Regarding tonight’s VP debates …
Both candidates are no doubt getting ready for tonight’s brouhaha. Word has it that Palin’s been hunkered down in her GOP bunker getting intense briefing and debate coaching — though, oddly enough, she denies it.
Everyone’s offering her advice (and prayer). The irony, though, is that for all the justifiable pasting in the media Palin’s suffering for her repeated gaffes and ignorance in the few interviews she’s given, she’s going into the debate with the advantage extremely low expectations. Unless she starts speaking in tongues, bursting into tears, or babbling about being chased by the Giant Head of Vladimir Putin, she can’t actually worsen her standing in the polls. Indeed, if she even modestly holds her own against Biden, gets off a few snappy jabs and a few winsome y’knows, it will be trumpeted by the pundits (and perceived by the party faithful) as a huge victory. And with some tactical tricks, combined with the debate format, she could easily make it happen, especially if Biden loses patience or sticks his foot in his mouth.
The most likely scenario to my mind is that Palin won’t “win,” but she’ll come across as something better (or smoother) than the blithering dolt she’s managed to be in more give-and-take interviews. If she can stop the bleeding in the polls, or at least her contribution to it, it will be a tactical success for the campaign that will have the GOP all a-twitter and full of renewed joy.
Regardless of the result, if nothing else you can make tonight enjoyable by playing VP debate bingo. Though I’m thinking what we actually need is a drinking game …
I could be Palin is in a no lose situation. Some UK press are reporting that Biden has been told not to take Palin to pieces (as apparently he has the debating experience to do) as it will make the audience feel sorry for her, so he loses.
So if she says something stupid he cant rip her to shreds, because ‘shes a mom’.
Plus, no matter what, it will be the fault of the “in the tank for Obama” debate moderator, Gwen Ifill. (Did you know that she’s BLACK?? And she’s written a book about AFRICAN AMERICANS in politics that is so pro-Obama, Michelle Obama might need to show up at the debate to stop the Ifill-Obama love fest)??? OMG!)
Biden might as well concede now.
Here’s a drinking game that my sister and brother in law play while watching sports on lazy weekend afternoons:
Every time the announcer says something incredibly obvious, drink.
I’d guess that this translates easily to the debate.
(Works pretty well at funerals/memorial services, also.)
The Canadians are debating tonight too…I think they should reschedule!
Hmmmm … it would be interesting to watch the Canadians debate.
With five different party leaders involved, the debate was set up as a moderated roundtable discussion – surprisingly effective. There were no lecterns to hide behind, and the candidates had to turn and look each other in the eye – not the TV camera – when they spoke.
That would be refreshing.
My recollection is that at least one of the coming presidential debates is in a “sit down at a table” format, but I don’t know for sure.