News and Politics | October 01, 2008 | 125 comments

Palin might be a better debater than thought?

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/why-sarah-palin-is-a-bett_n_130742.html

pigmonkey
Sarah Palin might not give a good interview, and John McCain's advisers might not trust her to give a press conference, but in a highly structured debate like the one we are going to see on Thursday night, she has the ability to be dominant.

Because the format allows for very little give-and-take between Palin and Joe Biden, her "values"-oriented debating style stands a good chance of succeeding. The central feature of her debate style is that rather than getting bogged down in facts and specifics, she instead says what she is for and what she is against using terms like "healthier," "stronger," "more prosperous," and "fairer."

Andrew Halcro, who has debated her, explains his experiences debating Palin:

I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.
That sounds like a backhanded compliment, and perhaps it is, but that doesn't change the fact that Palin's debating style works, as you can see for yourself in this video that I edited together.

For the video, I looked at her past debates and randomly grabbed six answers that I thought were pretty good. These weren't cherry-picked answers, they were just the first six answers that I thought she handled effectively. (I only rejected one answer in which I felt she was too defensive about her experience.)

Given the debate's format on Thursday night, I expect Palin will do just fine. I will be quite surprised if she gets caught off guard or has a moose-in-headlights moment.

I don't think she'll display much in the way of specifics, but she will get the values-oriented language right, and that should be good enough at least for a draw, and that will mean she beats expectations.

Of course, the real political issue in the debate isn't whether or not Palin meets or beats expectations, it's whether she is able to make a case for John McCain that John McCain hasn't yet been able to make for himself.

That's something no vice presidential candidate in history has been able to do, and should serve as a reminder that in the end, this election is still between Barack Obama and John McCain.
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125 comments // Palin might be a better debater than thought? // Video

  • Nephwrack
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • J_Jammer:

      Trolls are only stated when the opinion is so different than yours.

      In a world that agrees....is a boring world indeed.

      Hugo threatened people to get elected with death to their families. He also tried to alter the constitution so he could stay in power indefinitely.

      It's not what he does as much as how he gets it done that matters. Of course people only see the result and think he's doing good when he could be abusing people to get it done.

      You know like how people don't like Wal-Mart because of how they get cheap prices.

    • 3 years ago
  • HolyCity2012
    • 0
      HolyCity2012  
    • J_Jammer:

      J_Jammer is not worth arguing with. I don't try to reason with a mosquito that is buzzing around and annoying me, nor do I do so with this pointless insect. Save your arguments for someone who can understand not a fly that willfully dines on shit.

    • 3 years ago
  • Inofuilwell
    • 0
      Inofuilwell  
    • J_Jammer:

      J_Jammer is an idiot.

      Look at what he said first:

      *** " Politics is about perception or Hugo Chavez and AJ wouldn't be leaders of Venezuela and Iran, respectfully. " ***

      Respectfully? LMAO@J_Jammer! What a troll. Try respectively, you moron.

      Looks like you couldn't spell Achmadenijad either.

    • 3 years ago
  • bansheewail
    • 0
      bansheewail  

    • Wrote memorization is not the same as thinking on your feet. She is one ladies business suit shy of being an average actress. Joe Biden is going to lift the curtain on her and expose her for what she really is, a puppet.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • krag2112
  • sleepnomore
    • 0
      sleepnomore  
    • bansheewail:

      Joe Biden is going to do what? Are you kidding. The man is an idiot. I would suggest you look at some of the gafs Biden has made over the years. You wouldn't even think about saying he is going to do anything. He's a joke.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • joshuaheller
  • pigmonkey
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • I've seen her debate. This is why I don't see her as inept as so many do.

      Politics isn't about doing what is right but speaking and getting things done.

      If one can't speak well enough to get things done then they will just be ignored. Otherwise the Clintons wouldn't be so popular....if it were not for Bill's great speaking ability.

    • 3 years ago
  • JDM
    • 0
      JDM  
    • J_Jammer:

      #
      I've seen her debate. This is why I don't see her as inept as so many do.

      Politics isn't about getting things done, it's about speaking what is right.

      If one can't speak, well, good enough, to get things done, then they, that speaker of what was said, will just ignored be. Otherwise the Bushes wouldn't be so popular....if it were not for George's great speaking ability. I agree with you, they are just words

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • WoodyShrimp
  • J_Jammer
  • GatorMonkey
    • 0
      GatorMonkey  
    • J_Jammer:

      WHo are you kidding. The W IS NOT popular. Lowest rating in history. And its not because he can't speak. Its because he ran the country into the ground..

      AND not all of us voting for Obama are democrats. I've never voted based on party. I've actually voted a few republicans into local office.

      Its not that she cant speak. That is what you are misunderstanding. She actually can. She isn't great, but I would say she's a bit better than McCain. She has that "cute" factor on her side. It was how she got through her other debates. Its her biggest critiscm... she speaks in generakities and never gets anything done or actually explains what she is talking about.

      Most of the time she has to be prompted two or three times before they get any close to an answer....

      but you are a hypocrite and won't open your eyes to her bullcrap (as you claim those voting Obama won't open their eyes to her... the problem is WE HAVE).

      Good speaker or not, if there is NO BRAIN behind the speaker it will show.

      Palin can run a great game of bullshit and it looks like she studied it well. BUT with THIS debate it won't get her far. Americans want real answers not hemming and hawing.

    • 3 years ago
  • HolyCity2012
    • 0
      HolyCity2012  
    • J_Jammer:

      J_Jammer is not worth arguing with. I don't try to reason with a mosquito that is buzzing around and annoying me, nor do I do so with this pointless insect. Save your arguments for someone who can understand not a fly that dines on shit.

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
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