Post-Veep Debate Thoughts
You probably won't see me getting political much here - I have a few issues that I have opinions about (well, maybe a lot) but I don't blog about them all that much. Still, after watching the vice presidential candidate debate, I wanted to say a few things.
First of all, I was pleasantly surprised by both candidates. I've read about Palin's mishaps, and I'm not a huge fan of Biden, but I think both came across as better than expected. Not that this says much, as expectations were low, but still. It's nice to know that the second-in-command won't be a total dipshit.
I didn't manage to catch the whole thing, only the second half. One thing I noticed was that Palin was using debate strategy well - but too well for my tastes. I personally hate when they dodge questions, and she persisted in doing so, constantly returning to her "Right for Families, Right for America" spiel. I was rather satisfied by Biden's impromptu rebuttal, though I will cover that in length later. I'm not going to cover topics missed, since I didn't catch the first half, but I wish I had heard her plans for solving the war issue and the dearth of healthcare. I disliked that she seems to be following in Cheney's footsteps of being involved in the legislative branch - checks and balances exist for a reason. Biden made a good point about Article I of the Constitution, which states explicitly the role of the Vice President. Palin seems to be rather uninformed, overall.
Biden, on the other hand, seemed to address questions at least a bit before driving his points home. I found him to be very long winded, but he did not drift from his topic - though he like any politician would sidestep some questions. I liked how he was able to acknowledge his critics' opinion without rebutting them. I liked that he could compliment McCain. I wish he wouldn't rant quite so much; I sensed a great deal of vitriol in his words. It did make him seem more genuine, but I distrust 'seeming'. I think he spent too much time disproving Palin and not enough time making his own points, too.
One thing I found interesting was their differing attitudes toward their presidential candidate counterpart. I felt that Palin leaned on McCain far too much, speaking of his policy almost as much as her own. She used 'we' a lot. Biden spoke mostly as his own person, only bringing Obama up a few times that I saw. I liked that he was treating this as an exploration of his own policy, but I can't help but wonder how much he anticipates he'll be in control. If I were to vote for Obama, I would want Obama holding executive power - not Biden.
A specific issue I had: Palin, when asked to speak of how parties could work together, made the point that she never had to compromise in a big matter, and instead worked together to make a decision with others.
Um. I think the word for that would be 'compromise'.
Biden. Please. Concise is a word you should look up, and employ in your speaking technique.
And to leave you, a Palinism:
"[John McCain]...is the man that we need to leave - I mean, lead - our country."
In Ari's words, "Freudian slip, y/y/?"
First of all, I was pleasantly surprised by both candidates. I've read about Palin's mishaps, and I'm not a huge fan of Biden, but I think both came across as better than expected. Not that this says much, as expectations were low, but still. It's nice to know that the second-in-command won't be a total dipshit.
I didn't manage to catch the whole thing, only the second half. One thing I noticed was that Palin was using debate strategy well - but too well for my tastes. I personally hate when they dodge questions, and she persisted in doing so, constantly returning to her "Right for Families, Right for America" spiel. I was rather satisfied by Biden's impromptu rebuttal, though I will cover that in length later. I'm not going to cover topics missed, since I didn't catch the first half, but I wish I had heard her plans for solving the war issue and the dearth of healthcare. I disliked that she seems to be following in Cheney's footsteps of being involved in the legislative branch - checks and balances exist for a reason. Biden made a good point about Article I of the Constitution, which states explicitly the role of the Vice President. Palin seems to be rather uninformed, overall.
Biden, on the other hand, seemed to address questions at least a bit before driving his points home. I found him to be very long winded, but he did not drift from his topic - though he like any politician would sidestep some questions. I liked how he was able to acknowledge his critics' opinion without rebutting them. I liked that he could compliment McCain. I wish he wouldn't rant quite so much; I sensed a great deal of vitriol in his words. It did make him seem more genuine, but I distrust 'seeming'. I think he spent too much time disproving Palin and not enough time making his own points, too.
One thing I found interesting was their differing attitudes toward their presidential candidate counterpart. I felt that Palin leaned on McCain far too much, speaking of his policy almost as much as her own. She used 'we' a lot. Biden spoke mostly as his own person, only bringing Obama up a few times that I saw. I liked that he was treating this as an exploration of his own policy, but I can't help but wonder how much he anticipates he'll be in control. If I were to vote for Obama, I would want Obama holding executive power - not Biden.
A specific issue I had: Palin, when asked to speak of how parties could work together, made the point that she never had to compromise in a big matter, and instead worked together to make a decision with others.
Um. I think the word for that would be 'compromise'.
Biden. Please. Concise is a word you should look up, and employ in your speaking technique.
And to leave you, a Palinism:
"[John McCain]...is the man that we need to leave - I mean, lead - our country."
In Ari's words, "Freudian slip, y/y/?"