What To Expect From Sarah Palin In Tonight's Debate

As stupefyingly vacuous and cringe inducing her answers were in the Gibson and Couric interviews (the Hannity infomercial doesn't count), it's a mistake to underestimate Sarah Palin. Just two years ago, she performed relatively well in the Alaskan gubernatorial debates:


Of course, those debates were all about Alaska, which she's very comfortable discussing, albeit heavy on gibberish posturing and light on substance. Although I'm guessing she will still break out the gibberish here and there, I'm not expecting a complete meltdown.

Then again, tonight's debate is on a much bigger arena. She may not be a total disaster, but she can't possibly be a total game changer for McCain. No amount of filibustering will be enough to cover up a glaring lack of knowledge and competence for a full 90 minutes.

How should Biden handle the debate? Paul Abrams has some good suggestions. Personally, I would suggest Biden treat her with the deference due a governor; no more, no less. No patronizing, no snarkiness, but no letting her get away with nonsense, either. She's in the big leagues now, Palin should be able to handle it.

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