CNN

I vote bring back the show Northern Exposure, Palin could be the star with a real accent.

A.

DANG she is a phoney!!

Wendy in NC.... that is what i'm thinking... i don't think she is answering any of the questions from her knowledge.....

Biden started out with a "programmed" speech spewing Obama-isms. There's nothing wrong with doing it, just in moderation. Palin has been doing it too.

Wendy and Tracy you are right on!!
DANG what a phoney!!

You are not alone. I think they both need to be held to the highest standard.

By the way, I'm reading your book "The Nine" and love it. I have long considered you one of the most sensible commentators on television.

Go McCain and Palin !!!! Kick Obama and Biden's butts!!!!!

Maybe she should just keep repeating "can I call you Joe""

A. Blah blah Blah

Make sure to watch David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno tonight to get the post wrap up on this debate to better understand what Palin will bring to the American people as a Vice President!

You are right Jona-she is showing major signs of staked answers. Biden is obviously more secure and calm.

Why aren't there any follow-up questions?

Who was talking about tax increases??? SHe is programed like a parrot

no substance when she goes to Joe 6 pack and "Hockey mom" give us something.

She is about as rehearsed as I have seen her yet. This is going to get good....bring on Tina fay

Please do not let her use the term Maverick again, unless she can find one in her party.

oh my GOSH has she answer ONE SIMPLE QUESTION

my 13 year old could do so much better,

she has not answer one questions,

what is she talkingaobut
mccain NEW and MAVERICK???

what?

he is 72 +

Yes, Palin does have presence ..as a matter of fact ...it makes up for what she lacks in language substance!

Palin: Same old talking points already.

She's already sounding like Miss Teen South Carolina...

Already the soccer mom and the plain speaking. Give me a break !!! The voice is killing me. Speak proper english please.

Noel D,

Amen! If you want to receive equal pay, you had better be prepared to do equal work. I am a woman and I don't want to be treated with "kid gloves" because of that.

I am an Independent. Sarah Palin needs to prove to me that she has a grasp of the problems our country is facing. She needs to clear and put a sentence together. If you guys think that Idependent voters are going to vote for McCain/ Palin becasue she has a nice smile and she is "Hockey mom" you are all off.

Many seem VERY concerned by the idea of Palin being the default President. Is anyone concerned about the fact the default President on the other side has been rejected as a Presidential Candidate more than once? .The fact that the country does not want JOE BIDEN as President I is very clear. We have already voted. So how is this a valid issue?

Hey – can I call you Joe? I'm already annoyed...

obama need to win colorodo and he can win in november

Okay...isn't his name Joe? Why would she ask if she can call him Joe?

It doesn't matter what she has to say... she has shown how intelligent she is... oh god she want to call him JOE?

I would hope the McCain Campaign would not use an earphone, however; I wouldn't put it past them.... I think the American public would be able to tell because she wouldn't be able to keep up with what she is being feed, we will all know!

Thank you Jeffrey Toobin.

Expectations? I expect that since Sarah Palin has made energetically moral and very strong decisions in both her personal and political life so far she will continue to do so. If she is weak in some political areas there are plenty of competent advisors to brief or teach her. She needs no coaching when it comes to trying as hard as she can to do the right thing. The fact is that she is a strong, moral human being who has dedicated much of her life to public service while not losing sight of her commitments to her family. I see no bad decisions there.
What counts more, being slick or being truly moral?
L. Read
McArthur, Califonia

raise the bar! as a communication coach, I want a VP who can
walk, talk, and answer questions with intelligence.

intelligence is not a dirty world

I believe the expectations of the American people are high and rightly so. Both of these individuals are aspiring to a political office that could possibly lead to the Presidency. They had better have not partial command, but full command of the issues that are crucial to running our country, or they have no business serving beside the commander in chief.

I do remeber in 1988 when Joe Bidden had to step down from running for President because of his plagiarism. so he will need to watch it.

It is amazing how when the "liberal media" was bashing the heck out of Senator Obama they weren't so "liberal" and were "just reporting the news". Now, because they are "reporting the news" on the republican candidate, they are liberal. Like Senator McCain and his sorry campaign, you will say anything to support your pitiful agenda. Pitiful, because if these two are elected into the white house, woe unto us!

The media and the McCain-Palin campaign have dumb down this debate to point that it will not matter how the candidates perform because they have lowered America's expectations. This is ridiculous and typical of how the republican party has campaigned, at least the last 8 years.

Sarah Palin was clueless on the issues when interviewed by Gibson and Couric because she has no background on them. Come on America, 8 is enough!!!

How low do we need to go before we cry ouch. We desreve more from our leaders than tip toeing so we don't weed out the weak.

second time trying to post

I think it is shameful that a VP candidate has such low expectations.

I agree with Jeff, harder questions are asked for citizenship test and she could not even make her supreme court quetion answere. she was asked which VP you like in the past she says G. ferrarro?????

Sara Paline has bigger issues to deal with on a national stage.

I think if you want to apply for a job you should be able to handle 10 hours interview (at least) and not stop talking.

Please why stop making excuses for her lack of knowlege. I cannot believe how she became the governeor of Alaska in the first place.

hengam

Gov. Palin has been prepped and dipped into a bask of McCainism for this debate......I hope that the country will see her for what she is tonight. The possibility of this woman becoming the vp and possibly the president is scary.

Thank you!!!!

In 2000 and 2004, the American people chose the "guy you would want to have a beer with"...look where that got us!

Let's have high expectations this time..."the average Joe" just isn't good enough right now...we need great leadership in these tough times.

Absolutely, the expectations should be the same for the two candidates. They are both applicants for the job, such as it is, of VP of the US. I would hope they would bring all they've got to the interview.

Trindell S. Miller wrote:

"Where has the concepts gone? "Women, equal work equal pay".
I hear a lot of you feel women should be treated different even though they have the same job and getting the same pay."

---

I agree...I am 100% for gender equality...but it is a two-edged sword...if you want equal opportunity, equal respect & equal gender, than the "expectations" should be set the same, regardless of gender...

Well stated. I want to know why if Palin just shows up and doesn't screw up. That would be a win for her. I find that utterly unacceptable. I don't want to see a VP and potential President that just shows up and doesn't screw up.

hummmm the hair is down... ear piece? Conspiracy theory I know...but when has hse ever worn her hair down....

Thank you, Jeffrey Toobin, for being the voice of reason and for the reality check on the Palin/Couric interview. Putting together a complete sentence - let alone a cogent thought - should be a primary qualification for a US vice president and possible president. Indeed, it was from her party's Ronald Reagan that the notion of the nation's leader as a "Great Communicator" was coined. Palin needs to be a great deal more than an outsider to be a viable candidate.

Jeffrey it is so nice to read a sane piece of journalism.
It is appalling and scary that a such low expectations are
even considered acceptable.

you are certainly not in the minority. i cannot understand why we should have low expectations from someone who wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency when considering that this is the only debate for the vice presidential nominees. what are we going to tell our children who want to aspire to the highest land " son/daughter it's ok, you don't have to have much expectations, keep your expectations low". what a sham. shame on you republicans.

I feel for Biden, he is going to have to be debating Palin with kids gloves, if he challenges her or says something to discredit something she says, the Mccain camp will cry FOUL... But you can bet that Palin will go at it with everything she has to discredit Biden, and she will get away with it, only because she is a woman.. Then again, maybe all the blundering she has done in her past interviews were just a ruse, to make people think she is dimwitted.. She might be holding back until tonight when she open fires on the issues..

as a woman, I am disappointed on the low expectations people are given Palin. She is running for the second highest office in the land. She should be asked the same questions as any other candidate. Palin should not be give softball quesitons because she is a woman and hasn't been in the public eye before. This is nonsense because the world leaders are not going to treat her with kid gloves. Palin should have a foundation on the issues. If not, then she should not be running for vp.

Unfortunately, Palin has performed so poorly thus far it will be hard not to be impressed if she actually gets through the debate without rambling or being evasive when she so clearly does not know the answer to the question. I just hope the American people are savy enough to know BS when they hear it.

Pray for widespread racism Repubs (of course you already do everyday). Its the only chance you have left.

Where has the concepts gone? "Women, equal work equal pay".
I hear a lot of you feel women should be treated different even though they have the same job and getting the same pay.

I definitely agree with what you wrote Jeffrey...the playing field of "expectations" should be set as evenly across the board as possible...also, when someone is openly expected to do poorly in any event, inevitably if that person merely holds their own, it is much more likely to appear as a success, even if the other party performs much better...

If expectations are not high then, this is not a race for the second most important position in America.

The problem is that it has not been the same. The Liberal media has leeched on to Palin-mocking belittleling, disrespecting her in each and every way. They have not done that to any of the other candidates. I really think it's sexist and it's pathetic!

Thank you, Mr. Toobin, for pointing this out. All too frequently, a bar that should be set high for all candidates is lowered by campaign handlers and media commentators.

I agree with you! Too much is being made of "expectations". Both should stand equally on the political playing field. I am interested to see what journalists and pundits will say after the debate. Perhaps journalists reactions will help us viewers define what particular expectations the media have for both candidates.

Her hair is down to hide the wire

I am with you Jeffrey. All of this is becoming depressing and is really unnecessary.

When I look at McCain, I see Bush. If you vote for McCain, you have liked what has happened the last 8 years. Vote for Obama/Biden and get this country back on track. Yea Obama!!!!!!Yea Biden!!!!!

So what the vp job isn't anything until something happens to the prez. The mccain palin show reminds me of the dean martin jerry lewis show all blow and no go. Neither one is qualified to be chief.

Palin is a dope.

I really think she will drop out of this debate at the start of this debate. She has all ready been made a fool of and I just can't and won't believe that McCain will put her through this.

both sarah and joe will do the best they can for there ticket,

peoples mind are already made up . there is no swing voters out

i dont think thats true,.

my personal opinion is this everyone has pretty much decided who they will vote for.

Why wont anyone bring up the reverse discrimination going on with this debate. Why is it OK for Palin to make mean comments, biting remarks, or be condesending and if Biden does it is sexist.

Hi Jeff,

Agreed. Not only is it ridiculous to play the silly "oh at least she didn't" game, I think that Biden should go for her throat (figuratively) at the very first sign of talking points or inevitable nonsense that is going to come out of her mouth.

He could clear the air for the entire country by politely looking at her and saying one thing...

I'm sorry I don't quite understand, please explain your position.

That would end it.

Peace.

Expectations should be high, Palin will have to deal directly in international affairs. I am a federal worker and would be fired if expectations of me were so low. They are in line to be president and in these times we cannot afford mediocre performance.

Considering that these two people could conceivably become president, should something happen during the presidency, careful attention must be paid to how they handle themselves during the debate.

McCain needs to find a new way to win because this debate is not going to give him any momentum. Sarah is not ready, she simply is not ready to be vice president. She is not going to get by this time like Bush and Qualye did because everyone is watching.

One word we're sure to hear a great deal tonight is...

...FUNDAMENTAL!!!
But no one's going to define what the fundamentals consist of.

I lay money on it being the most prevalent word of the night.

Countdown is at T munus 15 minutes. Just enough time to make some popcorn. This might beat Blazing Saddles for the most laughs in a 90 minute show.

I'm gone...

I have breaking news:
Palin is going to say she wouldn't vote on the bailout.
You heard it here first.

If Palin wears her hair down and a boxy jacket, be on the lookout for the hidden earphone. There is no way she can give a lucid answer on her own.