In the aftermath of the Katie Couric interviews, many expected Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin to flounder in the debate. Prior to the interview Palin had been kept away from speaking in public. It appeared as though the interview seemed to exemplify what critics have been saying all along, that Palin lacked experience and knowledge regarding foreign affairs and even domestic policies. She cited that her foreign policy credentials came from Alaska bordering Canada and Russia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg Her inability to even answer basic questions regarding very crucial issues did not uphold the campaign slogan, “A Proven Maverick” that McCain and Palin are trying to create. It only demonstrated further that she may not have been the most experienced choice.
However, in Thursday night’s debate Palin seemed to have changed her image and improved her knowledge of foreign issues. Throughout the debate she demonstrated confidence in her answers, specifically when asked about Afghanistan. Anyone who had seen the Couric interview was cringing as to what her response might have been when asked to discuss the Middle East. Palin proved them, including myself, wrong. She was able to effectively communicate why McCain’s “counterinsurgency strategy” would be successful. Palin was even able to out answer Democratic nominee Joe Biden who has thirty five years experience. With the election a month away, Sarah Palin’s new media image may prove too much for Obama and Biden to overcome.
1 comment:
I wouldn't say she "out answered" Joe Biden. I'm not sure if that is possible. They had different views with completely different answers. However, I do want to note how scary it can be to see the difference between her Couric interview and the debates. We must all keep in mind that a short time can produce 90 minutes worth of preordained speech. Who's to say that Palin even knew what she was talking about? Perhaps she was merely briefed on all of her campaign's issues in preparation for the debates. If anything, the vice presidential debates showed me that a Palin will take John McCain's policies and act with little regard, much like a calculator handles simple arithmetic.
Post a Comment