tagged w/ Biden vs. Palin
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Tell us why this is interestingI mean the one who bases foreign policy experience on the proximity of Russia to Alaska and who speaks cutely about Vladimir Putin poking his little head into American airspace. Where did they put her?
The Palin who performed so miserably in one-on-one media interviews was nowhere to be seen during Thursday night's debate with Joe Biden. Instead, the affable, tough, determined pit-bull-hockey mom presented to the GOP convention was back with a jaw-jutting, happy-warrior vengeance.
So, yes, I am relieved. I had been concerned that she would stumble badly and humiliate herself. No fair-minded person wanted that. In fact, she managed to control the debate in many respects by bridging from the question asked to the talking point she wanted to hammer.
She was often too cute by half -- winking and gosh-darning her way through the debate -- but she did what she needed to do. Among other things, she declared a populist war of Us vs. Them -- everyday, honest, hardworking Americans against Wall Street, greed, corrupt politicians, liberals and, of course, the media.
Poor Gwen Ifill was irrelevant -- a second-tier actor in Palin's morality play. Over and over, Palin skipped past Ifill, as well as Biden, to speak directly to the American people. I am one of you, she told them. And these people -- Democrats and the media -- are neither of us, nor for us.
And she said it in the nicest, gosh-darn way, bless her little heart. The GOP loved it, but did anyone else? Did Palin change hearts and minds? Probably not. My suspicion, bolstered by early polls, is that people left the debate with their original impressions intact.
To Democrats, she's still a dangerous lightweight, though possibly more so than they suspected because she is also a charming and effective manipulator. To Republicans, she's a bright light, a change agent, a reformer and a maverick who identifies with real people around the kitchen table.
With the very first question about the bailout bill -- was this the worst of Washington or the best of Washington? -- Palin went straight to her hockey mom narrative, though she switched to the more mainstream soccer field.
"As we try to figure out has this been a good time or a bad time in America's economy, is go to a kid's soccer game on Saturday, and turn to any parent there on the sideline and ask them, 'How are you feeling about the economy?' And I'll betcha you're going to hear some fear in that parent's voice."
Of course, if you go to a Starbucks today and ask the iPodder blogging on her Apple about Sarah Palin, you're gonna hear some fear in that person's voice, also. Betcha!
Palin's strategy throughout the evening was to avoid questions to which she didn't have answers and rely on the American people to like her so much they didn't care.
Tell us why this is interestingI mean the one who bases foreign policy experience on... more
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Tell us why this is interestingRepublican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr. each sought to claim the mantle of "kitchen table" candidate in the first and only debate between the major-party vice presidential candidates last night, both arguing that their running mates better understand the concerns of middle-class Americans worried about the nation's faltering economy.
On a night when presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama were relegated to the sidelines, Palin and Biden raced through a fast-paced debate that touched on same-sex marriage, the war in Iraq, and the nation's energy and foreign policies. Each escaped without major mishap, and Palin seemed to repair an image that had been damaged by recent media interviews and increasing public doubts about her readiness for the nation's No. 2 job.
From the opening moments of their highly anticipated 90-minute debate, each portrayed themselves as a voice for Middle America and attempted to make the case that their ticketmates are best prepared to bring change to Washington and the nation.
Palin, the first female governor of Alaska, referred to "average, middle-class families like mine," and in her first answer she suggested that the proper place to take the temperature of Americans' concerns about the economy would be at a Saturday-morning soccer game.
"Now, thankfully, John McCain has been one representing reform," Palin said. "People in the Senate, his colleagues" -- she turned to the senator from Delaware -- "didn't want to listen to him and wouldn't go towards that reform that was needed."
Biden trained his fire on McCain, noting that the senator from Arizona "two Mondays ago" claimed that the "fundamentals of the economy were strong."
He added: "That doesn't make John McCain a bad guy, but it does point out he's out of touch."
The debate, with its emphasis on quick answers and numerous topics, became a barrage of numbers and competing and conflicting visions of Obama and McCain.
Likely to be more lasting for viewers was the lack of obvious mistakes on either side, and an image of Palin that was more like the confident, smiling politician who burst onto the scene with a fiery speech at the Republican National Convention, and less like the stumbling candidate who has seemed ill prepared in a series of interviews broadcast recently with CBS News anchor Katie Couric.
She was respectful and cordial to Biden -- "Hey, can I call you Joe?" she asked when she greeted him onstage -- but quick to try to put him on the defensive about his past differences with Obama. "I watched all those debates," she said, referring to the Democratic primaries in which the two were rivals.
But the essence of the night -- and one of the major arguments of the campaign -- may have been illustrated by a long exchange after Biden said policies of the Bush administration have been an "abject failure."
"There's a time, too, when Americans are going to say, 'Enough is enough with your ticket,' on constantly looking backwards, and pointing fingers and doing the blame game," Palin said. "There have been huge blunders in the war. There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration. But for a ticket that wants to talk about change and looking into the future, there's just too much finger-pointing backwards to ever make us believe that that's where you're going."
**more at article**
Tell us why this is interestingRepublican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr.... more
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Story Highlights:
Rock the Vote gathered young adults at Hard Rock Cafe to watch debate
Some in attendance had already made up their minds
Others say nominees' responses were unsatisfying
"It's a matter ... of who you don't want," one young voter saysStory Highlights:
Rock the Vote gathered young adults at Hard Rock Cafe to watch... more
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Story Highlights:
Biden focuses on McCain, saying he was "dead wrong on Iraq"
Biden: McCain is for deregulation, which helped cause economic crisis
Democratic vice presidential candidate compares his record to McCain's, not Palin's
Biden says McCain's proposed health care credit "ultimate bridge to nowhere"
Story Highlights:
Biden focuses on McCain, saying he was "dead wrong on... more
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Story Highlights
On mortgage crisis, Palin says, "Darn right, it was the predator lenders"
She advises people ask parents at a soccer game if they want feel for economy
Former opponent: "She clearly has a very canny ability to connect with people"
Story Highlights
On mortgage crisis, Palin says, "Darn right, it was the... more
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Highlights:
Fifty-one percent of debate watchers say Biden did best job, CNN poll says
Eighty-four percent of debate watchers said Palin did better than expected
Biden more likely to bring change, according to 53 percent of debate watchers
Highlights:
Fifty-one percent of debate watchers say Biden did best job, CNN poll... more
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Highlights:
Joe Biden, Sarah Palin debate change, "maverick" status
Both candidates get good reviews for their debate performances
VP candidates discuss economy, foreign policy, climate change
Biden tries to link McCain to Bush; Palin pushes record of reformHighlights:
Joe Biden, Sarah Palin debate change, "maverick" status
Both... more
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Fact Check eack "fact" that each candidate says as they said it....
Helpful.
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Political pundits, bloggers, campaign workers and political junkies everywhere have been trying to figure out exactly why John McCain made the unusual move on Wednesday to "suspend" his campaign until law makers in Washington figure out the bail-out plan, but despite all of the discussion there is really no mystery at all here.
The sole purpose of the "suspension" was to provide the McCain Campaign political cover for cancelling the Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin next Thursday in St. Louis. It didn’t work.
McCain’s threats to not show up to tonight’s presidential debate came along with a request to reschedule it for October 2, the night of the VP debate. While this piece of the story was basically reported as an after thought to McCain’s "suspension" of his campaign, it was the primary focus of McCain’s ploy...
Read the rest at: http://stonecipher.typepad.com/the_stonecipher_report/2008/09/mccainpalin-wil.html
Political pundits, bloggers, campaign workers and political junkies everywhere have... more
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