On NPR today, Juan Williams discussed how Bush communications advisor Nicole Wallace and 2 foreign policy advisors have been brought in to help Caribou Barbie cram for media interviews - including preparing for her upcoming debut performance with the former morning show king-of-"happy talk" turned "hard-hitting" ABC newsanchor Charlie Gibson (who will be pretending to cover her policy experience while promoting her son's military service on Thursday and Friday).
Juan Williams said their strategy also involves having her spend lots of time with McCain himself, so he can bestow his actual opinions on her (since she had no clue what his positions were when she agreed to join his ticket).
Mr. Williams went on to preview some of the prepared answers.
For instance, he said, for ANYTHING to do with foreign policy, economic policy, or national security, they are advising her to connect her answer back to energy and environmental policy, "where she feels comfortable" (drill, baby, drill?).
NPR: McCain Helps Palin Cram For TV Interview
They are claiming this training will help her avoid "gotcha" questions (which seems to mean anything requiring a fact or knowledge base).
On the Bridge to Nowhere for-it-before-she-was-against-it, the answer is they are 'truthful' because she ultimately was against it (after of course it was no longer an option) - so they are just ommitting unnecessary complicated details of the long boring build up to the end of the story. This obviously shows how tough she is, by having an after-the-fact backbone and not wanting to bore Americans.
(As more of a preview to possible Bridge answers: On the Joe-less Morning Joe this morning, Gov. Pawlenty claimed the attack was ridiculous because Democrats in AK praised Palin in the end for her stance on the bridge, and Obama and Biden voted against redirecting money to people in New Orleans so whatever is bad is really their fault of course).
On talking about God's will Church Lady video -- this isn't about her having a messianic vision - she was simply praying for the troops. This shows she cares about real people and is doing the right thing. (But not like the Spike Lee "Doing the Right Thing" because that would be "urban" and uppity.)
So they're basically schooling her on the art of the "duck and weave," "blame the messenger," "turn the blame on the opponent," "mock the opponent," "one-line quips," "easy evasions," and other Rovian tactics.
It kind of reminds me of the bullshit generators that mocked the hyperbolic-speak of the dot com era:
Web Economy Bullshit Generator
I can just imagine excerpts from a Sarah Palin Bullshit Generator:
Q: You flip flopped on the Bridge to Nowhere, how do you explain that?
A: Obama is the real flip flopper. He's from Hawaii, flip flops are state-required footwear. I bet he even wore flip flops on his recent vacation. Hawaii isn't really America, not like Alaska.
Q: Do you really seek opinions from evangelical relgious leaders about how to govern? What about the separation of church and state?
A: My faith helps give me the patience to be a good mom. Some have said Obama's a Muslim. That's wrong that they say he's a Muslim. Isn't that horrible that they say he's a Muslim. (Note to self: Hold all Rev. Wright comments til around October 20th.)
Q: You are going after Hillary supporters even though you are diametrically opposed to everything she stands for. How do you explain the differences between yourself and Hillary?
A: Well, I'm willing to publicly sing "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let you forget you're a man" in a tight skirt. (Translation: By playing the sex card, I think I'm in on the sexist jokes - and I have a "sense of humor.")
Q: Isn't drilling just a stop-gap measure that may not even be effective? What is your long-range energy policy?
A: Drill, baby, drill. Then we have AK-47s, polar bears, mooses, any more questions, smart guy? Did I mention my husband is a cool dude Speed Racer.
Q: You have no foreign policy experience, how could you be ready on day one to face foreign friends and foes?
A: I'm a mom who can handle a gun. I can gut a moose. I'll have Kim Jong-il down on his knees begging for mercy. (And as a last resort, John McSame has taught me the Beach Boys, "bomb, bomb, bomb" song. Isn't he the best?)
Q: You didn't seem to know Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not government funded in a statement this week, don't you know anything about basic government institutions?
A: Well, Fannie and Freddie are Washington insiders, so of course they were bailed out. But what about Aunt Susie and Uncle Bob? Where's their bailout? (or if you are in Alaska, Aunt Treebark and Uncle Pipeline.) Drill, baby, drill.
Ronald Reagan helped pave the way for the evasive one-liners and mockery. They "win the day" by turning politics into the Sideshow, "isn't life like a movie" the way Chris Matthews and other like to envision it. Palin can give non-answer, answers all she wants until the media decide they've built her up enough to start tearing her down.
Chuck Todd (also on Joe-less Morning Joe this morning) said in 2000 in the debates, Gore won on points, but Bush won on perception.
When did political discourse become a big "your mama" game joke?
When will the Democrats learn to either play the game or switch fields?
I'll admit, I'm a pragmatist at heart. I don't really believe political discourse was ever some romantic ideal or that Kennedy-esque passing of torches is really very inspiring. But, I do know that the Republicans have figured out something Democratics haven't - to think about how people hear things.