Her debatng history in Alaska reflects some of the seemingly split personality we’ve seen from Sarah Palin during her first couple of appearances- breezy, smiling and devastating at the RNC and wobbly in later interviews. In Alaska, she’d sometimes falter on policy issues early in her races only to get more comfortable by debate time, and deliver an RNC-reminiscent performance. Opponents were frustrated by the fact that her ability to connect with audiences and deliver pointed or funny lines often outdid their extensive preparation. Here’s hoping we see this Sarah Palin on Thursday:
Palin saved her most devastating riposte for the final question of the debate, when Persily asked the three candidates whether they would hire their opponents for a state job. Knowles and Halcro offered halting jokes. But when it was Palin’s turn, she pounced. Smiling at Halcro, who recited reams of statistics by rote, Palin observed that the businessman “would make the most awesome statistician the state could ever look for.” As the debate audience laughed, Palin pivoted to Knowles, who had owned an Anchorage restaurant. “Do they need a chef down in Juneau?” Palin asked, smiling as she twisted the verbal knife. “I know Mr. Knowles is really good at that.” … “When you try to prove she doesn’t know anything, you lose, because audiences are enraptured by her,” Halcro said. “And her biting comments give you a sense of how competitive she is. Anybody who doesn’t take her seriously does so at their peril.”
