VP Debate:
My notes from the debate:
(posting in my time zone).
6.11pm:
Biden is sounding composed and made some good points regarding McCain's comments on the economy. Palin is following the standard joe six-pack, folksy appeal I thought they'd try to show her in this election, but she needs to do a little more to explain things from a policy perspective, she's speaking in fairly broad generalities currently.
6.13pm:
I like that Biden is focusing on McCain and not Palin in this debate. Attacking Palin puts him in a pretty precarious position, imo.
6.16pm:
Wow, Biden just scored major by exposing her on not answering any question regarding deregulation and her false claim regarding Obama's voting history saying that by the same standard McCain voted down tax cuts 5 times what Obama did.
6.17pm:
Lol. "I'm not going to answer the questions, I'm going to talk straight to the American people."
6.19pm:
She's still not answering the moderator's question regarding class warfare as a result of supporting a healthcare plan that some suggest will limit employer health care availability.
6.21pm:
Very nice bridge to nowhere jab, lol.
6.25pm:
She keeps talking about taking on oil companies but has not given specifics about her negotiations on how precisely she took them on. Now, I agree she did kill a lot of quid pro quo Alaskan oil deals, but she needs to talk with specificity if she wants to be more convincing.
6.31pm:
How the hell can a governor of Alaska sound so disorganized on a question regarding climate change?
6.34pm:
I think Biden is being a little misrepresenting here regarding alternative energy. As McCain said in his debate with Obama, how can anyone NOT support alternative energy? Not that Palin is competent enough to rebut him.
6.37pm:
I am really liking Biden's ability to respond very specifically to Palin's criticisms and provide context.
6.39pm:
Biden's response on same sex rights would have been a lot stronger had he reiterated a little more in the manner Obama stated "we may not agree on marriage, but we can agree to visitation rights, etc". I don't think either candidate did well on the same sex rights question. Expect a clarification statement from McCain's camp regarding what Palin said tonight re: same sex couples.
6.43pm:
Biden could have gone for the throat better on timetables. Obama pointed out that they both voted against troop funding bills for various reasons regarding timetables. Even the administration has proposed a timetable at this point, so he could have scored some major points that they are finally coming around to what democrats have been proposing since 2004.
6.45pm:
Did she just say the Taliban was working with us?
6.49pm:
At least she can pronounce Ahmadinejad.
7pm:
I don't really think Ifill is doing a very good job as a moderator, not for the yammering we've heard from the right about her being partisan because of her book, but because she is just not holding either candidate's feet to the fire in regard to answering questions.
7.15pm:
That would be "bipartisanship" not "partisanship", Palin.
7.25pm:
That was a very human moment where Biden teared up discussing raising his kids after his wife died. Probably the most authentic moment of the debate so far, and that is a problem for Palin because she is supposed to command the folksy populism angle (and was doing a decent job at it until then).
7.30pm:
Biden's answer regarding Dick Cheney and the constitution was excellent.
7.32pm:
Two in a row, Biden's answer regarding continuing Obama's policy agenda was miles better than Palin talking absent-mindedly about ANWAR.
Closing statements:
Biden looks like he has this entire debate: comfortable, well spoken, I haven't seen Biden debate much, but clearly he has some experience doing this.
Palin looks a little rattled from the debate itself here, but is obviously a fine public speaker when she's working with scriped material. She had a very difficult time speaking off the cuff throughout this debate, which kind of reinforces her Couric interview Gaffes.
Also it's McKiernan and not McClellan, Sarah.
(posting in my time zone).
6.11pm:
Biden is sounding composed and made some good points regarding McCain's comments on the economy. Palin is following the standard joe six-pack, folksy appeal I thought they'd try to show her in this election, but she needs to do a little more to explain things from a policy perspective, she's speaking in fairly broad generalities currently.
6.13pm:
I like that Biden is focusing on McCain and not Palin in this debate. Attacking Palin puts him in a pretty precarious position, imo.
6.16pm:
Wow, Biden just scored major by exposing her on not answering any question regarding deregulation and her false claim regarding Obama's voting history saying that by the same standard McCain voted down tax cuts 5 times what Obama did.
6.17pm:
Lol. "I'm not going to answer the questions, I'm going to talk straight to the American people."
6.19pm:
She's still not answering the moderator's question regarding class warfare as a result of supporting a healthcare plan that some suggest will limit employer health care availability.
6.21pm:
Very nice bridge to nowhere jab, lol.
6.25pm:
She keeps talking about taking on oil companies but has not given specifics about her negotiations on how precisely she took them on. Now, I agree she did kill a lot of quid pro quo Alaskan oil deals, but she needs to talk with specificity if she wants to be more convincing.
6.31pm:
How the hell can a governor of Alaska sound so disorganized on a question regarding climate change?
6.34pm:
I think Biden is being a little misrepresenting here regarding alternative energy. As McCain said in his debate with Obama, how can anyone NOT support alternative energy? Not that Palin is competent enough to rebut him.
6.37pm:
I am really liking Biden's ability to respond very specifically to Palin's criticisms and provide context.
6.39pm:
Biden's response on same sex rights would have been a lot stronger had he reiterated a little more in the manner Obama stated "we may not agree on marriage, but we can agree to visitation rights, etc". I don't think either candidate did well on the same sex rights question. Expect a clarification statement from McCain's camp regarding what Palin said tonight re: same sex couples.
6.43pm:
Biden could have gone for the throat better on timetables. Obama pointed out that they both voted against troop funding bills for various reasons regarding timetables. Even the administration has proposed a timetable at this point, so he could have scored some major points that they are finally coming around to what democrats have been proposing since 2004.
6.45pm:
Did she just say the Taliban was working with us?
6.49pm:
At least she can pronounce Ahmadinejad.
7pm:
I don't really think Ifill is doing a very good job as a moderator, not for the yammering we've heard from the right about her being partisan because of her book, but because she is just not holding either candidate's feet to the fire in regard to answering questions.
7.15pm:
That would be "bipartisanship" not "partisanship", Palin.
7.25pm:
That was a very human moment where Biden teared up discussing raising his kids after his wife died. Probably the most authentic moment of the debate so far, and that is a problem for Palin because she is supposed to command the folksy populism angle (and was doing a decent job at it until then).
7.30pm:
Biden's answer regarding Dick Cheney and the constitution was excellent.
7.32pm:
Two in a row, Biden's answer regarding continuing Obama's policy agenda was miles better than Palin talking absent-mindedly about ANWAR.
Closing statements:
Biden looks like he has this entire debate: comfortable, well spoken, I haven't seen Biden debate much, but clearly he has some experience doing this.
Palin looks a little rattled from the debate itself here, but is obviously a fine public speaker when she's working with scriped material. She had a very difficult time speaking off the cuff throughout this debate, which kind of reinforces her Couric interview Gaffes.
Also it's McKiernan and not McClellan, Sarah.