Yeah Sarah's handlers really need to lay off and let her do her own thing. She obviously did well enough to defeat her opponents to be mayor and then governor. I'm sure that she can handle this.

Cindy...Ga.

I think the request to show more substance will be a very hard task for Palin! Especially after her Block Buster Inview failings recently! If she comes out of this debate with even a tad of respect it will be due to Biden's male primate weaknesses of trying to be a gallant stateman resisting the opportunity to shine the light of truth on Palin's inexperience and lack of Political Forte and Knowledge.

It will be a very fine line for Biden to walk. If he comes on too strong Republicans will bring on the Gender issue! Tough place to be in but I'm sure Biden can handle it even with his large level of compassion for all!

Pat – how can then realistically claim gender issues when she has already degraded herself as a women by referring to herself as a pitbull in lipstick. And let's not forget the Rep Convention with all those adoring men wearing 'hot for Palin' buttons and the like.... You can't strutt around in one breath bragging about being a tough woman with great lipstick and then cry 'sexist' because someone is a little hard on you. The whole reason why she was picked is because she's a woman. That was clearly spelled out the first time she spoke!

I am so sick of hearing that Palin appeals to "regular people".

No, she appeals to "irregular people": people who are narrow-minded; have no concept of a world outside of the United States; are completely intolerant of a lifestyle other than their own; have no empathy for victims of assault; enjoy killing animals for fun; people who are not very bright......

I consider myself a "regular person" and I do not identify with Palin or McCain.

Yes, Carol I'm with you completely. My problem with Palin is that she's just not well rounded or worldly enough. She knows her stuff when it comes to her own community in Alaska. Hey, she's got that down but she doesn't know or doesn't care to know about anything outside of her own little world. Her insistence that other people adopt her values on issues like prolife and homosexuality clearly shows that she has no tolerance for others who share different values from her.

Carol, boy do I agree with you. I

consider myself regular people......a mother of 2, banking professional (earning around 45K a year), married with a modest home in metro Atlanta. We are a church going family with modest beliefs and are making ends meet by living check to check. My two year old son saw a picture of Obama and McCain and he said to me.......momma Bara and Cain. That's because my family watches the news and read magazines. Why am I saying this........because I cannot believe that a grown politician cannot name one book or newspaper that she has read regarding our country. I asked my 7 year of daughter to give me one book that she has read concerning our country.......she named her Social Studies book at school. Stop making excuses for this woman and dogging Katie Couric for asking her simple questions. When Katie ask hard questions, she unfair and when Katie ask her easy questions to at least let her shine, Katie is still being unfair. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

I hope Palin askes Biden and finds out how 95% of the people are not going to be paying higher taxes if Obama gets elected.It 's a given that business is going to pass the cost along to consumers,so General Mills is GOING to charge more for a box of cereal,which means we are all going to pay higher taxes.I think at that point people will start to see who the liars are,and who's stupid.

The View? Larry King? These are the 'journalists' that Rachel is suggesting better fit Ms. Palin's style? She's a potential VP (or even Pres) of the United States! She has to be able to stand up to tough questions if she expects us to believe she can stand up to tough US adversaries. This 'keep it simple for Sarah' approach just feeds into the perception that she is incompetent and requires a different set of standards. If Ms. Palin's any good she'll show it. So far she hasn't. I'm doubtful that she will.

Stop trying so hard? Show more substance? Palin has no substance that's why she has to try so hard. As a woman, it's insulting to hear that Palin should go on shows like the View or Regis and Kelly. You're implying that she can't hang with the big boys on Meet the Press or any real political show. What the heck? Why would anyone take her seriously if she went on the View? It's an entertainment show. VP's are not suppose to entertain us with their personalities. If that was her goal, she should've stayed a beauty queen. I want a VP that is going to talk intelligently to world leaders, be well versed in the law and know the issues. I haven't seen Palin say or do anything that shows she is intelligently qualified.

When there is no substance what do you expect – she is unqualified period

Her interview with Katie Couric showed that loud and clear – with no prepared speech like she gives at rallies – she clearly shows she cannot form an answer

A VP should not have to cram or be handled – like everything else in life you either have it or you don't – and she clearly does not

It is time to stop making excuses for her – she is out of her league playing on a national stage

"Unfortunately, they are not instantly bestowed on a candidate upon nomination. It is a skill. It takes practice."

No. These are skills typically acquired through practice before being nominated, by running for smaller offices or, say, by being a community organizer. With one month until the election, Palin is simply not displaying the poise required of a nationally elected official. And this is absolutely not the time for on the job learning.

I doubt meetings with foreign heads-of-state are anything remotely like The View, Regis & Kelly, or Larry King. If she can't face the straightforward questions of Katie Couric (doing some of the best journalism of her career) and construct cogent replies, how can she be expected to perform on a world stage, lead the Senate, and ascend to the presidency if necessary?

It seems rather patronizing to suggest that she deserves or requires a "soft entry" into national politics. Would that have been suggested for any other candidate throughout this past election cycle, of either party, it would have been laughed off the table.

Yep....her were her "handlers".
Well.......if it seems to go bad for her , she can always play the flute.

Carol,
I had to laugh at your comment:
people who are narrow-minded; have no concept of a world outside of the United States; are completely intolerant of a lifestyle other than their own; have no empathy for victims of assault; enjoy killing animals for fun; people who are not very bright……

LOL, and you're saying "irregular people" are narrow minded? how narrow minded could YOU possibly be to assume that people who enjoy hunting are not very bright or intolerant of a lifestyle other than their own? I have a PhD, and my entire family enjoys hunting. We do not hunt because we enjoy killing animals, rather we enjoy a more natural lifestyle. This is the beauty of living in the United States, freedom to choose your own lifestyle. So while I'm sure your lifestyle differs greatly from mine, please use more thought before you call people who don't share your own views narrow minded.......
Have a wonderful day, God bless you!

I hope there isn't claims of any "Gotcha" moments tonight. It's not that it never happens but geez. People just want to hear Palin's and Biden's opinions about policy and how to put out all the political and economical firestorms in our country. If she's not up to it maybe you can get Tina Fey.This election process is way too long, petty, and expensive in this country. Many politicians usually do whatever the hell they feel like or owe favors to anyway.

I'm a "regular person" from Alaska. Her views are different from just about every single person I know in Anchorage. All of my friends are pro-choice, and non of my friends believe Alaska exists to be a haven for the survivors of the apocolypse. We do love our guns here, but that's about the only similarity. She doesn't connect with me at all.

On the other hand, Gov. Palin can do a fine job of governing a state with roughly half the population of Rhode Island. She needs more than 2 years experience doing things on a much larger scale before trying her hand at the big-time in the national arena.

If i wanted my ' mom ' to run anything in my life I would have never left home. In these global and economic hardships, anybody ' regular ' in a position of power scares the hell out of me. Although ' regular ' would be substantially better than these criminals in office have treated us the last eight years.

I am a regular person–a high school teacher, mother of two–and Palin certainly does not appeal to me. Prepped or not, the future VP of our nation needs to be well-versed in economics, foreign policy, and even the history of our nation (her response to the Supreme Court question was frightening). Additionally, going back to her interview with Charlie Gibson-the scariest thing she said was that she had no hesitation in accepting the offer from McCain to run on his ticket. I think any reasonable person, regarless of their experience (which clearly she has little), would take a great amount of time to really think about what this position entails and whether or not she could or should accept. What kind of "Joe Six-Pack" just blindly accepts such a task without seriously consideration????

I feel like we are talking about coaching someone running for a high school or college student election – instead of a vp candidate. Shouldn't a candidate know all this?

well... you know... the American people are getting ill... I'm getting ill... McCain is a maveric... and the American people are looking to McCain for guidance... it's not about how Obama.... oh... we should be patient and watch how.

Biden will win the debate. Palin hasn't been able to form a coherent sentence as of late. Surely, she won't win a debate. More importantly, when she does manage to link coherent words together, they don't inspire confidence. Given our eoonomic calamady, and our war, and our health care and education systems, teetering on the brink of disaster, I can't imagine anyone wanting Mrs. Palin in a position of power. It's one thing to run a state a 1/3 of the size of the San Fernando Valley (a bedroom area in backyard of Los Angeles), and it's quite another to run a country once thought to be the most powerful in the world.

Biden will win the debate. Palin hasn't been able to form a coherent sentence as of late. Surely, she won't win a debate. More importantly, when she does manage to link coherent words together, they don't inspire confidence. Given our eoonomic calamady, and our war, and our health care and education systems, teetering on the brink of disaster, I can't imagine anyone wanting Mrs. Palin in a position of power. It's one thing to run a state a 1/3 of the size of the San Fernando Valley (a bedroom area in backyard of Los Angeles), and it's quite another to run a country once thought to be the most powerful in the world.

Stop being catty ladies and look at the qualifications she has the other 3 candidates don't. She's the only one who's been a Chief Executive as Govenor of Alaska and Commander-In-Chief of military forces as she is with the Alaska National Guard AND the Alaska Air Guard which works directly watching for Russian incoming aircraft and missles with NORAD. NORAD is a combined effort with the United States Air Force and the Canadian Royal Air Force. Cattiness only creates negativity. Before making a decision be fair and mature and look for the strong points of all 4 candidates. Make yours a fair. unbiased vote whoever you votefor. I'm not teling anyone who to vote for, just be fair and informed.

Carol, you are absolutely correct. She appeals to the ignorant and uneducated in my opinion. Secondly, I don't WANT someone who is a regular person and like the rest of us. My president/VP better be dang smart.....smarter than ME!!! I want the academically elite. We've all seen what happens when we elect "Joe Six Pack" to office. The last 8 years have been a disaster with the person who "relates to us all."

The reality is that the substance isn't there; for those attempting to uncover the substance, it's simply an exercise in futility.

Palin is truly outmatched, and there's no denying it.

I am appalled that you or anyone else thinks that showing qualificaitons for Vice President of the United States of America includes guest hosting on The View. Honestly, don't you see how ridiculous that sounds? You're basically saying that she couldn't handle Katie Couric because she didn't get to warm up with Elizabeth Hasselback first – when the job entails talking to the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iraq!

Palin does appeal to "regular people" I consider myself a "regular person" too and I Think she's great. I don't believe in abortion. Not for any reason. Why is it against the law to harm an animal but we can butcher and kill our babies? I think all those that believe in abortion are "irregular people" and have a few screws loose. Murder is murder no matter what name you try to fluff it up with or what kind of pretty picture you choose to make out of it. AND THATS what one of us REGULAR PEOPLE think about that. I have plenty of empathy for victims of assault. I have plenty of empathy for animals and I apparently have more empathy for babies than other "regular people"

I'm not even an Amercian and it's so sad to see how shows like the
" View " try to bash down Palin... what makes the hosts of the " View " any better... Like Cindy in GA. said i'm sure she's can handle it... Give her a chance and see what happens... She can't be worse than some of the politicans that are in the white house... and from my personal comment.. i think it would be really good to see a woman president one day... not that's change !!!!

Palin will make a fool of herself and Americans will love her for it. Idiots loving other idiots is the American way (ahem..George Bush). Welcome to the reality TV society!

She can't show more substance , that's all she has.
She is shrill, and a master of doublespeak. Lots and lots of words that say absolutely nothing.

And re: the gender issue "if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen".

The bar has been set so low that as long as she can make it to the podium with out falling and is able to remember to keep breathing she will be declared a "winner".
The thing that leaves me so utterly stumped is that Republicans are so impressed with her. She represents this group of Americans that harp on about "small town values" that in large part include utter ignorance of the complexities of foreign policy and economics. Surely we want our leaders to be the very best and brightest they can be, this is one of the hardest jobs on the planet. I ask the Republicans this, would you trust a "nice" and "ideologically pure" stranger to carry out heart surgery on you if they had no medical background? That's what you are expecting from Palin and its quite frankly scary.

What substance – she has no depth of substance! She is an extended mouth-piece for McCain.

She could pick her nose through the entire debate and those tragically inept, 'at all costs' supporters of hers would love her even more, because she's 'just like them'. God help us.

Either way, Obama will win the general election. Senator McCain went too far, too many times. He is in over his head, not unlke Palin. I believe our leaders should be extremely intelligent as well as in touch with the general population. I know, very demanding and radical isn't it? (sigh)

Doesn't matter who wins the debate, people are voting for the top of the ticket. Obama could have picked a guy whose been in the senate 10 years longer than McCain and still win.

It's not what goes into a man or a woman that defiles the individual ,it's what comes out of their mouth and what has been coming out of Sarah Palin unscripted has not given any hope that Intelligence and judgement are the two most important factors in her life. There is no substitute for Intelligence. This is a blatent mis calculated risk taken by John McCain and he MUST pay the consequences for his Arrogance,strongheadedness and stupidity.It's just like he's holding on to the SURGE in Iraq but America should not have been there in the first place---amen---look how many killed soldiers and disabled ones we have. It's time for accountability and punishment. Stop this war now and bring the troops home and save trillions before it's too late.Go get them Obama/biden.

Very, very interesting, and I agree on a number of your points, but ultimately it's better that she was thrust onto this more difficult playing fields, because she either has it or she doesn't, and... she doesn't.

A month of well-planned interviews isn't going to make this woman any more qualified to take over the most important job in the United States, should something happen to McCain. I don't care if Sarah doesn't know where to put her America pin or whether to point or do the thumbs-up style of debate while talking. I care that she can't think of any other supreme court decision than Roe V. Wade, which she had been reminded of moments earlier. I care that she seems to know nothing about the current financial crisis. I care that she refers to herself as "Joe Six-Pack", an average American. That's great - I'll see you at the BBQ, Sarah, but I don't want to see you in the Oval Office with your Coors Light and your rifle and your aw garsh expression.

She just isn't ready, and frankly I think she never will be.

My only question is ..IF..McCain/Palin were to be elected..would those who voted for them be accountable when the wheels fall off?

As an electorate we get off scott free when we make bad decisions. Which is most of the time. We give the blind man the car keys, then blame him for crashing the car.

Palin has an opportunity to actually come across as thoughtful and intelligent, but she needs, NEEDS to know what she's talking about. Half-truths and tap-dancing around the questions will not win her any favor and will not convince any middle-of-the-road fence-sitters to climb aboard and vote the McCain-Palin ticket next month.

The fact that she couldn't even give a single example of a publication she regularly reads is sad. That she couldn't think of any Supreme Court rulings she found unfavorable is telling.

In response to CAROL:

Carol dear,
Regular People is a term that is not just black or white. There are gray areas of Regular People too!

Above Regular People
Average Regular People
Below Regular People

You are obviously in the "Below Regular People" catagory.

The clips folks are seeing on TV with Sarah Palin debating in Alaska were all heavily edited from numerous debates.
I have also been hearing that Sarah is taken credit for the Gas pipeline in Alaska however this project started back in 1976.
Large natural gas reserves were discovered in Prudhoe Bay in 1967. Congress adopted the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1977, and Carter selected the project sponsored by Northwest to the exclusion of the other two projects. The Commission then proceeded to conduct further proceedings to issue certificates of public convenience and necessity to authorize construction of pipelines from Prudhoe Bay and extending to San Francisco and Chicago, and the United States and Canada entered into an agreement regarding having the gas pipeline follow the Alaskan Highway route, etc.. Sarah is only a small part of the picture.
The other thing I keep hearing from Sarah is that she took on corruption in Alaska, really? Then why do we see her sitting next to Ted Stevens in an interview supporting the Bridge to Nowhere?

It's sad that you, a supporter, feels that she is so ill-equipped to answer questions that any person running for VPOTUS should be able to answer, that she should go on fluff shows to talk about baking cookies or something rather than show her strengths/weaknesses to the American public.

You are obviously embarrassed of her. If you are not, you should be. We are voting for the president and vice president of the USA. We should have every opportunity to pick these people apart and find out what they know, what they don't know, what they stand for, what they are about. We've done that with Obama, Biden and McCain. Why not Palin?

The View? Indeed.

I am sorry but Sarah Palin couldn't even answer a simple question of what she reads, when asked by Katie Couric, leave along all the other questions – she could have said Fortune, Newsweek , Time or Wall St Journal. She probably does not read much more than the People magazine or that Wasilla Times. This airhead may be in the White House, potentially, someday?

She could not relate to Pakistan when asked by someone at the time she was buying a sandwich in a mall. Made a stupid comment about the Pakistan economy. Wazirstan – what? The truth is that she is a clueless moosehead and a heartbeat away from the presidency and I would hate for this country to be in worse shape than what it is today. Just heard on the radio that dealerships across the country are starting to fold – they can't get financing for their inventory and neither can their buyers.

Charles Gibson and Katie Couric probably spent more time preparing for the interview that McCain did in hiring her as a running mate. There is a clear lack of judgment here by the McCain and his advisors and it is likely to backfire on him soon enough. She should bow out gracefully for the sake of the Republican party.

Oh boy- gotta get those answers out there... she's babbling them out so fast 'cause she is afraid she'll forget something. It's a shame that we are listening to set points instead of substantive answer. The set jaw and gritting of the teeth. And imagine some in America will think she was excellent. Makes me wonder what standard are they considering. Because these will be the same people that voted Bush in and we see where we are now.

Sarah, is more interested in getting the glory and really care or understand what John Mccain's policies .
She is over confident and talks about only things she is aware of and has done something in her state and succeded by fluke.. she may be accepted as a mayor, but no way she is ready to serve America.. neither America is ready for her!

Like in large organizations, you choose a CEO who has experience running a large organization, they should have atleast considered some better experienced folks than this lady who knows nothing but how to be a little town girl and keep bragging about three things she knows..

Look at the debate.. she has no idea what is being asked and she providing the answers to just prove her track record..
Not sure how a person like this help understand the situation America will be in times of crisis .. if she is so ready to jump talk and make conclusions..Here qualities and softskills are really being observed and measured too..
One advise Palin: Stop trying so hard!!

People tend towards believing everything that is droned into them from the media and the internet. It is all politically motivated. That's why we allowed our politicians to hand us a new form of graft. There isn't one politician who hasn't listened to a lobbyist at one time or another. Gore stated that he created the Internet(yeah right). Clinton stated he didn't have relations. Bush Sr., went into the Middle East. Bush followed in Dad's footsteps. And all of them listened to the people pulling their strings. There was a concert for Obama to raise money that the tickets ranged from 800 to 10000 bucks. We were sent home from work when he showed up in our town. Choose for yourself who you want and stop maligning specific people.

For the record, I don't EVER want to see a candidate WINK at me while speaking in the formal setting of a debate. It took Sarah Palin all of about ten minutes to do just that!

That woman is not "of the people," and who the heck cares about "folksey"?! Is that even a word?!

I have, and am still, watching the debate. She gives no direct answers. The few she does muster are inaccurate.

I sincerely hope that she isn't supposed to be a peer I am supposed to actually look UP to!

Atrocious! She was/is awful. McCain should give up.

With respect to Jeo-Palin debate, I believe she is always one question behind and is trying to tie things personally to her. There is no clear cut view on topics.. especially the bailout package, her experience with Foreign polic; it is dismal. Joe Biden talks with facts in hands and data.

I am watching this debate in sydney Australia and do watch CNN along with my husband every night. We are interested in Global Politics. This woman, Palin, will put the women's movement back 40 years. I cannot believe that she would be the President of USA. If this Republican ticket is elected, you will need to put a heavy curtain around the whole of your country to hide yourself from the rest of the world. Bush , a Republican, was elected and his Administration has failed – the USA is a great country and if they, the Republicans, are elected, then I know the calvary will not come to save you. The economic crises is an excellent example of how to stuff up a country. I bet his Republican cronies have made squillions during these past 8 years. Clinton left a surplus, Bush has left a disaster of unpecedent proportions.
Good luck to your country. Do the right thing.
D Casey

omg..............................................."dogonit"?

she is not a washington politician.

she expresses her small town ways, that are relevant but not an asset in her case.

she is a danger to the free world, because she cannot acknowledge the clear and present issue of her administration.

i know she is trying to win, but she is becoming annoying.

I agree darren....she is indeed a danger to the free world...her views are clearly scripted and her references during the debate are specific to Alaska...not relevant to the continental US problems, urban, foreign policy and energy policy.

I hope American people can finally see this who can be elected to be the Vice President of the United States . I'm sure she's a nice lady but a Vice President candidate she is not. Wake up Americans! especially women she is not the one, not this time.

I hope American people can finally see this is who can be elected to be the Vice President of the United States . I'm sure she's a nice lady but a Vice President candidate she is not. Wake up Americans! especially women she is not the one, not this time.

This is scary!! To think that people would still vote for McCain/Palin after listening to this debate is sick. What has this country come to, that we as a people would cast a vote for someone that was clearly not ready instead of voting for the one whose right for the job and deserves a chance. I feel sorry that Palin continues to put herself out there. She has to know that she can not answer a question if she has not idea what the question means. It was clear to me that she had been coached to some degree and she still didn't get it! May God Bless us all come November 4, 08.