The Man Who Debated Palin: "Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do."

[kpete]

When he faces off against Sarah Palin Thursday night, Joe Biden will have his hands full.

I should know. I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.html

**************************

The Man Who Has Debated Palin more than twenty times tells why Biden will have his hands full.
avatar
By liam - October 1, 2008, 11:33AM

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.htm

Excerpts:

On paper, the difference in experience on both domestic and foreign
policy is like the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing a
bullet. Unfortunately for Biden, if recent history is an indicator,
experience or a grasp of the issues won't matter when it comes to
debating Palin.

On April 17, 2006, Palin and I participated in a debate at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks on agriculture issues. The next day, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner published this excerpt:

"Andrew Halcro, a declared independent candidate from Anchorage, came armed
with statistics on agricultural productivity. Sarah Palin, a Republican
from Wasilla, said the Matanuska Valley provides a positive example for
other communities interested in agriculture to study."

...........................

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.

"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/10/the-man-who-has-debated-palin.php

[WindRiverMan]

1. I have watched Palin debate many times in Alaska, and I disagree

She is the queen of the one-liner. She uses charm and quirky cute answers. I think the strategy has to be Biden providing poignant answers to difficult questions as best he can, be very direct, very susicnt. The American people are watching with bated breath due to the frigging mess we are in. I am not sure that perky and cute will cut it if Joe is somber and direct.

[Cha]

18. It's a good thing that they let Couric interview her

and Charlie..now they know how she operates with serious questions. It doesn't have to have any bearing on reality.

[Window]

2. She certainly is the master of the fine art of nonanswer.

I sincerely hope neither Biden nor Gwen will let her get away with that shit.

[mitchum]

3. I find it significant that he said "charms", and not..."charm"

because they are not the same thing

[Johonny]

4. Biden will debate McCain

Palin simply doesn't matter. Biden's job is to attack the top of the ticket period.

[amborin]

5. here's the UTUBE of her Alaska Gub Debate:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7263201&mesg_id=7263201>

and---she's being coached by Rove's disciple, Schmidt

she will go for the jugular

make no mistake

[spanone]

9. i agree i expect her to be mean....oh jooooooooe

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Well, I say, with fondness, that Americans are full of BS...

so they can spot Palin's BS a mile away. Even her base sees she's full of shit and woefully ill-informed; the difference is, they don't care. The rest of America does.

What's the old saying: you can't bullshit a bullshitter?


:patriot:

[Arkana]

7. I don't think so.

The public, thanks in large part to the Couric and Gibson interviews, have turned Palin into a national joke. She is a moron, and if she says anything like that during a debate like this it will torpedo her, not help her. This is not Alaska--this is all 50 fucking states, and she's about to realize that in a big bad way.

[rucky]

8. If Biden comes out of this alive, it'll be a victory for him.

;)

[Cha]

20. Biden will have so many people

pulling for him..he'll feel the love:loveya: coming at him.. at Washington University in St Louis, MO.

[zeemike]

10. Just remember that tPalin is playing in the big leagues now

Biden is no rookie.

[SwampG8r]

31. you can say that again!

[zeemike]

11. Just remember that tPalin is playing in the big leagues now

Biden is no rookie.

[OwnedByFerrets]

12. Especially when she can use 90 second sound bytes....and not

have to expound.

[C_U_L8R]

13. Maybe that "charm" works in Nome

but down here in the lower 48 we see it for the bullshit it is.

[orwell]

14. I'm surprised Biden is even showing up...

...Sarah will make moosemeat of him.

She is the nation's foremost expert on energy.

john mcSame said today that he has asked for her opinions on foreign affairs many times.

She is younger than Biden so she brings "energy".

She can kill things.

She wears red.

She talks.

Lipstick

Pig

Um

[Cha]

21. Who knows Biden may try and pull a mccain and

have to be dragged there:evilgrin:

[Bucky]

24. ah, a diamante poem!

[Cha]

15. That was then and this is now..

we've been exposed to some of those infamous "non answers" and it may have been okay for Alaskans at that point in time(don't look now but many more Alaskans are becoming very aware of what mooselini is capable of) but, after 8 years of the corporatemedia pushing bush and The War On Iraq down our collective throat here in the good ol USA..we as a whole won't put up with palin's non answer shit.

Sorry, she got the best of you, dude.

[deadparrot]

16. Remember, one of the biggest strikes against McCain

was his perceived "meanness" toward Obama. She might try a few zingers, but I think her success will be limited.

[Phx_Dem]

17. I guess I haven't witnessed the "charm" yet.

Or maybe this guy is such a bad debater he let Mrs. Charm get away with saying something as stupid as: "Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?'

All of the people who think facts, figures and policies don't matter are probably still very happy with the George Bush Administration and the direction of this country.

I would LOVE for her to use that line with Biden. You aren't in Wasilla anymore, Sarah.

[old mark]

25. She has carefully concealed her mastery slyly hoping

to ensnare Biden in the web of her charms.

I expect to watch the beginning of this "debate", and I fully expect Palin to be as fucking stupid as she has been every other day of her life. Do you think they installed another brain in her over the last week?

She is arrogant and stupid enough to not realize how stupid she is.

She would not make a good waitress, much less Governor or Mayor.
Imagine Palin in control of America's Nuclear weapons, which she would be if the Rep's win and McCain subsequently goes to his eternal reward.

mark

[Phx_Dem]

28. Exactly, Mark.

She is hiding her superior intelligence to throw us all of the mark. The fact that she looks like a babbling idiot and even Republicans are appalled by her stupidity, is all part of her ingenius plan to win the election!

Sarah Palin = Smart like rock.

[KoKo]

19. Sadly...he isn't like some in the UN found her...except for the fawning

Pakistani article about here...I think she doesn't awe many unless it's Lechers.

[ecstatic]

22. That cutesy shit may have worked in Alaska

but after the Gibson/Couric/SNL fiascos... we ain't giving her BS a pass. She is already tanking in the polls. Too much is at stake this time around.

[Bucky]

23. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that snowblinding a local Alaska TV reporter...

does not present quite the same prospect as, say, throwing a word blizzard past Gwen Ifill and Joe Biden.

[Ikonoklast]

26. He's a Minor Leaguer, single A at best.

Joe Biden has been in The Bigs his entire career.

We will all soon see a rookie get up there and find what 'out of my league' really means.

[Mz Pip]

27. I don't give

a rat's ass about charm or the ability to give non answers to complex questions. SARAH! is auditioning for the job to be one heartbeat away from the position of leader of the free world.

Charm doesn't cut it. I want depth, intelligence and a command of geopolitical issues. give it your best shot SARAH! but I am not optimistic.

[IndianaJohn]

29. Agree...good answer n/t

[Erin Elizabeth]

30. Doesn't matter and here's why:

the meme is now that she's useless. Vapid. Ignorant. A dead weight.

IF she were going into this debate with any positives, the charm might work. To an extent.

If she were going into this debate still totally unknown, the charm might work. To an extent.

But charm can't get you anywhere when people already generally think of you as an idiot.

Pew-pew!