How Democrats set Sarah Palin up to 'win' Thursday's VP debate

According to a news release from CBS News, Harry Smith will have an exclusive interview this morning with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, on "The Early Show."

It's not really exclusive, of course. CNN's Drew Griffin interviewed the proud father of the Republican Party's first female vice presidential candidate way back on Sept. 8 (see video by clicking on the "Read More" line below), when her father said, "She's still my little girl."

But, hey, this is TV and the CBS interview is exclusive for this morning.

It'll be the last peek into the family of Palin before her much-anticipated debate Thursday in St. Louis against longtime Sen. Joe Biden. But have Palin's Democratic opponents overplayed their hand in portraying the 44-year-old mother of five so derisively in recent days?

Was John McCain manager Steve Schmidt's puzzingly strong attack on the New York Times last week really a trap, an intentional bid to call even more attention to negative coverage of Palin to lower expectations? 

Harry Smith flew all the way up to Alaska last week and drove out to Wasilla with his crew to learn that Chuck Heath, who looks like the high school track coach he was when his daughter ran to a cross-country championship for him, thinks:

"She is ready to do anything she wants to. She perseveres. She works so hard. She learns so fast."

Knowing full well what he's going to get back from the worried....

. . .parent of anyone in American public life these days, but desperately hoping to generate at least some news for all those trans-continental expense dollars, the prominent member of the media himself puts words into the father's mouth.

Harry: "There’s a sense that she hasn’t been treated fairly by the media.”

Chuck Heath: “That’s what I feel. Someone said, ‘Well they have to get to know Sarah Palin.’ But Sarah Palin -- there is a good side of Sarah Palin and they’re digging and digging for the bad side and there is no real bad side. They’re fabricating a lot of things that I don’t want to go into.”

That much news is certainly worth getting up early for. But here's a really silly idea for this gotcha society:

If a candidate's family is not being arrested or not out on the campaign trail inviting news coverage as McCain's 96-year-old mother, Roberta, does, why don't we just leave them alone?

The way the U.S. media has so conscientiously managed to deny itself virtually any inquisitions of Barack Obama's poor half-brother in Africa and his half-sister in Hawaii and Joe Biden's mother and Michelle's family.

It's not new that American political campaigns, beneath a thinning veneer of public gentility, can be intrusive, brutal, even disgusting affairs, especially online.

McCain knows this too well from personal experience in 2000 when his adopted daughter from Bangladesh was portrayed in South Carolina as the illegitimate child of a biracial affair.

All big-time candidates develop very thick skin; some staffs even collect the worst insults in scrapbooks as badges of honor and humor. It's the candidates' defenseless families who really suffer.

And by keeping the governor herself largely away from the media, the McCain campaign is, in effect, playing a prevent defense, ceding the public relations playing field to others to describe, define and caricature Palin, strangely unanswered by her for a week now.

One recent Alaska poll showed Palin's approval rating there had tumbled to 68%, which is still about 20 points higher than either presidential candidate and seven times greater than Congress' approval.

The upcoming downside for the Obama-Biden campaign is that its supporters became so flustered over Palin's surprisingly explosive popularity coming out of the GOP convention. They have so successfully mocked, derided and lowered expectations for Palin in Thursday night's VP debate that if she doesn't drool or speak in tongues, many millions still open to persuasion will be impressed.

Al Gore's campaign made the exact same mistake going into the 2000 debates. So all Texas Gov. George W. Bush had to do was not lose.

In that sense, Democrats may have played right into a PR cul-de-sac. Biden, for instance, described Palin as merely better-looking than him. A far better communications strategy would have been to insincerely portray Palin with superlatives as a superwoman, making it harder, not easier, for her to impress. Too late now. 

It'll be difficult for Palin's parents because they so want to keep up and cheer their daughter on. But if they are wise, for their own mental health, they'll pretty much avoid the news for the next six weeks or so. What the threatened Alaskan Republican establishment tried to do to stop Palin, the political insurgent, back in 2005-06 is nothing.

And Chuck and Sally should never ever go online where they might stumble upon the sites portraying their "little girl" as, among other things, a naked porn star in action. Welcome to American politics 2008, Web-style.

--Andrew Malcolm

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Top photo: Sarah Palin's parents. Credit: Al Grillo / Associated Press

Bottom photo: Joseph Kaczmarek / Associated Press

Comments

[Maezeppa]

To all the rhetorical questions about Palin's knowledge - NO. She really is that inept. Maybe they'll put a bug in her ear and a microtransmitter under her jacket the way they did with Dubya.

[PAT]

And Obama is ready to be pres and Palin is not ? Please tell me why Obama is more ready. Please. Please. Please. Make it easy for me.

[dmw]

The editorial writer is probably correct, the "expectations game" is being played poorly by the Dems. Much more important than game theory are the following questions: "When did choosing a potential President of the U.S. become a game?" and "Why is there now such a miserably low bar for competence in this world's most important job?" When Truman, either Roosevelt, Lincoln, and most other presidents debated, was the standard something like "they just don't need to look too dumb"? Tragic, the depths to which we've fallen.

[sadforusa]

Sadly this article is probably right on the money. The McCain campaign has bumbled their way through. In a normal country he would be a laughing stock for his now 180-degree turn around. This is not the same man that has been around since 2000 trying to make waves. Do we need more evidence than the fact the NRA is now backing him? It was not long ago when the NRA loathed McCain and now they are suddenly backing him. Wow talk about the king of flip-flop. This guy makes John Kerry look like a straight shooter from Conservative Road. Wake up people, McCain is going to be very VERY bad for America. Who gives a crap about Palin. She is the least of the problems and the McCain campaign has done a great job keeping the focus off him and his pandering ways.

[John Shoemaker]

Pallin is as qualified as Barack. It will be interesting to see which card is more valuable: the sex card or race card. Either way, the elder card is played on both sides but McCain is clearly more competent but less smooth as an orator, but then again, is the new orator an empty suit?

[Aycee]

Sarah Palin has lived a sheltered life in the tundra. Being second in command of our nation requires a certain understanding of all people in the US. She has little if any exposure to ethnic minority communities and knows nothing about the struggles we face. As a Hispanic, born and raised in the US, I am not at all comfortable with Palin and McCain. For me, they represent the same ideology that has repressed my people and minorities of all backgrounds.

[wed]

Andrew, I think that you're exactly right. I just made this point to my girlfriend last night, attempting to explain the nuance of strategically set expectations and how they can affect the way that people assess situations.

Even if John showed that he didn't know the difference between strategy and tactics in the first debate, his campaign handlers do and this is an interesting bating tactic within the general GOP strategy of zero-sum induced response. It failed last week with the ultimatum John proposed on the debate but maybe it will fare better this week. Sarah's done so poorly, all that she can do is go up.

[Dr. K]

The writer makes a powerful point. Comparison is how our brains make sense, and when expectations are very low, it doesn't take much to get past them. When expectations are high, it doesn't take much to disappoint.

I think the real question about Sarah Palin has less to do with her debate performance, and more to do with her ability to handle the kinds of crises we are now faced with, and that seem to be multiplying by the day.

When someone says "She's just like me!" the question is "Are you qualified to handle all these crises?"

[Mtobias]

Mr. McCain was really not thinking far in advance when he chose Mrs. Plain.

I think it was a mistake.

I agree that it was not a Country First move, rather a campaign first motive.

That said, I hope taht there are questions relevant tot he country and its future. Questions about her creationist beliefs being taught in the classroom are among them.

Your article yesterday about her thinking Dinosaurs and men coexisting, alarmed. me.

[erik]

You mentioned low expectations for Bush, well there weren't any video's of him being exorcised from witches. The fact is she has been kept in a safety bubble. Something I find not only crazy (what or why hide to such a degree?) but raises expectations every time she comes out of that bubble. She has turned into the Micheal Jackson of politics, each time coming into the public's eye and doing something outlandish. Sure everyone is literally ready for her to make an utter fool of herself, but on that note she already has.

[Jean-Alaska]

"One recent Alaska poll showed Palin's approval rating there had tumbled to 68%, which is still about 20 points higher...."
---------------------
I think this needs some scrutiny. Did the poll ask if you approve of Palin as governor of Alaska, or as candidate for VP of the United States? There's a big difference there.
As an independent in Alaska, I voted for Palin in the governor's race. I do NOT, however, support her VP candidacy. And now I'm even questioning her competence level as governor.

[kathleen]

she has already embarrassed herself.....all the "studying" in the world is not going to cover what we have seen as a very unexposed, marginally educated, albeit attractive gal.
I am a 50 something white woman. I surely would love to see a great statewoman in the White House......but give me a break. She is not competent for this job and way out of her league.
Also just because she is being "vetted" by the press and others is quite different that being harrassed. This is a ploy to not have her vetted. Nice try..

[Dr.Obvious]

It never ceases to amaze me what webs the media can weave. First, the media pounds Sarah Palin (and her family) with slurs, hyperbole, and innuendo, then they in turn say the Republicans set up a "just don't lose" strategy. They cannot have it both ways.

So, we the public are suppose to gobble this up along with all the other advertisements for whiter teeth and drugs for better sex - I don't think so. WE the public are smarter than they think. Just because a large portion of those responding to these posts are cheer leaders for the cause, doesn't mean the rest of us cheer right along - it has to make sense. Let's judge Sarah Palin on her own merits - this is a free country and truth keeps it that way.

[Tony]

It is generally true that all a Republican candidate has to do for a debate is show up sober and he/she automatically gets a pass from the media. Last week, for a day or so, it looked as if both GOP candidates (McCain and Palin) were going to try to not even bother to show up for the debates and see if the media still gave them a passing grade.

I would still give even money that the GOP tries some ploy to avoid the debate on Thursday. No matter how much cramming she does, it is unlikely that Palin will come across as even remotely knowledgable and the public will finally get a glimpse of McCain's biggest blunder.

[Carla]

Doesn't matter, I won't vote for McCain/Palin. A couple thoughts. Palin always has to have a handler right there, Joe Lieberman, Mitt Romney, Rudy, etc. etc. Who REALLY would run this country if anything happened to McCain? Carl Rove? Nobody we voted for, that's for sure!

And if you think I'm wrong, listen to the difference in McCain's voice in the debate last week. When he talks about General Petrais and Sarah Palin...he truly respects and admires the general and has a couple canned lines for Palin....nope, he has no time for his own VP nominee.

Since McCain's lies have become more frequent we're all getting really good at hearing them. It's like listening to a teenager tell you why they were late for curfew! Now's the time to decide what you're going to do about it! Are you going to voite for a liar? He can even justify lying about Eisenhower's Normandy letters. Talk about dishonoring a war hero!!

[Donna Hughes]

Just to set the record straight, I have heard Joe Biden refer to Palin as a tough, smart politician several time in interviews, not just simply as being better looking than himself.

I suspect that 90 minutes is going to seem like an eternity for Palin, though once she gets past the initial fright she may actually recover some of her wits. Who knows? We have seen very little of her, and what we have seen so far has been quite pathetic.

[indga]

It is disgusting what the Democrat-siding media and feminists have done to Sarah Palin. Had Obama picked Palin as his running mate, she would have been hailed as brilliant. Dems are always brilliant and Republicans are always dumb, you see.

She's a governor of an important state (energy is a national security issue) and numbskulls like Katie Couric and whatsisname from whatsisstation have the nerve to look down their narrow-minds at her. Unlike Obama, Palin is an achiever who believes in America, who doesn't think that America is guilty and needs to repent for some jumped-up sin.

For all those scoffing at Governor Palin as being unqualified to be VP, on what basis is Obama qualified to be POTUS? The color of his skin? Well, I'm a black woman with several graduate degrees but no executive experience, does that make me qualified to be POTUS? I'd say I'm more qualified than Obama because I love America and her Constitution. Even though he taught law, he doesn't understand or appreciate America and the Constitution. He sees it all as something to be got rid of or be changed so he can bring us to some type of Nazi (national socialist) enlightenment. Given his thug tactics against those who disagree with him, we know that his enlightenment will wind up with our loss of constitutional rights.

It's incredible that the same people who are deriding Gov. Palin are looking up to Obama as "The One." The one what? The one who will lead the U.S. into the bondage of communism? The one who will place the opinions of other peoples of other countries ahead of the American Constitution? The one who will trample on the Constitution as long as no one says anything he doesn't like? The one who will take our money and give it to his radical terrorist pals like ACORN, Hamas, Hezbullah and the like?

What makes Obama more qualified than Palin? It's high time the unthinking unwashed washed themselves so some air could pass through the muck that is their brains.

[SlackJack]

If the media were to put as much scrutiny into the democratic presidential candidate as has been done to the republican vice presidential candidate, there would be a lot of raised eyebrows regarding Obama’s past (and present). That scrutiny just hasn’t happened.
As far as Ms Palin’s experience goes, she has more than Obama - unless of course, he gets elected as president. That will be the start of his experience and it won’t take long (maybe 2 years) to surpass Ms Palin’s current experience.
Considering McCain’s age, his mother is 96! That means he’ll be able to run for 2 terms, retire and go moose hunting for the rest of his life.
The only reservation one should have about Ms Palin is that hunting and the vice presidency don’t go well together.
-SJ

[Earl E The Lost City]

I am not concerned about who is thought to have won any debate.

What matters is what happens when the VP takes over the Presidency.

In Biden's case, he will work with Congress, with Palin she will be coached by handlers.

Not that Biden won't wear a leash, but Palin's leash will be a bit shorter.

Of course, neither of the two would be as weak as Bush. Cheney was the Commander in Chief, and Bush's presidency will wear the badge of failure because of it.

But really, its the 700 billion right now, that will determine more than anything else, the next 4 years.

Print the money, inflate the currency bubble by 10 percent, watch your dollar drop 90%. That popping sound will be last bubble for a while, a long while.

So if Palin can cut her whine, I could listen to her for the next four years as she reads press releases from the Federal Reserve Party, she will look good, she'll make me feel better, and the hunger in my belly won't hurt so bad.

[TroubleBoy]

I'll be surprised if the candidate for first-ever gun 'totin Betty Crocker in the White House doesn't faint on stage on the delivery of Gwen Ifell's first question of substance.

Her ignorance on all matters national and international makes Dan Quayle appear mensa level. Preamble interviews from Gibson, Couric and a neutered Sean Hannity will not save the Sarah Palin dream coming to a distinct and embarrassing conclusion on Thursday night.

Not that I care - being a non-American - but what was John McCain thinking - "Look at me, I'm a maverick?"

[paul ned]

To Anonymous who posted at 4:32 AM:

If you think Palin's too inexperienced to be VP, then you sure as hell had better be worried by Obama, who has less experience than Palin and is actually running for POTUS.

[Byron]

One thing is clear, Palin does not know anything of what being a VP or even President would be about. She doesn't know history and probably considers it a liberal invention. She is amzingly uninformed for a Governor. Thus if she does start spouting facts and figures (or what passes as facts and figures in the Republican worldview) you can be sure that it won't be HER talking but her trainers. The Couric interview (and Palin's careful avoidance of the press until made to talk to them) at least made clear that Sarah Palin will try her best to fake her way through an interview which leaves big questions about her honesty.

[TMR]

Seems the piece with her parents is more fluff like the releases from McCain's camp about what kind of ice cream she ordered not an attack on her family.

It would also seem from news headlines I've been seeing that the media is laying off her family. I've seen a few headlines about her husband but that is about it in the last 2 weeks or so.... now bloggers and message boards are a whole other cup of tea.

[Stephen Cobb]

Leave family members out of the race! I think the mainstream media is doing a great job of covering candidate Palin. All you need to size Palin up for the VP slot is to watch Katie Couric's interview, woman to woman. No sexism. Just straight questions and answers that speak for themselves.

[Martine Glasscott]

I don't know if the debaters get the question given to them in advance, but if that is the case, Sarah will be so coached by all kind of experts that she will come across as the best thing since sliced bread. She has a quick mind and will just be learning all the right answers ahead of time.
This woman will not stumble or stutter. She will just bat her pretty eyes and wisdom will come spouting out of her mouth and everybody will be thrilled.
However, if they do not get the questions in advance, she might just be confused a couple of times and try to talk her way around it. We shall see. Personally I hope she falls flat on her face!!!