Did They REALLY Want to Make Age Jokes Fair Game?

Engaging in a bit of trash talk before Thursday’s debate yesterday, Sarah Palin made fun of Biden’s age.

And I do look forward to Thursday night and debating Sen. Joe Biden. We’re gonna talk about those new ideas, new energy for America. I’m looking forward to meeting him too. I’ve never met him before, but I’ve been hearing about his Senate speeches since I was in like second grade.

Set aside the fact that Sarah Palin’s interest in the US Senate pretty obviously began about twelve years ago, when she started sucking at Uncle Toobz’s earmark teat while Mayor of Wasilla. Palin’s crack, though an obvious lie, is sort of funny, flipping Biden’s extensive experience on its head.

It’s about what I would expect from a woman spouting words written by Steve Schmidt and Tucker Eskew.

Yet, even while they’re taking digs at Biden’s age (he’s six years younger than McCain), they’re turning an Obama joke about McCain’s erratic behavior into another fit of false outrage about age.

This morning on MSNBC, Gibbs returned to the make-fun-of-the-elderly joke well. "Just yesterday, John McCain said we shouldn’t fix blame. He took a breath and then fixed blame. He said the fundamentals of our economy are strong, and he flip-flopped. He opposed the bail-out of AIG, and then he supported it. This guy zig-zags. Look, if he’s driving a car, get off the sidewalk." (Video here.)

That Swampland post and this Politico post were written after the McCain team sent out an outraged email (see Duncan on the former here).

Seeing as how Sarah Palin’s biggest drawback for voters–out of many–is the age and past health problems of her running mate, I’m not sure the campaign really should have made age-based attacks fair game.

But now that they have, I say, let’s have that discussion about McCain’s age, shall we?

Update: LOLOLOL!!! Katie is doing herself proud with her Palin series–from tonight’s installment:

Gov. Palin at Monday’s event in Columbus, OH:   I do look forward to Thursday night and debating Senator Joe Biden. We are going to talk about those new ideas, new energy for America. I’m looking forward to meet him too. I’ve never met him before. But, I’ve been hearing about his senate speeches since I was in like 2nd grade.

Katie Couric: You made a funny comment, you’ve said you have been listening to Joe Biden’s speeches since you were in second grade.

Gov. Palin: It’s been since like ‘72, yah.

Katie Couric: You have a 72-year-old running mate, is that kind of a risky thing to say, insinuating that Joe Biden’s been around awhile?

Gov. Palin: Oh no, it’s nothing negative at all. He’s got a lot of experience and just stating the fact there, that we’ve been hearing his speeches for all these years. So he’s got a tremendous amount of experience and, you know, I’m the new energy, the new face, the new ideas and he’s got the experience based on many many years in the Senate and voters are gonna have a choice there of what it is that they want in these next four years.

Of course, the follow-up should be, "Sarah, do you remember any speech Biden made?" Because I’m betting–given that Palin wasn’t chosen until the following day–that Palin didn’t even watch Biden’s acceptance speech.

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  1. Synoia says:

    “I’ve never met him before, but I’ve been hearing about his Senate speeches since I was in like second grade.”

    Pity you never listened, Sarah.

        • leftdcin72 says:

          like truth=trash. I don’t like the Clintons version of valley talk either. Like they’re not like really too helpful, like that’s the truth, like it or not. Like I don’t hear the Clintons saying one word about Palin or McCain except that Billy said he really likes John and invited him to speak in New York.

      • dosido says:

        there you go again with the hillary crap.

        No, she only went on and on about “thanks, but no thanks” to that bridge to nowhere and charged for rape kits, tried to ban books and redecorated her office at the taxpayers expense, charged a per diem for living at home, is under investigation for abuse of power, put her unborn child at risk, likes to shoot wolves and bears from helicopters, and is basically trying to con america right now.

        but go ahead and stay mad at hillary. I can’t really blame you but that doesn’t let Palin off the hook

      • MarkH says:

        At least she did not fabricate a story that she landed in Tuzla under sniper fire.

        Sarah, do you think that President Clinton’s anti-genocide action in Kosovo is similar to President Bush’s overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq?

        Sarah, Germany recognized Bosnia as a nation and to some extent began the war between Serbia and Bosnia. Do you think Germany’s immigration problem had anything to do with that?

    • Neil says:

      The real problem is Sara’s I.Q may not be as high as Biden’s age.

      Well done you liberal elite. (You made me laugh.)

        • Neil says:

          Now there’s a line I’d love to see picked up by the comedy shows and broadcast nightly in the US and on YouTube forever. Letterman is not above jamming on dumb people and neither is Jon Stewart.

  2. scribe says:

    – b/c she knows that she’ll soon not have to be supporting his craps habit out of her beer money….

    – b/c she once made a face that looked like laughing and it froze that way….

  3. behindthefall says:

    BTW – Since McCain did not fare well harping on Obama alleged inexperience, what tack does Biden take in his debate. It would be easy to seem to be piling on Palin and rouse a sympathy backlash.

    • emptywheel says:

      I think Biden just answers the question. I’d love if he hit Palin on the areas where his own experience REALLY makes her look bad: the rape kits and her abuse of policing. BUt beyond that, I think he just answers the questions.

      She will take a bunch of potshots. But that’ll take valuable time away from her actually dispelling the many doubts about her.

      • Ishmael says:

        Biden should keep his answers as short as possible – this debate is not about whether he is qualified to be VP. Sarah Palin is like a talkative dishonest witness in a trial or deposition – if I were examining her, I would want her to keep talking as much as possible, because she feels under tremendous pressure to demonstrate that she is competent. She will feel the need to respond every time Biden stops talking, so he should keep his remarks short and pointed – the more she talks, the more likely she will say something uninformed or really stupid.

        • emptywheel says:

          Agree.

          A lot of people complained when the Debate Commission agreed to alter the format to allow for Palin’s inexperience. But by setting real time limits on Biden’s answers, it will help him avoid blathering, which I think is a greater risk than him insulting Palin.

        • scribe says:

          Bingo. That’s one of the reasons Republicans hate trial lawyers – we know how to pull liars out into the open.

  4. Leen says:

    If I were Palin I would ask Saturday Night Live if I could come on with Tina Fey playing me. Sarah could trump SNL by laughing at herself

  5. TobyWollin says:

    Wait a minute – Biden is six years younger than McCain? Biden looks way younger than McCain does – and appears in much better health also(which helps in terms of youthful appearance). Biden also behaves much more youthfully and in health than McCain does – but that may have as much to do with McCain’s earlier injuries so I don’t want to go there much(heh, not much).

    • emptywheel says:

      Well, remember Biden had that aneurism. But if you consider the way McCain’s POW injuries contribute to a stiffness, I think that is one of the reasons McCain looks so old.

      Plus, Biden’s fake hair makes him look younger.

      Finally, it might be that Biden is truly in love with the woman he lives with. McCain’s only in love with himself, and since the object ofhis affection is past its prime, it doesn’t offer much passion to reinvigorate a person.

  6. Neil says:

    What you see in the video – Palin trash talking her opponent – is Palin at her best. The rest of what she has to offer is substantially and substantively substandard.

    I welcome the debate. Biden will have to resist his combative instincts and rein in his urge to interrupt and rebut… just let her speak. Barack’s approach, to allow viewers to compare the substantive and stylistic differences between himself and his opponent (as opposed to arguing the points in classic debate style, to be ‘right’,) will work here too.

    Palin was a shot in the arm for McCain’s campaign but I think Rove misjudged the country’s appetite for trash talking bravado backed up with gobbledygook pablum when it comes to articulating positions serious policy issues.

    On the age thing, I don’t know how to foment the national conversation about McCain’s age, and far more importantly, health.

    • PJEvans says:

      On the age thing, I don’t know how to foment the national conversation about McCain’s age, and far more importantly, health.

      ‘Doesn’t he look awfully tired?’ probably does it well enough. Get people talking about him and his age and his health.

      • Ishmael says:

        Obama hinted about McCain being a gambler in a speech today in a good way that sounded like a casual aside – but I think Obama is making the GOP play by “Cokie’s Rules” and “putting it out there”.

      • Neil says:

        He seems old when he’s under pressure and trying to control the narrative… like the three-way with Couric, during which McCain/Palin characterized the question as ‘gotcha journalism question from a voter from across the area’.

        McCain managed the interview by rejecting Couric’s frame mid-question by interrupting her, waving his hands emphatically, using his ‘emotionally under control’ tone of voice (which always indicates with a little shove he would blow), re-framing the situtaion as a no win, and then generously offering to let Palin speak for herself.

        Yeah, he seems old doing this because this is McCain in the raw and he is old.

        • brendanx says:

          There’s a reason he wasn’t voted Miss Congeniality in the Senate (Lindsey Graham must have been). Hey, Palin can use the same line.

  7. dqueue says:

    I’d like to talk about McCain’s age, but my abacus doesn’t tabulate that high?

    When we begin to talk about McCain’s age, don’t we naturally segue into discussing his fragility and ailing health? Is melanoma curable? Exactly what is hiding in his health records? Or has he forgotten in his old age (or was it an ambien haze)?

    By the sounds of it, Sarah was oh-so-pleased to deliver the quip about Biden’s age. Just cute as a button… a great big, secured nuclear launch button. Missile away…

  8. Neil says:

    Is John McCain ogling Sarah Palin?

    Whenever you see the two of them on the stage and she’s talking, watch his roman eyes. Then compare it to when she’s not on the stage with him.

  9. Ishmael says:

    The dam seems to be breaking on McCain taboo subjects. There was the NY Times spilling on his late night casino visits, speculation about the possibility of a skin cancer relapse, so it won’t be long before age starts to get some play.

  10. Leen says:

    Some important news Olmert (listening to Democracy Now)
    has said that “Israel should withdraw from nearly almost all of the territory captured in the 1967 war”

    http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/9/29

    http://www.monstersandcritics……_Roundup__
    Tel Aviv – Israel will have to withdraw from the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, if it wanted peace with its Arab and Palestinian neighbours, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks published Monday.

    • Ishmael says:

      Remember when Colbert had Lynn Westmoreland on the Repor’ and Westmoreland talked about how important it was to have the Ten Commandments carved in stone in a state courthouse, and then Colbert asked him to recite the Ten Commandments? A simple question from Biden that isn’t “who is the Prime Minister of Belgium” could be just as devastating to Sarah Palin if she rambles on about something.

  11. bmaz says:

    …I’m the new energy, the new face, the new ideas…

    Um, can somebody please help me out here? I really can’t recall any “new idea” emanating from Palin, not even singular, much less plural. Will someone please refresh my recollection?

    • Ishmael says:

      Well, that she would do a better job watching the Alaskan sky for Putin and the Russian Air Force than, say, you know, RADAR! The Force is strong with this woman…..

  12. skdadl says:

    OMG. I just watched the vid update. Oh, my paws and whiskers. That woman is not just an airhead; she is the full wind-tunnel. How is it possible that this is happening?

    • readerOfTeaLeaves says:

      Because we now live in the InfotainmentStateOfAmurikuh.
      Where, like…y’know… like politix iz mostly about who makes good adz ‘n sh*t like dat.
      And politix iz just mostly about celebrity.
      Juz go ask Ahnald.
      Or Rove.

      Would the wingnuts get pissed if Gwen Ifill actually asked Palin how her conversation with “Bono, King of Ireland” went…?

      Cause he is some hot-shit king, I’ll say that much for him.

  13. radiofreewill says:

    Biden has enough subject matter expertise that he can focus a large part of his prep on Tactics.

    Debates are Contests of Personal Power

    Sarah is Excellent at Projecting Cocky, Confident Personal Power…

    …but There’s Nothing Behind It…

    …except her Thin-Skinned Personality.

    Which is why she will be a Disaster Debater – for Sarah, everything’s personal.

    Biden should be able to put together a dozen good Issue Katas – sequences of inter-related Martial Arts moves that generate leveragable advantage – including a set-piece opening and closing that will leave the audience with nothing to conclude, except:

    She’s Out of Her League.

    Thursday should be a Complete Embarrassment for the Goopers.

    McCain’s Judgment – and I mean, really, the Fate of the Nation May Be Riding On His VP Choice – was not only Desperate, but Awful, too.

    She can blow on his dice all he wants, but his gamble is going to crap out.

    But that’s Goopers for you: Charlie McCain is Dumb Enough to be running towards the football, and Lucy Palin is cocky enough to say he can ‘count on her’…

    • MarkH says:

      Biden should be able to put together a dozen good Issue Katas

      Politicians develop those over time and someone at this level should just do what’s natural. Biden can smile and make friends. Palin can smile and alienate a nation.

  14. Leen says:

    Let’s see since the Democratic convention it has been Palin, Bailout, Debate, back to Palin and the McCain Palin numbers are going down.

    The Rove strategy does not seem to be working unless his club wants McCain and Palin to lose

  15. plunger says:

    Has the rest of the mainstream media noticed that Katie seems to be the only reporter with access to Palin? WTF? Is this not a story in and of itself? Are they dating, or what?

  16. readerOfTeaLeaves says:

    Palin was a shot in the arm for McCain’s campaign but I think Rove misjudged the country’s appetite for trash talking bravado backed up with gobbledygook pablum when it comes to articulating positions serious policy issues.

    Couldn’t have phrased it better.
    Especially against the financial background of recent weeks.
    The. Irony.

  17. TheraP says:

    Here’s how I would have followed up:

    So you say you used to listen to Biden’s speeches? How did that come about? Which ones do you recall? What thoughts did you have about those issues he discussed? Are there other politicians whose speeches you recall from that time? Which speeches most stood out for you at that age? Etc. Ect. I would most definitely have followed up with a ton of specific questions… since she left herself so open.

    They’ve probably had her watching Biden speeches….. OMG!!!

    • emptywheel says:

      Ooh, I like this one:

      Are there other politicians whose speeches you recall from that time?

      Not least because it gets you to Pat Buchanan–and Palin’s former love of him–pretty quickly.

      And if they’ve got her watching Biden’s Senate speeches, I suspect she’ll expect blowhard Joe, who I don’t think is going to show up.

  18. JimWhite says:

    Back on track: Tee hee. It turns out Sarah has never visited the one spot in Alaska where you can see Russia. Biden needs to use this Thursday:

    Little Diomede is fascinating. It looks like the moon would if you built a lunar settlement. It’s full of rocks, dirt, and craters. We were curious if Sarah Palin has ever visited this island. According to the natives, the answer is no.

    As a matter of fact, no Alaska governor in the state’s nearly 50 year history has ever visited the remote outpost that still has little running water. We were curious what the Little Diomeders thought about Palin’s claim of foreign policy experience because of the proximity of Siberia. Interestingly, many of these Alaskans had no idea who Sarah Palin was! It turns out they have no TV on the island, and therefore, many don’t follow the news.

    The island’s mayor has heard of her though. No American mayor resides in a city closer to Russia than Andrew Milligrock, and he says being two miles from Russia doesn’t give him any foreign policy expertise.

  19. plunger says:

    Questions I’d like to see asked:

    1. “You mentioned in a recent interview that you perceived Senator Biden to be exceptionally experienced in his role as a Senator. Were you intending to imply that his years of experience were a bad thing or a good thing?”

    2. “You also mentioned that, contrary to Senators like Biden with 20-plus years in the Senate, you believe that America is ready for new ideas, and seemed to imply that your new ideas are what America is hungry for. Which of your new ideas has Senator McCain adopted as his own?”

  20. Neil says:

    Palin’s readiness for “prime time” is not in question, her readiness to govern the country clearly is, and so is McCain’s if choosing Palin is representative of his decision-making.

  21. JohnLopresti says:

    I think age jokes are why RoveCo picked Palin. Perhaps it was my early researches in sociology of the US public, but I think youth is a political value in our politics. I am sure RoveCo would have preferred Monica Goodling, Sara Taylor, Alice Fisher, Carol Lam or some other young Republican women be on McCain ticket. Lam obtained her law degree from Stanford ‘85 the year following Palin’s second place finish in the AK beauty contest ‘84. There is a practical side for a Republican gambit to emphasize young members of their party, if there is to be strength in the Republican standard, and if rebuilding is their chore over the next few years given the likelihood the public will reject the Bush legacy at the polls five weeks from now.

    The Democratic Party, too appreciates youth. The Democratic party members who hear promise in Barack Obama’s presentations recognize his energy offers that important characteristic. He is seasoned but still expanding and growing, and learning. Biden entered congress when he was fairly young. He, too, brings to the ticket a seasoned knowledge of US government policies, but an alliance with some of the Democratic party’s best ideals as represented by the 1970s decade in which substantial valuable legislation was passed, and in which processes he had a part.

    After a presidence by Obama and VP’cy by Biden, leadership in the Democratic party will transition, not to the old ways but into the ones as yet developing. I doubt Palin can point the way forward, but Joe likely will call upon her to let her have a chance to assemble some declarative sentences of her own fabrication to depict what Republican Party led future that might be from her perspective.

    To reference post @48, there is a photo site on the web to which I will prescind from linking at http://actionnooz.com where a University of ID picture of a youthful Palin is available; evidently that is where she developed a lot of her career projection concepts.

  22. Professor Foland says:

    So he’s got a tremendous amount of experience and, you know, I’m the new energy, the new face, the new ideas and he’s got the experience based on many many years in the Senate and voters are gonna have a choice there of what it is that they want in these next four years.

    Umm, is Sarah Palin trying to tell us to vote for Obama?

  23. radiofreewill says:

    The Goopers are making the craziest All-or-Nothing gamble in American Political History this Thursday Night!

    Remember when General Washington put the Fledgling Colonies on his Back and Over-threw the King?

    Remember when President Lincoln Preserved the Union?

    Well on Thursday, the Fantasy-Loving Goopers are sending in Sarah Palin to put the Republican Party on her Back and Save Them From Owning Their Failure!

    You heard that right!

    It’s 4th and Goal from the 50 for the Goopers – and Palin is their Go-To Player!

    I hope every Dem in America hops-up from the edge of their seat on Thursday Night and Goes Over the Wall of Community Action with me on Friday – the Ground We want to Take is Every Incumbent Gooper Seat in this Election!

    A Gamble this Reckless – All-In on 148 Years of Republican Party History – should Cost Bush and McCain Every Seat That Depends On Good Judgment to Serve Our Country!

    Take Back America!

    • Sara says:

      The Mudflats site is off line, too much traffic, possibility of a denial of service being run against the site. So what was the jist of it?

  24. LS says:

    Palin sounds like a goofy teenager saying they remember listening to the Beatles when they were…in their mother’s womb…that’s about what her comment does for her.

    • Neil says:

      EXACTLY. Biden has to pivot to some of these hot button gender issues that government policy ventures into … abstinence only, reproductive rights, equal pay, and maybe even the role of government in selecting library books.

  25. Blub says:

    oh boy. Even the Dobsonite jihaddis can’t be so dumb that they’d actually vote for this woman, can they? I think we need some insurance.. in between now and January Congress should create legislation greatly limiting the VPs powers.. perhaps to confinement for 4 yrs in Cheney’s bunker?

  26. FrankProbst says:

    Prediction: The pundits will all say Sarah Palin won the debate Thursday night, and the snap polls will show that all the undecideds thought that Biden won it. Why? Because Sarah is going to go to the debate in full Heather-mode and fire off a few nasty one-liners. The pundits will all chuckle and say, “Oooh! Good one!” Everyone else will just rolls their eyes.

    • Neil says:

      Sarah had better be careful … Biden is great with zingers, third only to Obama & Kucinich, IMO …

      You don’t put Frank in your top ten?

    • FrankProbst says:

      Biden doesnt have to win. He just has to demonstrate steadiness and knowledge. Just the way Obama did. Palin will be nasty and looking for applause lines.

      I’m with you on this. I think the key thing here is going to be for Biden to keep his cool. The big dangers for Biden are that he’ll either get overconfident and say something stupid, or he’ll be too aggressive and look like a bully. I think Obama came off looking good because he played the first debate very cool. Most of us think he was too deferential to McCain, but I think that most people saw it as a mature man being appropriately respectful to a really old person who suffered in the service of his country 40 years ago. He’s earned the right to be a grouch. He did not, however, earn many votes. Biden needs to keep that in mind. A lot of people want to see him crush Palin in the debate. That’s a mistake. What we need is a calm victory. If we push for a raucous blowout, we risk making Palin look sympathetic. It’s not worth it. She’ll do enough damage to herself without our help.

      • NealDeesit says:

        The big dangers for Biden are that he’ll either get overconfident and say something stupid, or he’ll be too aggressive and look like a bully.

        Biden has taught law on Saturday mornings at Widener University since 1991. Don’t you think he’s handled his share of unprepared or inarticulate law students? He’ll do fine if he gently treats Ms. Moose like a 2L who, having read only 3 of the 12 assigned cases, enthusiastically and vaguely opines beyond her understanding and contrary to fact.

        • Neil says:

          Biden has taught law on Saturday mornings at Widener University since 1991. Don’t you think he’s handled his share of unprepared or inarticulate law students? He’ll do fine if he gently treats Ms. Moose like a 2L who, having read only 3 of the 12 assigned cases, enthusiastically and vaguely opines beyond her understanding and contrary to fact.

          Thanks for that.

  27. selise says:

    Yes, it is always helpful to propagate trash about people trying to help your own professed team.

    are you claiming the statement is false?

    or are you claiming that the truth has an anti-our-team bias?

    or something else?

  28. GregB says:

    Palin will be vicious and negative in an attempt to bait Biden into attacking her.

    It’ll be the final nail in her coffin.

    People aren’t thrilled with Cutesey Sarah Barracuda anymore.

    -G

  29. tbsa says:

    The Veep debate isn’t even a real debate. I’d bet that smoldering pile already knows the question that will be asked of her and has her canned GOP responses all ready.

  30. LS says:

    Gwen I: Governor Palin…could you name the President Kazakhstan?

    Palin: You betcha!…His name is Borat. I saw the movie with my kids.

    • MarkH says:

      Gwen I: Governor Palin…could you name the President Kazakhstan?
      Palin: You betcha!…His name is Borat. I saw the movie with my kids.

      Sarah, should Taiwan be allowed into the United Nations?

      Should each of the United Kingdom ‘countries’ be also?

      How do you feel about Ukraine and/or Turkey joining the European Union?

  31. AZ Matt says:

    I have been watching politics most of my adult life and while I have known who Joe Biden was I can’t say I heard any of his speeches in the past. Palin has been boosting her ego without boosting her mind.

  32. wobblybits says:

    OT: On CSPAN Latino vote forum with both campaigns represented. Questions have been interesting so far and some questions down right dumb ass but that is what you get when people treat latino as a race instead of what it truly is.

  33. Petedownunder says:

    Re the VP debate, there is some chatter around the ‘tubes about Sarah being wired for sound (as we all suspected GW was). It would be way cool, and I assume technically feasible to either jam the signal as some one suggested over at DKos (sorry I don’t have the link) or way better have radio frequency scanner, find the channel and then demonstrate what’s going on. That famous scene in Singing in the Rain where the raise the curtain showing the real vocalist comes to mind.

    What say you electronic techies? Last time I was really up on radio technology they had vacuum tubes…

    • FrankProbst says:

      Re the VP debate, there is some chatter around the ‘tubes about Sarah being wired for sound (as we all suspected GW was). It would be way cool, and I assume technically feasible to either jam the signal as some one suggested over at DKos (sorry I don’t have the link) or way better have radio frequency scanner, find the channel and then demonstrate what’s going on. That famous scene in Singing in the Rain where the raise the curtain showing the real vocalist comes to mind.

      What say you electronic techies? Last time I was really up on radio technology they had vacuum tubes…

      Neither of your options sounds like much fun. My suggestions would be:

      1. Override the signal with some sort of ear-splitting screech. A car alarm medley would be my choice.

      2. Override the signal with even more inane answers that she would give on her own. This would likely increase the right-wing turnout, but we’d pick up on the independents.

  34. LS says:

    Biden just needs to be factual, friendly, knowledgable and respectful…and if she gets snotty and sarcastic, he should remain calm and hit back with facts.

    • wobblybits says:

      Think she will get snotty? She seems to have a passive aggressive thing going on so I expect back handed comments

      • ratfood says:

        I’m certain they have some “gotcha” one liners scripted for her. Likely to be as effective as Hillary’s lame “Xeroxes we can believe in,” line.

        • wobblybits says:

          would rather they stick to the issues but I wonder if she will get flustered or will she just bullshit beyond belief and the american people finally wake up and smell the stink pile

        • wobblybits says:

          I’m sure that the stream of cursewords are peppered with a few nouns, verbs and objects (adjectives being already taken care of)

      • LS says:

        She could pretend to be offended, i.e., turn a comment around on Biden making it look like he was being condescending or sexist. That’s what their aim is…to nail Biden for being mean to Palin.

    • Leen says:

      With you on Biden. Steady, clear factual. As one strategist on Hardball said Sara should reach through the T.V. and grab hold of the American voters and let them know she is one of them.

      Embrace most Americans lack of knowledge having to do with foreign policy, leaders etc.
      Hug the Bubbas!

  35. FrankProbst says:

    Same here. But who knew that Senate speeches were being beamed into Alaska prior to CSPAN. I am impressed /s

    I’m 99% sure she’s full of shit here, but I don’t see why journalists can’t make it 100%. I’ll give her a pass on “like ‘72″, since Biden was already running for Senate then. (He took his office in ‘73.) I’ll even let her off the hook for not actually seeing or hearing any of Biden’s speeches, since she only said that she’s been “hearing ABOUT [them]”. But can she name one person–just one–from the second grade who discussed Biden’s speeches with her? Just to be generous, I’ll let her have the entire K through 12 timeframe. Does that help? One person? And if she can’t find an actual person, I’ll settle for any Alaskan print article, radio broadcast, or TV broadcast from that time frame that mentioned a Biden speech that Palin MIGHT have heard. Got anything for me?

  36. ThatGuy says:

    OK Buckaroos, can ANYONE tell me why Tweety insists on interviewing Tom “I got caught with my pants down” Delay as if he’s some kind of statesman?

    That guy’s a fucking CRIMINAL!

  37. bonkers says:

    Legz Couric has been extremely lame in these interviews IMO. Flailin has been giving some of the most ridiculous answers I’ve seen from a VP nominee (worse than Quayle by a longshot), yet Katie quietly lets them ride after maybe one follow-up, then right on to the next topic. An actual journalist would continue asking for clarification to the jibberish (WTF was that “Putin rearing his head” BS?!?), just as Couric would if it was a Liberal spewing such nonsense.

    BigMoney puppet Couric is simply providing Kabuki cover for the BigMoney-approved Prez ticket. Rachel Maddow, who is a very fair interviewer, would expose Palin for the charlatan that she is, and pursuing truth as best they can is the job of a journalist after all…not playing kissy-face.

    • Leen says:

      Katie would hammer any other politician who answered the way Palin does. Well not quite. I have seen Katie play footsie’s with McCain.

      Katie is coddling Sara. That is why she has an exclusive.

      Glen Ifill will play it straight down the line. She is a PROFESSIONAL

  38. dosido says:

    you just know she’s going to take biden’s taxes are patriotic remark out of context again. I hope he ready for it.

  39. sailmaker says:

    Gov. Palin at Monday’s event in Columbus, OH: I do look forward to Thursday night and debating Senator Joe Biden. We are going to talk about those new ideas, new energy for America. I’m looking forward to meet him too. I’ve never met him before. But, I’ve been hearing about his senate speeches since I was in like 2nd grade.

    Katie Couric: You made a funny comment, you’ve said you have been listening to Joe Biden’s speeches since you were in second grade.

    Gov. Palin: It’s been since like ‘72, yah.

    Uh. CSPAN went on the air in 1979, and didn’t have the House/Senate CSPAN – CSPAN2 divide until 1986. Who was broadcasting Biden in 1972 for baby Palin to hear?

  40. wickedpissah says:

    Listening to political speeches in the 2nd grade? I call BS – as McCain says “horsesh**”.

    At least we know it’s fair game to mock your opponents age. Bad move, Sarah.

  41. john in sacramento says:

    I’ve never met him before. But, I’ve been hearing about his senate speeches since I was in like 2nd grade.

    This from someone who believes the Flintstones was a reality show?

    Palin told him that “dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time,” Munger said. When he asked her about prehistoric fossils and tracks dating back millions of years, Palin said “she had seen pictures of human footprints inside the tracks

    http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..0865.story

  42. Sara says:

    Late Post — but the centerpieces of Biden’s first term in the Senate were Watergate, War Powers Legislation, Freedom of Information Act, and the Church Committee. And yea, there was that matter of finally ending the Vietnam thingee. And yea, there was the first oil shock — Carter’s effort to get a comprehensive Energy Policy and all went no where.

    If I were advising Biden on the Debate, I’d riff these events, and the debate and soul searching any Senator on the Judiciary Committee marking up legislation around these matters necessarily has to go through, as a way of describing both rich experience and institutional memory.