His Debate Impressions
It is Friday! I am headed to the big city (NYC) this weekend. My brother’s wife is having a baby, and we are gonna get drunk and play video games to hearken her arrival. Very Roman, I know.
So. I watched the debate last night, and have watched not 1 minute of the pundits since. I did not watch the after coverage, nor have I clicked on a website or looked at a newspaper. First off, I think that should be outlawed at least for 24 hours. How about this: We have the debate, and then go at least 24 hours without some a-hole telling you what happened. Let US figure it out. They were both speaking (mostly) English, and that is the preferred language of most of the watchers. It seems to me that some will watch the debate, and then watch the post debate coverage to see who won. CNN even had a rudimentary scoring system going on in the margins. NEWS FLASH- this is not a baseball game! Putting up 6 different people’s real time scoring, all of which are drastically different from each other is about as helpful as putting nothing up and letting people listen and learn.
First off, Palin looks so much like a psycho ex that I have a hard time looking at her. Luckily, the Fargo-esque cadence jars me back to the real world as fear grips me and terror sets in. So, she held her own I thought. She stuck to her talking points, regardless of the question, and then when Biden would refute the points, she would return and repeat the same thing. One example of this was her assertion that Obama voted to stop the funding of the troops. This is an attack that McCain made directly to Obama in last week’s debate. Here’s the skinny: McCain voted against funding the troops if there WAS a timetable for withdrawal attached to the bill. Obama voted against funding the troops if there was NOT a timetable for withdrawal attached. For McCain and Palin to repeatedly say that Obama voted against funding the troops is misleading at best. After Biden refuted the claim, she kept at it, mentioning a few times that Biden had taken him to task for it during the Democratic Primary Debates.
Biden did very well not to seem condescending and he avoided the gaffes that have marked his political career. When Palin mis-spoke about the name of the commander in Afghanistan, Biden did not correct her. When she misspoke about some of Obama’s policies and votes, Biden was quick to respond to explain and correct the misspeakings. However, he avoided direct confrontation of the personal kind that many would consider bullying. He brought up numbers, but not in an overwhelming sense, just to illustrate his focused points. He went far and wide to avoid criticizing McCain the person, at one point paraphrasing his mother with, “John, god love him, but…â€
Palin brought to the table the ‘every woman’ point of view. She referenced her soccer mom status, her dwelling in the middle class and unease about making certain ends meet. She really brought it close to home with what she has done for her state of Alaska, and how that should translate into her success on the Hill. She repeated a constant refrain: Change is coming with the McCain/Palin ticket. New energy seemed to be one of her talking points. New Energy? I don’t get it.
The only part of the debate that was remotely funny was when Palin was questioned about what Cheney has done to the office of the Vice Presidency. He claimed that it was part of the Legislative branch so that he would not have to answer questions regarding the administrations incompetence. When Palin was asked if she agreed with this assertion, she went off on one of those answers that made you believe that she had no idea what the question meant. I was really waiting for her to claim that US Americans did not know the Constitutional duties of the VP because there were not enough Constitutions lying around. Biden struck hard and decisively here, and instead of taking Palin to task for her answer that bordered between the absurd and idiotic, he offered a sharp rebuke on what Cheney has done with the office. He also was quick to point out (correcting an earlier answer by Palin) that the ONLY legislative duty of the VP is to break ties in the senate.
While Palin said “I am one of you, Todd and I struggle to make ends meet,†ETC. Biden took a different approach. He admitted his wealth, not in a grandiose way, not at all bragging, just matter of factly, I have a very good job and a very nice house, and I do my duty in paying taxes, and so should everyone who makes as much as me. There was something in this that struck a chord. Rather than McCain saying “I feel your pain,†When he obviously doesn’t this was genuine and admirable. We all want to grow up to be wealthy, well Biden has done it and is not apologizing.
He also had a very real moment where he teared and choked up remembering the loss of his wife, and his son in harm’s way. It was a very real moment that one could feel rather than just see and hear, and at that point, Palin’s soccer mom mini van got a flat.
All in all, because O’biden (as Biden was referred to at one point by Palin) was winning going into this thing, so they did not need to swing for the fences. They did not need to win the debate handily, just needed not to embarrass themselves. This they did, and a little more I thought.
Now, I am dying to click on the Drudge Report and see who “won.â€
HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND, TAKE NEW ENGLAND -3 AT SAN FRANCISCO AND THANK ME ON MONDAY
~J. Burrows
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I pretty much agree with your assessment.
I agree that Palin stuck to her talking points but really couldn’t answer a question on her feet.
I think Biden did a great job of not attacking her directly, and rather directed his points to McCain. He also keep his loquaciousness under wraps.
Nice review of the debate. I completely agree with your assessment. Palin did a better job than I was expecting, but the “Norman Rockwell”-ness of her just bugged me. AND did not fool me. What a performance! You know what my top 2 irritations were? Her supposed concern for women’s rights in Iran when she wants to abolish Roe v. Wade even for rape victims and her use of the word “nuclear.” C’mon! NUCULAR? Is she really serious? Who says that anymore?
excellent web congratulations…..
Maxwell Reyes, From Dominican Republic
This of course is the exchange that I was referencing. “Um, well, U.S. Americans have trouble with the distinction because there are so few Constitutions lying around to check it against.”
IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?
PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president’s agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we’ll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also.
Um, WHAT?!!!! Why is this not being dissected? If her brother’s 3rd grade class turned in a paragraph like this, they would probably be sent back to second grade!
Debate/speech style of Sarah Palin:
First and foremost, I feel in respect to the underline fundamentals of the American people, in which I understand it to be the point of contrast with other countries, it is also that which will help in our endeavors to put forth that change that so many could gained by and not just gained but also to be taught with Maverick aspects of who McCain and I are as reformers to this country and also this ticket if I am so fortunate to be but again it will ultimately be the decision of the people that I am so privileged to speak to on this very issue of reform but also it needs to be about the education of upmost importance that which will propel us into that Energy dependence against the foreign oil in which and of the aspect of reform and I might add Maverick abilities Of McCain and I.
With regards to foreign policy and by the way I must add the policy in which it has been I think it must be said to carry what might be thought and this is important also. Joe Sixpack will understand that what could be and ultimately what should be in that respect of America. So in conclusion I the Maverick and McCain the Maverick and also reformer which is what by the way I was as the Governor Of Alaska and to what all is the essence of America.
To all the gosh-darn hockey moms and doggone Joe SixPack’s of this country I have just one thing to say – You betcha I feel your pain and as a moose hunting maverick I feel that the gosh-darn de-regulation of Wall Street is just the kind of maverick-y gosh-darn regulation and accountability that John McCain has been known for in his years as a de-regulator and a maverick in the senate and I am the maverick governor of the energy capital of the world.
No, I won’t answer your question, I’m talking right to Joe SixPack and the hard working people of this gosh-darn country who know that maverick-y goodness is what we will bring to Washington in the form of regulation, accountability, and more de-regulation. You betcha the American people know that when Putin rears his head, we won’t negotiate without any pre-conditions and they know that “the Maverick” John McCain is just the kind of maverick reformer to win the wars against Iraq and Pakistan and we will not wave the white flag of universal socialized health care while Wall Street is trying to contain Iran and address the problems of non-proliferation.
You betcha I’ve had executive experience in the PTA where I learned that Barack Obama voted against sending food to our troops and said that he would raise taxes on 150% of American workers. John McCain is a maverick. You betcha. (wink wink)
Expectations for Palin were so low that understanding the question was enough for her to do well. OK, so she didn’t understand the legislative vs executive branch of government question, but I think she believes that the people she is trying to reach with her down-home, folksy demeanor don’t understand the question either. My favorite part was when she tried to convince those same people that McCain’s health care plan was going to benefit them. These are the same people who will end up with no health care coverage under that plan.
Well I think you definitely have a Biden slant to your assessment, not that there is anything wrong with that.
It was obvious from the get go that Biden would win. He’s been in the Senate forever and a day, she…more like just a day.
Whoever asked about the nucular pronounciation and who says it anymore….um how about our current president…George Dubya. He’s guilty!
Anyhoo, I thought she held up as best she could. Was it good enough? Probably not, I’m predicting an Obama win.
Awesome review of the debate. I’d really rather read from “real people’, their thoughts and reactions to the debate, than those of the pundits and media.
Really enjoy your site…found you through Twittermoms.
First – excellent review of the debate. I agree with Ann, the bar was set so low for Palin that as long as she stayed on message and wasn’t forced to stray from her cue cards she did well. I don’t feel that her folksy language, winking and continually returning to Energy was particularly effective with the undecided voters. I could be wrong but really her behavior is setting women back many years – let me just rely on my great looks to get me over – give me a break!
You know what she needs to know to be McCain’s vice president? CPR.