I think the hardest task for Joe Biden during his debate with Sarah Palin Thursday night will be

[mtnsnake]

trying to keep from bursting out laughing at some of her answers.

Seriously, you know dam well she's gonna be saying some shit that's so far fetched and funny enough to cause even the most serious person in the world to grasp their mouth with both hands in an agonizing effort to restrain from bursting out loud.

Joe is going to have to be extra careful not to crack up with half the country watching, but how do you practice something like that? :shrug:

[gateley]

1. Bwha! I never thought of that! Gwen better try to keep a straight face, too. nt

[Bicoastal]

2. My sister thinks it goes like this:

"Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies..."

[FatDave]

7. That'd just remind me of the song.

And I'd laugh even harder.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. she will be well prepared

she has been hiding to practice all these days!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

42. Practicing how to be less shitty.

Luck to her.

[LaurenG]

4. I wrote something like that today - I hope he has an outstanding poker face.

I am afraid he might grimace and start to feel sorry for her and give her a few easy outs.

[lamp_shade]

8. That's gonna be hard for Joe. He smiles all the time... can't help it.

[janx]

5. That has been my thought as well.

He's going to have to practice his poker face.

[clydefrand]

6. Should we suggest that he pick Tina Fey as debate opponent

for practice this week? She would probably do it.

[mtnsnake]

10. lol, not a bad idea to practice with her

Either way, he's going to have to get used to clenching his teeth real hard so he doesn't explode laughing when Palin opens her mouth

[BrklynLiberal]

9. He should wear very tight shoes and uncomfortable underwear, so the thought of

smiling will never cross his mind.

[clydefrand]

13. LOL, tight undies would give him a headache! Oh, he's debating one!

[lapfog_1]

11. America has passed judgment on her already...

therefore, it's possible no one will tune in to see another train wreck.

However, it's also possible that if she strings together a couple of coherent thoughts... she will be back on top. Look for an earpiece... though they may have done the implant already and hidden the scar at the back of her head.

[Bicoastal]

12. Delete

delete

[hootinholler]

61. Are we living in the same America?

People are going to tune in to see the train wreck!

-Hoot

[Bicoastal]

14. Try picturing his opponent naked.

No, wait...

[Curtland1015]

22. We don't want him crying either!

[jillan]

23. Heck - Jill Biden puts Sarah to shame,

[FatDave]

15. I think he'll just smile broadly, almost as if smiliing to himself...

...as he completely ignores everything she said and just answers the question in his own way. Joe's a really good debater. If they would have given him a fairer division of time in the primary debates, we might even be looking at a Biden/Obama ticket right now.

[lligrd]

17. That Is What He Usually Seems To Do

And it works.

[CTyankee]

37. No, I think he'll be attentive and key into her every word.

If he smiles at what she says he'll be accused of sexist smirking. He won't do that. He's just too smart. He'll be calm and unruffled and simply answer the questions and make sure he gets in his smarts, but not in a too smarty pants way.

[lligrd]

16. Sarah Is Not Quite Right About That

should lead all his answers. Going to be hard not to pull an Al Gore and roll eyes as appropriate as it may be.

[WeDidIt]

18. I'm Sure Jennifer Granholm Has Some Tricks up her sleeve

She may ahve even called Tina Fey for a few tips on helping Joe prep for the debate.

:evilgrin:

[W_HAMILTON]

19. Yeah, in a way...

...it will be how to temper his reactions to her responses. It's gotta be tough, too.

I literally just thought to myself, what would I do if I was debating her on stage, and she got so flustered and started crying? What would Biden do? It's pretty sad that you have to even consider that option, but what would you do? If something insane like that happened, it could all be turned around on Biden, simply due to how he reacts.

His reaction definitely has to be measured. He should probably just go after McCain, and almost forget Palin is even there. It just seems like it would be so easy for people to turn on him if he comes off as arrogant, or laughs, or does any of a number of things that would be seen as belittling Palin. Like I said, I guess just lay into McCain the whole time?

[1Hippiechick]

21. If she started crying?!? OMG, that would be PROOF that she can't handle the stress of the position,

IMO!

[rebel with a cause]

45. I guess I should have read the thread before I posted,

because I think she might cry also. I just see it as part of their strategy.

The big bad man made the little lady cry. :sarcasm:

[Somawas]

20. There won't be a debate.

She'll have a headache.

[1Hippiechick]

24. "She'll have a headache"? So will everyone w/in earshot of her, but we're gonna watch!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. i think the hardest thign for any of our candidates is being faced with blatan lies and distortions

and not knowing whether to say, that's a lie and appearing aggressive

[LiberalAndProud]

26. Maybe Katie Couric can give him some tips for reaction shots.

Stare...blink...Wait...What???

[Starlight]

31. Poor Katie. I'm surprised she didn't start calling out Ashton Kutcher, thinking she was being punk'd

[jillan]

27. Oh heck - Biden will flash his sparkling smile at Sarah

and Sarah will start thinking - hmmmm - I never realized how handsome Joe Biden really is.
She'll turn to mush, and that my friends, is how Biden is going to win.


:P

[kgnu_fan]

28. Act normal and that is all he can do

if laughing happens, then, that is OK... I am sure most people will be laughing with him. Do not afraid of being a normal person with normal intelligence. I think our country has been so afraid of having common sense and normal sense of the reality. I don't know why... but I think just relax and trust our sanity is the best thing we can do for our country....

[Kerrytravelers]

29. I’ve actually had conversations about this.

When Biden debates, he is accustomed to his sparring partner to have a grasp of the core fundamental facts and figures. There may be a difference in how to interpret these facts and figures and what to do with the information, but there is an expectation that a deeper understanding of the information is present in the debate. When only one side has the information, there can not be a debate. There is nothing to debate, because to debate, there must be at least more than one opinion. It would be like me asking a first grader to expand upon the concept of supply and demand. This isn’t an insult to first graders, nor is it an insult to Palin. Both are being asked to pontificate upon a topic that they just don’t have the foundation to understand. It is terribly unfair of McCain and his cabal of stupidity (also known as the McCain Campaign,) to expect that Palin will have the depth and mastery of the debate topics when she hasn’t had the time to learn them yet.

How in the world Joe Binden expects to debate her is beyond me. There is no debate. It will be Biden responding to the moderator and Palin doing her best not to give us a repeat of the Gibson/Hannity/Couric interviews. Her bar is so low, she will likely jump over it. But that bar is no way near the height Biden will have to jump. Basically, I think people are expecting Palin to simply pull together a coherent sentence and Biden to respond to the actual question being posed.

A piece of me wants to laugh my ass off. But the greater piece of me feel very sorry. I’m sorry for Palin, as I can not imagine what it is like to be so over your head and for the world to witness how deeply you’re in over your head. It is embarrassing and she knows she looks like a fool. We might disagree with her politics, but to think she is just stupid is underestimating her. She is not and she has to be an emotional wreck after the (deserved) beating she has taken. And I am sorry for the people of Alaska. To have such a “leader” would make me very worried if I lived there. I would have no faith in my state. For this woman to rise to the top? I have a strong sense that this will be her one and only term as governor. And I feel sorry for my country. Is this how low we have sunk. As the loyal opposition become so desperate that they gave us this with that Hail Mary pass? While I don’t want a Republican majority, having such desperation from your loyal opposition is not good, it leads to recklessness. Palin is merely one of the most recent examples of that.

[jillan]

32. Excellent point - this is not really going to be a debate.

More like an Oral Exam.

[Diamonique]

34. I agree with almost everything you've said.

Except I don't feel that anyone should feel sorry for Governor Palin.

She didn't have to say yes when she was asked to be the Republican running mate. She knew she wasn't qualified.

So I don't look at it as McCain (or RNC or whoever) putting her in an embarrassing position. She could have simply turned down the offer.

[Kerrytravelers]

55. Yes, I can agree with you. She should have known better. I think her power-hungary streak took over

any common sense she had. She should have said no. I can't disagree.

[mtnsnake]

38. I never thought of that

Awesome post, Kerrytravelers. Let's just hope that in the middle of the "debate" Joe doesn't get feeling so awkward about it being such a one-sided affair that it throws him off from his usual A-game.

BTW, you have far more empathy than many people to be able to have the feelings you do about Palin and the people in her state. Nice stuff. Having said that, I don't feel at all sorry for her myself because I don't like what she stands for and I don't like how she started out her campaign impressing the neocons by hurling so many insults at Obama during her speech at the RNC.

[Willo]

48. He won't be on his A-game because he's going up against a C-team

That's why he needs to keep it real and treat her like he would a dumb guy.

[rebel with a cause]

46. what if this is a major rove set up.

What if she did bad on those interviews on purpose and she comes out and does a bang up job during the interview. Oh my goodness, I can't wait until this whole thing is over because I don't trust anyone right now with a R following their name, and the what ifs are over whelming.

Nothing I can do, so I guess I'll take a XanaX and relax for the evening. ;)

[yellerpup]

58. Joe Biden has been in public office for many years.

I'm sure this won't be the first time he's come up against a chuckleheaded nutcase who is long on ideology and short on facts. He's been talking to Republican colleagues, many of whom don't make sense for most of his career and that doesn't even count all the folks he's had to negotiate with in other countries where keeping a straight face was vital to his success. He'll handle it. Believe that!

I'm making popcorn! IF she shows, and I DOUBT she will, it will be historic (and hysterical :rofl:) entertainment.

K&R!

[TexasObserver]

30. I agree. He should focus on attacking McCain, and showcasing his broad knowledge

[rgbecker]

33. Sarah Palin won't be crying this Thursday, and there will be no breakdown.

This woman is clueless as to how ridiculous she sounds. Anyone who can defend her idea that being from Alaska, which is so close to Russia, gives her foreign policy credentials is way, way beyond having any self awareness. You have to have some idea of what is normal if you are going to be affected by what others think of you.

[rebel with a cause]

43. I think there might be tears because she will be taught to use

them for her advantage. Remember the reaction when Hillary had the emotional break, and they are going to use anything they can for their advantage.

[Vinca]

35. I've been genuinely worried about Biden laughing.

If she comes out with the idiotic gibberish, I couldn't keep a straight face. This is probably going to be a hard debate for Joe.

[mtnsnake]

39. Maybe if he cracks up laughing he can make believe someone in the audience did something funny

:evilgrin:

[samsingh]

36. doing something stupid himself

[mitchum]

40. It could be strategically wise to visibly "suppress" a laugh...

it just depends upon how inane her answers turn out to be

[mtnsnake]

49. I don't know if it would be strategically wise, but it sure would be hilarious

Can you just imagine in your mind's eye, mitchum, hearing Palin say something ridiculous, and then the camera turns to Joe and he's standing there visibly "suppressing" an outburst of laughter by clinching his lips tightly together with his eyeballs popping so wide that they look ready to burst from holding the laughter in? :evilgrin:

[mitchum]

62. It would be fantastic, mtnsnake

:)

[mitchum]

63. It would be fantastic, mtnsnake

:)

[rebel with a cause]

41. I honestly think his biggest problem will be not coming across

confident without being smug. Strong when addressing not only the issues but also palin's weaknesses without coming out looking like a bully/sexist. It doesn't matter that he has none of these bad aspects, it has to do with the way they will spin it. That is the problem when a man debates a woman, especially a woman like palin who may not be able to hold her own with him and will come across as a weak little thing that needs protecting. I fully think that there might be tears if things get bad and Biden should go prepared for it with tissue and a reassuring fatherly attitude. :shrug:

[LonelyLRLiberal]

57. Why should Palin get any more of a break than Hillary did?

McCain says she is a fighter and a maverick and a reformer - blah blah. Let her prove it. However, I don't think anyone gains points by being rude or condescending in a debate, or otherwise. I think Biden is a genuinely nice guy and I can't remember him ever making personal attacks.
He can use a disbelieving tone of voice to good effect. He almost does the equivalent of the Southern prelim "well, bless her heart" before stating his criticism.

[rebel with a cause]

66. Personally I don't think she should get a break in any way.

But I would never compare her to Hillary in a debate unless she surprises me in this coming up one. Hillary is tough and intelligent, I don't see miss pain in the bitches that way no matter what mccain says. I just think they will fight dirty using anything they can to get points. My misanthrope comes through here along with my learned distrust of anyone associated with the rove republicans.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

67. She may try dirty tricks, but I don't think she can pull it off against Biden.

She won't fool a lot of independent voters, either, IMHO.

[rebel with a cause]

69. I hope you are right and I hope she is as dumb as we

think she is. I would love to see these show boat tactics of theirs keep falling apart.

[polichick]

44. Maybe he could just do a little shrug thing like your emoticon!

[Willo]

47. Maybe he should laugh or look confused when she says something stupid?

I mean really? It would only bring more attention to whatever dumb shit she says.

The media would have to cover her to explain him.

If the situation calls for it, I hope he says "what the heck are you talking about?"

[jhain]

50. He desperately needs

to watch Three Stooges films from now until then.

[Bensthename]

51. refrain from sighing or snarling or bursting out laughing

That is Joes toughest job. McCain camp will use that as their only hope..

[BlooInBloo]

52. Practicing for that is easy: Get Robin Williams to be his sparring partner.

[jimlup]

53. He should spend the week holding his titty and whistling!

If he can do that then he should be able to avoid laughing on Thursday night.

In seriousness, I think he has to avoid looking like a "bully" but that should be simple. He can just sit back and let her self destruct. All he has to do is put forward his legitimate policy.

[coalition_unwilling]

54. Biden needs to goad her and needle her into making a vigorous defense of

snake handling and speaking in tongues (and witch hunting). Now that alone will make these past 8 years somehow seem worthwhile. If he can trick End Times Barbie into seeming even kookier than Romney (with his belief in the Angel Moroni), I hereby promise that I will permamently forgive Biden for the little Clarence Thomas and Bankruptcy Bill matters :)

[carpetbagger]

56. Treat it like constituent relations.

30+ years in the Senate from a small state, I'm sure this guy's had to respond to more tinfoil hat-wearing people with Ideas then, well, more than most of our post counts.

Let Sarah Palin be Sarah Palin. There's nothing Biden can do, other than to throw out some focus group-tested zingers, that would add anything. If she falls on her face, Biden's best response is to demonstrate how intelligent, responsible, and reasonable politicians talk. And like I said, he's had to do this thousands of times already.

[Orsino]

59. She's The Rattler!

"Chaos is bliss!"
http://www.pauldinello.net/exit57/exit57vids/ep06_rattler.htm

[HughMoran]

60. This I agree with

I'm not sure I'm gonna watch as she makes me wretch, so I hope people on DU will translate for me :D

[Danascot]

64. He needs a consult with Amy Poehler

who played Katie Couric/straightwoman so brilliantly to Tina Fey's clueless Palin.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/

[JustAnotherGen]

65. I've been saying this same thing IRL

But as another poster wrote - that's just Joe. He smiles. It's why he's likable.

Joe Smiles.
Cheney Sneers.

I dunno - if he cracks up laughing - half of the 'half of the country' watching is going to be rolling on the floor at the same time. I'm pretty much looking forward to this debate. Just because I do think she's going to provide me tons of comic relief. I also can't wait to watch The Daily Show on Thursday night and Bill Maher next Friday night! :rofl:

[dchill]

68. Also, Joe, beware of rolling your eyes or...

most of all, audibly sighing. Seriously.

[Myrina]

70. Agreed, AND the media's going to be salivating for clips ...

... of him being 'mean' or 'condescending' to her, too ... so he's got quite the tightrope to walk.

:hide:

[seabeyond]

71. he is such a happy guy and sees humor so readily.... ya, probably a challenge. i say

if the mood strikes he might just have to laugh and smile and be happy BUT

lets remember palin has advantages. she is a terrific debater. she has had ALL this time to focus solely on the debate. she hasnt shared any of her views so biden really doesnt know what he is going agaisnt

and she is a terrific debater.

he is going ot have to stay on his toes

[windbreeze]

72. I knew what you were going to say before I ever clicked on your post...LOL n/t

[crazy_vanilla]

73. I was just thinking the same thing!!!

But I will be laughing for sure.

[Puzzler]

74. Since this is essentially a Q&A session and not a real debate...

... all Biden has to do is just answer the questions, with minimal references to Palin. In other words focus in on McSame. I agree that he runs the risk of being (unfairly) perceived of being a bully if he engages with Palin too much.

Palin, on the other hand, runs a very real risk of doing a "Couric" and tying herself in verbal and logical knots. She won't need Binden's help for this.