Three weeks ago McCain was a genius.
This sounds like the call-in line to a radio sports talk show after the team lost a game. The season is over. Gloom, doom, all is lost, McCain is a socialsit, ya-da, ya-da. We need a new offensive coordinator, we need a new coach, bench the quarterback,.... same old stuff.
What was McCain supposed to say about Ifill? Go “Waaaaa?”
The rule in politics is that you let your supporters attack Ifill while you, McCain, take the high road. You shrug it off. You deal with it and keep going. It is when you act like all is lost because of a minor bump that your opponents know you are on the way out. You use it as motivation to be more on your toes.
Palin has a formidable task ahead of her. The debate is not limited to foreign policy. Biden is on the judiciary committee so he can throw in various details about Supreme Court cases, etc. Hopefully the Palin advisers have prepped her on judicial matters.
She needs to be able to give enough detail to show she has familiarity with a topic without necessarily convincing people she is well-schooled in it. The biggest danger in a debate setting for a person new to the national stage is to just look blank and caught off guard—the Dan Quayle effect. If she can weave her way through the minefield and come out appearing smart, regardless of whether she has actually said anything, then she will have won the debate.
The MSM will say Biden won. We know that. If Palin can get through without a big gaffe (or even if she has one) I will repeat my belief that she immediately hit the campaign trail on a bus tour through the swing states doing interviews and speeches several times a day, talking to people one-on-one, interviews with local media, etc. Garnering support in that setting will wipe out any debate issues, if there are any.
It is trench warfare there and she has the ability to make a difference.
Now so far as aggressiveness is concerned, I agree that McCain’s campaign needs to get on the stick.
I’m hearing this Dan Quayle analogy from the MSM who will be hovering over Sarah to make sure she comes through for them with at least one or two gaffes. I personally expect Biden The Gaffe Guy to put his foot in his condescending mouth with great gusto because that’s what his ego prompts him to do. And he does it without humor, unlike Sarah. He just comes across as an angry, bitter liberal with no class.