How Tonight's Veep Debate Will Work

[Hope And Change]

How Tonight's Veep Debate Will Work

By Eric Kleefeld - October 2, 2008, 4:07PM

So here's a quick explanation of the rules for tonight's vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sara Palin.

The rules will be a lot like the presidential debate we saw last week: One of the candidates will be asked a question and be given two minutes to respond, followed by a two-minute rebuttal for the other candidate, and then a free-flowing discussion on this between the two candidates. But it won't be quite the same.

The big twist here is that the rules were modified -- at the insistence of the McCain campaign -- to limit those back-and-forth exchanges to a mere two minutes, and not the five-minute periods that we saw at the presidential debate. This was widely seen as an accommodation for Sarah Palin, allowing her to retreat to sound-bites that can fill the time up rather than having to spontaneously take on Joe Biden on the merits of this or that issue.

We'll be live-blogging the debate tonight, right here at Election Central.


more...

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/how_tonights_veep_debate_will.php

[Bigleaf]

1. We should have fought that. Can you imagine her speaking for 5 minutes at a time? Fucking priceless

[livetohike]

2. How in the world will Sarah Palin be able to think on her feet

to respond to Joe Biden :shrug:? Her sarcastic remarks will wear on people after one or two of them. She can't stay on topic (if her TV interviews are any indication).

[Window]

4. All day I've been hearing how Biden "has to be nice to Palin."

I've also been hearing that she's going to concentrate on "zingers" re Obama and Biden.

So, Biden is supposed to be super nice to the moose killer, while it's okay for her to rely on "zingers" and non-answers???

Please. I hope he puts that arrogant hussy in her place and tear both Palin and McNasty a new one. Nicely, of course. LOL!

[livetohike]

5. She will look like the lounge lizard comedienne that she

aspires to be if all she does is toss zingers at him. She will turn off the independent voters, imo. What an embarassment she is to all serious women candidates.

[Window]

9. She is very much embarrassing and to dumb to know it.

[MissMarple]

7. Yes, he can be gentlmanly and even kind, and she still will look foolish.

At least to us, to her base....she is right up there with Phyllis Schlaffley and Laura Bush. Apologies to Laura, I know she is smarter than Palin.

[Window]

8. LOL!

[chelsea0011]

3. But it will go like this. Palin will be asked a question. She will respond

to something. Then Biden will answer the question for her. She will say something in response and Biden will continue answering the question. Biden will be asked a question and will answer it. Palin will respond with something unrelated to Biden's response. Biden will continue to answer the question and Palin will babble something.

[uppityperson]

6. Thank you, I thought there was to be no back-forth. Nice to know there will be a little.

Yes, we must accommodate Palin. I mean, after all, it's only for the position of vice president.

[rucky]

10. If they're both responding to the same questions...

how can they spin the inevitable "Iliff was biased" after Palin humiliates herself?

This is nothing like the format of the Charlie Gibson debate, with tailor-made questions to ambush every candidate.