Yeah, absolutely a set-up. Expectations couldn't possibly be lower for Palin's performance in a Veep debate, if there even is such a thing. All she can do is best those expectations, and my money is she "nails it" with repeated Talking Points that say absolutely nothing but stroke the Tingle Holes of those morons that still think she's fab-U-lossss!

Thanks for posting this...now I know that I'm not the only one who feels this way channeling Admiral Ackbar.

"It's a trap!"

mmm, yeah, perhaps--that would be a little *too* clever for this crowd (which has tricks, but they tend to fail miserably). The choice of "Plain, Sarah" seemed brilliant at the time, but like most of McCain's brilliant spasms, he didn't think about the "other parts"--her lack of basic policy chops, her inability to make good arguments, speak clearly, etc. Bush's lack of intellectual curiosity was compensated by knowing how to use the policy bullets and populist rhetoric (which he'd been surrounded by his whole life). Plain's inarticulations aren't cute and just seem dim witted. Her folksy ways work just fine when she's been prepping for a one-way, teleprompted scrip, but bring up the finer points of foreign policy (or even the broader points) and, well, it's clearly very foreign to her. Her one-off, extemperany-isms really do seem sophomoric, at best (bin Laden is "such a leader" and "Putin rears his head and invades our airspace"??) That can't have been planned. Lowering expectations on purpose is one thing--having them lowered with the Palin Industries' Hydraulic Expectation Depressor, Model 2008, is another matter entirely.

Man, I'm glad you said that. I was too busy buying into it to think it through. It has felt so good to be on the winning side of things for once I guess the euphoria got the best of me.

West Wing. Good call. Even if it was from the latter seasons.

Ah, the debate expectations game. What fun. Set the bar so low that it'll be classed as a Palin win, unless she blatently screws up.

To paraphrase another West Winger, "At this point I feel like if and only if Palin accidentally lights her podium on fire does Biden have a fighting chance."

But I think he'll do just fine... :o)

Did you forget how Bush got through the debates? He cheated! All she needs is a transmitter and an earpiece, it worked before...

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/10/08/bulge/index.html

Can I just say that I am positively basking in all this West Winginess? This is truly a wonderful little community here. JOSIAH BARTLET '08!!!

Well, when TNR commentators post things like, "Romney's still available, and with his knowledge of business and the economy, he could come in handy right now," I tend to think that it's not unusual for McCan't to change the tires in the middle of the race. They do it at Indy and still win, right?

They can't let her out of her protective bubble too soon or she'll get hurt.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MhRRZn0fCOQ/SN0iKQ2-3EI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/7JeOm8m4F9E/s1600-h/-1.jpeg

I loved the West Wing... but it was always such a fantasy. A smart, principled President in the Whitehouse?

I can barely believe that we're a few weeks away from turning into a reality. Who'd have thunk it?

Have you heard of the Peter Principle?

Well, I live in Alaska.

It's my honest opinion that Palin was capable enough as the Mayor of a little (even by Alaskan standards) city.

I believe that she's slightly beyond her competency level as a Governor... and when it comes to Vice Presidential abilities, she probably IS a duck in the desert.

HOWEVER... I think Biden & company should STILL all heed Bob's warning.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you."

HA! oh, i love a good obscure Star Wars reference! admiral Ackbar's "it's a trap" is a great obscure line. thanks for that

I think maybe we are all a little paranoid because we are used to the Republicans playing tricks. But I honestly think Sarah Palin is just as we have been seeing her. Completely unprepared regardless of all the cramming she is doing. I don't think she is going to rock the debates next week. She can give a scripted response but when asked to elaborate she can't do it. Her interviews have been painful to watch, even humiliating. If I were her and I watched those interviews play back I'd be embarrassed and humiliated. I really don't think that was done on purpose.

I guess you never know! ;)

Man, I dunno, I mean she's just so terribly AWFUL. I agree that expectations are important, but there comes a point at which people see you as so incompetent that during the debate every slight gaffe begins to confirm your initial impression. I think at this point the best they can hope for is "Well, at least she didn't take a crap in front of her podium on national television".

@Cupcakecult:
Sarah Palin is too tone deaf to be embarrassed.
A common trait of truly clueless people is they don't realize just how clueless they are.

As I said, I think she is going to come off as a hockey mom trying to pass herself off as a Ready On Day One... and she'll fail.

But... I still think Biden should be ready.
When dealing with the modern-day Republican, paranoia is actually a healthy mindset.

I tend to think she is as we are seeing her. But Bob makes an important point, and just in case this is a rope-a-dope strategy, Biden needs to come prepared and just act as if she's Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. Don't talk down to her, but don't talk up to her either. Just play it straight and let her hang herself. She certainly will if Ifill does HER job and requests followup points.

Part of me almost wishes the McCain campaign would pull out of the VP debate. The public already knows she's a moron based on the Gibson and Couric interviews. There's no where to go but up for her, and Biden can be an accident waiting to happen because he's almost too honest for politics. The expectations will be so low for her, that just completing a sentence will convince the pundits that "she held her own." I can see it now.

Yep. On the "R" side, the bar is set extremely low.