Palin Faces Defining Moment

CBSNews.com Reports: Debate Performance May Dictate Whether V.P. Candidate Will Be Permanently Defined By Recent Stumbles

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

---

A month ago, in the afterglow of the GOP convention, the buzz on John McCain's surprise decision to tap Sarah Palin as his running mate was largely positive.

The Republican base, long skeptical of McCain, suddenly had its champion, a politician whose conservative views and unpretentious style made her easy to rally around. Women, some of whom maintained lingering anger over Hillary Clinton's loss in the Democratic primary, once again had a female face vying for their support. And everyday Americans, weary from a long campaign, had a new star: A striking young governor with a tabloid-friendly family and the sort of personal magnetism that made Barack Obama seem a bit like last season's celebrity.

At the time, it looked like McCain's gamble was paying off: In a post-convention survey earlier this month, the GOP ticket took its first lead over its Democratic counterpart in CBS News general election polling.

Following her successful entry onto the national stage, however, Palin has struggled. Though she continues to attract large crowds on the campaign trail and delight social conservatives, her performance in the past few weeks has raised questions, even among conservatives, about whether McCain made a wise choice.

As a result, Thursday's vice presidential debate is shaping up as a career-defining moment for Palin, one that could dictate whether she is ultimately remembered as the GOP's election-year savior or as an overwhelmed neophyte who never belonged on the national stage.

Conscious of the importance of Thursday's face-off with Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, Palin is in the midst of three days of intense debate preparation with McCain aides at the Arizona senator's Sedona ranch.

Though some believe that expectations have grown so low that Palin is virtually guaranteed to exceed them Thursday, there is a growing sense that the Alaska governor must do something positive to counteract the increasingly negative perception of her amongst opinion leaders.

"A week ago, for her to just not drool on herself and be commanding would have been enough," said CBS News consultant and former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers. "I don't think that's really true anymore."

"The bar has gone up for her," said Myers. "I don't think it's quite enough for her now to just get through it. She needs to show some mastery of a topic."

Palin has been widely criticized for her performance in interviews with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric and ABC World News anchor Charlie Gibson, which yielded moments such as Palin's tortured defense of her claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia stands as a foreign-policy credential in an interview with Couric.

In the wake of that interview, conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, arguing that her "cringe reflex is exhausted," called on Palin to voluntarily leave the ticket. Palin has also received less-than-positive notices from conservatives such as David Frum, Rich Lowry and David Brooks, who called her candidacy "embarrassing," and been mocked on late-night comedy shows and cable news networks.

Criticism has also been leveled at Palin's handlers, who have limited the media's access to the Alaska governor to such a degree that the press briefly rebelled against the campaign's tight limits on access. Conservative columnist William Kristol suggested Monday that Palin needs to be "liberated" from "the former Bush aides brought in to handle her," arguing that the candidate should be freed "to use her political talents and to communicate in her own voice." That's a sentiment that has been echoed by other Republicans as well.

“Holding Sarah Palin to just three interviews and microscopically focusing on each interview I think has been a mistake," Mitt Romney, the former GOP presidential candidate, said in a television interview Monday. (Palin also spoke to Fox News' Sean Hannity.) "I think they’d be a lot wiser to let Sarah Palin be Sarah Palin."

In the CBS News poll taken just after the GOP convention, Palin's favorable rating stood at 44 percent, while her unfavorable rating was just 22 percent; by last week, her favorable rating had fallen to 37 percent while her unfavorable rating had risen to 29 percent.

Dan Bartlett, a CBS News consultant and former counselor for President Bush, said that Palin will likely benefit from lowered expectations Thursday.

"I do think the bar has been lowered and people will generally be surprised if she is able to string together several sentences on a topic, and I think she will be able to meet that minimum bar," he said. But, he adds, she "needs to have a couple moments where she demonstrates some knowledge that goes beyond the talking points."

Andrew Halcro, an Alaska politician who debated Palin more than two-dozen times, characterized Palin as a debater who is master of "the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality" in a column Tuesday.

"Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy," he wrote.

But while Palin's rhetorical gifts have helped her build a base of popular support that has stood by her even as elite opinion has shifted, they may not be enough to get her through a debate that detractors will be closely monitoring for evidence that she is not up to the office she seeks.

Palin thus faces a difficult balancing act: She must find a way to showcase the sort of policy knowledge that can help silence her critics while also showcasing the personal traits that made her such an asset to the GOP ticket in the first place.

The stakes are high, both for Palin, who is in danger of seeing her name forever linked to that of former vice president Dan Quayle, and for McCain, who last month took a big chance on the then-largely unknown Alaska governor.

"Because so many GOP opinion makers have concluded that Palin is not qualified, it becomes a question about McCain's decision," said Myers. "If she has a really bad performance, not only does it destroy her political future, but the discussion will become not about her future but about McCain's judgment."

[notmudrose]

DATELINE: ST. LOUIS: PALIN PUKES AT DEBATE. AMERICA WATCHES IN HORROR.
Repeates Infamous ''can see Russia from my house'' statement. Audience laughs uncontrollably.

[dagrandma]

I''m all for having a woman in the executive branch but this sure ain''t what I had in mind.

[filmguy107]

That is RIDICULOUS. She has already defined herself. Just watch any interview that she has made.

The McCain "Campaign" is just stuffing her head, to the extent possible, with sound bitey chunks of verbiage meant to last the requisite 90 seconds for her "answers". This is quickly becoming a farce.

(I''m John McCain and I confused this message.)

[leftyintexas]

BYE BYE PALIN. BYE BYE MCCAIN.

[washcapitals]

All Palin has to do in this debate is let Biden talk and she wins. That clown will end up costing Obama...watch

[mrs_r]

I wish she''d just do the right thing and step down off the ticket! They''re both so *** arrogant, so *** cocky, and it''s going to cost us.

[armydog2]

Palin is an airhead they can try to prepare her for this debate she will stillbe an airhead.OBAMA/BIDEN 08 the only logical and intelligent choice!!!

[armydog2]

There are many more qualified women in the gop that mccain should have picked to be his running mate. Condi Rice is the perfect example. Palin just does not have what it takes to be in the second highest office of this Country. Nothing sexist about it!

[xmanborg]

Yesterday on NPR radio and on CNN there are some Republicans who want Sarah Palin to bow out of the V.P Debate. I sure would like to read something about that, does anybody have a link or know where an article is. ???????

Sarah is going to Stumble tomorrow night in front of millions and its going to hurt!

[skbrownie]

''there is a growing sense that the Alaska senator must do something positive to
''She''s a governor not a senator.




''

[suzee52]

Gwen Ifill has published a pro Obama book. Keep that in mind when you watch the debate.

[Skysblue]

I detect a lot of resentment and anger at the fact the VP choice is unqualified.

[notblue]

All you libs who think Palin is an airhead obviously refuse to acknowledge that Biden is no better if not worse since he also represents the good old boys club. If I were a lib I would definitely be more worried about Biden, his gaff list is much longer and will continue to grow it.

[Skysblue]

I wish some of you angry bitter people would go back to your faux (fox) news website where you can find like minds and wallow in self pity. We need to raise the bar to comments here.

[dagrandma]

CBSCensorU: Aren''t you due on the air any minute now, Rush????

[bigmj9]

The moderator for the VP debate, Gwen Ifill, just published a love-fest book all about the wondrous Barack Obama. For some reason CBS and MSNBC don''t feel this is newsworthy. I hope Sarah Palin asks point blank about this bizarre example of bias right to this bogus moderator during the debate.

[saj210]

NObama_SUX:

You represent what is wrong with America! How do you spell fool, FOOL!

[saj210]

CBSCensorsU:

YOU SHOULD BE CENSORED! YOU ARE IGNORANT AND DON''T KNOW IT!!!!!

[rjs1955]

IT IS ABSURD TO SUGGEST, MR. MONTOPOLI, THAT THERE IS ANYTHING LEFT TO DEFINE OR SAVE ABOUT SARAH PALIN. WHEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO PREPARE INTENSELY STUDIED ANSWERS TO PROBABLY ALREADY ASSUMED QUESTIONS FROM COURIC AND GIBSON, MAKE SPEECHES, ETC. SHE HAS PERFORMED ABYSMALLY AND SHOWN TRUE IGNORANCE OF WHAT IS NEEDED TO GOVERN. THAT SHE COULD WING IT IN HALF OF A 90 MINUTE DEBATE (CA. 40 MINUTES) AND CHANGE THE IMPRESSION SHE HAS MADE IN A MONTH BEGS, BEGS, AND BEGS SANITY AND CREDIBILITY. THIS ELECTION HAS NO PLACE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT PREPARED COMPLETELY BEFORE THE RACE BEGINS. BY INTIMATING SHE COULD EVER BE CAPABLE, YOU ARE CHEAPENING THE STANDARDS AND DIALOGUE TO A "CLIFF NOTES" AND CRAM FOR THE TEST MENTALITY THAT WORKS FOR GETTING THROUGH A CLASS, BUT NOT GOVERNANCE OF A SUPERPOWER.

THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THAT MOST NEWS NETWORKS HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING THE IMPRESSION AFLOAT TO THE DAY OF THE ELECTION THAT THERE IS ANY REAL SENSIBLE CHOICE HERE.

WHO MADE YOU WRITE THIS CR@P ANYWAY?

[tsalagihouse]

Ya''ll all want to dump on Sarah Palin. She will do a fine job in the debate.
What you "Demos" need to know is if Joe Biden doesn''t nock her socks off his - long experience -Such as it is will really show just how shallow he is.

[guad07rg]

Nice to see we have an unbiased moderator for the debate who will benefit financially by releasing a book on inauguration day about how great Obama is....Sarah will get a real fair shake Thursday night right??? What a joke. If this was a court of law you could declare a mistrial

[hangelle]

Joe Six Pack -- just what we need in the White House with two wars going on and an economic free fall. I hope you yahoos are paying attention and understand that we need the smartest people possible leading us out of the mess the current Joe Six Pack put us in.

[mascarponi-2009]

Famed conservative columnist George Will told a gathering of Senate aides on Monday that Gov. Sarah Palin is "obviously" not prepared to assume the presidency if necessary.

Appearing at a Senate Press Secretaries Association reception at the Cornerstone Government Affairs office, Will offered a harsh assessment of John McCain''s running mate.

Palin is "obviously not qualified to be President," he remarked, describing her interview on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as a "disaster."

[washcapitals]

I think CBS is obsessed with Palin. Shes on 3/4''s of the page.

[mascarponi-2009]

We have come to a very sorry state when the country holds its breath waiting to see if someone who could possibly be president possesses the requisite knowledge to do the job.

Recently on the Chris Matthews show, David Brooks said that Palin may be able to work up to mediocrity.

...Is this what the United States has come to that in such a complicated world we are willing to accept someone who has to work up to mediocrity? What happend to an expectation of excellence?

[rjs1955]

FACE IT PALIN SUPPORTERS OF THE MALE GENDER. YOU ARE ALL THINKING WITH SOMETHING BELOW YOUR BELT. IF SHE WERE A MAN, YOU''D BE LAUGHING YOUR @$$ES OFF AT HER STUPIDITY. HEY, IF HILARY OR ROSEANNE OR NANCY PELOSI ANSWERED LIKE PALIN, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APEAR IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A PAPER BAG ON HER HEAD.

LOSE YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER FANTASIES AND VOTE WITH YOUR BRAIN.

[notmudrose]

Hello jh3679, it looks like john43218 is actually rush limbaugh.

jh3679, please type in the poll numbers for these fascists. Florida is +8 Obama, Ohio is now blue, Virginia is at 6 Obama. PA is 15, wisconsin is 7, etc. etc. Let them do the limbaugh bs. Hey''l be saluting President Obama in 3 1/2 months.

We''re talking landslide for Obama.

[guad07rg]

WHO KILLED IT? DEMOCRATS

Posted by fenner at 10:23 AM : Oct 01, 2008
+
In particular Barney ( May I have a Fanny) Frank

[notmudrose]

I''m going for coffee. When I come back I want all the fascists gone from the site.

[antoniof123]

Posted by john43218

Dear John it is not working in a margin of 2 to 1 Americans feel that the Republicans (the party of de-regulators) are too blame.

Nice try though keep up the this and you should see a true blood bath in congess.

[leftyintexas]

I think, once Palin''''s elected, she is going to do wonders for this country.

Posted by Hwy71So at 10:30 AM : Oct 01, 2008

Don''t hold your breath. You''re in for a long wait.

[zellasty]

I believe she will unleash herself and impress even the most skeptical of liberals... keep in mind, Biden isn''t the most brightest crayon in the box.

[rjs1955]

Guys and Dolls,

Cheney, Rove, Bush and Megatron (aka Diebold) will be sure to do all possible to quash any lead that Obama may build, by any means. We are in for a naked effort to totally destroy the constitutional basis of our country, if not in this election, then in the next four-6 years.

[guad07rg]

Nice to see we have an unbiased moderator for the debate who will benefit financially by releasing a book on inauguration day about how great Obama is....Sarah will get a real fair shake Thursday night right??? What a joke. If this was a court of law you could declare a mistrial

[brownbuilder]

MCAINS JUDGMENT IS; WIN AT ANY COST AND *** AMERICA, "HELL" HE IS 72YRS OLD DO YOU THINK HE CARES WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TWO YEARS FROM NOW.

[fharlass]

This is absolutely incredible. McCain in his rush to pander to the right-wing nut religious base, chose this B-I-M-B-O. This will cost him the race. How in the world can one compare the stature, knowledge and experience of Biden to Bimbo (oops-Palin). Her concept of an international state sponsed dinner for visitng dignitaries will be a 6-pack of Coors and moose burgers on the grill (with the first dude cooking)

[brownbuilder]

ENOUGH TALK ABOUT PALIN, SHE CANNOT READ ANYWAY, OH "EXCUSE ME" YES SHE CAN, SHE TOLD US ABOUT ALL THE BOOKS SHE READ DURING THE COURIC INTERVIEW; SORRY.

[washcapitals]

FACT 1. OBAMA LIED HE FORGOT HE TOOK MONEY FROM REZKO.
FACT 2. OBAMA TRIED TO DIRECT SOME OF BAILOUT MONEY TO ACORN.
FACT 3. OBAMA LIED THAT JFK PAID HIS DAD''''S TICKET TO UNITED STATES
FACT 4. OBAMA LIED THAT HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NAFTA-CANADIAN CONVERSATIONS
FACT 5. OBAMA LIED THAT HE WAS NEVER A MUSLIM WHEN HIS SCHOOL RECORDS SAY OTHERWISE
FACT 6. OBAMA LIED HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT REV. WRIGHT DESPITE CHURCHING WITH HIM FOR 20 YEARS.
FACT 7. OBAMA DENIED HE WAS A REZKO''''S PARTY
FACT 8. OBAMA VOTED AGANST MCCAINS PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS FANNIE-FREDDMACK SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL
FACT 9. OBAMA DID NOT PRESENT HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN HIS ANSWER TO LAWSUIT CHALLENGING IT.
FCT.10. OBAMA LIED THAT KISSINGER SAID HE WOULD MEET WITHOUT PRE-CONDIITONS.
FCT.11. OBAMA LIED THAT HE EVER SAID HE WOULD MEET WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS.
FCT.12. OBAMA TOOK MONEY FROM FAILING FANNIE, FREDDIEMACK AND HIRED THEIR PRINCIPALS
FCT.13 THREE GAY MEN IN CHICGO ARE DEAD AND THEY WERE ALL FRIENDS OF OBAMA''''S ... INTERESTING AT THE VERY LEAST.
FACT.14 OBAMA LIED THAT HIS CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL WITH WM. AYERS'''' CHILDREN.
FACT. 15. u bought it all!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by FENNER

The liberals will shoot this down and say thats all a lie, but if all these lies were tied to McCain then it would words spoken by God Himself! Wake up LIBS!

[sly_64]

Posted by unfitsarah

I''m not for McCain, but you are making Obama supporters look stupid. I''m still undecided about Obama.

[washcapitals]

Reckon Michelle is just a show piece?? Has anyone seen Michelle of late??

This breaking news about how NObama prefers boys is really causing me to wonder.

After all, we real Americans all know how you hyphenated-American pervert worshippers are.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by NObama_SUX

They have kept her and Biden out of the spotlight. Biden is a risk everytime he opens his mouth anyway. All Palin has to do to win the debate is let him talk.

[benighse]

Sarah Palin practicing in Sedona, Arizona up a creek without a paddle----Now says: "I can see Russia from Arizona too!"

[leftyintexas]

p.s.
sorry it is Gallup that has obama down a point from yesterday.

(word is altho obama holding now a trend is developing that will diminish his numbers.)

Posted by fenner at 10:51 AM : Oct 01, 2008

Gee...We OBAMA supporters are really concerned about that....HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[sandy19731]

Michelle Obama is not running for president. She is helping her husband run and also has the main responsibilities raising their two young children.

[brownbuilder]

did you know that macain graduated 894 in a class of 899; it sure was smart of him to pick a vp who went to five community colleges and flunked out of one.this way he dosent look that stupid. ha,ha.

[benighse]

WHY IS SARAH ONLY TALKING TO KATIE COURIC on CBS??????....No Newsweek, no ABC, no NBC, no MSNBC, no O''Reilly, no Sports Illustrated, no Washington Post, no New York Times, no Kansas City News, no Barron''s, no Wall Street Journal, no Chicago Sun, no Field and Stream, no Hunting News, ....only Katie Couric....and mostly softball questions that draw goofball answers....WHY????

[washcapitals]

FACT 1. MCWHITEY LIED HE FORGOT HE TOOK MONEY FROM KEATING 5.
FACT 2. MCWHITEY TRIED TO DIRECT SOME OF BAILOUT MONEY TO THE FLDS.
FACT 3. MCWHITEY LIED THAT JFK PAID HIS DAD''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''S TICKET TO UNITED STATES
FACT 4. MCWHITEY LIED THAT HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NAFTA-CANADIAN CONVERSATIONS
FACT 5. MCWHITEY LIED THAT HE WAS NEVER A FLDS MORMON PEDEPHILE WHEN HIS SCHOOL RECORDS SAY OTHERWISE
FACT 6. MCWHITEY LIED HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT REV. VOODOO DESPITE CHURCHING WITH HIM FOR 20 YEARS.
FACT 7. MCWHITEY DENIED HE WAS A KEATING 5 PARTY
FACT 8. MVWHITEY VOTED AGANST OBAMAS PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS FANNIE-FREDDMACK SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL
FACT 9. MCWHITEY DID NOT PRESENT HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN HIS ANSWER TO LAWSUIT CHALLENGING IT.
FCT.10. MCWHITEY LIED THAT KISSINGER SAID HE WOULD MEET WITHOUT PRE-CONDIITONS.
FCT.11. MCWHITEY LIED THAT HE EVER SAID HE WOULD MEET WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS.
FCT.12. MCWHITEY TOOK MONEY FROM FAILING FANNIE, FREDDIEMACK AND HIRED THEIR PRINCIPALS
FCT.13 THREE GAY MEN IN ARIZONA ARE DEAD AND THEY WERE ALL FRIENDS OF MCWHITEY ... INTERESTING AT THE VERY LEAST.
FACT.14 MCWHITEY LIED THAT HIS CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THE KEATING 5 CHILDREN.
FACT. 15. u bought it all!




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by unfitsarah

wow

[jetsetter08]

Racism shows immaturity/ ignorance. Coming from our Obama side it''s embarrasing. Be above that please!

[dagrandma]

NObama_SUX: Since you keep harping on ACORN and voter fraud would you please cite specific examples? I''m aware that in Seattle seven part-time canvassers for ACORN submitted false registrations. It is my belief that in each and every case of "voter fraud" it was the "registrants" who were fraudulent and subsequently lost their jobs. ACORN is not the monster the right wing is going after -- it is a good and decent organization who represents the poor. And as we all know, neocons don''t want anyone to help the poor. They only want to help the rich.

[leftyintexas]

Posted by unfitsarah

I''''m not for McCain, but you are making Obama supporters look stupid. I''''m still undecided about Obama.

Posted by sly_64 at 10:51 AM : Oct 01, 2008

Think about it. Is this person really an OBAMA supporter or is he or she a McCain supporter posing as an OBAMA supporter to cast a bad image of a OBAMA supporter to sway undecided voters? Don''t be misled by the dirty tricks these kind of people stoop to.

[leftyintexas]

yup.
we can tell how unWORRIED you are from your nervous laughter....

Posted by fenner at 11:00 AM : Oct 01, 2008

Hey Fool, if that''s what you want to believe, have at it. Your delusions have no basis with reality ( A common trait among bushites ). Excuse me while I cut loose with some more of my ''nervous'' laughter....HAHAHAHAHA! OBAMA IN 08!!! ONLY 111 DAYS LEFT!!! ENJOY!!!