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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2008 > October > 02 > Entry
Let’s talk expectations
So for tonight’s vice presidential debate, what should we be watching for?
—Sarah Palin. Everyone wants to know how she will sound. Will her answers be substantial or nonsensical, as her critics say she was with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson? Does she actually not know much about national politics, or was she just nervous in other interviews?
There’s talk Palin has prepared some zinger lines to gotcha Biden or Obama, hoping the news coverage will focus on the one-liners in its post-game coverage. She was effective in Alaska gubernatorial debates being folksy and funny. But here she will have to be adequately substantive with her answers. That’s what everyone is watching for, and that’s her challenge.
—Joe Biden. There’s been a heavy focus on Palin’s missteps, but the truth is Biden has made a bunch of gaffes of his own and has a long track record of just the sort of bumble that could really hurt here. Meanwhile, he will have to handle Palin carefully. He can’t look mean or consdescending. And body language is important. Just ask John McCain about eye contact and facial expressions. Some experts think his posture in the presidential debate has contributed to his slide in the polls.
—Gwen Ifill. It’s kind of hard to believe the Presidential Debate Commission picked a moderator who was in the middle of writing a book about one of the candidates, but in fact Ifill is writing one about Barack Obama. The McCain campaign has publicly pressured her not to go too hard on Palin. And the debate format is reportedly very limiting. Those are a lot of issues to manage.
And pre-debate impressions? Share them in the comments.
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