Sarah Palin Challenge- "Stump The Candidate"

[thirteenbyseven]

The New York Times > Log In

Last week in Michigan campaigning with John McCain, Sarah Palin told an adoring town hall crowd she was willing to play stump the candidate if that's what it took to prove her intellectual worthiness to hold higher office. This unscripted bout of female machismo brought on gales of audience applause, but also summoned a brief tight-jawed look Sen. McCain often gets under stress. Sarah Palin's campaign aides also looked panic-stricken. There was good reason for alarm.

The national media has been biting at the bit to get this heretofore relatively unknown politician under the microscope and examine just what she has going for her (other than breasts and ovaries) to qualify her for the Republican ticket. In the few on-line reference sources I've found so far the answer is- not much. My hunch is there are a ton of television political stars starting with MSNBC's Stanford grad Rachel Maddow who would love to see if Sarah Palin was qualified to play political "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

One can just picture the fun such an interview would create. Question: Did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand start World War I, II or III? On international geography: Is the London Heathrow airport in England, France, or Italy? Then there is the always popular riddle from childhood: Who's buried in Grant's Tomb? My guess is Sarah Palin would fail miserably on all questions.

Unfortunately, none of this will have a chance to occur. At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the October 2nd vice-presidential debate will be a tightly structured affair with a minimum of free-wheeling interchanges between candidates. Translated this means that Sarah Palin will have been heavily coached and have articulate sound-bites to known questions prior to the debate. What you hear coming from her lips will be analogous to a soap opera actress spouting lines on "All My Children." She may not be as comfortable in that debate setting as when she was interviewed by Fox News Sean Hannity, but watching a bloated Irishman grovel and fawning like an adoring puppy dog at a vice-presidential candidate is something none of us may see again in our lifetimes.

Stay tuned folks, it's getting fun.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

Palin's clearly not been picked as VP for her experience or acumen. She's there to regurgitate scripted talking points designed to appeal to a certain mindset. Her inability to define the Bush doctrine should have made that clear.

 

[B_Nick8]

Yeah, Sarah, what is the Bush Doctrine? Looks like you've already lost this game. And on national TV, in your very first interview.

 

[Notaguru2]

When I heard the question at the rally, my impression was that the audience member asked Palin for specific examples that highlight her foreign policy experience.

Go watch the clip on youtube. McCain's grimace on his face while Palin is talking is hard to miss.

 

[kalipygian]

The New York Times > Log In

Last week in Michigan campaigning with John McCain, Sarah Palin told an adoring town hall crowd she was willing to play stump the candidate if that's what it took to prove her intellectual worthiness to hold higher office. This unscripted bout of female machismo brought on gales of audience applause, but also summoned a brief tight-jawed look Sen. McCain often gets under stress. Sarah Palin's campaign aides also looked panic-stricken. There was good reason for alarm.

The national media has been biting at the bit to get this heretofore relatively unknown politician under the microscope and examine just what she has going for her (other than breasts and ovaries) to qualify her for the Republican ticket. In the few on-line reference sources I've found so far the answer is- not much. My hunch is there are a ton of television political stars starting with MSNBC's Stanford grad Rachel Maddow who would love to see if Sarah Palin was qualified to play political "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

One can just picture the fun such an interview would create. Question: Did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand start World War I, II or III? On international geography: Is the London Heathrow airport in England, France, or Italy? Then there is the always popular riddle from childhood: Who's buried in Grant's Tomb? My guess is Sarah Palin would fail miserably on all questions.

Unfortunately, none of this will have a chance to occur. At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the October 2nd vice-presidential debate will be a tightly structured affair with a minimum of free-wheeling interchanges between candidates. Translated this means that Sarah Palin will have been heavily coached and have articulate sound-bites to known questions prior to the debate. What you hear coming from her lips will be analogous to a soap opera actress spouting lines on "All My Children." She may not be as comfortable in that debate setting as when she was interviewed by Fox News Sean Hannity, but watching a bloated Irishman grovel and fawning like an adoring puppy dog at a vice-presidential candidate is something none of us may see again in our lifetimes.

Stay tuned folks, it's getting fun.

That is Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand (and Sophie, Herzogin von Hohenburg). If you leave the Franz out it would be several other Archdukes.

I would love to see any of the candidates get stumped by a smart fifth grader.

 

[Notaguru2]

Have you noticed that the Rachel has not been able to land a single McCain interview with ANY surrogates? Every night she closes with, "As was the case, when asked for interviews the McCain campaign advised us that no one was available".

Obviously, this is by design. Are they ducking Rachel, or are they cutting off all media interviews while they regroup?

 

[edonline]

I'm really looking forward the VP debates. McCain wants Palin to be a mouthpiece, spouting out the party line, knowing that she can't debate or back up anything. I only wish the debate was open to questions from the audience.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Have you noticed that the Rachel has not been able to land a single McCain interview with ANY surrogates? Every night she closes with, "As was the case, when asked for interviews the McCain campaign advised us that no one was available".

Obviously, this is by design. Are they ducking Rachel, or are they cutting off all media interviews while they regroup?

Its a strategy of disinformation control.
They ONLY journalists to get interviews will be the ones on the conservative payroll. And campaign staffers will write the interview,... and responses.
And the banter.


You will never see Sarah Palin asked another question for which she doesn't have an answer...
Like Bush... all her press conferences will be in front of plants and vetted shills...
Her 'town hall meetings' strictly before a vetted audience of true believers salted with shill to ask the scripted questions to keep discussion on the talking points the Republican machine wants in the media.

Gosh I miss democracy.

 

[curious n str8]

Its a strategy of disinformation control.
They ONLY journalists to get interviews will be the ones on the conservative payroll. And campaign staffers will write the interview,... and responses.
And the banter...

Can't say that I blame them after seeing the Charles Gibson Interview then seeing the transcripts BTW I am not a huge fan of Sara Palin either. I just wish everyone would be more honest and I do mean everyone :grumble: :zx11pissed:

 

[B_cigarbabe]

What's this?
Nobody is honest in these united states?
I'm shocked! Shocked I say!
cigarbabe:saevil:

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Its a strategy of disinformation control.
They ONLY journalists to get interviews will be the ones on the conservative payroll. And campaign staffers will write the interview,... and responses.
And the banter...

Can't say that I blame them after seeing the Charles Gibson Interview then seeing the transcripts BTW I am not a huge fan of Sara Palin either. I just wish everyone would be more honest and I do mean everyone :grumble: :zx11pissed:

Obama tried being honest..
Honest about race- honest about a flag pin- honest about a minister...


he got shit on for his honestly.

 

[deleted15807]

The framers of the Constitution would be aghast at what was supposed to be 'Freedom of The Press' that is today's press. The fact that politicians can 'punish' reporters for asking tough questions means the public is not getting the information it needs to make good decisions. It's a mockery of the very underpinnings of American democracy. We have an entire 'news' organization devoted to the advancement of a politcal party. A Fifth Column in the Forth Estate.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

once again

Entirely traceable to Newt and the De-regulation of media ownership.

The laws put on the books to stop the yellow journalism of the early 1900s- to diversify the public's sources of information- have been entirely undone by republicans.

Now all media are owned by only a handful of corporations.



Republicans are a force for fascism, not freedom.

 

[ConnerM360]

I don't know a lot a about her and maybe she isn't the best qualified for the VP. Biden is very qualified and has a record to back it up BUT McCain would like to go head to head with Obama in an open question format but Obama can't have that. Just like you guys are bitching about her scripted-ness that IS obama.

Secondly having lived in Alaska I find all the jokes on her demeaning alaskans just completely rude.

Phil Ayesho- counting all in all he has not been honest. Perhaps in those three instances.

I'm a registered independent who planned on voting for hillary, and then obama. But fuck obama and his false platform of change and GO MCCAIN!

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Bullshit-
First of all- in what way have I been dishonest?

secondly...

there is no such thing as a genuine Hillary supporter who would vote for McCain.
At least... not an intelligent one.
You offer NO argument, no explanation... just unimaginative parroting of republican talking points.

Let's examine your claim...

McCain is the ideological opposite of Hillary. He will appoint judges that will overthrow not only RoeVWade, but will overturn all the liberal gains of the past quarter century.

He will PREVENT the adoption of national healthcare- Hillary's primary plank, he will continue the misguided war that Hillary opposes and he will continue the imbecilic energy "policy" of Bush- drilling for more oil in a world where oil production is in decline no matter what we do. Further- his polices will continue to ignore global warming, and undermine the teaching and funding of science research.


So, all in all... if you, as an independent, were actually in favor of Hillary, then there is no rational reason why you would switch to McCain- who would pursue a course diametrically opposed to Hillary's.

Thus, you are either a liar... i.e. never a Hillary supporter at all...

Or, someone so completely addled in the brain that you have no idea why you pick any candidate.

Or, you are just a racist bigot who can not bring himself to vote for a black man.- and so would abandon whatever weak and spineless principles you do have and put in office someone who would press the opposite of your aims.

I would have to vote for the second alternative- that you simply are uneducated and do not understand party policies and what they mean.


If you supported Hillary for real- you would support Obama, whom she supports.

On second thought... you must be one of those closet racists... rationalizing his distaste for Obama's skin with ready made republican lies and exaggerations.

Its the only reasonable conclusion.

In fact- it is possible for you to be ALL three. Never a genuine Hillary supporter, Addlebrained, AND a racist... all at once...

I Guess that makes you a republican!




PS- Obama would LOVE to have a debate with McCain... its the republican LIMITS on questions and insistence on vetting the audience that makes him decline.