September 29, 2008 / by emptywheel

 

McCain Campaign So Concerned about Palin, They’ve Forgotten about Joe

The McPalin campaign warns Gwen Ifill they believe it would be unfair of her to hammer foreign policy questions during Thursday’s VP debate.

The moderator will have some questions to answer themselves if they do go so heavily foreign policy.

Not only is this another pathetic example of McPalin trying to play the ref, not only are they forgetting that Palin has been no whiz on domestic policy issues either, but they’re forgetting that Joe Biden is, himself, quite accomplished on domestic policy issues.

Consider the law of which Biden is most proud: the Violence Against Women Act, a law that, among other things, uses federal dollars to coerce states into making localities–like Sarah Palin’s Wasilla–pick up the tab for rape kits. Not to mention made it a lot easier for women to leave abusive relationships and cops to prosecute such abuse.

Or what about the COPS program, which tried to make policing more effective? Given Palin’s current and past problems with law enforcement in her state, Biden’s proactive efforts to improve policing make her look like a thug by comparison.

Or how about Biden’s recent work to make college more affordable–an issue that many of the still-undecided swing voters may value highly? 

Frankly, I’m sort of glad they’ve got Palin sequestered at McCain’s "ranch" cramming about foreign policy. It leaves them unprepared and vulnerable on areas that are just as much Biden’s strength as foreign policy is.

And those areas, particularly this year, are going to sway undecideds more than foreign policy will. 

Update: Meanwhile, the bulldog in lipstick is talking some trash:

“And I do look forward to Thursday night, and debating Senator Joe Biden,’’ said Ms. Palin, whose uneven performance in interviews and unscripted events have sown seeds of doubt in recent days among some conservative commentators who support her.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him, too,’’ she said. “I’ve never met him before, but I’ve been hearing about his Senate speeches since I was in, like, second grade.’’

“I have to admit, though, he’s a great debater, and he looks pretty doggone confident, like he’s sure he’s going to win,’’ Ms. Palin, 44, said of Mr. Biden, 65. “But then again, this is the same Senator Biden who said the other day that University of Delaware would trounce the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wrong!”

Someone ought to remind Palin that CSPAN didn’t start until 1979, when she was in ninth grade, and the congressional focus not until 1986, when she was 22, so her attempt to call attention to Biden’s age–like just about everything else that comes out of her mouth–is almost certainly false.  Not to mention her clear indifference to federal policy makes it completely unbelievable she was a congressional speech wonk at the age of 7.

Nice try though.

Copyright © 2008 emptywheel. All rights reserved.
Originally Posted @ https://www.emptywheel.net/2008/09/29/mccain-campaign-so-concerned-about-palin-theyve-forgotten-about-joe/