VP Debate Thread

[Miroslav]

Re: VP Debate Thread

i think Palin will do fine. maybe even better than expected. i think once people get the whiff that palin isn't all she says she is, they begin to find a loose structure for thier belief in here. stuff like that cannot be repaired even with a phenomenal showing tonight.

again, the bar is set so low that an average ok middle of the road performance (what i expect of her) is going to be spun as the second coming of christ. this is why i started this thread almost a week ago and posted that "palin wins".

you called it well. Compared to her most interviews, she performed spectacularly. She expressed rational thoughts in complete sentences! And I'm sure the articles about her tomorrow will make me gag. Whatever...it doesn't change much for me. Her performance here does not negate her previous performance in the interviews; it merely adds to the story. And that story is: In natural, more impromptu settings, Palin isn't ready and can't hack it. If she crams 24-7 with a team of coaches for a week or three, then she can manage a passing grade. Hell, I probably could, too.

[88Mariner]

Re: VP Debate Thread

you called it well. Compared to her most interviews, she performed spectacularly. She expressed rational thoughts in complete sentences! And I'm sure the articles about her tomorrow will make me gag. Whatever...it doesn't change much for me. Her performance here does not negate her previous performance in the interviews; it merely adds to the story. And that story is: In natural, more impromptu settings, Palin isn't ready and can't hack it. If she crams 24-7 with a team of coaches for a week or three, then she can manage a passing grade. Hell, I probably could, too.

lolwhut???

spectacularly? maybe from the beginning she came out strong, but her statements were clearly memorized, and she spent lots of time avoiding answering the questions. Ifill enabled her to do this, actually. I give her credit for speaking in complete sentences, but this only makes her about....at the top of the bell curve. And no, it does not negate her previous performances. As I've been reading, she passed a 'pass-fail' exam.

I've read several comments from conservative bloggers about how she had to keep looking down at her notecards, particularly when she was talking about afghanistan. She came off as chipper, warm, and manic with very little substance. Like a cheerleader, no less. She apparently got owned on foreign policy, and barely eked by on domestic issues. I've also read that she was insensitive to Biden when he was talking about his son.

All of this from the blogs, i didn't actually see it. But I did hear her from the hall say, "surge principles", which I have no fucking clue what that means. As stated on the confabulum blog, it was buzzwords strung together more coherently than before.

I won't say much about Biden because i've got a conflicting interest in that department. But I heard that he held his own, and was weak at first; as one analogy went: he came out muzzled, and had the foresight to know when to take the muzzle off. Another person said his closing statement was fantastic.

I dont' want to see this debate, and like i said, i'm only going on what the blogs are reporting. Those who favor Palin only address her in a stylistic manner, not on anything substantive. "warm, fresh, rational." ad nauseum. Interesting. I don't think this changed a damn thing, althought it might have prevented McCain from sinking further. I think from what I've read that independents were probably more in tune with what Biden was saying. hmmm

[ddr]

Re: VP Debate Thread

If she crams 24-7 with a team of coaches for a week or three, then she can manage a passing grade. Hell, I probably could, too.

yup, so true.

she rarely ever answered the question that the moderator or biden posed to her. she more often than not changed the subject to something totally unrelated that she was obviously coached on.

[toasty]

Re: VP Debate Thread

Palin did better than expected and probably prevented/stopped a further skid in McCain's campaign, but I still think Biden will ultimately come out of this as the winner. The big thing in these debates anymore seems to be who has the most segments that are replayed in the media over and over again, and I can't think of anything she said that is likely to get a lot of repeat airtime. She did well by not imploding, but no really memorable moments.

In contrast, Biden had a few moments, most notably when he took on McCain's "maverick" title, and when he got choked up towards the very end of the debate. You've got to know that they are going to get a lot of airtime, and when you're talking about non-gaffes, that's more than half the battle right there...

[ddr]

Re: VP Debate Thread

In contrast, Biden had a few moments, most notably when he took on McCain's "maverick" title, and when he got choked up towards the very end of the debate. You've got to know that they are going to get a lot of airtime, and when you're talking about non-gaffes, that's more than half the battle right there...

agree with that also.

i was very reassured when Biden attacked McCain about this lame ass "Maverick" title. I applaud at that.

I think the most airtime Palin will get is when she told the moderator and Biden that she was not going to answer their questions but talk about something else.

[MJDub]

Re: VP Debate Thread

I wanted to go punt a dog or something when she threw out that "white flag of surrender" quip. That goes beyond my stay-calm line. That smarmy fucking wink she gave multiple times too, coupled with the blatant dodging of the questions, was easily the two biggest things for me.

Also, props to Joe for smacking down her "maverick" bullshit. It's like I was watching a neo-conservative religious lunatic version of Top Gun.

[DIDI]

Re: VP Debate Thread

That "white flag of surrender" is the clip they seem to be playing here. It's driving me crazy !!! She winks

[superdave]

Re: VP Debate Thread

I thought the debate pretty much went how I expected. Biden is the more experienced candidate and politician and looked better overall. Palin is more likable and can talk a decent game when properly prepared. From the debate and the Couric interviews, she obviously isn't as knowledgeable on the issues as Biden. Her schtick is that she's a hockey mom representing other hockey moms and Joe 6-pack. It's cute, but only takes us so far. I prefer the candidate who's going to lead and solve complex problems we're having.

I'm glad to read in some of the posts before me that no one is giving her too much credit. We all realize that these candidates have already been asked many of these questions and already know the answer they plan to tell us. And they are coached by the best consultants on how to answer the questions and argue. But credit to Palin for not falling apart which the expectations were low after the disastrous Couric interviews. However, she was out of her league for now against Biden.

[subterFUSE]

Re: VP Debate Thread

I did not watch the debate. Frankly, I couldn't give a flying rats ass.

But seeing the clips on the news this morning, I saw Palin do the wink.... and I just laughed because it reminded me of Costanza when he got the grapefruit pulp in his eye.

[Steve Graham]

Re: VP Debate Thread

these debates are really nothing more than pissing contests really, so what if she "held her own", is she to be rewarded for holding her own? seriously, take your cutsie winking hockey mum BS and piss off

as someone said earlier, with enough cramming and coaching you should be able to answer questions you know are going to be asked.. I still think the prior interviews where she completely failed are more of a guage as to her true knowledge and ability to hold the second highest office in the land

this Maverick Team crap has to go..

and this?!

Palin said a barometer for how Americans are feeling about the economy can be felt at kids' soccer games

what? lol

[toasty]

Re: VP Debate Thread

these debates are really nothing more than pissing contests really, so what if she "held her own", is she to be rewarded for holding her own? seriously, take your cutsie winking hockey mum BS and piss off

as someone said earlier, with enough cramming and coaching you should be able to answer questions you know are going to be asked.. I still think the prior interviews where she completely failed are more of a guage as to her true knowledge and ability to hold the second highest office in the land

Yeah, it's really saying something when a candidate for the second highest office in the land not getting her ass handed to her in a debate is a positive news story for her. If she hadn't be so cringe-inducingly bad in the days leading up to the debate, there wouldn't be any question at all about who won.

Even with her having the benefit of being able to say, "I wasn't as bad as everyone thought I would be," I think the ship has sailed on her qualifications to be president. You're able to flip through your mental rolodex of memorized talking points for the response that comes closest to answering the question, and we're supposed to forget everything that we saw in the lead up to the debate? When she said (paraphrasing), "I'm not going to answer the questions the way you want me to," my first thought was, "Yeah, no shit, that's evident -- you're going to say whatever you want to say regardless of whether it really answers the question or not." I do wonder if the pre-spin on Gwen Ifill's objectivity made her gunshy about pushing Palin to respond more directly to questions, because she never really pressed either of them. Oh well.

Also, I would think that even if you disagree with Joe Biden on the substance, when you watch him respond to the questions that were posed, it's obvious that he's informed on the topics at issue and is providing his actual opinion based upon a real body of knowledge. Absolutely passed the "ready to step in and be president" test IMO.

[Miroslav]

Re: VP Debate Thread

lolwhut???

spectacularly? maybe from the beginning she came out strong, but her statements were clearly memorized, and she spent lots of time avoiding answering the questions.

I said: "Compared to her most recent interviews, she performed spectacularly."

don't try to make me out into some sort of a Palin lover

[runningman]

Re: VP Debate Thread

was it just me or did Plain look HOT last night. Every time she looked in that camera I got the hots for her. What an outfit and her teeth are soooo white. I also can't believe how stupid the media is. They are actually saying because Palin didn't bomb it she won. All I heard all morning on GMA and Today is that because there wasn't a catastrophe on her behalf they have to give it to her. I mean what standards do you have for a president???

But she still sucks which we all know she does. Unfit to lead, coached, just not ready for the pressure of the big game.

[88Mariner]

Re: VP Debate Thread

I said: "Compared to her most recent interviews, she performed spectacularly."

don't try to make me out into some sort of a Palin lover

I'd give her some lovin'.

McLovin.

ohshit, new meme!!!

[Miroslav]

Re: VP Debate Thread

"Darn right, I'll get back to ya on that one. You betcha!!"