Biden prepares for debate: claims underdog status

A New York Times blog entry at the link below is titled, Biden’s Debate Prep.

Senator Biden spent Monday in a hotel suite in Wilmington preparing for Thursday night’s debate with Governor Sarah Palin (upper picture).

As practice sessions unfolded behind closed doors, top aides tried, not terribly convincingly, to suggest that Mr. Biden (lower picture) - a two-time presidential candidate, 35-year veteran of the Senate and chairman of its foreign affairs committee - is the debate underdog to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“He’s going in here to debate a leviathan of forensics,” Mr. Biden’s spokesman, David Wade, said with an almost straight face, “who has debated five times and she’s undefeated.”

Mr. Biden’s spokesman was making fun of Palin of course.

In the same vein, David Axelrod, Senator Barack Obama’s top political strategist, also tried to play down expectations for Mr. Biden and to highlight Ms. Palin’s skills as a debater.

They must be taking Governor Palin seriously, however because they have a host of helpers.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Democrat of Michigan, joined the debate preparation team in the role of Ms. Palin. Ms. Granholm flew to Wilmington with Mr. Biden on Sunday night after the Democratic candidates made an appearance in Detroit earlier in the day and was expected to stay for a day or two of mock combat.

Also on the Biden debate team were Ron Klain, a former top aide to Biden in the Senate who has been helping Mr. Obama prepare for debates; Ricki Seidman, another former Biden Senate aide who is now a senior campaign adviser; Anthony Blinken, Mr. Biden’s chief foreign policy aide; and Valerie Biden Owens, Mr. Biden’s sister, political adviser and close confidante.

That’s an army of aides on Biden’s debate team.

Actually, the most important rule he needs to take to the debate with him is:

Step 1. Open mouth.

Step 2. Remove foot.

Step 3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 as often as necessary.

There will probably be one or two people on the Sarah Palin debate team.

One sure thing will be the media reaction as soon as the debate is finished. The media will declare Biden the winner no matter what happens during the debate.

Link