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Report: Sarah Palin Debate Advisers Predicted 'Debacle of Epic Proportions' [Steve Schmidt]
Politics Daily ^ | January 7, 2009 | Patricia Murphy

Posted on 01/07/2010 9:06:44 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

An adviser to John McCain who was preparing Sarah Palin for the vice presidential debate became so worried at Palin's weak performance in mock debates that he placed a panicked phone call to Steve Schmidt, the McCain campaign manager.

"He told us the debate was going to be a debacle of historic and epic proportions...she was not focused...not engaged," Schmidt says in an interview.

Specifically, "Palin had a reflexive tendency to refer to Biden as "O'Biden," says Schmidt, a tick that he said had to be corrected before the internationally televised debate in October 2008. The fix: "It was multiple people -- and I wasn't one of them-- who all said at the same time, 'Just say, Can I call you Joe?' Which she did."

Schmidt says Palin "more than held her own" in the debate, and never called Joe Biden "O'Biden." He also says that Palin strengthened the ticket, which, in his view, would have performed worse without her. . Schmidt recounts the story to Anderson Cooper in an interview for this Sunday's "60 Minutes" on CBS, which includes political reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann discussing the 2008 presidential campaigns.

Heilemann and Halperin will also talk about their new book, "Game Change," which they wrote after interviewing more than 200 people involved the historic elections, including many directly involved in the McCain campaign.

The authors and Schmidt reveal other new campaign details, including that John McCain had decided to choose Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) as his running mate, but reversed course days before the Republican convention because of "blowback" from the Republican ranks


TOPICS: Alaska; Campaign News; Parties
KEYWORDS: biden; palin; rino; rinos; romneybots; sarahpalin; steveschmidt; waronsarah
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I watched that debate, and she wiped the floor with him.
1 posted on 01/07/2010 9:06:46 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Needs a big barf-o-rama alert...:o)


2 posted on 01/07/2010 9:08:38 PM PST by Niteflyr ("Just because something is free doesn't mean it's good for you".)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Where’s O’Biden been lately anyway? Haven’t heard a peep outta him for awhile.


3 posted on 01/07/2010 9:09:13 PM PST by abigailsmybaby (To understan' the livin' you got to commune wit' da dead.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

These stupid sots are vindictive, aren’t they?


4 posted on 01/07/2010 9:09:26 PM PST by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Lol. Ya. Whatever.


5 posted on 01/07/2010 9:09:35 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

You should all read the posting on C4P..its PERFECT..

Does the Mainstream Media Read?
By Mel Bryant

Several media outlets are reporting on a 60 Minutes feature that promises “revelations” from the 2008 presidential campaign. This feature includes a segment with erstwhile McCain campaign flack Steve Schmidt.

Media outlets are crowing over Schmidt’s quotes about Governor Palin’s debate prep. For example, Politico led its story with a discussion of why the governor crossed the stage at the beginning of her debate with then Senator Joe Biden and asked, “Can I call you Joe?” They report that she did this because she stumbled over his last name several times during debate prep.

That’s not a “revelation,” guys.

In Going Rogue Governor Palin wrote:

During [debate] rehearsals, I accidentally called Randy [Scheunemann who was playing the part of Senator Biden] “Senator O’Biden” — a slip-of-the-lip combination of Obama and Biden. The blunder struck too often, even tripping up campaign staffers. (Jay Leno later made the same slip on his new talk show, so we were in good company.) We laughed about it but knew that if I said it even once during the debate, it would be disastrous.

Then somebody said, “You ought to just call him Joe.”

“Oh, I can’t just call him Joe!” I said. Senator Biden was a senior statesman. He’d been sitting in a U.S. Senate seat since I was nine years old. I believed calling him by his first name without his permission would be disrespectful.

Randy seemed to read my thoughts and offered a solution. “In every debate, you cross the stage and shake hands with your opponent,” he said. “When you shake hands, just ask him for permission to call him Joe. He’s certainly going to say yes, because he’s a gentleman.”

So that’s what we decided I would do. We had no idea my mic would already be hot when I walked onstage, crossed over to his turf, and said, “Can I call you Joe?”

The “expert” post debate analysis was that my question was a cleverly devised strategy to disarm my opponent. Yeah, right. [Going Rogue page 289]

What publications do you read, mainstream media? Do you generally report news that’s weeks old as if it were new information? The book was released on November 17, 2009. Try to stay current on the news, MSM.


6 posted on 01/07/2010 9:09:40 PM PST by Sarah Barracuda
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Governor Palin discussed this in her book.

But I guess all the fact-checkers missed it.

7 posted on 01/07/2010 9:10:29 PM PST by Bratch
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I read this piece while laughing at the ridiculous attempt to make a big deal out of almost nothing--the MUCH more important story was what a powermad loon Hillary Clinton is. Of course we knew that, but planning your transition before you even have the party nomination? If Palin did something like that it would be enough to end her career.

As for the silly debate prep stuff, Palin kicked Astroturn Head in the nuts in that debate. He looked like the nasty, slimy jerk he is, overwhelmed with his Gore-sized self-love, while Palin looked like who she was, a woman who had achieved a lot on her own and who could handle this "genius" without breaking a sweat.

As I wrote on the other thread, I don't support Palin for president, but I'm definitely closer to doing so than I ever have been. When I see the endless obsession all the wrong people have with her, I figure there's something there I should support.

8 posted on 01/07/2010 9:11:18 PM PST by Darkwolf377 (Bostonian conservative, atheist prolifer)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

O’Biden’s kinda catchy, like Tom-Kat or Branjolina, lol. Looks like all three unions are rather troubled of late.


9 posted on 01/07/2010 9:12:08 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Can McCainiacs just go to their pre-designated graves and leave the living alone?


10 posted on 01/07/2010 9:15:07 PM PST by Uncle Miltie ("Free" Healthcare + Citizenship for Lawbreakers = Democrats Forever! Buenos Dias!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

You know “they” want to destroy Sarah when they attack her for her debate prep, even though the debate itself was at least a tie if not a win for her. Believe me if the press could have convincingly spun the debate as a huge loss for Palin they would have but they did nothing of the sort. Schmidt is Sh**.


11 posted on 01/07/2010 9:15:11 PM PST by toddausauras
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To: Darkwolf377
When I see the endless obsession all the wrong people have with her, I figure there's something there I should support.

Exactly right. If she wasn't something major to reckon with the Left wouldn't go nuts like whining little girls about her.


12 posted on 01/07/2010 9:15:20 PM PST by Niteflyr ("Just because something is free doesn't mean it's good for you".)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I continue to be amazed at the stupidity and pure ineffectiveness of the McCain team. I knew it was going to be bad, but it was worse than I expected. Can you imagine how bad it would have gone not for Sarah Palin?
13 posted on 01/07/2010 9:18:19 PM PST by jwparkerjr
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

was not focused...not engaged...?

Are they referring to Juan McCain?

Also, I believe I have heard Mrs. Palin say O’Biden in one of her more recent interviews...but so what?

At least she is eligible to be president, which is a LOT more than I can say for the self-admitted dual citizen that calls itself Obama.


14 posted on 01/07/2010 9:19:35 PM PST by chris37
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To: jwparkerjr
Can you imagine how bad it would have gone not for Sarah Palin?

And to think the McCain-ites claimed she screwed it for them... she was the only thing that kept it somewhat close...

15 posted on 01/07/2010 9:20:54 PM PST by Niteflyr ("Just because something is free doesn't mean it's good for you".)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Their book isn’t all about Sarah.

For example, one tidbit about Hillary:

“The authors and Schmidt reveal other inside campaign issues, including that Clinton was so confident she would get the Democratic nomination that she had two top advisers planning her transition for after she won the general election.”

FOTFL


16 posted on 01/07/2010 9:20:56 PM PST by onyx
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To: jwparkerjr

Axtually, in the book, Sarah is given all the credit for keeping the election as close as it was.


17 posted on 01/07/2010 9:22:21 PM PST by onyx
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

O’Biden would have been a masterstroke. As it was, Biden lied his ass off during the whole debate and noone from the McCain camp called him or Obama on any of it. The whole campaign was very poorly run. Almost as bad as Dole.


18 posted on 01/07/2010 9:28:08 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (I'd rather be an AGW denier than a dumbass Watermelon)
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To: Psycho_Bunny
Lol. Ya. Whatever.

Yea, that was my initial reaction also. I read Sarah's book. This is total spin, trying to save his reputation... Too little, too late, Steve...

19 posted on 01/07/2010 9:30:07 PM PST by BreitbartSentMe (Ex-Dem since 2001 *Folding@Home for the Gipper - Join the FReeper Folders*)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“John McCain had decided to choose Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) as his running mate, but reversed course days before the Republican convention because of “blowback” from the Republican ranks”

sounds about right for McCain... boy would he have got some “blowback”!


20 posted on 01/07/2010 9:32:57 PM PST by Mikse
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