Official Vice-Presidential Debate Commentary and Analysis Thread

[MODU]

Like last time, I'm just going to do a single post:

Q1) Economic crisis: Tie
Q2) Lending: Palin on the question, Biden on the rebuttal
Q3) Taxes: Palin (surprisingly)
Q4) Promises: Biden (Palin was off topic)
Q5) Bankruptcy: Biden (Palin was off topic again)
Q6) Climate change: Palin, it was up her alley
Q7) Same-sex benefits: Biden.  Palin was a bit tripped up on it, but she had no hesitation addressing gay marriage.
Q8) Iraq: Biden on the main question, Palin on the rebuttal.
Q9) Iran/Pakistan: Tie (But Palin went too long again)
Q10) Israel: Biden
Q11) Nuclear weapons: Eh, hard to say.  Neither really talked much on the topic since they were side tracked by Afghanistan.  However, Palin did seem to unsettle Biden in the rebuttle.
Q12) Intervention/Darfur: Biden
Q13) VP administration: Tie (fluff question)
Q14) Role of VP: Tie (another fluff question)
Q15) "Conventional Wisdom": Not sure how to judge this.  Strange question.
Q16) Change in position: Another fluff question.
Q17) Bipartisanship: Another fluff question.

Notes:
- Early on, Palin looks more confident than she has in the past while Biden sounds a bit flat.
- Palin is too scripted on Q2 and overran on her time.
- Moderator referred to Palin as "dear."
- Biden, everyone wants to help the "middle class."
- Palin needs to stick within her time limits and stay on topic.
- Zzzzz... Palin, stay on topic!
- Moderator has been pretty impartial so far.
- Biden, don't sigh into the mic when your oponent is talking.
- Biden contradicted himself on Afghanistan.  If the surge principle isn't going to work in Afghanistan, then how will more troops, more financial support of the government, and working with the local leaders (which are components of the Iraqi surge) work?
- Interesting use by Palin to use the debate as a bully pulpit against the Alaska legislature regarding Darfur.
- Palin did a good job of calling Biden each time he tried to tie Bush and McCain.  "There ya go again."
- Both Palin and Biden with a watery eye moment.  Good for television.
- The last five questions could have been dropped for something more meaningful.
- Good jab by Palin against the media as a response to the tv interviews.

Overall, I say it was pretty much a wash.  No major gaffes by Biden and Palin came across as informed and confident.  And, the moderator didn't show any real sign of bias.  Good debate.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

LOL

The moderator to Biden after the debate, "You did great."

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Of course Gwen Ifill gives the last word to Biden.

But, what else would one expect?

Cry about it a little. Im sure millions of people aren't going to base their vote on who got the last say or not.

If the moderator had been a right winger who was writing a book on Palin, your side would be up in arms demanding to change moderators or call for Biden to boycott it.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Both of them take the cake for awkward post-debate-open-mic banter....



That being said, can we have a choice between these two than that other lot?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Of course Gwen Ifill gives the last word to Biden.

But, what else would one expect?

That's getting a little picky.  I'm sure it was a random coin toss.

[Lincoln Republican]

Of course Gwen Ifill gives the last word to Biden.

But, what else would one expect?

Cry about it a little. Im sure millions of people aren't going to base their vote on who got the last say or not.

Thank you for your concern for my well being, but I'm not crying about it.

[J. J.]

I missed most of this, but did McCain fill the inside straight?  Did she connect?

That being said, can we have a choice between these two than that other lot?

I kinda like her.

[Cashcow]

I thought Palin outperformed expectations only in the sense that she didn't make any Katie Couric interview-esque screwups. Biden clearly came across as more confident and knowledgeable, and I'd call this a fairly obvious win for him.

[MODU]

I missed most of this, but did McCain fill the inside straight?  Did she connect?

I think so.  Overall on answering the questions, Biden had a slight advantage, but Palin didn't really make any gaffes and came across as confident and informed.  

[HardRCafé]

GWB: "nucular"
Palin: "nucular"


more of the same...

Carter: "nucular"

It's cool if you don't remember that, though.  I'm not going to use your age as an issue in this campaign.

[CheeseWhiz]

Seriously, where was the funny Palin gaffes?  I was only watching for an "ultimately what the bailout does is help those concerned about the health care reform" moment.  I want my hour back! (Missed the first 30 minutes, nothing funny happened then, did it?)



Anyway, I think Biden had better, more on point answers, and I think Palin tried too hard to be folksy, ("goshdarnit, there you go again Joe,") and, maybe this was just me, but she kept smiling when the answers seems like they needed a more serious expression, if that makes any sense.  But, Palin definitely exceeded expectations, (or fell short of them, depending on which way you look at it,) so I think she'll be considered the winner.  She also seemed to explain the Couric stuff as being the formats fault, which I obviously don't buy at all, but I think it will sell to her supporters.  Evil Couric!

Yeah, Palin most likely will be seen as having redeemed herself in most peoples eyes, methinks.

[Person Man]

I give this one to Biden. Palin was just fuming hot air, shrillness and sarcasm.

[Lief 🗽]

I'm now more confident than ever that Sarah Palin is a total moron who should be far, far away from government and back in the snow wilderness hunting moose or whatever the hell she does. I think when the founders wrote the constitution, they assumed that people wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for an idiot talking point-monkey like her; unfortunately, they gave Americans too much credit.

[Dan the Roman]

I still don't know what debates demonstrate about qualifications. I was on the College circuit for four years, and none of those people are qualified to be Vice President, but a good number would have performed better than any of the candidates this year.

[The Dowager Mod]

I doubt this debate changed a single mind.

[Thomas Jackson]

“Somewhere in a cold condominium in New York City, Katie Couric is kicking a small dog.”

[exopolitician]

“Somewhere in a cold condominium in New York City, Katie Couric is kicking a small dog.”

We heard you the first time in the other thread.

[Lincoln Republican]

I'm now more confident than ever that Sarah Palin is a total moron who should be far, far away from government and back in the snow wilderness hunting moose or whatever the hell she does. I think when the founders wrote the constitution, they assumed that people wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for an idiot talking point-monkey like her; unfortunately, they gave Americans too much credit.

You have just become the number one hack on this entire forum.

Congratulations.

[© tweed]

I'm now more confident than ever that Sarah Palin is a total moron who should be far, far away from government and back in the snow wilderness hunting moose or whatever the hell she does. I think when the founders wrote the constitution, they assumed that people wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for an idiot talking point-monkey like her; unfortunately, they gave Americans too much credit.

they didn't.  they had the electoral college

[Lief 🗽]

I'm now more confident than ever that Sarah Palin is a total moron who should be far, far away from government and back in the snow wilderness hunting moose or whatever the hell she does. I think when the founders wrote the constitution, they assumed that people wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for an idiot talking point-monkey like her; unfortunately, they gave Americans too much credit.

You have just become the number one hack on this entire forum.

Congratulations.

lol, Winfield calling me a hack.

This woman is a total moron. Throughout the debate is was painfully obvious that she didn't have one unique idea in her little brain; she endlessly recited talking points, having memorized maybe 50 or so, and picking whichever one vaguely corresponded to the question asked. And when she couldn't come up with an applicable pre-memorized talking point, she completely changed the subject. The handful of times that she did go off-script she came off as mean-spirited (her little doozy about lame jokes) or frighteningly uninformed (expanding the power of the Vice Presidency). She doesn't read newspapers, she can't name more than one supreme court case; she exhibits very little intellectual curiosity and can barely string sentences together. Time and time again, she used the wrong word, or an awkward word, or screwed up her conjunctions, or use the plural instead of the singular or vice versa. The idea that 40% of the country, no matter what happens in the next 4 weeks, will vote for this woman, no matter what, is horrifying. This woman should not ever be anywhere near the Presidency or the Vice Presidency.

[Torie]

I have not read any of the comments on this thread.

There is a God after all. It was quite a miracle. Palin is off the table as a drag on McCain. Sure she failed to expose a lot of Biden's misstatements about McCain's record, painting him as this anti-American clueless enabler of the plutocrats (he's shameless!), but hopefully the MSM will expose that. And Palin failed to tell the tail about the Dem party enablers about pushing Fred and Fannie to make bad loans, and then fought tooth and nail against exposing their fraudulent accounting (the Dems here were in favor of de-regulation with taxpayers' money), but she demonstrated that she was not an airbrain, and that was all that mattered.

There is still a problem however. On economic issues, McCain is still his own best anchor. But he has a chance in the remaining debates to ramp it up, and make the case that needs to be made. Is that likely to happen?  I will believe it when I see it. One miracle at a time.

[Barack Hussian YO MAMA!!!!]

Seriously, where was the funny Palin gaffes?  I was only watching for an "ultimately what the bailout does is help those concerned about the health care reform" moment.  I want my hour back! (Missed the first 30 minutes, nothing funny happened then, did it?)



Anyway, I think Biden had better, more on point answers, and I think Palin tried too hard to be folksy, ("goshdarnit, there you go again Joe,") and, maybe this was just me, but she kept smiling when the answers seems like they needed a more serious expression, if that makes any sense.  But, Palin definitely exceeded expectations, (or fell short of them, depending on which way you look at it,) so I think she'll be considered the winner.  She also seemed to explain the Couric stuff as being the formats fault, which I obviously don't buy at all, but I think it will sell to her supporters.  Evil Couric!

Yeah, Palin most likely will be seen as having redeemed herself in most peoples eyes, methinks.

(sarcasim) typical left wing bias

[Torie]

I doubt this debate changed a single mind.

Four minds changed in the Luntz focus group.

[Barack Hussian YO MAMA!!!!]

Of course Gwen Ifill gives the last word to Biden.

But, what else would one expect?

Cry about it a little. Im sure millions of people aren't going to base their vote on who got the last say or not.

If the moderator had been a right winger who was writing a book on Palin, your side would be up in arms demanding to change moderators or call for Biden to boycott it.

that's actually a good point I can see why a lot of people are outraged and think Gwen Ifill might  have   a conflict of Intrest in this debate  , but I think Gwen Ifill was a good and fair moderater.   

[Lincoln Republican]

I'm now more confident than ever that Sarah Palin is a total moron who should be far, far away from government and back in the snow wilderness hunting moose or whatever the hell she does. I think when the founders wrote the constitution, they assumed that people wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for an idiot talking point-monkey like her; unfortunately, they gave Americans too much credit.

You have just become the number one hack on this entire forum.

Congratulations.

lol, Winfield calling me a hack.

This woman is a total moron. Throughout the debate is was painfully obvious that she didn't have one unique idea in her little brain; she endlessly recited talking points, having memorized maybe 50 or so, and picking whichever one vaguely corresponded to the question asked. And when she couldn't come up with an applicable pre-memorized talking point, she completely changed the subject. The handful of times that she did go off-script she came off as mean-spirited (her little doozy about lame jokes) or frighteningly uninformed (expanding the power of the Vice Presidency). She doesn't read newspapers, she can't name more than one supreme court case; she exhibits very little intellectual curiosity and can barely string sentences together. Time and time again, she used the wrong word, or an awkward word, or screwed up her conjunctions, or use the plural instead of the singular or vice versa. The idea that 40% of the country, no matter what happens in the next 4 weeks, will vote for this woman, no matter what, is horrifying. This woman should not ever be anywhere near the Presidency or the Vice Presidency.

You do sound bitter in your attitude toward this woman.

Your insulting rhetoric is baseless and crude.