stealth campaign

Republicans have preferred well choreographed photo-op situations and tightly scripted speeches before handpicked, friendly audiences since the Reagan years. So the sudden press phobia of the McCain/Palin campaign is not unexpected. After Palin's performance during her interview with Charles Gibson (which was hardly a tough interview), one can see why the Republicans don't want her out there giving spontaneous answers to questions about the proposed bail out of finance capitalism, credit-default swaps, or the weakening of the Anbar "Awakening." The format for the vice-presidential debate will suit her strength entirely: the ability to give scripted non-responsive responses.