Biden - Palin Debate Winner

I’ll start off with just one reference from Governor Palin. Who the hell is this guy McClellan in charge of the military in Afghanistan? I think she meant to say General David McKiernan. That was a stumble on her part and one of many throughout the night and the debate. One thing was very clear was the fact that Governor Palin did not directly answer many of the questions she was asked. Biden did so with facts and figures and to some that may seem boring but this is not the television series “24”! It's politics that in this time in our nations path needs facts and figures to move forward.

Joe Biden spoke from facts and corrected many of the topics that Palin went off topic on. She was quoting voting records of Obama, Biden, and McCain and Joe Biden knew the facts behind each of the votes which Governor Palin was not privy too. Big mistake on her part on specifics.

It seemed that most of the questions coming to each of the Vice President candidates was answered more so on what the men actually running for President will do. Which is what you would expect in a VP debate. All but one, the role of Vice President and what it entails. Governor Palin sought the same stretch of executive privilege from the Bush administration where as Senator Biden stated the Constitution and the dangerous damage Cheney has morphed the Vice Presidency into.

Asked on what each of the Vice President candidates Achilles heal was, Governor Palin skipped the question entirely and offered just a stump speech of the McCain platform. Senator Biden listed several items that he is weak personally first then went on the Obama platform strengths.

All said and done, Governor Palin tried her best to hold her own but she was up against an encyclopedia of information on government and voting records. For every point she tried to make for McCain, Biden could recite several votes where McCain voted against it from health care, to taxes, to energy issues, and where she was wrong on Obama‘s votes in the Senate.

Two key phrases did come out, Bridge to Nowhere against Palin and a correction to Biden from Palin to get the phrase right? Drill baby Drill! That would be a drill here and everywhere in America point from the Governor. And of course Biden pointing out the fact that John McCain would not sit down with Spain, a NATO member becacuse he thought it was a hostile nation against America?

Biden pretty much linked McCain to Bush over and over again and that will be the mud that sticks to the wall of this debate. What also will stick to the wall is the fact that Governor Palin did not answer many of the questions thrown at her. She dodged the questions to go back to previous points that Biden had made. Gwen Eiffel had to ask the questions back to Governor Palin repeatedly.

On a scale of one to ten I would give Governor Palin a six overall and Senator Biden an eight.

Last thought, when the debate was over the two candidates families all came up on stage and stayed there for a long time interacting with one another. One of the things that warms my heart is children, Joe Biden bent almost all the way over to talk to the Palin family younger kids. Biden went beyond what is normal in a post debate format and introduced his wife, family and grandchildren to Governor Palin and her family, and talked with Governor Palin’s father for a good spell of time.

Update 10/03/08 and must see video from Rachel Maddow...

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Papamoka

Cross Posted at Bring It On!

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Palin Debate Prep and Issues Problem

Keith Olberman of MSNBC Countdown has this interesting opinion piece on Sarah Palin, Bill O’Reilly and other people without a clue as to what America needs to heal itself. You can't see these videos and not wonder where the mind of John McCain is? It certainly is not out for the best intrest of America!

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Then you have this piece on Palin dodging a real questions from Katie Couric that should have realistic facts and answers and Palin dodges it and answers the question with just Roe vs. Wade? Which was part of the original question asked if there was any other decision by the Supreme Court that she could recite? Huh?

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Can America survive with another if not worse than Dan Quayle Vice President one heartbeat away from the Presidency? No pressure Governor Palin, it’s only the second highest office in American politics!

Papamoka

Palin, Biden Vice President Debate Prep

Everyone with a political mind is wondering what Governor Palin is doing to bone up on the issues when she faces Senator Joe Biden on Friday. I’m betting on Bon-Bon’s and that is the extent of her concerns. According to some of the people that have debated her in her past election for Governor she is the master of the Non-Answer and does not need to study the issues. She just talks the sound bites and tells you what you want to hear. Facts and figures just don’t mean anything in her opinion.

This information isn’t coming from some left wing nut job blog or left leaning news media organization, it is coming from the Christian Science Monitor and from the mouth of Republican contender for Governor in Alaska Andrew Halcro. Check out the full article…

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

Palin is a master of the nonanswer. She can turn a 60-second response to a query about her specific solutions to healthcare challenges into a folksy story about how she's met people on the campaign trail who face healthcare challenges. All without uttering a word about her public-policy solutions to healthcare challenges.

In one debate, a moderator asked the candidates to name a bill the legislature had recently passed that we didn't like. I named one. Democratic candidate Tony Knowles named one. But Sarah Palin instead used her allotted time to criticize the incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski. Asked to name a bill we did like, the same pattern emerged: Palin didn't name a bill.

And when she does answer the actual question asked, she has a canny ability to connect with the audience on a personal level. For example, asked to name a major issue that had been ignored during the campaign, I discussed the health of local communities, Mr. Knowles talked about affordable healthcare, and Palin talked about ... the need to protect hunting and fishing rights.

So what does that mean for Biden? With shorter question-and-answer times and limited interaction between the two, he should simply ignore Palin in a respectful manner on the stage and answer the questions as though he were alone. Any attempt to flex his public-policy knowledge and show Palin is not ready for prime time will inevitably cast him in the role of the bully.

On the other side of the stage, if Palin is to be successful, she needs to do what she does best: fill the room with her presence and stick to the scripted sound bites. - Christian Science Monitor

Speaking as a left leaning voter, Joe Biden should show up for the same game as if he were debating Obama, Hillary Clinton or Bill Richardson. Spout facts and figures that he can do from memory and attack McCain on the differences between McCain and Obama. He should not let her not answer any questions and she should be called on it! This is not a beauty contest, this is the Presidency of the United States! There is no tiara or sash given when you take the oath of President or Vice President of the United States of America. This is the real world and there is no do over from the office of President or Vice President. The debate between Palin and Biden just might prove who is serious about the issues and the results may just prove out that Governor Palin dodges the rough questions with the expertise of a beauty contestant. If she mentions “World Peace” just once to any question then you will know what I’m talking about. End of discussion.

Papamoka

Thanks to Memeorandum for the tip…

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