Biden Called Her Out

I believe (hope) the politeness to be the calm before the storm.there is plenty to hit her with.I believe (hope) that they’re getting the attack straight.I believe (hope) that they did not want to seem to be throwing punches right out of the gate, and fall into the trap that was set.I also believe that they depended upon people like you and us to do the punching for them.

That’s totally fine. It’s like saying “with all due respect” when you know that the “due respect” part is subjective. Maybe there is NO respect due to the other person.

Or in this case, it could be something like: “She’s a smart, tough politician [who would chop up her mother-in-law and sell her for blubber]. So I think she’s going to be formidable. Eventually, she’s going to have to sit in front of you like I’m doing and have done [and not hide like the punk Republican that she is]. Eventually, she’s going to have to answer questions and not be sequestered [to hide the fact that she has no clue on subjects like foreign policy or the economy]. Eventually, she’s going to have to answer on the record [for the scandal du jour coming out of Alaska. You know, Trooper-Gate, praying for a pipeline, putting her town into a $22 million hole while Mayor, asking for $300 million in earmarks this year alone while claiming to be a reformer. You know, her record].”

I’m not quite sure if Biden’s playing “rope-a-dope” here or just trying to continually point out that he respects Mc-Palin but disagrees with them on the issues. Perhaps a bit of both, but it certainly seems over the top!No more praising either of them JOE! Please! Just go straight to the issues!No more praise, no personal attacks either, just straight to the issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While this sort of Moose-love (Lord, that sounds like some horrible snuff film) irritates me as well, I’ve been thinking about it…and I think there may be a method to their madness. So here is my theory:When she was first selected, there was talk that this might serve to muzzle Biden, otherwise he may be seen as being a big meanie and beating up on a girl (for the record, not my opinion) during their debate. If, during the next few weeks, they drill into the collective unconscious that she is “smart” and “tough,” then perhaps that can allow Biden to do more of what he does best, and quite honestly, the reason for which he was selected.They need take some of the focus off of the fact that she is the mother of a child going to Iraq and a child with a disability, both of which trigger the “awwww” factor. The focus needs to be on her politics and that fact that she is, in her own terms, a pitbull with lipstick. That will make the playing field even during a debate.And if we’ve been told that she is “smart” and “tough,” then we would expect her to be so during a debate, right? A “smart” and “tough” person should know the intricate details of both candidates’ health plans, the difference between the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip and which one Syria cares about, and why Russia wants South Ossetia (hint – it has to do with oil). If Biden can go in there with guns blazing and nail her on important topics, it will look worse for her because we’ve been told so frequently that she is “smart” and “tough.”I think they’ve been careful with Biden over the past week because he does have such a reputation for open-mouth-insert-foot and they want to minimize that. But, I personally think the Obama campaign is setting her up. And damn, I hope it works. That woman annoys the shit out of me.

Excellent point, Kat. The theory that the Omaba campaign raising expectations for Palin come debate to combat the GOP’s “if she’s breathing at the podium and doesn’t vomit then it’s a win” low expactations could be exactly what is going on.

Build her up! Build her up! Smart and tough! Smart and tough! Then when she says something questionable WHAM! What the fuck is she talking about? I thought she was “smart and tough.”

I think all of you need to keep in mind the trap that has been set, and Obama and Biden’s wise sidestepping.The trap is “she’s inexperienced, and won’t be able to handle herself in an interview. That’s why she’s being sequestered.” Well – some of her celebrity has to do with how low expectations were set for her big debut on national television, and she aced her debut – at least partially by simply not folding like a tent. Isn’t it wiser to say that she’s “tough, formidable, smart” so that IF she comes across that way, that’s no big surprise, and if she falls apart – so much the better.Oh wait – I see Katin and Carl got there first… QT

Yes. Calling her smart, tough, formidable, sets up an expectation that she has to rise to.I don’t agree that she was stunningly effective on stage – all she did was read a speech. No need to think for herself or follow the party line, or to tread the careful path of a hard-hitting interview. The Repubs saw some glitz and glamour and heard words that switched on their excitement again, which they needed after the dreary months of McCain on his own. However they will have to continue to support her wildly, otherwise they will look like fools for trashing anyone who questioned her experience and readiness to step into this high position.So the pressure on Palin is two-fold – to square up to Democrats who are already “expecting” her to be the smart, tough, formidable candidate she has been sold as, and to keep the faith of all those Repubs who see her as their last hope of the Repubs staying in the White House.It’s no good her saying that she is VP and has little responsibility – she has to be ready to step into McCain’s shoes in a crisis so she has to be fluent in national and international politics from Day 1. She clearly had no idea of the magnitude of the job in June, and her acceptance of it does rather suggest personal aggrandisement rather than a true desire to serve her country.

It’s D Day, Bob.Gallup and Zogby’s polls are indicating that McCain and Palin have a slight lead on Big O now.

i am tolding you for the last time. the republican juggernaut is based on preemption.

That’s what I don’t like about all this so called ‘polished politician’. When you are on the street with ‘boorish’ Repubs, it is time to get dirty. What was that ‘smart, tough’ statement. She ain’t tough and she ain’t smart. She is a ‘dirty’, mean republican and you fight her out. It is time to get back the country. Be Brave!! OBAMA-BIDEN!!

Trying to beat them at this game is futile. They are quite comfy with openly lying at this point. Their base believes it, and we are never going to win them over. The McCain Campaign has also said that no one gets to interview Palin unless the agree to the campaign’s terms and conditions. The media will eventually cave under pressure from the McCain Campaign and promise to play nice.The only real way we are going to win this is by overwhelming numbers. We have got to get out the vote. We have to in the lookout for Republican attempts to monkey with the election. We need to make sure our counties are prepared for high turnout with extra ballots. We need to be there for the long lines.No amount of interviewing, tough or softball, is going to convince anyone that she’s not prepared for the job. They love that Simple Folk Can Be President bullshit too much, and no journalist is going to come out and say “You’re lying, Governor Palin.”We have to be there in November in OVERWHELMING numbers. If we let America stay home, they win.

I thought his using the word tough many times during the interview indicated he would not go easy on her in debate. It also takes her down a few notches. A backhanded complement.

Bob, I think the desire for the Democrats to behave more aggressively is misplaced. The personal attacks are just where the McCain campaign want to take the Obama campaign. It will blur the campaigns in the minds of the independents while energising their base (the Dem base hardly needs any more).So the Obama campaign should stick to making their arguments. The attacks from the net roots have played into the hands of the McCain campaign who want it reduced to this kind of a gloves-off brawl. Not smart.

Folks, it’s time to forget Ms Palin. Define her as “Bush with lipstick” and move on (no pun intended, wait, maybe it was).

Oh puke:http://zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1548http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-07-poll_N.htm

Yup. Gallup has McCain leding by 3 points in their rolling daily poll.Excuse me while I got and kick something.