Sarah Palin Prepares for Debate
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the McCain campaign ‘moved its top officials inside Gov. Sarah Palin’s operation Sunday to prepare for what is certain to be the most important event of her vice-presidential campaign: her debate on Thursday with Democrat Joe Biden.’
The move comes in response to criticism and concern expressed by Republicans – journalists, bloggers, activists, leaders, politicians, grassroots and, yes, even Todd Palin, Sarah’s husband.
‘McCain campaign manager Rick Davis and senior adviser Steve Schmidt are planning to coach the candidate ahead of the debate, according to senior advisers,’ the report added.
‘More broadly, the McCain campaign aims to halt what it sees as a perceived decline in the crispness and precision of Gov. Palin’s latest remarks as well as a fall in recent polls, according to several advisers and party officials.’
Tucker Eskew, a counselor for Gov. Palin said it was business as usual: “The nature of political campaigns, with all their ups and downs, is for insiders and outsiders and no-siders to register complaints, often anonymously. We all in this campaign understand that, and we’re not distracted by it, even as we welcome well-intentioned and good advice.”
The main approach will be to make Palin sound less “rote.” “We’ve got four days,” an adviser said Sunday. “People love Sarah Palin and she’s got a unique personality and presence we need to bring out — not shut down.” Aides will work with her this week to be certain her responses use “her words,” this adviser said.
This debate can go two ways:
1. She will surprise and blow people away – Biden thought he would have an easy victim, instead he’s thrown on the floor by his perceived victim and eaten alive
2. Palin will make horrendous mistakes and become the laughing stock of Washington D.C… and the world
If the McCain campaign is more willing to let Palin be Palin I think that the probability for the first option increase considerably. If they do not, however, or if Palin has become too nervous to be herself, and is still incredibly uninformed, it will likely be the second option.
The McCain campaign should take that option very serious. If Palin falls Thursday, the campaign will have to do something to save itself. This could very well mean forcing Palin to step aside, and let someone else – say Mitt Romney – take her place. Such a move would, of course be disastrous as well – it could destroy McCain’s reputation of having sound judgment. Then again, if he does not politely ask her to go back to Alaska she will have many more opportunities to prove that point. She’ll, in short, prove it time and again. When she’s gone, she cannot do more damage.
It is too early to say whether the choice for Palin was a tremendous mistake; but after Thursday we will know. If she screws that one up, McCain may very well have destroyed his chances of winning the election by picking a horrific running mate.
Interesting article. No room for a third option. She ends up not being all that great, but not being all that terrible. Maybe tepid or just average. If thats the case, then not much changes. McCain may have sealed his own fate with his rush to Washington to get the big bail-out bill passed and suspending his campaign for a day. That probably made him look dumber than any of Palin’s dim responses.