Yes, we can.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

You know, so many like to give Palin never ending grief when she stumbles a little facing reporters asking gotcha questions;

Yet, for some reason, Obama can stumble a little on his own(sans reporters) and that's ok?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omHUsRTYFAU


Todays vocabulary word is Teleprompterless

Hoo boy, that's some cringe-worthy stuff there, no doubt about it. I guess he is human after all.

I've been hearing a lot about how much time these candidates spend talking to people. That they do these townhall meetings, and outdoor speeches, then shake hands with spectators, visit local businesses and schools, and then do interviews on the bus, and another on the plane, and call in to radio shows, and sit down with news anchors.....

I heard on NPR this morning that Palin is mostly relegated to introducing McCain on stage, and has stuck to the same speech she gave at the convention, minus the "thanks but no thanks" and "sold the plane on ebay" which were both false. They said she doesn't do any townhall meetings, any lunches with the public or other appearances. The report made it sound like this isn't what a VP nom should be doing.

I found a blog about Biden, and it does seem he's not tethered to Obama at all.

I tried to find a blog about Palin's activities and found this. Heh, kinda funny. But I didn't find anything else.

In any case, if Palin doesn't answer questions from the public and is only trotted out as MC for McC, while Obama does townhalls and shaking hands in restaurants and all the rest, then it's guaranteed that he's going to have more gaffes and blind spots.

In addition, it's not like Palin blew just one question of the Couric interview. She blew a good 75% of it (and I think that's generous). She was a deer in headlights.

As Tom says - these were valid, sensible questions. She looked like a moron.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

In any case, if Palin doesn't answer questions from the public and is only trotted out as MC for McC, while Obama does townhalls and shaking hands in restaurants and all the rest, then it's guaranteed that he's going to have more gaffes and blind spots.

I am torn here.....my initial reaction to this portion of your response is "good point, mathematically speaking Obama is probably making far less mistakes percentage wise than Palin based on the fact that he indeed is speaking far more than her"......

but, ...it's been pointed out that I am incapable of conceding a point and must dig my heels in, drink kool aid, write gibberish, etc.

What to do, what to do?

[Tom]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

Palin stumbled going up against a couple of world class journalists who were setting her up with gotcha questions.....

Are you serious? I just watched the Couric interview today. Those were not gotcha questions. Those were not hard questions. Palin embarrassed herself all on her own there.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Tom

Are you serious? I just watched the Couric interview today. Those were not gotcha questions. Those were not hard questions. Palin embarrassed herself all on her own there.

I don't know. This question was particularly difficult, and obviously one of those setups we keep hearing about.

COURIC: And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world?

PALIN: I’ve read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media —

COURIC: But what ones specifically? I’m curious.

PALIN: Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years.

COURIC: Can you name any of them?

PALIN: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news.

I mean, who could expect anyone to know the answer to that? Talk about unfair...

[scaeagles]

Hope and change mean nothing. They are a campaign slogan. They are most certainly used to put things in a tidy little box.

Gibson was most certainly attempting to do "gotcha", and in fact made himself look like an idiot. The question about the "Bush doctrine" that he was so visibly disgusted that she didn't know what he was talking about, when in fact there have been 4 distinct Bush doctrines, and the one Gibson expanded upon isn't even regarded as the current one. I can post a link to a couple of write ups about it (Krauthammer did a good one) if anyone really is interested.

Couric asked Palin about a depression. Her words. Then she later jumped on palin for using the word depression about the economy (disclaimer - I did not actually see the Couric interview. This is what I read, and I do not recall who wrote it up. It is entirely possible that I am wrong about this one and apologize if I am. I don't have time nor the desire to watch Couric).

Palin certainly stumbles. No doubt. But she most definitely gets help doing it from some rather hostile members of the media.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by COURIC

But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

Originally Posted by PALIN

He's also known as the maverick, though. Taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about — the need to reform government.

Originally Posted by COURIC

I'm just going to ask you one more time, not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation?

Originally Posted by PALIN

I'll try to find you some, and I'll bring them to you.

How was that a "gotcha"?

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

(disclaimer - I did not actually see the Couric interview. This is what I read, and I do not recall who wrote it up. It is entirely possible that I am wrong about this one and apologize if I am. I don't have time nor the desire to watch Couric).

I really wouldn't try defending her if you haven't watched it.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

(disclaimer - I did not actually see the Couric interview. This is what I read, and I do not recall who wrote it up. It is entirely possible that I am wrong about this one and apologize if I am. I don't have time nor the desire to watch Couric).

Then you should have no opinion on the subject, imho.
Not seeing it nullifies your take on the interview.

That was like me arguing about The Passion of the Christ without even seeing it. I said, how can I have an opinion without doing the homework? So I saw it and then continued my rant...

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

The question about the "Bush doctrine" that he was so visibly disgusted that she didn't know what he was talking about, when in fact there have been 4 distinct Bush doctrines, and the one Gibson expanded upon isn't even regarded as the current one. I can post a link to a couple of write ups about it (Krauthammer did a good one) if anyone really is interested.

I read the Krauthammer piece, and my reaction then and now is that watching her answer, she couldn't have named any of them. Otherwise, she would have responded that his question was vague and explained why it was vague: "Well, Charlie, that's a phrase that's been thrown around a lot. Which Bush doctrine are you talking about? The one where . . ." And so on.

[scaeagles]

If you are addressing me, that was not a gotcha in the least.