Will there be a Vice Presidential Debate on Thursday?
Last night after the debate, Joe Biden was on CNN for a rebuttal. It’s barely an interview with Wolf Blitzer asking a few softball questions and most of Biden’s speech is of course scripted. When they came back from commercial, Blitzer said that they had received emails asking why CNN wasn’t giving Palin a chance for a rebuttal. The answer was that they had asked the campaign if Palin would be available for the rebuttal and the campaign declined because apparently they are doing everything in their power shy of taking out a restraining order on anybody who could get close enough to aim a microphone at Palin
At this point, I just don’t see how they’re going to let Palin go on a televised debate which has a good chance of being one of the most highly watched debates of all time, when they won’t even turn her loose on a mostly scripted rebuttal for fear that she’ll get tripped up and start spouting nonsensical answers such as what else she can see outside her window. Seriously, has anybody ever seen a campaign treat their Vice Presidential candidate like the Gimp from Pulp Fiction, bound, gagged, and locked in a chest for safe keeping?
I just don’t think that they will let her debate Biden. What do you Cynics think?
Update:
Nevermind Katie Couric or Charlie Gibson, Palin can’t even answer a question from some patron at a restaurant:
As Palin was glad handling, a man named Michael Rovito, wearing a Temple University t-shirt, approached Palin
“How about the Pakistan situation?” he asked her. “What’s your thoughts about that.â€
“In Pakistan?†she asked.
“What’s going on over there,” Rovito said, “like Waziristian?â€
“It’s working with Zardari to make sure that we’re all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border,” Palin responded. “And we’ll go from there.â€
“Waziristan is blowing up!†exclaimed Rovito.
“Yeah it is,” said Palin, “and the economy there is blowing up too.â€
“So we do cross the border,” he asked, “like from Afghanistan to Pakistan, you think?â€
“If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in,” she said, “absolutely, we should.â€
This contradicts McCain’s position:
McCain said that Palin “shares my view that we will do whatever is necessary. The problem is, you don’t announce it. You don’t — you don’t say to the Pakistanis, ‘We’re coming in unilaterally and carry out operations.’ Teddy Roosevelt, speak softly but carry a big stick. She shares my view on that. That’s just — that’s fundamentals of knowledge and maturity and judgment.”
“But she did say there right there we should go in,” George said.
“She was in a conversation with some young man that — or whoever it was,” McCain said. “She understands and has stated repeatedly that we’re not going to do anything except in America’s national security interest and we are not going to, quote, ‘announce it ahead of time.’ That is — the important part of it is that you do what you have to do, working with these countries, but to announce you’re going to attack another country is not a mature way to address the issue.”
George asked if Palin shouldn’t have said that.
“She did fine,” McCain said. “She did just fine….This business of, in all due respect, people going around and — with sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that’s — that’s a person’s position, this is a free country, but I don’t think most Americans think that that’s a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin. And I would hope you wouldn’t, either.”
Comments
34 Comments so far. Leave a comment below.Where’s the “No, AND I really like bacon” option? ‘Cuz it’s true.
I went ‘I don’t care/bacon’ because it was the closest answer I could get to anything about cats.
I voted in yer poll , but just gotta add here that if Palin does not make it to the debate, I’d figure that it would be because of a “Hollywood-Style” malady used to get out of a performance. You know…laryngitis, broken rib, influenza, that kinda thing. I hope the debate occurs though. I am completely apolitical normally(My best observation on the subject is that our “handlers” create just enough “illusion of choice”, politically and economically, to quell widespread open revolt.). Nonetheless, I wouldn’t wanna miss this debate for the entertainment value alone. Should be more gaffes than a Jerry Lewis telethon.
I came here to post what Dante said, though I am leaning more toward the “family emergency” excuse.
Hmmm…. bacon….
sorry, what was the question?
A lot of republicans blindly got behind Palin in the first place, and they’ve blindly supported her (gaffes, idiocy and all) thus far. I don’t think a bad debate performance would shake the unapologetically committed. Swing voters, on the other hand…
But the McCain campaign has already played the “delay the debate” card, and to do so again would prove unforgivably transparent.
They seem to think, and the Republican party has shown this time and time again, that proving your idiocy is better than coming across as a coward.
I’m going to really feel cheated if I’m not afforded the opportunity to hear Biden tell Palin she’s no Jack Kennedy.
Baaaaayyyyyyconnnnnnn!
I wonder what Palin’s view on bacon is?
As much as I’m sure they want to get out of it, I simply can’t see any possible way they could without doing more damage than just letting her go and flop. They basically have two options here: fail, or ditch her.
Dogs don’t know it’s not bacon!
The same thing happened with NBC.
Should the question really be – Will Palin show up? I’m not so sure that muddling through questions using fundamentalist ideology is “debate”.
I think that if McCain recognized that HE had to show up (although he wanted to bump it to the VP date) he’s going to have to let Palin show (as much as it may give him ulcers or heart arrhythmia).
I’m thinking they may pull a “family emergency” but a few hours before, she’ll magically become available- just as soon as they realize that they absolutely can NOT afford to seem that cowardly. Although the idiocy vs. coward discussion is quite important…
I was amused to see that Obama didn’t bring up McCain’s near-absence during the debates (unless I missed it). If McCain’s performance is any indicator, Palin is at home right now diligently studying the Bush Doctrine and practicing geography.
It was kind of funny, though, to guess what standard “I believe my fellow Americans” and “I’ve travelled to …” lines McCain was going to use next. I was correct about 70% of the time.
(D.) Snitsky
They would admit a huge mistake on McCain’s choice of VP if they let her go. Otherwise, the debate would probably be even more embarrassing.
It’s a win-win situation for anyone who is scared by that woman. Like most of the US. And the entire rest of the world (NO one likes her in Europe. If she gave that answer in an interview on European TV, the interviewer would have LAUGHED AT HER FACE).
when will the bacon party finally gain the recognition it deserves!
Please give me some baaayyykon!
In this poll, my love for bacon strongly eclipsed my apathetic prediction for a VP debate.
I agree. We needed a “No, but I really like bacon” option. Or how about a ” I really hope they let her to so I can watch the most brutal beat down since Mike Tyson boxed and not crazy bite your ear off, raping beauty contestant, kid eatin’ Mike Tyson either but black short, shoe and sock wearing, first round KO, hit you so hard your momma felt it, circa 1986 Mike Tyson.” But then again she is an outdoorsy type and Biden’s ear does resemble a piece of beef jerky so she could go a ear bitin’ if she knew it was her only option…..I’m just sayin.
I personally say yes. I think it would be too degrading to back her out, but that’s just my opinion. But I believe that bacon was much dearer to me, and much closer to my official opinion, so I went with that option instead, because ti was clearly the better suited option for me.
I just got home from seeing Dennis Miller perform in Santa Rosa tonight, and I felt like I was the only person with a logical thought process in the audience. The largely pro-Mcain/Palin crowd actually scared me. I felt like I stepped into a bizzaro world! All of the booing at Obama, and the blind ignorance that Palin/Mcain are just like them made me ill. At one point Dennis Miller said that Palin was pretty, and that is all of the qualification that she needed! That made me look around to make sure that I was actually hearing the cheers and not just imagining it.
All I have to say is WOW! I am going to have my car loaded and ready to go before Nov. 4th. I think there may be a line at the border when I get arrive.
After what I saw tonight, I think that she could go on camera and speak in tongues and tell fart jokes, and still do no wrong in the eyes of this crowd of Mcain lovers. I am actually fearful of the outcome of our nation if Palin/Mcain win.
She’d better. I’m having a vp debate party.
it won’t be that bad. Palin is backing Obama already
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/09/27/politics/fromtheroad/entry4483110.shtml
As someone already said,she may withdraw from race because the media and Obama people have hurt her sick child and family.Some people would eat it up.Of coarse she would give one last news statement to that effect and ask for prayers and all mothers to unite to fight those who harmed her child and family.Really does sound like a plan from Rove.
I hope the HELL so!!! Joe will make Sarah look like such a hoser.
But I guess the Republicraps will make her show up, assuming that Karl Rove has got the earpiece in place for her so he can feed her the answers…
Remember the little audio prompter that Bush wore under his suit during the last election debates? Perhaps four years of Chinese technological development has produced a smaller version that isn’t completely visible in the back of your suit coat.
wow, as of this post it’s:
106 = Yes (34%)
102 = No (33%)
101 = BACON (33%)
It’s definitely going to be a close race…
Some one beat me to the hidden mic-in-jacket trick. Would be easier to hide in her hair.
third option is winning at the moment, showing that bacon is more important than politics!.
Only American politics Blank, only American politics…
Equally as scary as those who would vote for McPalin are those who think that the outcome matters less than bacon. Pull your heads out of your asses; this is important.
As soon as I saw the clip on CNN.com I searched the blogs for “Waziristan’s blowing up” and it’s getting as much attention as I thought it would (and should). If a Temple grad student can trip her up, the Biden debate’s going to be a slaughter.
What I’d like to see in one of those moments where someone springs a question on her would be to ask something completely ridiculously false:
Let her go right into it, just take that answer and run.
Hilarity ensues when it’s later explained that no bomb blew up in Finland etc.
Oooooh, I love that plan Critic!
I really hope the VP debates happen otherwise we’ll just have to watch Palin clips online.
That Dennis Miller show sounds scary.