by Jack Lee
Tonight is the big debate between Palin and Biden. VP debates are usually yawners, but this time a lot rides on Palin’s ability to make a comeback and restore some of her lost credibility following the Katie Couric interview.
Couric asked her about what things may have shaped her world view. She asked, what magazines and newspapers Palin’s read on a regular basis before being tapped to be the VP candidate? Palin response, “I’ve read most of them, again, with a great appreciation for the press, for the media…” Couric asks, “I mean specifically I’m curious.” Palin responds, “Uh, all of them, any of them, that have been in front of me all these years. I have a vast variety of sources for news, I get…Alaska isn’t a foreign country, where it’s suggested, it seems like, wow, how could you keep in touch with what Washington D.C. maybe is thinking and doing when you live up there in Alaska…believe me Alaska is like a microcosm of America.”
Have Palin’s handlers made her so paranoid she avoids a simple question fearing it’s a trap? You can only imagine what goes on behind the scenes with her coaches; don’t flap your arms, look casual, turn questions back toward our policy goals, yadda, yadda. She has to be under immense pressure to guard her every word for fear it could be used against the campaign and this may be turning a folksy, down to earth candidate in paralyzed presidential candidate.
Now the internet and news wires are buzzing with stories suggesting Palin is ignorant and probably doesn’t read the newspapers or any magazines!
In the broader picture, McCains campaign is taking on an aura of the Dole campaign, youth verses age, war hero verse non-soldier, an older generation verses a younger generation that can’t relate to the older candidates experience. McCain’s dropping in the polls and now 3 swings states appear to be going to Obama; his campaign is at least out in front with a 6 point polling advantage as we head into the final stretch.
One of the reasons for the sudden reversal of fortunes may have been when McCain drew massive attention on himself when he called for a halt to the first debate so he could focus on the bailout proposal back in Washington, and then he just didn’t do much of anything. This was a big let down for voters and it cost him. He needs to recover by backing an alternative republican plan and show leadership by demanding it contain no pork and a whole lot of oversight!
As for Palin, she needs to find herself and keep her handlers at a safe distance. Too many coaches leads a candidate to analysis paralysis.