Latest Neocon Tactic: Preemptive Excuse-Making

1. October 2008, 16:51 Uhrtgirsch

According to the latest meme going around Right Blogistan, if Palin does poorly in the debate Thursday night, it won’t be because she doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about, but because moderator Gwen Ifill is unfarily biased against her. (Note: As of this writing, the link is dead thanks to an Instalanche. As a result, I have to break protocol and link to Malkin.)

On this issue, I agree with Nate at 538.com:

It’s not that the right’s critique isn’t utterly transparent, but media backlash was one of the principal dynamics in motivating the Palin bounce in the first place.

But there’s another factor here too. In preparing for a debate, you are often preparing nearly as much for the “judge” or moderator as for the opponent. Both campaigns probably have a pretty good idea of what types of questions she is likely to ask, how he is likely to ask them. Palin and Biden have undoubtedly watched videotapes of Ifill moderating the 2004 debate between John Edwards and Dick Cheney.

By changing the moderator, you’re throwing everyone a curveball, and catering to the candidate who is better able to adapt on the fly. Which, most likely, is not going to be Sarah Palin.

4 comments:

  1. Surprise! Another unbiased journalist in the tank for Obama (UPDATED) « The Right Daily (Pingback), 1. October 2008, 17:50
     

    […] American Daughter Media Center BigMouthFrog NeoConstant Wizbang Cassy Fiano EyeHackerBlog.com Tennesseefree.com Ace of Spades HQ The American Pundit The Political Page NO QUARTER Possibly related posts: […]

     
  2. Serr8d, 1. October 2008, 17:58

    Professional ethics in journalism…out the window.

    Sarah Palin, demonized by the leftists.

    I wonder if they remember their own Cynthia McKinney, running for president as a Green party member, but first elected as Representative (D) from Georgia 1993-2003 and 2005-2007?

     
  3. Serr8d, 1. October 2008, 18:06

    Fred Thompson, on Sarah Palin…

    One can hardly disagree with the desirability of our leaders having the qualities that Brooks describes (putting aside the question of how many of our leaders who are not Sarah Palin have demonstrated these qualities). But there are other important qualifications, such as will, courage, and determination. Frankly, an infusion of these qualities into our body politic is desperately needed – not just to raise hell with the establishment, but to speak the hard truth about unpleasant choices facing our country. To push for choices that will, in the long term, benefit our country, our children and our grandchildren. In other words, things which “prudent” leaders are all too often reluctant to do.

    For many years we have failed to address looming problems that will prove catastrophic to our nation. It’s not because we are bereft of leaders with great experience. And it is not because they do not understand the “essential current of events.” They know these things all too well. It is because they do not have the political courage to do anything about it.

    And political courage is exactly what Sarah Palin has; to face the onslaught of the combined forces of the media; the howling mob of leftist freaks (hi, William!) who despise her for daring to take some of the spotlight of of their Chosen One; and even some of the snobbish, elitist, blue-blooded Rockefeller Republicans who see any conservative as a challenge to their control of ‘their’ party.

    However this turns out, we still will enter a great depression. I truly believe that the way of life we’ve accepted so complacently for the past 50 years or so is coming to an end. There’s no way to stop this collapse, really. So, moot?

    If Sarah were smart she would retreat to Alaska and close the damned borders.

     
  4. Jeffraham Prestonian, 1. October 2008, 19:50

    If Sarah were smart she would retreat to Alaska and close the damned borders.

    Her husband, Todd, would be all for that, being a secessionist. Queen Sarah I!
    .

     

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