Sarah vs. Smirky: Vice presidential debate thread
Are you ready? I’m praying and pulling for Sarah Palin. I know you are, too. Let’s go.
8:01pm Eastern. Will Gwen Ifill disclose or won’t she?
Nothing.
The candidates walk out. Sarah looks lovely and confident.
She asks Biden, “Nice to meet you. Hey, can I call you Joe?”
First question: The bailout.
Biden launches into a Bush attack. He sounds tired recyling his tired, corporate-bashing talking points.
Palin’s turn. “Has this been a good time or bad time for the economy. Ask parents at their kids’ soccer. Fear about borrowing money, paying for inventory. Our economy is hurting. Government hasn’t provided proper oversight. Segues to McCain sounding the alarm on Fannie/Freddie reform.”
Trumped Biden on connecting with ordinary Americans. Excellent answer, much better job than Biden at pushing McCain as a leader on “reform.” (Ok, well except for the fact that McCain voted for the bailout behemoth.)
Biden responds by quoting McCain on touting the fundamentals of the economy.
Palin says McCain was talking about the American workforce being sound. American workers. That’s what he meant. What I’ve done as governor and mayor is putting partisan politics aside to get the job done. Obama’s a partisan. Get done to getting business done. Tired of politics as usual. I respect your many years in the Senate, but people are craving something different. Something new.
She is on.
Take that, doubters.
Q: Who’s responsible for the subprime crisis?
Palin agrees there were predatory lenders, greed, and corruption. Echoing McCain. “We need to band together and say never again.”
9:10pm Eastern. Excellent – she’s talking about personal responsibility. Don’t get in debt. We can learn good lessons.
Palin is fresh, cogent, on message.
Biden looks tired. Did I mention that?
He’s laughably asserting that Obama was warning about the subprime crisis two years ago. Now, trying to come across as the Everyman’s crusader.
Palin zeroes in on Obama’s tax increase votes – 94 times. 94 times. That’s not what we need to create jobs. Government’s going to have to be more efficient – and do more less if that’s what’s needed.
Biden protests the tax increase charge and pushes McCain as reckless deregulator.
Palin is not intimidated. “I may not answer the question the way the moderator or you want, but I’m going to answer and talk straight to the American people.” Reiterates the tax increase charge, then cites her experience as mayor and governor.
Ifill gets testy. Cuts Palin off. Turns to health care. Smirky smirks. Goes back to taxes. This is good for Palin.
Palin takes issue with redistribution of wealth. “You said paying higher taxes is patriotic. In the middle-class, where I’m from, that’s not patriotic. You’re the problem.”
She is rolling him.
“Age of Obama” asks if she’s interested in defending McCain’s health care plan.
I am, says Palin with a glowing smile. Cites $5,000 tax credit for health care, budget-neutral. Purchasing across state line. Affordability and accessibility.
Biden: “I don’t know where to start.” Tries to out-blue-collar Palin. Wah. “We don’t call that redistribution. We call that fairness.”
Boy, he looks and sound tired. Don’t you think?
Biden rails another few minutes and calls McCain’s plan the “ultimate bridge to nowhere.” Laughter from audience.
Ifill gives the next question to…Joe Biden. A lot of smoke blown and then he stumble “character, char-, characterize.”
Man, he’s tired.
Palin reminds Biden that Obama voted for oil industry tax breaks in energy legislation a few years ago. “I had to fight them…What I had to do was break up a monopoly. The people have to come first. Obama voted for that plan. I, as a governor, had to undo that.”
Ifill: So there’s nothing you’ve promised as a candidate that you would take back to pass the bailout plan. No, there’s not. How long have I been at this? Five weeks. So, there’s not a lot that I’ve promised. Nothing I’d go back on. And nothing that McCain has promised that he wouldn’t go back on, either.
Biden acknowledges that Palin opposed windfall profits tax. He acknowledges that she fought the oil companies as governor. “I give her credit for it.”
Round to Palin, again.
9:30pm Eastern. Ifill asks about climate change.
As the nation’s only arctic state, we feel the impacts. I’m not willing to attribute everything to man’s activities, but there are changes going on. I don’t want to argue about causes. I want to get to positively changing the impacts of climate. (Yikes.) First garble. “We’ve got to become energy independent.” I understand why she’d be a little tied up here — her position has been opposite on McCain’s.
Biden is trying to draw a contrast between Obama and McCain on this. McCain is right next to or to the left of Obama. Always has been. Give me a break. Biden complains about “Drill drill drill.”
Palin corrects him: The chant is “Drill, baby, drill!” And we hear it all across the country. Obama and Biden have said no to any alternatives. They’ve likened drilling to raping. Palin points out that Biden opposed clean coal. Biden says he was taken out of context.
Ifill rescues Biden and switches to same-sex benefits coverage, “like they have in Alaska.”
Biden goes on and on. Yes. Would you support expanding that to the rest of the country?
Not if it leads to redefining marriage. Says she wants to be straight up that she opposes same-sex marriage. Clear: “I am tolerant.”
Biden echoes. He is against it.
“Age of Obama” says: Wonderful. You agree.
Moves on to foreign policy. You both have sons in Iraq. Surge/Iraq question:
Palin: Touts McCain on the surge. We have got to win in Iraq. Senator Biden, I respected you when you called Barack Obama out on that. You said it was political and it would cost lives.
It would be a travesty if we quit now in Iraq.
Good answer, great delivery, great dig at Biden.
He winced.
Score!
Biden: “We will end this war.”
Palin: “Your plan is a white flag of surrender.”
She should have said: You will end this war? Well, we will WIN this war.
She adds another dig. Reminds Biden that he said he would be honored to run on a ticket with McCain. And reminds him that he said that Obama was not ready to be commander in chief.
Biden smirks.
ZING!
Ifill moves on to Pakistan and Iran. Which is a greater nuclear threat?
Biden brags that he’s been working on this for a long time.
We know, we know.
Biden attacks McCain on Pakistan.
Palin: Both are extremely dangerous, of course. Iraq is a central front in war on al Qaeda. Gen. Petraeus tells us, don’t believe it.
Palin goes after Ajad on his annihilation of Israel rhetoric. Ajad, Castro brothers, Kim Jong Il – Obama says he’d meet without preconditions.
This is beyond naivete and poor judgement. It’s downright dangerous.
Good. Good. Good.
Ifill cites Kissinger as pro-engagement. Palin says no, I had a great meeting with him. He doesn’t support Obama’s position.
These people hate America. Hate what we stand for. Hate our tolerance and respect for women’s right. Can’t sit down with them on the presidential level. Diplomacy is necessary. It’s hard work by serious people with sanctions backing you up before summits take place.
Excellent.
Biden blusters. Mentions McCain/Spain remarks. He wouldn’t even meet with Spain!
Ifill moves on to Israel – one state or two state solution.
Palin: Two state. Israel is our greatest ally. They succeeded with Jordan, Egypt. In a McCainPalin administration, that commitment is there to stand by Israel.
She is on.
Biden: No one’s a bigger supporter of Israel than me! Resorts to his bash-Bush retreat.
Palin: Enough is enough with your ticket looking back and pointing blame. For a ticket touting change, you have too much looking backward. We’re going to forge ahead and make sure our country comes first. Change is coming!
Great smile.
9:57pm Eastern. Palin brings up Afghanistan. The same surge principles in Iraq need to be applied to Afghanistan.
Palin rips Obama for saying troops killed civilians and tore down villages.
SCORE. YES. MORE!
Sarah rocks.
9:59pm Eastern. Biden is ranting about McCain on arms control regime.
Palin corrects Biden on applying surge principles/counterinsurgency principles to Afghanistan. Clearing, holding, rebuilding the civil society. It can work. They’ve not said anything different but that.
Biden is at a loss for words. He can’t defend taking the general out of context.
SCORE!
10:03pm Eastern. Ifill asks about Biden’s record of intervention. He blusters about Darfur and Bosnia.
Palin stays on message: “It’s obvious I’m a Washington outsider. You were for the war and now you were against it. You supported McCain’s strategies. You were for it before you were against it.”
SCORE!
On Darfur, I’m with you. Cites what she did as governor in supporting humanitarian efforts.
Excellent. Keeps hammering her executive experience and record.
EXCELLENT!
Ifill asks if there are lines that should be drawn. Biden: Sure. He then denies that he ever supported
McCain’s strategy.
10:06pm Eastern. I beg to differ. We’ll know the truth. McCain’s been there. He’ll know how to win a war.
Ifill asks about differences between vp and prez. What would we different?
By the way: A reader e-mails that he’s keeping count of the times Biden gets to rebut versus Palin and has it at a 6:1 ratio.
Natch.
Biden concludes he’s agree on everything.
Palin says we’re a ticket of Mavericks and what do you expect? Of course, we’ll disagree. I’ll keep pushing him on ANWR.
Good.
One thing I’ll continue: Reforming Washington. Bringing Wasilla Main Street. Government, get out of my way.
Biden: Can I respond?
Ifill: Please.
(Thinking: “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!”)
10:11pm Eastern. Palin turning on the charm. “Say it ain’t, Joe!” You did it again. Looking backwards again! Palin praises Biden’s wife for her career in teaching, mentions teachers in her family, shout outs for her brother, dad, and third-graders at a local school in her hometown for watching the debate. They get extra credit.
Ifill brings up Palin’s joke on vice presidency.
Palin: It was lame joke. So was yours (to Biden). But nobody got it. Either of ours. (Laughter.)
Charming, relaxed, self-confident.
Did I say: Sarah rocks!
Oh, and did I note: Biden looks tired despite his tan and what looks like Botox work on his unnaturally smooth forehead. It’s…weird. Kerry-esque.
Palin is talking and Biden keeps smirking.
Biden calls Cheney “the most dangerous vice president in American history.”
Ifill: The conventional wisdom is that Palin’s Achilles’ heel is lack of experience and that Biden’s is lack of discipline. What are your real Achilles’ heels?
Palin: My experience, my connection to the heartland of America, cites her biography. She didn’t hear the rest of the question.
Biden: My Achilles’ heel – “my excessive passion.”
Gag.
Biden pours on his “I’m a real guy, too.” He seems pissed, pardon my language, though she did nothing to attack him personally.
He’s offended that someone’s claimed the Real Person mantle that he thinks he alone possesses.
Palin is on message with McCain as maverick and reformer.
Biden is waking up. He’s really angry now. I’d say he’s scowling, except his mouth can’t really move. Biden trying to paint McCain as Eeeeeevil.
Final question: Can you think of a single issue that you were faced to change because of changed circumstances?
Biden has a ready answer. He’s talking about a judicial pick, cites his opposition to Robert Bork…cites his judiciary committee chairmanship.
Palin: There are times as mayor and governor that I wanted to zero-base budget or cut taxes more, but on major principles, no, nothing I’ve ever had to compromise on.
Ifill has another question after her final question: How will you change the tone in Washington?
Biden blathers about working together, a Jesse Helms anecdote, never questioning others’ motives. Blah blah. “That’s the fundamental change Barack Obama and I will bring. Not questioning others’ motives.”
Bull crap!
Joe Biden, meet Stanley Kurtz.
Palin stays on message: Support a ticket that creates jobs, reins in government spending, energy independence.
Conclusion.
Palin’s up. She likes these forums. No filtering by the mainstream media (ZING!). John McCain and I will fight for America. I know what the hurts are, I know the challenges, I know the blessings. I’ve always been proud to be an American. (Unlike, ahem, Mrs. “America is Downright Mean.”) There is only one man in this race who has really fought for you. And that man is John McCain.”
Excellent.
Biden’s up. Can he not bash Bush in the next 90 seconds.
He’s tiiiiiiired. Gravel-voiced. Deflated.
But his forehead is really smooth.
Biden ends with a “God bless America” and a “God bless the troops” — the kind of thing the Christian-bashers would flog Sarah over.
Bottom line:
Sarah rocks. Biden’s tired.
***
My quick post-debate analysis is here: Sarah rocks!
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
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- Jules Crittenden » Car Crash Liveblog
- Michelle Malkin » SARAH ROCKS!
- Palin does more than hold her own. She cleaned house tonight. « The Right Daily
- Post Debate Roundup : Stop The ACLU
- Frank Luntz Group: Palin Wins : Stop The ACLU
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- SARAH ROCKS! By Michelle Malkin | Saint Sarah Palin
- How some Christian bloggers scored the Biden v. Palin debate | blogs4God
- Another liberal double-standard. Surprise! « The Right Daily
- Sarah Rocks The Debate | Faith and Facts
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- Sarah positively KILLED at the debate last night… « Illiberal Virtuosity
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He just audibly sighed. Good girl, Madame Governor!!
i thought so but i wasn’t sure
Now Joe is putting things in “perspective”…huh oh…
Looks like a last word AGAIN…anyone keeping a count on this?
I thought I heard a sigh! I thought it may have been TV static . (My TV still has bunny ears.)
Gee willikers, doesn’t she just look a bit more intelligent when the libtards in the MSM aren’t able to edit her to look stupid.
Could not be clearer.
I’ve being having drinks on “the fact of the matter is”, and I have a nice buzz going.
And yet again the last word to Biden, this is ridiculous.
Kind of what Gore did to Bush, remember?
That worked well.
Not.
teachem2,
It’s not the first time he’s done that. Somebody’s becoming unglued.
Yeah, love her taking Obummer to task about his Afghanistan comment.
The reason we don’t read about afghanistan right NOW is because the MSM is to busy trying to elect Obama/Biden..
Joe “The Interventionist” Biden?
Senator Buffoon has a fight on his hands…He’s talking too fast, she’s slowed down, don’t you love the way she’s looking at him??! I use that look on my kids when I want them to LISTEN and UNDERSTAND my words…or face the consequences…
#482
I know. It’s just a pet peeve of mine
Well…uh….let me check my
cliffnotes…it was a sigh. A very loud one
Ifill is giving joe the preferential treatment, but Palin is still showing him up.
where do they find moderators, Russia?
Anyone hear that sigh? Holy cow, how rude and pathetic.
Bosniacs?
Nope. You heard it right. He’s losing it.
HSe’s smiling on the split screen…she knows she’s taking it to him…GO GET HIM!
Biden also keeps pointing to Dick Lugar (one of my own senators) as a Republican who supports same stuff he supports. Good grief.
Did Ifill just say Biden is an interventionist? The same Biden who voted against the first Gulf War and who has tried to engineer defeat in Iraq? Have I entered an alternate universe?
Did Joe just say Bosniacs?
I, I, I, I, I.
Joe…enough already.
Bosniacs?
Bonsniacs? Was he reading Superman comics before he came out? Or watching Animaniacs?
We should have never been in Bosnia, it was Europe’s problem.
Sen. Biden sure seems to get the last word a lot.
I admit I’m biased, though.
Bozniacs???
Gov. Palin is clearly winning this encounter with that master debater.
I gave the President the power to go into Iraq… But I didn’t expect him to do it.
That’s what it just sounded like to me.
Joe is rambling.. no?
What is a “Bosniac?” Is that a Bosnian maniac?
“I don’t have a stomach for genocide”?!? Who the hell does?
Americans have a stomach for success in Dafur, but not in Iraq, hmm?
If we’re make a hard stand, why didn’t Clinton take the lead?
Was Joe shot at in those camps or was that another trip?
“Like, I drive a Bosniac”
Maybe it’s the way he drones on, but it seems he is allotted more time.
Helicopters to carry over 21000 troops. I must have missed something there because I didn’t know they made em that big. LOL
I believe he’s in Haiti…
You tell him Sarah.
Oh! Calling him on the flip-flopping again.
Sarah smiling and poised to pounce… watch your words Joey… they are coming back to you…
She injects “before” before he was against…ca-ching
good one there Sarah…”traight talk it”..upper cut to the chin.
What’s with all the sighing, Joe? Extra hot air? Gas?
Yeah, call him a typical politician….you are so right.
That’s because Darfur is popular with Hollywood.
Nope, it’s a Bosnian Cadillac, gets 3 miles per gallon.
Quite ending sentences with “Also”! Arghhhhh!
Is a Bosniac a less intelligent version of a Brainiac?
I don’t care what anyone says, she’s mopping the floor with him..
She’s grinning, isn’t she? I’m streaming… can’t see her.
I love how she smiles when she twists the knife. Reminds me of that old Billy Joel song. “She’s so good with her stilleto / You don’t really mind the pain.”
Sarah jumping off the Darfur question a bit to strengthen the military issues…back on, example of how Alaska removing its funding that sdeems to support Sudan
good one there Sarah…”straight talk it”..upper cut to the chin.
How can either Biden or Palin make any decisions for Israel concerning a two-state solution? 1) The land has never belonged to the Arabs. The Arabs followed the Israelis after the Israelis made it habitable. 2) This decision is Israel’s, not America’s, not Europe’s, not any other nation’s.
No he didn’t gays will vote for a dog as long as there’s a D by its name.
The big myth the gay community peddles around is that they can’t visit their spouse in the hospital, can’t own property together, can’t name each other on life insurance.
The truth is we can do ALL OF THAT!! Many big companies offer domestic partnership benefits. Many states and cities allow gays visitation in hospitals (It’s not a big deal anymore, except to parents who hate having a gay child.)
There is a parallel in the gay community and the black community. The Dems want blacks to think they live in 1955. The Dems want gays to believe we still live in 1985 . The Dems depend on scare tactics to garner support.
I haven’t gotten to read a lot of comments here, lately. I read a lot of the articles and link to them on the blogs I’ve been working on lately. But, I didnt’ see him logged in here tonight commenting.
I agree Dan
Go Sarah Go!!!!!
Careful Gwen ….
Don’t let the fact you are a Dem shill show! ; )
Go Sarah Go!
Hey Joe … We’re still waiting for that Christmas that Clinton said the troops would be home from Bosnia … he just failed to mention what year that Christmas would come in …
That said … what the Hell does Bosnia have to do with this election?
An hour in, I wonder how many libtards’ heads are exploding.
His parameters on when we should intervene also describe a Saddam Hussein Iraq.
I don’t see ajmontana or alohaguy either.
You did support John McCain Joe…what a lie!
He just contradicted himself indirectly about Pakistan I think.
Barack Obama was not in the Senate when we went to war Joe? We can’t go back and see what Obama said he wasn’t there.
Oh yes, BarackObama.com is an unbiased fact checking source Joe!! hahahaha What a nerd..
Love how she brought his words from the primary back to haunt him. He opposed Barack before he was his running mate.
Unfortunately, she’s at a severe disadvantage having to defend McCain policies.
All of this Bush & Cheney guilt by association stuff is just dumb. I wish she would call him on it.
Yay Sarah! Call him out on his hypocrisy! They’re only against the war on terror because it wasn’t a Dem in the White House who championed the fight. And if it had been Murtha or some hack like that who proposed the surge, they’d say it was an overwhelming success. They’d have been for it before they were for it instead of for it before they were against it. I get so confused listening to Democrats talk about the war… and everything else, for that matter.
Bosniacs? What’s a Bosniac?
Oh yeah Biden you couldn’t wait to use the “lock step” thing could you?
“I beg to disagree with you on this?” Okay. She stumbled a little bit on that but seems to have recovered a sentence or two into it.
We WERE greeted as liberators, you lying tool!!
omg, McCain agreed with Cheney one time? he’s unfit!
She’s landing right hooks and right crosses; I’m loving it!
I think she’s surprised by how much Joe is willing to lie or distort on stage.
Cliche – “heatbeat away.” What about “Age of Obama?” Is that not cliche?
no John Ansell either ?
Holy Crap!!! She got the last word!!!
Here we go with the heartbeat away issue…National tragedy if Biden becomes President…right there
LOL reminds him that the pundits will correct him tomorrow.
About a Biden administration: “God forbid it would ever happen.”
Amen to that.
Just noticed the flag is being displayed inappropriately behind Gwen. Very low class.
A Biden administration would be a NATIONAL TRAGEDY… he said it himslef… AMEN
Woah, Ifill way to paint Biden as a freedom fighter and Palin as anti-environment….she’s not biased…oh no.
I think Biden actually thinks BO IS the messiah.
Biden administration…he’s right, it would be tragedy of epic proportions if he sat in the oval office…
Joe Biden is not dumb but he is arguing with one are tied behind his back because he has to uphold pacifist views that have been born out to be wrong every time.
The Middle Class can’t get a fair break if you take 850 Billion Dollars from them Joe, that is anti middle class I don’t care what the banker lobbyist told you.
NOw it’s about a “Biden Administration”….I’d carry out the policy of an Obama Administration…BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…
aj was here but he probably was having same problem I was … every time I tried to comment I got knocked off the site for a while there …
Biden’s turning red. Somebody give him a chill pill.
How about Gwen? Not too bad, they can be fair if they try. I think she’s pushing Sarah to say “nucular” but thats fair.
I wonder if he would hang out with Ayers and Wright?