Before you debate anyone you need to research them until you know what they're going to say before it comes out of their mouth. I've railed against hardcore Republicans before in a public setting, and one thing is clear: if you do your homework they will fold so fast it will make people's heads spin.
That's why it's important to view Sarah Palin in the proper context. All week long the Obama campaign has been trying to play the 11th-hour expectations game framing John McCain as a career political debater, and pointing to the Democratic primaries as proof Obama's not at his best in debates. That turned out great for Obama last night, but if there's anyone else also trying to play the expectations game, it's also Sarah Palin (deliberately or not), and right now, she has ZERO EXPECTATIONS.
Don't get blindsided. Even though she holds positions most Americans would find anathema, she can DEFINITELY hold her own when she knows what she's talking about (Small population politics in a state she's lived in for decades).
I usually don't like political debates. I find them topical and something any educated person can handle if they happen to read the Economist and New York Times every once in a while. They never get into much detail and the moderator usually doesn't challenge the debater for specifics. All you have to do is memorize a few obvious topics and names and you can fly from there.
After about the fifth primary debate between Clinton and Obama, I became so pissed off that a real discussion never took place on the issues. It was nothing but talking points back and forth and each debate was just a copy of the other without drilling further down into the problem upon every further debate. ONE of Clinton or Obama's plans was the right plan for specific reasons. But we'd never know from the debates, which never attempted to even proxy an objective conclusion based on facts and expert opinion.
DEBATES ARE EASY. It's all confidence and bluster. And one thing I find disturbing from a strategic point of view is that Sarah looks very professional and prepared in this video, and considerably more confident than some of her more recent interviews.
The Obama campaign needs to start laying the groundwork for raising her expectations again. Right now this woman is in front of her notecards memorizing things like "ahmadinejad" "mousawi" and "monetary policy". If she learns from her earlier mistakes in interviews I think she'll surprise people and then THE MEDIA NARRATIVE WILL CHANGE.
They'll start claiming it was sexist to downplay her abilities. I say jump on this NOW! Right now Obama's numbers are up, and the key to keeping them that way into November is to keep him floating without game changers. Doing some preliminary offense on this could make all the difference.
I know you're saying "but it's Joe Biden! She'll never be able to compete." I know, and right now his expectations are up to the roof, and I'm sure he'll easily be able to step up to the challenge. The real battle is slaughtering Palin, and you can't do that when she's surprised her audience by not being a complete and utter idiot. If she's as confident on Thursday as she is in the above, mark my words, there will be trouble.