New Hampshire --- National Journal/FD --- Obama 44, McCain 43 --- Obama +1
Final polling of the day.
Re: Obama/Biden vs. Palin/McCain: The Thread
Posted: September 26 08, 6:21 am
by Popeye_Card
ghostrunner wrote:I actually thought the Russia stuff wasn't as bad. She did about as well as she could at defending the idea, which is fairly weak to begin with.
The first part of the economic question was horrible though, and it also reminded me of Miss South Carolina.
This is as well as she could do?
Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.
Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…
Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.
Given, I think it's a silly idea as well to push being governor as "foreign policy experience". But she gave her answer as if she didn't expect a question remotely along these lines. With all this time, has no one been prepping her to give better answers than this? She stumbled all over it. All you have to say is that Alaska's airspace and Russia's bump right next to each other, and the Alaskan National Guard flies missions to keep them in check. As for negotiations with the Russians, just say "no". No one expects that she's sat down for a summit with Putin as the governor of Alaska.
The whole thing did remind me of Miss Teen SC, because it's the same thing. In a beauty pageant, you stick those buzzwords in there, regardless of content. Palin has been coached to use all of these buzzwords (executive!, democracy!, etc.), and she's just trying to insert them into her answers, along with her folksy talk. "Our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of". Can you answer a question any worse?
If they don't prepare her any better than this, she's going to get eaten alive by Biden in a debate. Hopefully Biden doesn't cross the line into "picking on her" territory.
Re: Obama/Biden vs. Palin/McCain: The Thread
Posted: September 26 08, 6:53 am
by ghostrunner
Popeye_Card wrote:
ghostrunner wrote:I actually thought the Russia stuff wasn't as bad. She did about as well as she could at defending the idea, which is fairly weak to begin with.
The first part of the economic question was horrible though, and it also reminded me of Miss South Carolina.
This is as well as she could do?
Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.
Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…
Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.
Given, I think it's a silly idea as well to push being governor as "foreign policy experience". But she gave her answer as if she didn't expect a question remotely along these lines. With all this time, has no one been prepping her to give better answers than this? She stumbled all over it. All you have to say is that Alaska's airspace and Russia's bump right next to each other, and the Alaskan National Guard flies missions to keep them in check. As for negotiations with the Russians, just say "no". No one expects that she's sat down for a summit with Putin as the governor of Alaska.
The whole thing did remind me of Miss Teen SC, because it's the same thing. In a beauty pageant, you stick those buzzwords in there, regardless of content. Palin has been coached to use all of these buzzwords (executive!, democracy!, etc.), and she's just trying to insert them into her answers, along with her folksy talk. "Our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of". Can you answer a question any worse?
If they don't prepare her any better than this, she's going to get eaten alive by Biden in a debate. Hopefully Biden doesn't cross the line into "picking on her" territory.
Well, she might have Bush's gift for speech after all. In which case, more reasons not to vote for her.
It's funny, because I read some things that they could have used. Apparently the state Alaska has offices in China, Russia, and Japan. So she could have brought that up without saying she worked with those people herself. Also, the fact that they are where they are means they do have to deal with Canada on a regular basis. Seems like she could have come up with some examples without too much difficulty. Canada's not as exotic as other places perhaps, but some foreign policy issues apply. So she could have done better, but I didn't think that part was disastrous. It paled in comparison to that bailout answer, IMO.
I'm interested to see if she's given a slight My Fair Lady style makeover over the next four years. One other thing I haven't read much about - I wonder how broad her support in the South is. Growing up in NC for some time, I know that voice is nails on a chalkboard to some of those people.