Passing Mark for Palin, But Biden Takes the Debate
Let me preface this with saying, I think Palin did a decent job. I knew she was going to — after the Couric and Gibson disasters, you know they were going to prepare her for every square inch of this debate. She did hold her own and was able to answer a question without looking like an idiot. There’s no doubt she’s a good public speaker. While there were some questions asked that she avoided (and Biden called her out on those), I think all in all she really improved the impression a lot of Americans have about her.
That said, I still feel Biden took the debate. (And a lot of Americans agree with me: Polls from CBS and CNN show Biden won 46% to 21%, and 51% to 36%, respectively.) For everything Palin said, Biden had numbers. He had facts. He had answers. For example — Obama’s tax relief proposals. You want to know HOW what these candidates are proposing will affect YOU? 95 percent of the middle class (that’s YOU, faithful reader) will receive a tax cut. Those that don’t — will stay the same. No harm done. And small-business owners? According to Biden, 95 percent of small-business owners make LESS than $250,000 a year — so they will NOT be affected.
How can you say Palin is “very aware” of Mccain’s accomplishments? Obviously you haven’t seen this. Watch it, and I’ll get back to ya.
Some bloggers feel that Biden came off as “better than you”, but if you do feel that way…SHOULDN’T the VP be better than you?? I sure hope so. I know I wouldn’t feel safe with any old Joe Sixpack running this country.
I don’t think Palin is real. She is a politician. None of them, Obama included, are real. I do not relate to her. And I think a lot of American women feel that way. And honestly, the Republican party is preying on the tears of women who do think they can relate to her. They are preying on women who say “I’m on the PTA, she’s on the PTA!” They are preying on women who think being a mother of 5 can translate to being vice president. I’m sure there are a lot of skills that a women learns from motherhood, and I’m sure a lot of them can be applied to politics, but for me, that is not enough.
Biden attacked Mccain’s healthcare plans (or lack thereof). Mccain-Palin talk a big game about making changes, getting the gov’t back on the side of the people, etc., but cannot point to anything concrete that will bring about this change and reform. Biden really opens your eyes up to Mccain’s stance on the troops. Mccain cut off funding for the troops. Biden also attacks Palin’s view on global warming. How can she say she doesn’t want to “argue about the causes”? HOW on God’s green earth can you FIND A SOLUTION if you can’t IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM? This is something I have been saying, and I was so relieved when Biden said it on that national stage. (”If you don’t understand what the cause is, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a solution.” — How can anyone with any common sense argue with that??)
Perhaps my favorite excerpt of the night:
“Let’s talk about the maverick John McCain is…He voted four out of five times for George Bush’s budget, which put us a half a trillion dollars in debt this year and over $3 trillion in debt since he’s got there. He has not been a maverick in providing healthcare for people. He has voted against—he voted including another 3.6 million children in coverage of the existing healthcare plan…He’s not been a maverick when it comes to education. He has not supported tax cuts and significant changes for people being able to send their kids to college. He’s not been a maverick on the war. He’s not been a maverick on virtually anything that genuinely affects the things that people really talk about around their kitchen table.”
The bottom line is, Palin may have passed the test, but Biden aced it.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 am
i couldnt agree more!! She did better than expected… because she didnt fall flat on her face. She is still a moron, she avoided all the tough questions last night… biden kicked her a$$
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:47 am
Sarah Palin is hot and Lauren im quite jealous Biden got to touch her ass
Can i get a MILF MILF
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Palin didn’t say anything stupid – give her a medal! While she may not have said anything stupid, I’m also pretty sure I didn’t hear her say anything specific, anything genuine, and anything that gave me one reason to vote for her. Biden did phenominal. He radiated experience, intelligence, and a confidence that proves he is more than qualified to be vice president. He made many solid points and, unlike Palin, used specifics and evidence to back them up.
McCain and Palin are not mavericks. They will not bring any substantial change to the White House of the past eight years, and their plans will not bring the much-needed stability to our economy or peace overseas.
I love how Palin could not respond to anything Biden said if she didn’t have a prepared and rehearsed answer:
BIDEN: So what you had is you had overwhelming “deregulation.” You had actually the belief that Wall Street could self-regulate itself. And while Barack Obama was talking about reinstating those regulations, John on 20 different occasions in the previous year and a half called for more deregulation. As a matter of fact, John recently wrote an article in a major magazine saying that he wants to do for the health care industry deregulate it and let the free market move like he did for the banking industry…
IFILL: Governor, please if you want to respond to what he said about Sen. McCain’s comments about health care?
PALIN: I would like to respond about the tax increases.
Really, Palin? I’d much rather hear what you have to say about health care right now. Oo, you don’t have a response? That’s fine. Then say the lies they have written down for you about how Obama wants to raise taxes and McCain wants to cut them. You do realize, we’re talking about the American people right now, not multi-billion dollar corporations.
It blows my mind. Can we please look at the facts and not make stuff up?
BIDEN: The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes. The vote she’s referring to, John McCain voted the exact same way. It was a budget procedural vote. John McCain voted the same way. It did not raise taxes. Number two, using the standard that the governor uses, John McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes. It’s a bogus standard it but if you notice, Gwen, the governor did not answer the question about deregulation, did not answer the question of defending John McCain about not going along with the deregulation, letting Wall Street run wild. He did support deregulation almost across the board. That’s why we got into so much trouble.
IFILL: Would you like to have an opportunity to answer that before we move on?
PALIN: I’m still on the tax thing because I want to correct you on that again.
Of course you’re still on the tax thing. You don’t have a good answer when it comes to providing the American people with reliable, affordable health care. Or when it comes to the deregulation of businesses that allowed for the insane recession we’re in now. All you can do is make up phony charges about how if the American people elect Barack Obama, he will tax them and they will lose their jobs. That’s why unemployment has skyrocketed ever since the failure known as Bush took over for President Clinton, right?
Another excerpt I thought was worth posting:
BIDEN: You’re very kind suggesting my only Achilles Heel is my lack of discipline. Others talk about my excessive passion. I’m not going to change. I have 35 years in public office. People can judge who I am. I haven’t changed in that time. And, by the way, a record of change — I will place my record and Barack’s record against John McCain’s or anyone else in terms of fundamental accomplishments. Wrote the crime bill, put 100,000 cops on the street, wrote the Violence Against Women Act, which John McCain voted against both of them, was the catalyst to change the circumstance in Bosnia, led by President Clinton, obviously. Look, I understand what it’s like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it’s like as a parent to wonder what it’s like if your kid’s going to make it. I understand what it’s like to sit around the kitchen table with a father who says, “I’ve got to leave, champ, because there’s no jobs here. I got to head down to Wilmington. And when we get enough money, honey, we’ll bring you down.” I understand what it’s like. I’m much better off than almost all Americans now. I get a good salary with the United States Senate. I live in a beautiful house that’s my total investment that I have. So I — I am much better off now. But the notion that somehow, because I’m a man, I don’t know what it’s like to raise two kids alone, I don’t know what it’s like to have a child you’re not sure is going to — is going to make it — I understand. I understand, as well as, with all due respect, the governor or anybody else, what it’s like for those people sitting around that kitchen table. And guess what? They’re looking for help. They’re looking for help. They’re not looking for more of the same.
Now that’s genuine. There’s a guy who gets it. John McCain and Sarah Palin don’t get it. They’re out of touch with the American people and out of touch with what’s best for the American people. They’d rather make the rich richer, keep the poor poor, and leave those who need help waiting four more years for another chance to get it.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will bring help to those who need it. They’ll bring the change they desperately need. They’ll provide them with reliable health care. They’ll ensure the safety of their investments and their 401k’s and make sure that, when they’re ready to retire, they’ll be able to live comfortably. They’ll create millions of new jobs by investing in clean, alternative, green energy sources. They’ll fight global warming and try to save our dying planet. They’ll make sure that our children get the education they need so that America can once again be a force in the global economy. They’ll bring an end to this drawn-out, draining war in Iraq and keep us safe from Islamic extremists and terrorism is Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. They’ll recognize that negotiation should always come first and war always last. And they’ll recognize the failures of the Bush administration and help return America to the state of peace and prosperity we enjoyed a decade ago, making the United States live up to its potential to be the greatest nation in the world.
Electing John McCain and Sarah Palin would be disastrous. It’s been clear to me from the start, and Palin’s performance in last night’s debate only drove home the point. People said she did a great job. Obviously they weren’t listening to what Senator Biden and her were really saying. Biden handily defeated Palin last night and proved that he is the Vice President we need and that Barack Obama is the President we need. I”m confident that America will elect the right men for the job. I can’t imagine the consequences if they don’t.