MSNBC "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" - Transcript
Interview
MSNBC "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" - Transcript
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
OLBERMANN: For more now on the challenges facing and the strategy of Senator Biden, let's turn to Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat of Missouri, host state, obviously, of tonight's debate. She, of course, a supporter of the Obama-Biden campaign.
Senator, thank you for some of your time tonight.
SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, (D) OBAMA-BIDEN SURROGATE: Thank you, Keith.
OLBERMANN: The essence of this, senator, does Joe Biden ignore her and concentrate on John McCain, or try to mop the floor with her no matter what the risks might entail?
MCCASKILL: I don't think he can take that risk. He really can't win, if he tries to engage her too much. If he's really smart, he's condescending. If he's really nice, he's patronizing. No matter what he does, they're going to try to characterize him as being inappropriate.
I think the most important thing he has to do is have a conversation with the American people about the policy she represents-the policy of continuing exactly what George Bush has done with the economy for the last 7 ½ years, the policies that got us into this mess. And that his candidate, Barack Obama, has a new idea about how to help the middle of America and make people feel better about their financial future.
OLBERMANN: Let me give a what-if that has been thrown around a lot today, that in trying to discuss Joe Biden's foreign policy experience, one way she might be able to score points is emphasize the cornerstone of the Obama international position, or certainly, his record, his opposition to the authorization vote for the war in Iraq, whereas, Senator Biden voted for it.
If she goes into that and tries to separate the two of them that way, what do you think his best response should be?
MCCASKILL: I think his best response is going to be that he agrees with Barack Obama. That this was a mistake, it was a foreign policy blunder and that we've got to, like, come face to face with one harsh reality. We're borrowing $10 billion a week from China while Iraq sits around with tens upon billions of dollars sitting around in surpluses.
That's what the American people need to remind themselves of right now, that while we're struggling with our economy, Iraq is sitting there with a big, fat surplus, while we are sending all of our money over there. I think if Joe Biden does that, I think he can pivot nicely to something that, really, I think is weighing on people's minds-at least in Missouri, I know it is.
OLBERMANN: We discussed the etiquette, which is an unusual term for a debate like this, but there it is. Senator Biden seems to think this is no different than in the other debate. The quote from him was, "It seems like the only people in the room that think the debating woman is going to be fundamentally different are people who don't hang around with smart women," but he's talking about Olympia Snowe in the Senate or Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary debates. And unlike them, Governor Palin has been positioned in such a way that any disagreement with her becomes a potential example of, oh, there's sexism.
In this debate, are there not different rules for Joe Biden and does he not have to behave somewhat differently than he would if he were debating Mitt Romney?
MCCASKILL: Yes, you know, I feel for him. And, by the way, I kind of feel for Sarah Palin, too.
I mean, here's what's weird about this. John McCain says, "I picked a candidate that is so strong and so smart that she can be president of the United States, but, by the way, you can't talk to her. We're going to keep her away somewhere and you're not going to be able to ask questions of her."
Well, that's kind of a mixed message. If she's so strong, why can't she answer questions?
And, frankly, I feel for her because I think the McCain campaign protecting her, as if she is some kind of a fragile doll, has put a lot more pressure on her than probably she deserves. I think she's a good communicator, I think she'll do well, connecting with people. She's got an authentic way of communicating. And I think she'll do a good job tonight. She does well on television.
OLBERMANN: A question about communication and it's more about Governor Palin than Senator Biden. But you're our only guest in this hour who's actually been in this kind of arena.
Some decent but not necessarily exhaustive research that we've done suggests this governor has never spoken in a public venue where there was not a crowd reaction of some sort. There's going to be a crowd there obviously, but they're going to be instructed not to applaud, not to cheer. Even her Alaska debates, there was applause. There was laughter.
Would that be the kind of thing that would throw a political speaker who's used to getting feedback? What is it like for the first time when neither your blunders nor your hits get any reaction at all?
MCCASKILL: It's lonely. It's a little disconcerting, and especially, when you keep in mind that you are really looking at a camera, you're not looking at the room full of people. So, I think that will be a little difficult for her if she's not used to delivering punches. And, by the way, she can deliver a punch with a smile on her face. It will be interesting to see how she handles that.
And it will also be interesting-I feel for the moderator. You know, she's writing a book not just about Barack Obama but also about Michael Steele and J.C. Watts. This isn't a positive book about Barack Obama; it's about a new generation of political leaders. And so, I feel for the moderator, she's going to have to press Governor Palin to make sure that she forces her into something other than those glittering generalities that we've gotten used to in the Katie Couric interview and the Charlie Gibson interview.
OLBERMANN: I don't know if anybody has gotten used to them yet, senator. That's the only thing I'll disagree with you.
(LAUGHTER)
OLBERMANN: Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, thanks for your time tonight.
MCCASKILL: Thank you.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source