# Where was Palin on debate night?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [September 28, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557 "2008-09-28T06:37:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/1 "2008-09-28T06:37:33Z")
I put this in GD because I’m sure the replies well send it there eventually:
Where was Palin after Friday’s debate? At the end of the debate, we heard from Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden and… Rudy Giuliani? Guh? Where’s Palin in all this? I mean, I’ve seen the same videos as everyone else as to the times they have let her out of the closet to do an interview, but still… How long can the republicans reasonably keep her out of interviews? If the Democrats had their VP candidate out for interviews that night, how can the republicans defend her absense? This seems a complete liability to me, and I don’t understand how this has not gotten more media attention by now.
Or was she out and about doing interviews on another network and I completey missed it? I was watching CBS, fwiw.
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/2 "2008-09-28T07:04:09Z")
Word from the McCain camp was that she was “at a debate party”. More likely to me, it seems they were afraid of letting her talk to the press.
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### Author:  [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2008, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/3 "2008-09-28T07:39:09Z")
As part of her training to become the (Republican) Vice President, she was probably touring Dick Cheney’s collection of undisclosed locations.
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### Author:  [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/4 "2008-09-28T07:44:41Z")
Palin attended the debate. Like Obama, Biden, and McCain, she [flew into MEM and drove into Oxford](http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU4527/history/20080926/1830Z/KIAD/KMEM). No idea what she was doing between the end of the debate and [leaving for DC around 1:30](http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU4527/history/20080927/0715Z/KMEM/KIAD).
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### Author:  [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/5 "2008-09-29T02:27:42Z")
I read that she watched the debate in a bar in Philadelphia. Yeah, here it is.
> **[McCain Camp Doesn't Let Palin Spin After Debate](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sara-palin-nowhere-to-be_n_129861)**
>
> McCain Camp Doesn't Let Palin Spin After Debate
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### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/6 "2008-09-29T03:23:18Z")
She was kept in a cell ,each window had a series of tubes in them
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/7 "2008-09-29T05:14:40Z")
She was at home in Alaska, on tip-toe, watching for Putin to cross the border.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/8 "2008-09-29T07:11:24Z")
On a somewhat serious note, I am sure she is still preparing for Thursday’s debate. I would love to be privy to that crash course in Political Science! Her college experience hardly gives anyone the impression she is a fast learner. I would almost pity her if it weren’t for the fact that the Republicans still steadfastly maintain she is absolutely the most qualified VP McCain could possibly have ever chosen. OK then, show us what ya got, Sarah!
Actually, I am trying to figure out how the Republicans will try to cancel this debate…I wouldn’t put it past them to come up with some really grand, attention-grabbing scheme to force a delay.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/9 "2008-09-29T07:16:01Z")
> [@atomicbadgerrace](#):
>
> Palin attended the debate. Like Obama, Biden, and McCain, she [flew into MEM and drove into Oxford](http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU4527/history/20080926/1830Z/KIAD/KMEM). No idea what she was doing between the end of the debate and [leaving for DC around 1:30](http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU4527/history/20080927/0715Z/KMEM/KIAD).
Your links are for flight information… care to share where you got your Palin schedule information? Because other sources say she was in Philly.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/10 "2008-09-29T07:42:53Z")
I heard that she was with her family at the Best Western in Tupelo watching [her favorite movie.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067608/)
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### Author:  [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/11 "2008-09-29T08:17:50Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> Your links are for flight information… care to share where you got your Palin schedule information? Because other sources say she was in Philly.
_shrug_ Palin’s charter plane flights. My assumption was that she was on the plane, given that they originated initially in Philly, and returned there afterward. Guess she just loaned it to some friends for the evening.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/12 "2008-09-29T09:48:08Z")
Did anyone else catch the snide remark Anderson Cooper made when he and Christiana Amanpour and a few other talking heads sat down to discuss the debate afterward? I don’t recall it exactly, but someone said something to the effect of “yes, and we’ve heard from Joe Biden, it seems Sarah Palin won’t be commenting…” At which point Cooper harrumphed and said something in a saracastic tone along the lines of “oh yeah, don’t hold your breath.”
Note that the above is a poor attempt to recount what was really said - the precise words were not especially close. But, that’s the overall gist of it.
After I finished snort-laughing, I thought two things:
1. Anderson, I’ve always thought you were a fluffy little jerk, but now, I like you a lot.
2. Well, damn it if the media doesn’t indeed have a liberal bias - we sure just saw evidence of it.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/13 "2008-09-29T09:56:22Z")
Palin is a ‘valuable resource’.
Why waste her on discussing a Presidential candidate debate?
She’s got babies to kiss and photo-opportunities to attend. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/14 "2008-09-29T10:09:21Z")
In intensive training for her own debate by staying at a Holiday Inn Express.
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### Author:  [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/15 "2008-09-29T12:55:45Z")
Palin was in Philadelphia at a bar. She was on the Local Philadelphia news she had on some hat and was all smiles.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/16 "2008-09-29T13:30:19Z")
> [@DMark](#):
>
> On a somewhat serious note, I am sure she is still preparing for Thursday’s debate. I would love to be privy to that crash course in Political Science! Her college experience hardly gives anyone the impression she is a fast learner. I would almost pity her if it weren’t for the fact that the Republicans still steadfastly maintain she is absolutely the most qualified VP McCain could possibly have ever chosen. OK then, show us what ya got, Sarah!
>
> Actually, I am trying to figure out how the Republicans will try to cancel this debate…I wouldn’t put it past them to come up with some really grand, attention-grabbing scheme to force a delay.
I heard some talking heads saying she will do good eough on the domestic stuff and most likely crappy on the international stuff. I just hope Biden can resist the urge to politically bitch-slap her into the Bering Strait. It kind of pisses me off that he has to handle her with kid gloves when he would be expected to come out with the gloves off for a male opponent.
I’m pretty confident she’ll cut her own throat. What, with all that monitoring of the Russians…no time to study.
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### Author:  [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/17 "2008-09-29T14:10:30Z")
I didn’t think the VP necessarily gave the response. I’m pretty sure I saw Tom Daschle give the Democratic party response after a Kerry/Bush debate.
It’s not like there is any give and take in the response. They just recite (probably pre written) a response saying their candidate won.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/18 "2008-09-29T14:14:40Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> 1. Well, damn it if the media doesn’t indeed have a liberal bias - we sure just saw evidence of it.
Why would this be evidence of a liberal bias instead of frustration that Palin has been so unavailable to the press?
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### Author:  [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/19 "2008-09-29T14:19:27Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> Why would this be evidence of a liberal bias instead of frustration that Palin has been so unavailable to the press?
They keep her secluded because of [things like this.](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/28/mccain-retracts-palins-pakistan-comments/)
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-palin-on-debate-night/465557/20 "2008-09-29T14:27:46Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#):
>
> It’s not like there is any give and take in the response. They just recite (probably pre written) a response saying their candidate won.
Which further begs the question, why didn’t she deliver the response?
It’s not like it’s a foregone conclusion that the Veep candidate must offer post-debate commentary, as you’ve pointed out. But what better avenue to get her face and voice out to the people, than with a canned response?
She has been so removed from media access, I would have thought after the week of “I’ll bring them to ya”, it would have been a perfect opportunity to let her read something that sounded intelligent for a change.
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