A not-debate by any other name...
Oh, Canada. I envy you. When y'all have debates, they actually, you know, appear to be debates. Like (more than two!) people sitting around talking. It sounds nice...
In addition, hello Sen. Biden. Just about the time you zinged Gov. Palin about the Road to Nowhere, I forgave you for the Rave Act. What's more, hofnarr did too, and that's saying something. You were great. Also, see what I did there? What's wrong with Mr. Biden? Mr. McCain? Why must we remove all civility and etiquette from this process? WHY? This isn't a barn raising. It's a presidential election. (Granted, the distinction is becoming less and less clear, and thanks for that, Republicans!) I also notice that despite the plethora of "Baracks" and "Johns" and "Joes" - there remained not one single Sarah. What, she's a woman, so gets to retain the courtesy of her title? WTF?
I thought Biden did an excellent job. Much of the time, it seemed like Sarah Palin wasn't even there. He had bigger fish to fry, and I think he fried them. I thought the notes on gay marriage were powerful, and incidentally I loved that he slipped first and called it marriage, when he first said he was for it, and only later in the answer amended it. That slip actually gave me hope, much like the part where he said they supported nuclear energy. It's sad that Dems. can't win an election talking about nuclear energy, because environmentalists (naive ones) hear nuclear, and go crazy. Anyway, those two moments really gave me hope that underneath all the pacifying rhetoric, the Obama/Biden ticket might... for lack of a better term, be on the side of the angels. Which is nice. Biden's affect in the gay marriage moment was great too. "Marriage is between you and your religious leader. If your pastor/rabbi/priest/mullah/holy kumquat won't marry you, I'm sorry but it's none of my business. But there's a justice of the peace who will. WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN?" And it's so nice to know that Mrs. Palin tolerates me. And some of her best friends are gay. Thanks. That and two dollars'll get me on the subway. Also so disingenously saying that she & McCain won't take away rights that haven't been granted yet. Fuck you. Incidentally, have read several newspaper accounts of the whole thing, and got several different versions: Sen. Biden unequivocally endorsed gay rights; Gov. Palin didn't, vs. neither Sen. Biden nor Gov. Palin support gay marriage and all the varying permutations in between.
I also thought Palin bringing up Biden's wife was one of the tackiest things I've ever seen. Really charming there. But his slam at the end about single fathers - yeah, you don't get to play that card with this guy, Mrs. Palin.
I wish however, that re: healthcare, the Obama/Biden side would stop giving so many numbers. I mean, I like the numbers, but I already know who I'm voting for. Is it so hard to say: in McCain's tax plan, he wants to tax medical benefits. He wants to tax you when you have go to the hospital. I think that would give people pause.
In the end, Palin had five answers memorized, and insisted on giving them over and over, when they had nothing to do with the questions. (Nice zing to Katie Couric by the way, Mrs. Palin. That's it, blame the interviewer for the filter of showing you looking like an uneducated yokel. Nice!) Some news sites are calling this a draw, because she didn't fall on her face. This particular gauge of success is so alarming to me, I don't even know what to say, except that it's humiliating for both my country and gender. On the other hand, you'd think I'd be used to that by now.
In addition, hello Sen. Biden. Just about the time you zinged Gov. Palin about the Road to Nowhere, I forgave you for the Rave Act. What's more, hofnarr did too, and that's saying something. You were great. Also, see what I did there? What's wrong with Mr. Biden? Mr. McCain? Why must we remove all civility and etiquette from this process? WHY? This isn't a barn raising. It's a presidential election. (Granted, the distinction is becoming less and less clear, and thanks for that, Republicans!) I also notice that despite the plethora of "Baracks" and "Johns" and "Joes" - there remained not one single Sarah. What, she's a woman, so gets to retain the courtesy of her title? WTF?
I thought Biden did an excellent job. Much of the time, it seemed like Sarah Palin wasn't even there. He had bigger fish to fry, and I think he fried them. I thought the notes on gay marriage were powerful, and incidentally I loved that he slipped first and called it marriage, when he first said he was for it, and only later in the answer amended it. That slip actually gave me hope, much like the part where he said they supported nuclear energy. It's sad that Dems. can't win an election talking about nuclear energy, because environmentalists (naive ones) hear nuclear, and go crazy. Anyway, those two moments really gave me hope that underneath all the pacifying rhetoric, the Obama/Biden ticket might... for lack of a better term, be on the side of the angels. Which is nice. Biden's affect in the gay marriage moment was great too. "Marriage is between you and your religious leader. If your pastor/rabbi/priest/mullah/holy kumquat won't marry you, I'm sorry but it's none of my business. But there's a justice of the peace who will. WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN?" And it's so nice to know that Mrs. Palin tolerates me. And some of her best friends are gay. Thanks. That and two dollars'll get me on the subway. Also so disingenously saying that she & McCain won't take away rights that haven't been granted yet. Fuck you. Incidentally, have read several newspaper accounts of the whole thing, and got several different versions: Sen. Biden unequivocally endorsed gay rights; Gov. Palin didn't, vs. neither Sen. Biden nor Gov. Palin support gay marriage and all the varying permutations in between.
I also thought Palin bringing up Biden's wife was one of the tackiest things I've ever seen. Really charming there. But his slam at the end about single fathers - yeah, you don't get to play that card with this guy, Mrs. Palin.
I wish however, that re: healthcare, the Obama/Biden side would stop giving so many numbers. I mean, I like the numbers, but I already know who I'm voting for. Is it so hard to say: in McCain's tax plan, he wants to tax medical benefits. He wants to tax you when you have go to the hospital. I think that would give people pause.
In the end, Palin had five answers memorized, and insisted on giving them over and over, when they had nothing to do with the questions. (Nice zing to Katie Couric by the way, Mrs. Palin. That's it, blame the interviewer for the filter of showing you looking like an uneducated yokel. Nice!) Some news sites are calling this a draw, because she didn't fall on her face. This particular gauge of success is so alarming to me, I don't even know what to say, except that it's humiliating for both my country and gender. On the other hand, you'd think I'd be used to that by now.