When someone loses their confidence, it doesn't matter how well they know the facts

[Quixote1818]

It has been said that Palin doesn't take criticism well and the fact that she tries to have anyone who disagrees with her fired, shows she is insecure and immature. Clearly the SNL skits and jokes have gotten to Palin and her confidence is crumbling. Once it has gone it is very had to get back and when confidence goes a person's ability to retrieve facts and concepts breaks down. The brain begins to lock up and the ability to reason goes out the door. Even if she prepared for a year for the debate, if she gets nervous and loses her confidence the facts won't come in the heat of the moment.


In my opinion, the fact that Palin loses her confidence easily should disqualify her for the Presidency because human reason breaks down in this instance. We need a clear thinking president who won't let public opinion impact his/her ability to reason and retrieve facts. The presidency is too important for this.

I predict they will give Palin cocaine or some kind of confidence building drug for the debate. If they don't she could crumble.

[ingac70]

1. She's unbelievably stupid...

no amount of confidence can compensate for that, and no drug can cover it up.

[JI7]

2. she lost her confidence because she doesn't know anything

most people would if they were in a situation they knew nothing about.

it's almost like an excuse people are using now rather than just admitting she is an idiot.

of course she lost her confidence. i wouldn't be confident either and i'm much more informed than she is.

[Quixote1818]

8. I agree, but she use to have a better ability to BS her way thought things

she has lost that ability. I think the same thing happened to Dan Quayle but Palin is even worse than Quayle.

[JI7]

12. she was reading from a script then like the convention speech

other than that she never spoke to reporters or anyone else.

most people could do what she did. especially if it's just some stupid empty partisan stuff for like minded types as she did during the vp announcement and the convention.

if she had any intelligence but was just informed about the issues then she would still be able to answer the questions without saying crap like Alaska is near Russia.

[Quixote1818]

20. Some here say she did quite well in her Alaska debates on PBS

I never saw them but if she did do well then she has clearly lost her confidence. I have seen clips of her on the Glen Beck show and she did quite well. Bush use to be a lot more articulate and seemed to lose his confidence too. I don't think Palin is that smart but she has clearly lost her confidence in interviews.

[vaberella]

25. She did crap. She was still far too verbose. Halcro, should have been Governor. Video below:

Knock yourself out....

http://gregransom.com/prestopundit/2008/09/sarah-palin-debates-tony-knowl.html

[ingac70]

27. Even among the best bullshiters...

there is a level where they are in over their heads. Most are smart enough to know the limit.. She isn't one of them, and neither was Dan Quayle.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Cocaine? Really?

I didn't know it did that.

But it doesn't matter.

She's not presidential material, no matter what drug she takes.

It should be an interesting debate.

[ingac70]

4. On coke she would sound like...

an "Alvin and the Chipmunks" record.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

5. I was just thinking about this... Biden crushing her confidence EARLY ON in the debate.

But in a gentlemanly way with a smile on his face. If anyone can do it, it's Biden.

Not sure about the cocaine, however. ;-)

[RichGirl]

6. Yeah...I think you're right about the criticism.

She was impatient with Couric, she seemed to think her response about Russia was crystal clear and Katie wasn't getting it. In both interviews, she seemed annoyed when she was asked a question twice, believing that she'd already answered it. Then she'd answer the same thing word for word.


It will be a very strange debate because in all the others, it's hard to get them to shut up. They always run over their time and then want more. It's going to be hard for Palin to fill a solid two minutes without rambling aimlessly.

[tpi10d]

7. the odds are not in her favor

She's exhibiting less confidence lately, and she'll be under a lot of pressure Thursday night. How she'll react is anybody's guess. Toss in a two week crash course in basic federal govt affairs (on top of little previous knowledge), and we have a good chance of the train leaving the tracks on Thursday night.

I have a ghoulish fascination with what is about to happen. At best for the Rs is she competently sticks to talking points and the moderator doesn't probe deeply into her knowledge pool. OTOH she could easily and completely leave the tracks.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. I agree to an extent....

But I think we run the risk of underestimating Ms. Palin. I'm sure she's been working with speech coaches to modulate her voice, and dialect. And she may come off really well and likeable. I know that freepers read this board, so I wish we wouldn't sound so cocky. Any number of things could go wrong. I have every faith that Joe has prepped well, and hopefully he'll treat Palin with a lot more respect than McCain showed Obama.

With all the news about the flubbed interviews and horrible debate practices, all she'll have to do is show up, and and repeat her talking points without crying, and the media will declare it a victory for her. I think we make a mistake by piling on, because we may have to eat a little crow Thursday night.

[Quixote1818]

11. I understand what you are saying

I really think they are going to give her some kind of drug to keep her confidence up. I have a feeling politicians use drugs a lot in things like major debates. She may surprise us but if she does I think she will be on mental performance enhancing drugs.

[glowing]

28. I think coke may be too much for her if she's never used it.. Her heart

would be racing and she'd be hot and sound like she was speedy.. I think it would be xanex.. anti-anxiety drugs.. who knows.. politicians use what they have to to make it thru.. Now, I don't think Obama or Biden does.. they are just good.. perhaps, Obama has a quick nicotine surge just before.. I don't know. but he doesn't need drugs.. probably gets infusions of B vit shots to keep his energy high.

[Caria]

14. Yup

Biden is preparing for the debates AND campaigning. He's smart & on top of things. He also has lots of experience juggling responsibilities and is damn good at it.

Palin, OTOH, is doing nothing BUT debate prep. She does not have to understand a word that comes out of her own mouth. All she has to do is repeat her lines on cue.

[democracy1st]

10. Her husband is calling all the shots she's being used from I've been reading

[vaberella]

13. It's not an issue of "confidence" ---I'm tired of this talking point.

It's a talking point started by MSM pundits, paticularly the twits at CNN and this has expanded as an excuse. Please!! This is not the issue.

The woman didn't lose confidence, because she was able to maintain her snark-attacks at extreme mode throughout her discussions. She is just inept. I saw her debates and talks in Alaska, she was weak there also. She was running on conceit, arrogance, and basking in fundie/pundit praise. When the pundit praise died and her shit is hitting the fan, she's getting upset. That's no lost confidence. She's just losing control of something she never had control of.

[Lugnut]

19. My thoughts exactly.

She's very confident in my opinion. She's too arrogant and full of herself to realize how stupid she is.

[Quixote1818]

21. I saw her on Glen Beck months ago and she was like another person

She has clearly lost her confidence.

[DefenseLawyer]

15. Cocaine is a helluva drug. n/t

[spag68]

16. Palin

First thing is that what is happening to her, I think, is called the Peter Principle. At some point a person reaches their upper level of competence. IMHO she already is one or two steps above her pay grade. Second from what is said about that town of hers, the drug would be meth. And last Joe Biden has been talking his way around these issues for a long time, and with that million$ smile and his good natured delivery, this deal is sealed and I don't care that trolls hear about it. What are they going to do, Biden is a gentleman above all else, and will make an effort not to gut her, but he won't have to, she will do it herself, like hari-kari. That fundy laying on of the hands video should be the last straw, but the debate will surely be high entertainment. Game on

[Quixote1818]

17. All Biden will have to do is point out all her lies

She has left herself wide open because almost everything out of her mouth is a lie.

[Writer]

18. She's a narcissist.

That's why she can't take the criticism.

[Quixote1818]

23. I agree. I also think all the Neo-Cons are narcissists and Bush

is more in love with himself than all of them. Narcissism and the presidency DON'T mix! It's a very dangerous mix!

[glowing]

22. I'd give Mooseburger, Xanex before Cocaine.. AND I do believe

McCain was jacked up with Coke.. it brought out his anger more.. but it spunked him up.. The next day he was raggedy looking.. like coming down hard.

[Quixote1818]

24. You are probably right. You know they use the stuff when the stakes are high. nt

[glowing]

26. Well, I don't know why they didn't give her some while she was in NY,

unless it was because Cindy and her bag of happy pills wasn't close enough to ply her with the pills...

I do believe that McCain used coke during the saddlechurch thingy.. and I was pretty sure that the "spunky" McCain would be present for debate night... As you notice, when the evening wears on, the powder wears off.. But the stuff seriously brings his anger out... I'm not sure, but during the townhall debate, Obama may get him to show that anger that D.C. knows...