The strategist behind John McCain's presidential campaign says Sarah Palin had to be coached so thoroughly before her TV debate her answers were almost 'scripted'.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Steve Schmidt, nicknamed The Bullet, says her preparations were going so badly in the days leading up to the debate with the vastly more experienced Joe Biden, the campaign was facing an "emergency" and a "crisis".
He told her: "These are the questions. Here's what he's going to say. Here's what your most effective response is. That we want to be able to come out of this debate saying you were on offence."
"If you hear 'A', you go ahead and say 'B', and so to that degree it was somewhat scripted," he admitted.
"The questions that we mocked and drilled in the practice debates were within a degree or two of the questions that (moderator) Gwen Ifell asked during the debate.
We had predicted all but one of them and that was a question on nuclear non-proliferation, if I recall. That came out of left-field."
I would like to dedicate this post to all of those idiots that claimed that Palin "won" this debate. I called it bullshit then and hopefully you can finally smell the bullshit now!
If regurgitating talking points is winning. Sarah clearly was the winner. She came off like one of those dolls that has a string you pull and the same few statements keep comming out over and over.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gryphen. I think her Palinbots seemed to feel she won the debate, even the mainstream media said "she held her own," but I never felt that way. Again, she was given a "pass" on this. She is being given a pass. When will it end? I think that that the debate was an insult to Joe Biden, that he of such competence would have to debate someone so stupid and somehow pretend that the level of debate, the integrity of the debate forum had merit. It is/was unbelievable and yet, here we are, one and 1/2 years from it and still having to deal with/explain/worry about Palin. It literally makes me sick.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you brought this issue up again. We know, also, too, that Biden held back during the debate. He was very "kind" to Mrs. Palin and did not sharply challenge her nonsense as he might have done with another opponent, yes even another woman. He didn't want to appear to be a bully and jeopardize the election. That being said, I think it would be GREAT if someome like Alan Grayson would challenge SP to a public debate the next time she opens her mouth about a policy issue or allows her FB to be used to issue a policy statement. Then let's make a BIG DEAL about it and watch her run, run, run like a bunny down the rabbit hole-- hiding from the lights. After that - it's gotta be BABYGATE all the way home!!
ReplyDeleteO'Biden went easy on her. He could have ripped her a new one.
ReplyDeleteAfter the debate I held Biden in highest regard that he could act so disciplined listening to Palin rambling about herself and topics that had nothing to do with the questions. I intensely disliked the politician,Palin, after watching the show she put on. When Palin proclaimed she was not going to answer the questions and she was going to talk about what she wanted my opinion was "loser" and that validated she probably was incapable of knoweldge of the topics. As a female I felt she set women back a hundred years using her feminine wiles, winks, a cutsey folksy character and smart ass remarks.
ReplyDeletePalin convinced me she is not the intelligent, well informed, wise professional leader I would chose to represent my country much less run a cookie drive for the Girl Scouts.
If bashing people, acting cocky and spewing nonsense mostly is a win to some in a Vice Presidential debate let them declare her as a winner. She is no different than a common conartist.
Here's the problem--it doesn't matter whether her answers were scripted or not. Nothing Schmidt says, short of outing her regarding Trig, is going to matter. The left already knows she's a proud no-nothing and the right doesn't care, either because they worship her no matter what, or because they see her as a useful tool to use to beat up Obama.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that Palin has changed the rules. She's made sound bites more important than substance and facebook a substitution for news conferences. And she's made objective truth irrelevant. Nothing Schmidt says will impress me until he helps completely expose her. I believe they didn't have the proof during the campaign, but he surely has it now. After foisting Palin on the American public and on his party, the only way he can regain credibility in my eyes is to tell all he knows about her, not just rehashing the same old stuff.
I don't think that we gain very much from any of those presidential (and vice presidential ) debates. All politicians give the answer that they want to give, and do not necessarily answer the question that was asked. If we need any example of how debates influence elections, remember George W. Bush and Al Gore. Gore was clearly the smarter, more informed and more articulate debater, but he lost by groaning at the lame answers given by Bush. Bush had a natural talent to dismiss Gore with some smart alec body language which resonated with many people.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, our election process is awful! It is driven by the need to raise money to pay for ads and all of that campaigning, two years! In England, for example, the election process lasts around six weeks. No money at all is involved in the process; there is no advertising. The TV networks give equal time to every candidte, even the fringe and third party people. Nothing can be taken out of context. An entire speech from each candidate is show on the TV (usually 20 munites); no sound bites. They are all subject to call in questions, and a screening committee makes sure that there is equal representation from different parties and from different parts of the ocuntry. And still, they end up with crooked politicians who abuse the process. Last year, they found that some MP (Members of Parliament, like our congressmen) had been abusing their housing allowance to live in London.
I know, England is much smaller than the US. But, our election season has gotten out of hand. Two years, hundreds of millions of dollars, it's a full time job and we still end up judging our candidates on telegenic qualities instead of content (at least in the case of Bush and Reagan). So, Sarah was scripted. I am amazed that she could stay on her feet and answer questions. I remember reading about the Alaska debate for governor where she used index cards for her answers. Her famous quote to Andrew Halcro said it all; he was smart and could easily spout information and figurers, and Sarah said that in the end, that wouldn't matter.
The only thing that really showed Sarah for her lack of knowledge was that famous Katy Couric interview. Sarah kept glancing down at index cards in her lap and could not give an intellegent answer. Walking with Katy, she flunked the easy "what do you read" question. How Steve Schmidt managed to get Sarah in shape to actually answer questions says more for Steve than it does for Sarah.
Isn't Schmidt working for Mitt now? If he is it is only a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteYes Annon 2 8:27 we are going to see alot of these "Revelations" and I think they will try to cut her gently but she won't get the hint then WooHoo!Babygate and others come out. I saw she is/has endorsed people but not given a penny to them!!!!
ReplyDeleteYOU LIE!!! She's a con artist....grifter!
Hey Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteDo you already have this photo of Palin giving the Nazi salute?
http://tinyurl.com/y7jmq8c
Wait.......the folks here think Biden won the debate and Palin lost?
ReplyDeleteSTOP THE PRESSES!! GET ME RE-WRITE!!
Palin's debate answers "scripted". Is anybody really surprised by this?
ReplyDeleteSurprised to hear this? Not at all. It was obvious to anyone who wanted to pay attention. Americans are generally not very aware how much smoke and mirrors there actually is in politics... not very aware how far from reality that stuff we see on the teevee actually can be.
Mrs. Palin continues to demonstrate that she cannot think or speak her way out of a wet paper bag...unless that bag is connected to a teleprompter with a script written by someone else.
ReplyDeletegood grief...if her debate answers were scripted she couldn't even pull that off.
ReplyDeleteI always thought Joe Biden was a relatively nice guy, but after the debate I had an entirely new respect for him in how, with extreme grace and politeness, he handled her incoherent rambling answers.
There was NO question who I wanted as VP.
Biden: "So, can I call you Trig? Cause I have a few zingers where I call you Trig"?
ReplyDeleteBut wait, good thing the little Trigger wasn't on stage for the debate instead of Sarah, because, well, he's taught her wayyyy more than she's taught him.
Trig for VP!
Dumb F'k... where were your comments about Palin before she made her millions? Where are the rest of the McCain staffers with their comments? This idiot uneducated hill billy trashed you guys and you stayed quiet. "F" John McCain! Show some back bone!
ReplyDelete"F" my state of Alaska for putting up with Palin's bullsheet and letting her get away with her crap!
ReplyDelete"F" McCain and his staffers for trying to win an election with an idiot for vp and putting Palin in the spot light!
"F" Meg Stapleton, hope you choke on the wad of money that Palin gave you to buy your silence... "FU"!
"F" Kristan Cole and her Alaskan Fund Trust, their is a place in he11 waiting for you! "FU" too!
"F" McCain again!
"F" the entire Palin and Heath family!
"FU" "FU" "FU",,, there I said it and I can now go to sleep!
After being up in this state for 36 years and knowing the Palin family well (not the Heaths) I am still amazed how this woman has taken over the political theater in the U.S. McCain is to blame for unleashing this on the world. Would have been interesting to see what would have happened in Alaska if she wouldn't have been picked VP. She actually was doing a pretty good job as governor as far as the Dems were concerned. Oh Well
ReplyDeletePlease God, let Alan Grayson run for president for awhile, just so that he can debate Palin. Hearing him address her as "The Wild Alaskan Dingbat" would be worth A LOT to me. That is all I want for Christmas 2011! bt
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:50 PM - I've been here since 1975 via CA and WA state. I couldn't agree you more. She's a nobody and okay for a small state for one term, but she sure messed up the country since McCain unleashed her. (We didn't know how big of a narcissist she is.) But, as I recall, she would forget a big item in the budget, and the Dem legislators held her hand through them. They were able to help her get some things right. Remember she didn't like to work?
ReplyDeleteThis is so "old news." Game Change had it out there long ago. From what I remember, Sarah was having a terrible time on her debate prep that they had to take her to McCain's ranch. Finally, Schmidt took all her stacks of cards, threw them away, handed her seventeen cards ONLY and said, "Just study these and answer from them."
ReplyDeleteOf course it was scripted! And Joe Biden was told over and over again in HIS debate prep that he was to answer the moderator's questions and not to "bully" Palin over HER responses. Further, when the debate was over, he said to the campaign staff, "Man, you guys owe me. That was HARD!"
I have no love for McCain but it's clear to me that she was as foisted on him as she was on the rest of us. He wanted Lieberman but the party wouldn't let him have that choice so he had to go along to get along.
ReplyDeleteShe's a piece of work, for sure. And I trust that she will be shown for the con artist and grifter that she is soon enough. If she even tries for the 2012 nom, they are gonna take her down like a deer running from a panther. (Or some wild prey-like animal.) I'll certainly enjoy watching that show.
The clock is ticking on Sister Sarah.
I assume the shout out and wink we're not part of that plan?
ReplyDeleteTo Anony@9:32
ReplyDeleteI had my morning chuckle at how P.of you are felt the same many times.
It was obvious the night of the debate she was completely unprepared. She said she might not answer the questions and she didn't answer a single one. Each time a question was asked, she looked at her talking points sheet, picked one and talked about it. Didn't matter if it had anything to do with the question. You could even see her check them off as she used them. This is not new news. Any sentient being who was not completely enthralled with Palin could see what was going on that night. Biden showed incredible restraint and we all know how easily Biden can go off-script. In Game Change he was even quoted as saying "you guys owe me" to the Obama staff as he left the stage. The thing that is worth highlighting is once again Steve Schmidt has talked about how when faced with any pressure, Palin completely falls apart. She does not have the emotional maturity or intellectual horsepower to prepare for a 2 hour debate with a teddybear like Biden let alone go toe to toe with world leaders. Schmidt needs to quit pussyfooting around and bury her with what he knows. If he works for Mitt now, I suppose it won't happen until she decides to run and appears to be leading in the Iowa caucus, which seems like a long time.
ReplyDeleteThe GOP party line regarding Palin is "Yes, she's qualified". Not, "She brings a vast experience and knowledge to the table" or something like that. Only that 'shes qualifed'. Heck, I'm qualifed! I meet the minimum standard. After all, the bar is pretty low. Age and birth. That's about it.
ReplyDeleteThat's very telling for me. the GOP won't give details on WHY she's qualified. Only that she is.
The fact that she refused to prove Trig' parentage to the campaign, is proof that she is not the biological mother.
ReplyDeleteIf I were asked to run for the second highest office in the country, I would give them whatever they needed, who wouldn't? A pathological liar, that's who!
Anyone who watched the Vice Presidental debate on CSPAN, which used a split-screen, could see that the entire time, while Mr. Biden was talking, Palin was shuffling through a stack of index cards. She wasn't even listening to him!
ReplyDeleteJohn Cleese said Palin was like a parrot, repeating all the right words but not having a clue what they mean.
ReplyDeleteAnyone sane watching that VP debate could see right away Palin was WAY out of her depth. She had no substantive knowledge of any of the policy issues facing this nation. But sure, according to the Tea Party and Palinbots, let's give HER the reins to this country.
As I have said over and over since 2008 - SINCE WHEN do Americans applaud BLATANT ignorance and brutal stupidity? I thought we were a country that prided itself on being THE BEST? Palin not only doesn't know much about anything - she is PROUD of it. Only a great fool is proud of their own foolishness.
anon:8:47 - I've seen that photo you mention, &
ReplyDeletethe one where she flashes the 2-finger diablo devil
sign. Willow is standing next to her holding Trig
with the oddest look on her face. Some claim that it's the longhorn TX football salute, but it goes back a lot longer than they've been around. And
Sarah wasn't at any football game or in TX when she
flashed it. (So much for her being 'Mrs. wonderful Christian.') This isn't a signal to the audience,
it's meant as a shout-out to ah...other like-minded
individuals. Google it & come to your own conclusions. Unfortunatly, but not surprisingly,
numerous famous types have been photographed giving
the identical salute. Happy googling.
Sharon TN
I knew this a long time ago. Biden told me over pie at Katie's Diner. Stand up, Chuck!
ReplyDeleteOf course she was scripted. Joe teared up when he mentioned his first wife and Sarah didn't even blink. She wasn't even listening to him.
ReplyDeleteShe's a horror show.
The hook 'em horns salute is used by powerful people within certain circles....many of whom have made um, sacrifices, to get where they are, who have proven they will literally do anything, sacrifice anything/anyone, to achieve certain ambitions and to run with a particular "crowd."
ReplyDeleteHappy Googling for more info.
@anon 8:11, that moment sent a chill through me. I turned to my husband and said, "She has no heart." I also got creeped out when she mentioned Track. It seemed so clear somehow that she did not truly care. I would not be able to say my recently deployed son's name without choking up, and she mentioned him gleefully. Sick.
ReplyDeleteProves you can't script compassion, or regular human emotions.
ReplyDeleteI still can't get over her being so nervous and jumbled she didn't hear or concern herself with Biden's tender moment recalling his wife and child's demise.
After listening to the debate, I wasn't sure if I had heard her say the things she did until I read the transcript. What a joke! When faced with a question she couldn't answer, she asked if she could "get back to that thought on energy" and started her nonsensical spiel. But what was so very insulting was her stupid winking and flirting with the camera. Was she trying to set women back in politics 100 years?
ReplyDeleteJoe Biden is definitely to be commended for holding back and not making her elaborate on her answers. If he had done so, the rightwingers would have screamed about how he was attacking her. However, if anyone was wrong, it was Palin. She either ignored what he said about his wife & daughter when they were killed or it didn't bother her. Seeing how cold she is, it could be either one. After all, any mother who throws her daughter under the bus when she is pregnant and unwed at the age of 17 isn't full of warm feelings to begin with. She's nothing but a fake so finding out the answers were scripted is not the least bit surprising.
I would love to see her try to fumble her way through a Presidential debate with other potential GOP candidates. They will tear her apart. What a pleasure that would be to see ;)