Posted on 09/02/2008 11:43:02 PM PDT by A_Niceguy_in_CA
Before Speech, Running Mate Gets Some Coaching
By Juliet Eilperin/Robert Barnes Washington Post Staff
Wednesday, September 3, 2008; A01
ST. PAUL, Minn., Sep.2 -Since Sunday night, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been holed up in her suite in the Hilton Minneapolis while a parade of Sen. John McCain's top advisers have briefed her on the nuances of his policy positions, national politics and, above all, how to introduce herself to the national audience she will address Wednesday night at the Republican convention.
Sitting around a dining room table, the McCain team has talked to her about Iraq, energy and the economy, but has focused on what she should say in her speech, struggling almost as hard as she has to prepare for what will be, along with a debate in October, her main opportunity to shape the way she is viewed by voters. Not anticipating that McCain would choose a woman as his running mate, the speech that was prepared in advance was "very masculine," according to campaign manager Rick Davis, and "we had to start from scratch."
By all accounts Palin has thrown herself enthusiastically into preparations for her prime-time debut as well as for her first campaign trip without McCain, expected to be next week. On Tuesday afternoon, she practiced her first run-through of the speech before an audience that included strategists Steve Schmidt, Nicolle Wallace and Mark Salter, who all offered suggestions.
"She's very engaged, she's very enthusiastic," said Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella, who has attended some of the briefing and speechwriting sessions. "She clearly wants to absorb as much information as possible."
Aides to McCain and Palin were still debating elements of the speech, according to several GOP sources familiar with the process, including whether the governor should make reference to her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ok, call me naive, but it disappoints me to hear that she’s not writing her own speech.
Fortunately, she didn’t need coaching on how many states are in the union..
Sarah is one smart girl, she will do fine. When the smoke clears and the dems are seen as the garbage that they are by America they may be out of a job for the next 16 years. Keep up the good work obama, you are killing yourself.
You’re naive.
Because "the One" writes every word of his speeches and doesn't need a teleprompter?
She'll be fine.
We all wanted him to keep his powder dry, but not THIS dry. McCain really screwed his team on this one.
It’s also a WaPo article.
Frankly, this smells like yet another smear-type job, to paint Palin as unprepared for the position, let alone the speech.
Governor Palin needs to get up and give a speech exactly like she did last Friday morning. I became inspired and fired up. Up until that speech, I was pretty depressed about November. It was so refreshing to finally see some “change” in American politics. Of course, I’ve never really been a big Greek temple kind of guy.
And Biden writes his own speeches?
I think you’re a little bit naive. Her speech has to fit into the campaign’s parameters, which she may not have been all that familiar with, but I’m sure there are parts of it she’ll write herself to explain her own background.
She probably gave some suggestions and wil put her imprint on it, but what they hey you beleived the Wash Compost spin.
He doesn’t even write his own term papers.
and yet another member from 1998...nice try buddy:P
Prayers for Sarah. Tough spot to be in. I can’t decide if she should give ‘em hell, or be classy and show the MSM how wrong they are.
Not after tomorrow night, you DUmmies will be crying.
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