The Palin-Biden Debate

Okay, I just finished watching the debate, which meant that I had to stay up till 3 am my time just to see the damn thing start. But now that it's over, I figured I should have something posted up on it before I pass out.

Now, before this thing started, I have to say that I had pretty low expectations all around: Palin was dreadful in most of her interviews, and Biden, well, Biden was being Biden. So It's fair to say that like most of you, I placed the bar pretty low for this debate. So low that I wasn't actually looking for who answers best, but more like who will screw up the most. And I was also kinda dreading Ifill being partisan, because I didn't want anyone making excuses for Sarah if she does fumble it. Now, that being said, here are my reactions:

• "Can I call you joe?". Yep, she sure came with her charm on.
• They both start strong, him more slow and authoritative, and her more chipper and energetic. While I liked her answers, the speed in which she gave them were signs of either someone very nervous or someone who is regurgitating memorized talking points.
• She supports the bailout, he supports the bailout, both of them are for the greatest scam in the histroy of the American public. Boooo..
• Okay, here we go, He starts saying Bush, she starts saying Maverick. This is gonna be a long night.
• The corruption and greed on wall street got said way too many times.
• "I am not gonna answer the question way you or the moderator want me to answer"? For real?
• She knows policy positions, she is calling Biden on Obam's positions, and the things Biden said about Obama. Biden deflects it all and attacks McCain. Palin is not attacking Obama that much. Biden doing the VP's job, she ain't.
• Is it just me, or does it seem like Biden is enjoying himself too much every time she attacks him?
  
• Good points on using her record in Alaska. I wouldn't have expected Alaskan experience to be used as an example in Darfur, but hey, she sold it, and gave proof that she does know there is a world outside of America.
• She seemed to try to convey that she is bringing something to the ticket as well. She is selling herself to the public while trying to debate Biden at the same time. The double-sided efforts started wearing her down after a bit.
• Okay, I have to say this. She is hot. A total MILF. I like looking at her speak. I even like hearing her talk. She has really good body language and sound inflection. Stylistically she is good. But to be honest I found myself not listening to some of her answers. I don't know if it's because she rambles on very quickly and is all over the place, or it's because she is distractingly eye-pleasing.
  
• Oh, wow, she really was sucking Israel's dick with that answer, and Biden was like"Hoe, no you didn't" and immediately started sucking on Israel's Balls as well. It was beautiful how they competed for the "who loves Israel the most "prize, which was completely unnecessary for either one of them to do, because Palin just wrote an essay in love of Israel and Biden is AIPAC #1 guy. But I am sure it made Florida's Jews happy, and they are an important group to keep happy. Ask Sarah Silverman, she 'll tell you.
• Is she getting angry? Her answers seem to be testier by the moment. Why is she getting angry?
  
• Palin is not winning this, but is not losing this either. She is holding her own, while Biden is clearly in his element.
• You and NATO Kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, Biden? For real? Anybody listening to this?
• Did she actually manage to turn Joe's attempt on reaching out to gay voters into having it on record that they both agree on their opposition for gay marriage? Did that just happen?
• Oh boy, the word Maverick again. How many times she said it so far? 25? I should've started a drinking game.
• Yay for Local politics pandering: Palin talks about coming from a small town and being one of the middle-class people, and Biden of course starts talking about his roots as well. One day I would like to see a candidate being like "You know, being raised in the upper east side of manhattan, I was surrounded by a lot of normal people who cleaned my house, and they thought me all about regular folk". Maybe in 2040? The Trump-Hilton Ticket anyone?
• "Say it ain't so, Joe". Folksy and cute. Does this translate to folksy voters? Cause the gradschool graduate democrat-voting americans I was watching this with looked like they were getting an aneurysm whenever she did something like that. Or winked. They would twitch when she winks.
• Holy shit. On the one issue she was supposed to own- having and raising a family- she was upstaged by Biden , who talked about how wife's death and how hard it was to raise his kids as a single father, and then he chocked back a tear. Holy crap. Sarah, you better start crying or talking about your special-needs child or something. He just got the sympathy vote.
• Did she just attack the media? She must be really confident that she did well in this debate if she actually goes out and says that she is gratrful to talk to the people without the media filter. Yeah, that Katie Couric sure is a manipulator, and like, a filterer. Yeah, a filterer. It's a word. Look it up!
  
• Hmm, pretty standard closing statements. We will fight for you. blah blah. snooz.

Okay, now to the verdict, substance wise Biden won, but Palin held her own- i.e. didn't commit any major blunders, was actually using big words correctly and even had a couple of good answers there. Style wise Palin won: she seemed more relate able, more common american woman and definitely a Washington outsider. She officially does better in debates or behind podiums than in interviews. Biden looked commanding, but there is something about him that never says "Leader". She has buckets more Charisma than he does, but since she is not the main name on the ticket, I am not sure that counts. On the bright side she just stopped hurting the ticket. Now if she can only give a couple of good press interviews, she just might be able to turn this whole thing around. But so far Obama/Biden are the stronger ticket. They are performing better. It's still anyone's race though.

You just never know.