Debate Pact Lets McCain and Obama Spar

[depakid]

Source: NY Times

The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed to an unusual free-flowing format for the three televised presidential debates, which begin on Friday, but the McCain camp fought for and won a much more structured approach for the questioning at the vice-presidential debate, advisers to both campaigns said Saturday.

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.

The wrangling was chiefly between the McCain-Palin camp and the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which is sponsoring the forums.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html?hp

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Looks like Palin is going to be let off the hook yet again, and allowed to stick to the script- with little accountability. Not sure why the Obama campaign agreed to this. I guess time will tell just how big a mistake that it is.

[bemildred]

1. Palin's not the issue, McCain is the issue.

I look forward to watching Obama gut him like a trout.

[depakid]

4. I wish I were that optimistic

I didn't see Obama gut many trout during the primary debates. It doesn't suit his rhetorical style.

Also, recall that we thought Gore would gut Bush- but the perception was that he didn't. Bush's simplistic, jargon filled and sometimes dishonest answers weren't that poorly recieved by the target audience.

[PsN2Wind]

9. Gore should have gutted Bush

but after roughing Bush up in the first debate, the MSM was all over him for being too rough. So Gore backed off and the rest is sad history.

[bemildred]

11. Obama is a smart black kid who is running for President because he want to do things.

He's been out in the real world. McCain wants to be pResident to soothe his massive, inflamed ego. Obama will gut him like a trout. Of course the Mighty Wurlitzer will go on at length about the pretty colors of McCain guts, but ...

[RBInMaine]

20. Palin IS part of the issue. She's a heartbeat away, and RIGHT WING NUTJOB. Goes to McSAME's bad

judgement and her being unfit to be VP. We need to ATTACK this whacko !!

[Common Sense Party]

2. She won't be off the hook. Biden will have ample opportunity to

slice and dice her on the issues.

[crossroads]

19. I agree! The woman is dense on issues!

Surely the Repugs can't all be as dumb as they seem to be! Someone must be paying attention to how this woman is all fluff, BS and has no substance!

CR

[madaboutharry]

3. She would look bad either way.

I don't think it matters. She doesn't know what the hell she is talking about.
A more structured approach isn't going to hide that fact.

[fascisthunter]

5. The Fact That She Has to Read from a Script Makes Her a Weak Candidate

a vessel... a body to retain and regurgitate whatever garbage the RNC and their payers want her to say. They may as well use a robot...

[tclambert]

24. Palin's birthplace

Wasn't she born in Stepford, Alaska?

[FVZA_Colonel]

6. It's a blow, but by no means a lethal one for Joe.

Biden will still win against Little-Miss Talking Points.

[Pab Sungenis]

7. Who's counting all the "West Wing" parallels this election?

Looks like John Wells was more prescient than we thought.

[bitchkitty]

8. This is insane.

If she's not ready to debate, how is she ready to lead?

[radfringe]

10. you mean something closer to a REAL DEBATE as opposed to

a exchange of campaign talking points? cool

bummer about Palin being not allowed to be Palin... :evilgrin: she best spend alot of time memorizing and practice reciting the talking points

[dudewheresmycountry]

12. i say let the games begin

Palin is just a hick from somewhere up north, oops did i say hick... guess i did.. Palin can't stand up to Biden, due to the fact she can see Russia from Alaska..

[madamesilverspurs]

13. "At the insistence of the McCain campaign..."

What the hell??? And exactly WHY does McCain get to dictate terms and conditions? Criminy, McCain already whines about Obama declining to be part of his hand-picked-audience 'town halls', now he's demanding to alter the rules so that Palin's ineptitude will be less apparent. What's next - will he hand down a list of banned words in order to give no offense to Palin's tender sensibilities? What would have happened if the commission had said 'no' - would McCain have stomped his little feet and held his breath?

Wonder what this bodes for the presidential debates. Will McCain insist that Obama stand in a hole to make McCain appear taller? Will he demand that Obama confine his remarks to one syllable words in order to make McCain appear smarter? Will he require that the lights be turned off on Obama's side of the stage in order to make McCain appear more 'enlightened'?

And will McCain continue to find new ways to make himself and his campaign even more pathetic?

[D23MIURG23]

17. Is there really any way for him to be more pathetic?

He has whined, lied and threatened to take his ball and go home every time there has been a challenge for him. He bills himself as an old warrior but his behavior is that of a petulant adolescent.

[qanda]

14. I think that's a good choice

Because I can imagine that in the other format, the MSM will accuse Biden of beating up on Palin.

[D23MIURG23]

15. More structure could be good for Biden too.

If one of his weaknesses is to be overly verbose (as I've seen it cited) this could help him avoid that.

On the other hand he doesn't need "unstructured" to showcase the fact that he is miles deeper than her on every issue. This is basically gaffe insurance for Palin, since she can't go off script without sounding dumb. The McCain campaign is hoping to avoid conspicuous embarrasment and make up for a minimal showing with low expectations, but I doubt their coaching and structure are going to accomplish that.

[Mz Pip]

16. Although I didn't see it

I heard that Obama came out very agressively in his debate with Alan Keyes for the Senate seat in IL. Keyes is an excellent debater and I heard Obama wiped the floor with him.

[dhpgetsit]

22. I would love to have seen Keyes and Obama.

Maybe I can find a video or audio.

[and-justice-for-all]

18. By doing this...

they make it clear that she is incompetent. They have padded the debate to make it easier on her, how weak and pathetic is that.

I know falin is not the issue, but to give her a soft debate is absurd.

[Peacetrain]

21. McCain thinks he can get ahead of Obama with this type

of debate setting. It is more of the town hall type, off the lip. Obama tends to be more thoughtful in his responses and less likely to put out the two sentence sound byte.

But Obama has been tightening up. So McCain may not be half as smart as he thinks he is with this type of platform

As for the Biden Palin debate.. Either way she looks incompetent.

[TankLV]

23. no it doesn't - as far as I've read the FINE PRINT...do your homework...

the main goal of this "agreement" is to make it as easy as possible for




mcINSANE...

the headline for this post is 180 degrees opposite from what it SOUNDS like...

WAKE UP!!!