The VP debate is going to come down to one line:

[PCIntern]

It is going to either be a Bentsen vs. Quayle shocker...or a Reagan vs. Carter and Reagan vs. Mondale "there you go again" line.

Whoever delivers the first punch will 'win' the debate...the idiotic MSM media will either go after Palin if she is the 'victim' or destroy Biden if she gets one of those off.

This whole thing is going to be like playing Russian Roulette... with a nuclear weapon.

[Eurobabe]

1. With her copy of 'Forn Polsy Fur Dummies' in hand

Palin will be Darth in a skirt.

But I trust Biden. He'll manage her.

[Lucinda]

2. I'm not so sure about that....

They are both totally capable of doing it off the cuff but they both have to walk a fine line.

Joe has to deal with her as a peer and not appear to be condescending, and she has to prove that she IS a peer and not just an attack dog. I think it may be a lot different than people expect.

OR I could be totally wrong. :rofl:

[rosesaylavee]

3. She will lose.

That's why they are keeping her isolated right now. All the McCain campaign is fearing right now is that she will go off topic/off script like she did when he introduced her. She added those lines about Hillary and women breaking the glass ceiling. She is now in training on how to lockstep with all their talking points... but I don't think that goes with her character.

It will be a very interesting debate.

[theoldman]

4. Biden has to stay cool and not respond to her attack.

He should stick to his script and ignore her as much as possible. If he tries to counter her lies, which will be many, he will lose.

[graywarrior]

5. Biden is a master of the one liners.

Plus he can think on his feet. He won't be memorizing his lines.

[Bucky]

6. In the Reagan-Mondale debate, Mondale blew away Reagan on "there you go again"

Mondale started with "Mr President, do you remember the last time you said that?" and then proceeded to go down a litany of Reagan's first term screw ups and flip flops. It was the most effective counter punch in any presidential debate I've ever seen.

Fritz is pure class.

[doc03]

10. Mondale wasn't elected either as I recall n/t

[Bucky]

17. Well that year was kind of a lost cause, so the debates didn't matter

Mondale did best in the polling in the days after those debates, however--especially following Reagan's pitiful perf in the first debate. The excuse slingers said he was "overprepared," which is a polite way of saying his brain wasn't capable of keeping track of facts in a discussion of the issues.

[PCIntern]

18. Yes...and they don't show Mondale's answer...

ever.

[begin_within]

7. Her handlers will arm her with 6 or 7 well-written one-liners,

and she'll manage to get those out, even if not at the appropriate times based on the topic at hand. The RWers in the audience will cheer and yell obnoxiously at each of these one-liners, and the next day, those will be listed in the press as the "highlights" of the debate. Biden will virtially run in circles around her for the entire debate, and may even get a few memorable lines at the appropriate time. But Palin will be declared the winner nonetheless; she will be described as "engaging," "personable," "ready for the world stage" and so on. She will have "surpassed expectations" and "cemented her position as an asset to the ticket." Of course all of this will have been written in advance of the debate, and even the one-liners may be leaked at the last minute to make sure the press has them ready and able to feature them in a sidebar.

[stevietheman]

26. Biden: "I would like to welcome Sarah Palin to her first press event".

That will nail her.

[PBS Poll-435]

29. THAT is perfect

[mrs_p]

8. i truly am not worried for biden at all. nt

[WheelWalker]

9. I expect her to land a punch first, 'cause that's all she'll have are

leading punches. And while many will go, "ooo" and "ahhhh" at the snarky effect, it will have no impact on Joey the Shark who has been in the ring for 35 years. Joe Biden is the consummate counter puncher and his comeback, unwritten and unrehearsed, will knock her over the fuck'n ropes. In fact, I'd not be surprised to see Joey offer his chin, take her best shot, and then lift her off the mat with an upper cut that'll send her all the way back to Moosehaven.

Think Clay-Liston (2).

[Cha]

24. I'm thinking I know what

a couple of those attacks will be and I'm also thinking Biden will be prepared.

[krawhitham]

11. If she does not do any press before the debate the media will want Joe to destroy her

[doc03]

12. I think Joe Biden is in pretty much a lose lose

situation. If he makes her look like an idiot the MSM media will say he was condescending or sexist. If she gets off one good line she will have beaten all expectations. I think all of you overestimate the intelligence of the American people, the average guy doesn't know crap about policies. The average voter only thinks what the MSM tells him to think.

[nini]

13. Joe's a smart guy and knows she'll be going for the zingers

He'll be prepared to counter those zingers with a question back at her she's too ignorant to answer - that's what will nail her.

You just can't get schooled deep enough in a few weeks to go up against someone who is an expert in most issues that will be brought up.

There will be those that buy her crap but they're already behind her. The undecideds will see the hesitation, the panic in her eyes, and her lack of complete understanding of the issues at the core.

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. My worry is not whether Biden can handle Tundra Barbie, but how the mediawhores spin it when he does

Remember when Gore rolled his eyes and sighed at Chimpy's criminal stupidity, and what the press did with that, because they had been ordered to declare the moron the "winner" no matter what.

[PATRICK]

15. Biden in the Senate

like most other Dems has struck me as extremely polite in situations like this. Since, once more, these debates are moderated by MSM rules, the slant is weighted heavily against him no matter what he does. Wonkish loses. Condescending loses. Palin self-destructing distracts. Handicapping favors the ruthless hypocrite underdog. Biden should present the sweeping Dem vision of foreign policy buried under an absurd GOP myths.

The criteria will be slanted. So long as she knows where Poland is on a map and doesn't flub big time she has won the perception of "readiness" to be POTUS in the tiny minds of the MSM, where perception, not reality. How did Ferraro fare with the experienced Bush I? Makes no difference by two-sided MSM rules. The definition of winning is a big handicap going in and anyone thinking "Biden blew it" after the debate has just abdicated the sanity the MSM wants you to lose. He would still be the most qualified to be POTUS if he didn't even show at the debate. if you are merely talking about winning hearts and minds and votes we are talking about the repulsive GOP power game, not election, we are descending into.

[nini]

16. the fact she is a REPUBLICAN will give her the edge

Remember W getting all the praise in his debates though he was surely outmatched?

Being a woman will help but if she was a man she'd still have the edge.

I still think Biden will know how to play her though.

[wmbrew0206]

19. Expect Palin to go after Biden's vote on the Surge and Gulf War

when he talks about his experience in either Foriegn Policy or Washington.

I'll be interested to see Joe's response because I'm sure he has a zinger all ready to go!

[Gabi Hayes]

20. he should ask her if she'd support embryonic stem cell research if there was a likelihhood

it would cure her child's Down Syndrome, or something like that

or ask her how old the earth is, within a thousand years

or if she gets TB, if she'd like to be treated with the original medication. (newest treatments use strains of the original which have, uh....evolved from the old one)

[PCIntern]

21. He should ask her if any of her parents' children

lived....

[Gabi Hayes]

23. or if any of her parents' children are hers

[PCIntern]

28. "You fuck like a......."

can't say it here!!!

[coalition_unwilling]

32. "Governor, if your husband

had raped and impregnated Bristol, wotld you still oppose Bristol's right to choose?"

[Iwillnevergiveup]

22. Joe Biden

will be extremely courteous, but not patronizing; he will draw from his long experience, she will rely on quips; he will smile and remain cool, she will deny and get flustered and snarky.

It will be a joy to watch. GO, JOE! :applause:

[yurbud]

25. sad but true. Rove will expect the Bentsen line

[stevietheman]

27. I am confident that Biden will have plenty of curveballs ready. n/t

n/t

[BlueIdaho]

30. Nope

By the time their debate rolls around the economy will be in even worse shape - gas will cost even more per gallon and even more Americans will have lost their homes. The candidate that offers Americans a real future and hope will win.

Zingers and one liners seem a lot less funny when you've lost your house, or your job, or your hope.

[BumRushDaShow]

31. You watch - there may not be a debate at all.

She has now canceled a solo outing scheduled for Monday and still refuses to talk to the press. I expect at some point she'll grant ONE carefully crafted and fully manipulative interview, but a debate? Expect that suddenly Bristol "gives birth" on October 2 and she'll have to be by her side.