Tonight's debate

[sleigh]

I'll be watching tonight, but frankly I don't expect much. While a debate doesn't give someone the crutch of a teleprompter, neither is it generally a situation where you get pressed for details if you give vague, strange answers (as in a competent interview). Both Biden and Palin will have memorized their responses to expected questions, and been coached on how to segue into those memorized speechlets if they get something slightly off-topic (Biden's had years of experience with this).

So I don't expect this to be as 'entertaining' as many people seem to think it will be. I also suspect that all the hype about Palin's performance with Katie Couric will have set the bar so low for her that if she manages to speak in actual sentences, she will be seen as a success. To 'win,' all she has to be is extremely mediocre -- if she can be coherent, she'll come out of this fine as far as her supporters are concerned, and we'll be hearing crowing about how she's 'redeemed herself.'

The Republicans have also been trying to reframe the debate by questioning the choice of moderator Gwen Ifill. It's an interesting tactic, very Rovian -- hey, by doing this, you may get her to toss softballs so she doesn't appear to be attacking Palin -- and also, given that Ifill is black, you bring in racist overtones with the subtle implication that 'she's black, therefore she's pro-Obama.' The closet racists will be nodding their heads.

minnehaha B thinks that Obama should call them on this one. That might be very interesting, actually. As B states: "If a new moderator comes in at the last second, it will throw both of them off their game. And who do you think will be able to better deal with that last-minute uncertainty: Biden or Palin?"

Hmm.... [Steve strokes his chin thoughtfully] Let's see now...

Comments

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Funny how the rightwingers accusing Ifill of liberal bias are ignoring that she's a close friend of Condoleezza Rice. The liberals didn't try to get her removed from the debate for having a connection with the current Republican administration.

[lauriemann.livejournal.com]

And wasn't the moderator OKed by both campaigns first? Yet another failure to properly vet someone by the McCain folks?

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Yes, and as everybody on MSNBC pointed out, the book was announced two weeks before the debate moderators were approved.

The Publicans are just playing the ref again.

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

You're probably right that this won't be as entertaining as people think, but I still hold the vague hope that Palin will commit some fantastically naive/ignorant blooper that will make a viral sound bite, and that Biden will miraculously be succinct and come up with a zinger that will also make a viral sound bite. I can dream...

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I'm tempted to play the Sarah Palin Drinking Game: Every time Palin says an out-and-out lie, take a swig. "I was against the Bridge to Nowhere" counts as three...

I'm probably not going to do it, since I want to stay awake for the whole debate.

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

I also suspect that all the hype about Palin's performance with Katie Couric will have set the bar so low for her that if she manages to speak in actual sentences, she will be seen as a success. To 'win,' all she has to be is extremely mediocre -- if she can be coherent, she'll come out of this fine as far as her supporters are concerned, and we'll be hearing crowing about how she's 'redeemed herself.'

I'm not sure I understand how her poor performance so far sets the bar lower for her, rather than higher. I understand it sets EXPECTATIONS lower, but if the polls (which I tend to think are crap) are indicating that people are now questioning her qualifications MORE, then I tend to think that means the bar gets set HIGHER... they are now looking to be convinced as opposed to putting on their rose colored glasses.

Now, granted... I'll be the first to say that US politics/society is about the last place I look for things to be logical or understandable, but I'm really not getting why people think the bar is lowering for her debate perfomance. If anything, everyone's been on (and on and on) about what a "stellar debater she is".

As far as her supporters are concerned, if they are strong supporters, they will vote for her no matter how she performs in debates, in public, in interviews... and if they are strong supporters they are likely people who will vote AGAINST the other side no matter how much she might screw up. They will ALWAYS be apologizing for her, or finding ways to say she's redeemed herself. (Or agreeing with her that governing a state "near" Russia is foreign policy experience.)

But if the focus is on people who are trying to make up their minds about her (which is still a ???goggle???! concept for me... see above re:US politics/society and my expectations) or who are looking for specific indications of how qualified she is, I don't agree that her previous flubs are lowering the bar for her performance tonight.

Either way, I won't be watching, because even if it were to be as entertaining as some are predicting, that's not my kind of entertainment. :) I just get pissed off by stupid people, and my blood pressure doesn't need the anger.

(I know there's a general debate about her not being stupid, but rather being ignorant, and I agree in theory. Obviously she's "savvy" and "clever"... but I don't find that the same thing as true intelligence. I feel comfortable calling a number of her beliefs/theories/stances idiotic by my standards of what equals intelligence, which lands me squarely on the side of truly questioning her intelligence in general.)

[tshaile.livejournal.com]

I agree with you - if Palin doesn't fall on her face she'll get at least a tie in the after debate 'pundifications'. That will give her supporters enough ammo to say "See? She's great!" and the resultant press whirlwind will leave many undecideds somewhat less worried about her being on the ticket. This may be a critically important example of setting the bar too low - way too low.