2008 U.S. Presidential Election: Vice-Presidential Debate

[Zoots]

3 "Can we get Congress to bail us out of this debate?"

1 "Any way we can just get Tina Fey to do it?"

!!

 

[Diemen]

I think Palin's going to come out swinging with all the tired liberal bias/liberal elite/pro-abortion canards that are empty phrases but good soundbites that never require explanations (unfortunately). She'll be short on substance, but big on bravado and bluster. Whether the bluster makes up for the vacuum behind it is up to how good her bluster is, and how Biden responds to it.

I really like the way Lehrer handled the first debate - hopefully Ifill keeps a similarly tight leash on the veeps.

 

[bonoman]

I don't know if its smart to appeal to the base. I think they have the base wrapped up. Obama has this growing lead because of swing voters going to him.

 

[Diemen]

Well, I think those soundbites that sound like stinging punches might sway some undecideds who don't bother looking up the facts. And let's face it, there are probably a lot of those. But honestly, I don't know if Palin has what it takes to swing the undecideds. She needs to be able to display a solid grasp of the facts, and more importantly, be able to sell the McCain campaign's solutions in a way that she simply has utterly failed to do so far. I think appealing to the base may be all she all left.

I'm really trying not to underestimate her though. There's a small part of me that almost thinks she's intentionally dumbing herself down so that even a mediocre performance at the debates will look like a grand slam in comparison to what we've seen so far. I think she does have a certain charisma that can be appealing - as evidenced by her convention speech. I bet she will have a lot of speechwriter one-liners at the ready tonight. If she can only match them to the correct moment and not bring up health care reform during comments on the economic crisis.

 

[bonoman]

Can they bring any noted with them?

 

[Diemen]

I wouldn't put it past them to sneak her a well concealed earpiece.

 

[bonoman]

I wouldn't put it past them to sneak her a well concealed earpiece.

NOOOO they wouldnt do that. They dont have the New England Pats working for them, do they?

 

[deep]

What the hell is Ifill doing in a wheelchair??



Biden will think he is seeing FDR on T V again.

 

[BVS]

What the hell is Ifill doing in a wheelchair??



Biden will think he is seeing FDR on T V again.

Apparently she broke her ankle...

Biden's going to tell her to stand up!

 

[bonoman]

hahaha too funny

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Shielding her so dramatically and lowering expectations so far, all for a knock out debate performance sounds great, but I don’t believe it. If she’s truly far more intelligent and capable than we have seen, she would be on every Fox show, every 15 mintes. She'd be everywhere. They would have had her run with her immediate post-convention popularity and let it soar. If she really were some kind of Reagan in a skirt, McCain/Palin would still have their foot on the accelerator and the Obama/Biden camp would likely be in a mild panic by now. But she’s not. They hid her, they’re in trouble, and Obama is soaring. Tough shit.

Speaking of Fox, is it just me or do they only have about 10 guests in total, Just rotated in and out between every show? It’s just the same people over and over. Coming up on Fox & Friends, Dick Morris! And next, on Hannity & Colmes, Dick Morris! After that, Bill O’Reilly will talk election strategy with a very, very special guest, Dick Morris! I’ll definitely be watching Fox on November 5 (the business end of your election day runs till mid afternoon Nov 5 Australian time) to see all of them in their unhinged glory.

 

[randhail]

NOOOO they wouldnt do that. They dont have the New England Pats working for them, do they?

Not even remotely funny.

 

[Diemen]

"remotely"

Geddit?

 

[bonoman]

Not even remotely funny.

Ya not funny. They are criminals!

 

[deep]

Apparently she broke her ankle...

still not clear how it happened

when she was carrying water for Obama

or

getting out of the tank?

 

[Diemen]

 

[joyfulgirl]

I'm nervous.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

You think you are. Bet you $50 that somewhere, wherever he is, John McCain just knocked back his 7th or 8th scotch for the evening.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Prediction:

Palin is a dufus at the debate to those viewers with brains, but gets by for the rest of America on spewing useless, abstract gobbledygook. McCain gets a bump of 2-3 points.

Agreed. Expectations are so low that no matter how badly she performs she'll probably exceed what's expected of her.

 

[bonoman]

Gwen is being so biased! She's so for Obama!



Can I call you Joe?

Joesph please!

 

[U2isthebest]

"Hey, can I call you Joe?"

No, Sarah, he's going to require you to say "Sir Joseph Longfellow Biden III"

 

[U2isthebest]

I see what they mean. She talks at length without saying anything of substance.

 

[financeguy]

"Hey, can I call you Joe?"

No, Sarah, he's going to require you to say "Sir Joseph Longfellow Biden III"

Deferential towards an older person. what's wrong with that?

 

[U2isthebest]

Deferential towards an older person. what's wrong with that?

Please. She's not meeting her boyfriend's dad. She's debating someone who's supposed to be her equal. She shouldn't have to defer to him, nor he to her. They can show respect to each other without coming across as a weak, starstruck teenager.

 

[bonoman]

Please. She's not meeting her boyfriend's dad. She's debating someone who's supposed to be her equal. She shouldn't have to defer to him, nor he to her. They can show respect to each other without coming across as a weak, starstruck teenager.

darrn right!!! as sarah would asay

 

[U2isthebest]

She's not impressive at all. I'm waiting for her to prove to me that she knows something. All I hear is her spitting out facts that she could have read on Wikipedia. The difference between her and Biden is that he clearly knows what he's talking about. He can look at things from a nuanced point of view with rational thought involved. That last comment about her not answering questions the way the moderator asks is not going to win her any points. Very disrespectful, very rude, and certainly not going to win any independent, unbiased voters.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Best smiley ever.

 

[financeguy]

Very disrespectful, very rude, and certainly not going to win any independent, unbiased voters.

You're not precisely an indepedent, unbiased voter, though, are you?

 

[U2isthebest]

You're not precisely an indepedent, unbiased voter, though, are you?

No, but I know some. I know how wary they are of Sarah Palin, and I know that isn't going to score her any points in their favor. If Biden had said the same thing, I would've called him out on it.

 

[VintagePunk]

I think Biden's doing amazingly well. Palin's choosing her own questions to answer...meh. I hope people realize it's because she didn't know the answer to the question asked.