Palin A Weak Debater; An Accommodation is Made

So much for women being treated as equals to men. Sarah Palin and the Republican campaign have just made a step backwards for women.

The New York Times is reporting that the vice presidential debates required a change in format because of Sarah Palin’s weak debating ability. Patrick Healey of the New York Times wrote:
At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive….

…McCain advisers said they were only somewhat concerned about Ms. Palin’s debating skills compared with those of Mr. Biden, who has served six terms in the Senate, or about his chances of tripping her up. Instead, they say, they wanted Ms. Palin to have opportunities to present Mr. McCain’s positions, rather than spending time talking about her experience or playing defense.


My question is, if Sarah Palin is unable to freely debate the issues and speak coherently about the Republican platform, how can she be even considered for the office of Vice President of the United States? Would she expect that when dealing with members of Congress or world leaders that those encounters would be so tightly controlled or scripted for her?

This situation makes me even more convinced that John McCain needs his head examined for choosing someone who can’t even argue the issues. It seems clear that McCain et al. are aware that Joe Biden would chew Palin up and spit her out, and they just can’t have that on national television. I’m not a politician but I bet that I could debate her and win without any problem.

My opinion is that even with the tighter structure, that her inexperience will be evident. I only hope is that the candidates are not given any question in advance, because true debate is best when spontaneous. And since Sarah Palin has been largely sequestered to the media, we are seeing very little spontaneity with her. If she doesn’t know how to handle unrehearsed, unstructured real life politics, she shouldn't be running for Vice President. And McCain doesn’t deserve to be President for his poor choice of running mate.



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