CNN Political Ticker: Biden goes home to prep for debate

[Hope And Change]

Sens. Obama and Biden head to a Detroit rally Sunday.


September 28, 2008

Biden goes home to prep for debate

Posted: 01:00 PM ET

From http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/tag/cnn-political-producer-alexander-marquardt/">CNN Political Producer Alexander Marquardt

DETROIT (CNN) – Following a rally in Detroit with Barack Obama Sunday afternoon, Joe Biden will return home to Wilmington, Delaware to prepare for his Thursday night debate with Sarah Palin.

The Delaware senator’s schedule is blank until he flies to St. Louis for the debate, though he will head to Washington to vote on the bailout package when the vote is scheduled in the Senate.

Spokesman David Wade says the only preparation Biden has done up to this point is reading and talking to a wide range of colleagues, among them senators Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm will fly to Wilmington this week to play the role of Palin in sparring sessions with Biden. In a recent interview on NBC’s Today Show she said, “I want to beat him up a little bit, so he does well.”

Biden never talks directly about Palin on the stump, only in the context of the Republican ticket as a whole. He regularly tells audiences he doesn't know anything about her.

"I’m not being a wise guy," Biden told a laughing crowd Friday in Wisconsin, "I don’t know. I’m assuming she agrees with (McCain's) position. I’m being deadly earnest. I don’t know. I don’t know."

Biden will fly back to Delaware after the debate for his son Beau's deployment to Iraq on Friday as part of a Delaware National Guard unit. Beau Biden is Delaware’s attorney general. Palin's eldest son, Track, is also serving in Iraq.

Filed under: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/presidential-candidates/joe-biden/">Joe Biden


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/28/biden-goes-home-to-prep-for-debate/">Link

[Beaverhausen]

1. He hardly needs prep. He should get some well - deserved rest

I for one do not think this debate will happen.

[mikiturner]

5. Wow, talk about low expectations!

I don't think they get lower than that.

[GarbagemanLB]

2. They really should have gotten Tina Fey to play Palin in the mock debates.

[glowing]

3. He'd do better to spar with Tina Fey, she's got the quirks down..

AND you would be able to tell what he will look like against her.. Tina, go help Biden please.

[Jennicut]

4. Yeah, I hope he gets some sleep. He has been going at it full blast

since the convention. Obama too.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. Jennifer Granholm is one smart person and is an excellent choice

for Joe to go against in preparation. She even studied to be an actress
at one point in her career, so she can do the accent if she wanted to.

I was amazed at her background and education
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Granholm

[Schulzz]

7. I really think the VP debate will have the same effect that friday's presidential debate had.

Biden didn't get the coverage that Palin got, so even more people will know that our ticket is the only choice after Thursday. Palin's favorabilty rating on the other hand is dropping like a rock since people started to know her better. There is no way she can handle the debate without a major gaffe, judging her interviews.

[deadparrot]

8. Why does he need Granholm?

Biden's got several little granddaughters running around. I'm sure they'd serve as fine stand-ins for Palin.

[jillan]

10. haha!

[PatSeg]

18. That's insulting to his adorable granddaughters!

[jillan]

9. Excellent news!

He needs some family time too.

[Olney Blue]

11. It's wonderful that Biden is practicing with a smart, savvy female.

Jennifer can give him any heads up on how to avoid even a hint of unintentional sexism.

I'm so proud of our ticket. We did good, folks.

[Cha]

13. Exactly!

And Biden won't get called away to a white house setup by john mccain and bush.

[quiet.american]

12. I hope Granholm plays the role by answering every question with a lie, wisecrack or total gibberish.

I think it's easier to be thrown off your game with that sort of thing, rather than by a reasoned answer, even if the reasoned answer is dead wrong.

I know Joe's got this, though. :)

[ClarkUSA]

14. Gawd, imagine how fun Biden's debate prep would be with Tina Fey?

Team Obama would easily raise $100M overnight for pay-per-view access. ;-)

[stillcool]

15. It's probably harder to debate..

someone like Sarah, than a worthy adversary. He's going to have to watch his facial expressions when she answers a question. None of these :wtf:

[mikiturner]

16. Palin already won

[Ikonoklast]

17. I pity Joe Biden.

The poor guy has to practice for hours on end not busting out in maniacal laughter and screaming, "Are you fucking serious?? I mean, really, you're making this crazy shit up as we go along, right?"

[PatSeg]

19. His best bet is to use facial expressions

that are both incredulous and compassionate (pity actually). He looks like the good guy that he is and she looks like the incompetent that she is. I loved the looks on Katie Couric's face during her interview. She really looked shocked and dismayed at Palin's ignorance, without being condescending.