tagged w/ Vice Presidential Debate
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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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For Sarah Palin, last night’s debate was an open-book exam. She spent much of the evening methodically reading and rehearsing answers from “carefully scripted talking points.” Palin’s notes were largely hidden from plain view, resting behind the lectern where she stood.
Because the cable and network television stations did not show a split screen of the debate, most viewers could not see that, during Joe Biden’s answers, Palin spent almost all her time looking down and studiously reading her notes. But viewers did see that when Palin delivered her answers, she would repeatedly glance down to check her talking points.
ThinkProgress has compiled a video documenting some of the instances where it was clear to the audience that Palin was propped up by written responses.
Politico reports that “on at least ten occasions, Palin gave answers that were nonspecific, completely generic, pivoted away from the question at hand, or simply ignored it: on global warming, an Iraq exit strategy, Iran and Pakistan, Iranian diplomacy, Israel-Palestine (and a follow-up), the nuclear trigger, interventionism, Cheney’s vice presidency and her own greatest weakness.”
“The problem for Mrs Palin, however, is that she often seemed to run out of talking points - at which point her answers would devolve into the confusing ‘blizzards of words,’” writes Newsweek’s Andrew Romano.
Update: At the debates during the 2006 gubernatorial race, Palin "frequently stashed note cards behind her nameplate so that she could see them while seated at the candidates' table," the New Republic notes.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/03/palin-can-read/For Sarah Palin, last night’s debate was an open-book exam. She spent much of... more
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They should have shown this Thursday night!
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Frobot
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3 years ago
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ANP: At St. Louis VP debate, McCain campaign rented out a stadium to re-energize the conservative base.
American News Project: At the vice presidential debate in St. Louis, the McCain campaign rented out a stadium to re-energize the conservative base in light of Sarah Palin's recent gaffes. Despite the revival feel, zeal for Palin isn't translating in the polls. While some would argue Palin exceeded expectations, unregistered voters seem unimpressed. ANP: At St. Louis VP debate, McCain campaign rented out a stadium to re-energize the... more
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Paul Jay and Pepe Escobar search for meaning in the VP debate.
Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering the arc from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of Globalistan and also Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge, both published by Nimble Books in 2007.Paul Jay and Pepe Escobar search for meaning in the VP debate.
Pepe Escobar, born... more
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Foreign policy expert Phyllis Bennis analyzes the importance of the language used by the VP hopefuls.
Phyllis Bennis is a Senior Analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. She is the author of Before and After: US Foreign Policy and the September 11 Crisis and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power.
Her newest book Understanding the US-Iran Crisis: A Primer will be available in September 2008.
Foreign policy expert Phyllis Bennis analyzes the importance of the language used by... more
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Matt Welch: In the hour of chaos Americans want to hear about policies, not fearless leaders.
Matt Welch is a journalist, blogger, pundit and a libertarian. Since 2008, he has been the editor-in-chief at the monthly libertarian journal, Reason. Recently (from 2006 to 2007), he was an editorial page editor for the Los Angeles Times. He has written a portrayal of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, from a libertarian perspective. In McCain: The Myth of a Maverick, Welch argues that a McCain presidency would advance a statist agenda.Matt Welch: In the hour of chaos Americans want to hear about policies, not fearless... more
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Ellen Ratner: While Palin refused to answer questions, Biden won the undecided with his substance.
Ellen Ratner is the chief political correspondent and news analyst for Talk America as well as Washington bureau chief and political editor for Talkers Magazine.Ellen Ratner: While Palin refused to answer questions, Biden won the undecided with... more
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Let me preface this by saying that I love current and it has been instrumental in allowing me to hear all sorts of views on nearly everything. The best comments are always by the people who do more listening and research than the rest. Their comments are very valuable and I appreciate their willingness and self control that keeps them from impulsively spouting out some garbage that sounds like it's from a grade school 'cut-down war'. Thanks to all who have taken the time to explain themselves intelligently and show evidence for their stance on something.
Now.. a few weeks ago when I began seeing ads for the first Hack the Debate, It seemed like a nifty idea, but when it came down to it, I'd rather listen to what was being said, without distractions and allow myself some time to actually think and reflect on the things that both candidates were saying. I tried to watch but quickly changed the channel so I could watch without the distractions and impulsive comments flooding all over the screen. most of which were quite ignorant and a surprising amount of people discussing the various types of 'debate drinking games' one could play, which led me to believe that they weren't really concerned with what was being said as much as seeing their twitter on the screen of a television channel.
I have a feeling like I'm not the only one that has become frustrated with this...
Now once again regarding the VP Hack the Debate and the hundreds of comments I've already tried to muddle through here on the site all written less than 12 hours since the event (and a gross proportion of comments being posted during the debate itself) I've seen more asinine comments than I ever thought I could possibly see here on current.com
I have to wonder what number of us here are actually carefully listening and actually contemplating what is being said versus typing away in the midst of a chaotic blast of ridiculous one liners that is messier than any food fight that I ever remember.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I'm disappointed in 2 things:
(1) the number of people who either don't actually listen or don't allow themselves time to even process what they're hearing.
and (2) CURRENT television for continuing to encourage people to not sit and listen to possibly some of the most important presidential debates in our lifetime. It was quality that brought me here in the first place and right now I can't help but feel a bit let down. Much of this is trash I would expect to find on youTube.
I have the utmost respect for all of you here at current but in my understanding "hack the debate" has done more harm for many viewers than anything. I encourage you to rethink the Hack. Sure, it promotes and allows free citizens to exercise our right to free speech, but at our own expense of not hearing what's going on.
Let's at least wait until we've heard what had to be said by both parties and then discuss it. Twitter until you can twitter no more, just LISTEN.Let me preface this by saying that I love current and it has been instrumental in... more
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des10
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3 years ago
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Yes indeedy, Palin's ready to lead the nation, presiding with empty platitudes and cutesy, folksy phrases pouring from her red lips, even when they often had nothing to do with the questions. “Let’s commit ourselves just everyday American people, all the hockey moms across the nation,” she said in response to a question about the mortgage crisis.
This detailed article includes photographs and three videos from the debate.Yes indeedy, Palin's ready to lead the nation, presiding with empty platitudes... 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:
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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