. The Harry Potter books don't teach about witchcraft or how to do spells. The books include loyalty, fear, betrayal, love, what true family is and more. I know that because I've read them. I don't know why she asked to have the rest of those books banned.
- her stance on abortion and stem cell research. Gov. Palin is against abortion and stem cell research. While I agree that all children are gifts from the Creator, I disagree with her stance on abortion and stem cell research. Each woman is the only one with the authority to decide whether or not to get an abortion. That's what the term 'pro-choice' really means -- in favor of the woman making her own decision, whatever it is. Stem cell research can lead to cures and prevention of many life-threatening illnesses. That, in my opinion, is reason enough to support stem cell research. Clearly defined ethics are however necessary to prevent abuses. Here is the link to an article on her views: http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Sarah_Palin_Abortion.htm
- Here is a link to an article about her religious views. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-palin-religion_06sep06,0,3371419.story. I disagree with her views but that's okay. It's important to know what her religious views are because everyone is influenced by them. My main concern is her fundamentalism, which people use all to often to not allow for gray areas. There are many gray areas in life; it's important to be willing and able to deal with them. I'm not convinced she will.

GAMMAGOOEY

5:53 AM ET

October 1, 2008

False Rumors

beainchicago, the very top of the very page you linked states that rumor as False. Harry Potter hadn't even COME OUT YET when the basis of this rumor, Palin asking the librarian how she would feel about removing books (non-specifically) in 1996. Please read the articles you link to before providing them as evidence for something.

Having said that, I will be voting Obama to prevent such incompetence from reaching the vice-presidential (and possibly presidential) level, among other reasons.

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