Gollleeeee....I think "Gomer" Palin did an absolutely SUPERB job of showing us all just what an "airhead" she is.

you betcha she was cute. But style over substance never works. As for her "lively" debate, that was more like watching a kid begging her dad to use the car. She kept to talking points and informed us all that her Maverickyness is all we need to know, for the Mccain Palin ticket- we really just need to trust them and change is something they'll think about after the elections.
I wasnt impressed- I didnt expect her to be a drooling idiot but some knowledge on the basics would have been nice. She is not ready for the presidency at all.
Its too bad Biden was so nice- he had many openings where he could have attacked her record but he stayed on message.

We went to a debate party at the home of our colleague from Hagerstown Community College Sean Maher. It was a younger crowd than we usually hang around with (20s to 30s - My son Bud's age group... he was with us, too) and decidedly pro-Obama. I say that so as not to artificially color my views as a 62-year-old Obama supporter who fears the loss of investment retirement income, Social Security, home values, etc.

While there was a drinking game taking place in one room... take a shot every time Palin says "Maverick"... those of us in the living room focused on the debate and whether or not the candidates were answering Gwen Ifill's questions or not (we were watching on MSNBC which, as my wife pointed out, did us the favor of keeping the original question printed at the bottom of the screen while the two candidates veered to the pre-set messages they had, especially in the case of Palin, obviously rehearsed.)

Ifill's questions and her steering of the candidates to answer them was pretty weak. I was surprised at that... she could have kept returning to the question to get them to focus answers, but she didn't. Too bad. It was one of the things that Jim Lehrer did pretty well.

Palin, to her credit, did not make the really stupid statements which she did with Katie Couric on their two days of interviews. She did not fall apart, kept her "cutie" composure, filled her comments with her "country girl" character and idiom, and certainly kept her supporters happy for the whole 90 minutes. Did she say anything that wasn't pre-screened by Steve Schmidt and cohorts? No. You knew from the first, quite loud (so it would be picked up by the mikes) handshake comment..."Can I call you Joe?"... that she was ready to put Biden off his guard from the beginning. Fortunately, he didn't fall for it.

Biden kept his cool through the evening and came off, I thought, as a completely professional government operator. His knowledge of foreign policy and the law, to his credit (they each have to be credited with their strengths) established an amount of confidence which was clear in the snap polls after the debate from CNN, CBS and other sources that handed the debate to the Democrat by a 2-1 margin.

Some observations:

- Palin still not sure what a VP does. She actually made a statement that she thought the Constitutional powers of the VP could be expanded. Biden made it clear that the VP was subordinate to the President, and his experience and talent would be at Obama's disposal. Period.

- Biden went in with an intent to focus on McCain and not on Palin and pretty much pulled it off. Palin went on the attack without factual substantiation, which Biden could easily call her on, frequently during the evening.

- Ifill's questions were awfully soft. Perhaps she was intimidated by the pre-debate complaints from the Republicans on her new book about black politicians. I don't know.

You could say about the debate that Palin came across as someone you would like to know, but Biden came across as someone you could trust to do the job.

Under The LobsterScope

RichardKanePA
She was as cute and as folksy as Ronald Reagan. Except that the economy is really screwed she could spread as much hate and divisiveness as Reagan did. Even so as a female evangelist can do more harm then let's say Rush Limbaugh.

With the economy and uncertainty as bad as it is, Obaman Biden should be ahead by a landslide

I could say this all with a positive spin see,
http://capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/11465

No substance
For those who vote on emotional appeals and folksiness (and the ability to do a good "shout out") Palin did well, but for those who want real solutions and answers, Palin avoided nearly all the issues presented. She lied repeatedly throughout the debate, presenting mccain as an agent of change. In fact, although she seems to think that nobody should bring up mccains consistent partisan repugnican record of voting against the middle and lower class, against alternative energy and for deregulation of rich corporations, mccain's record shows they are both lying. They have no plans of change and any critical thinker can see through the deceptive rhetoric. Unfortunately, most undecided voters who determine our destinies are not big on critical thinking skills; these deceptive ploys might work. It worked for bush twice. Peoples' stupidity is tried and true.

Palin claimed they would change the corruption in Washington although the party she supports has been an even bigger source of corruption and greed than the republicrats. She claimed they would make us energy independent although mccain has always voted against alternative energy. She misleadingly claimed their tax cuts (for the rich, which she never addressed), would provide jobs for working class people. Oh yeah, and mccain is going to take the lead on independence from foreign oil through alternative energies, sure right! The list of outright deceptions goes on and on. As Biden cleverly put it, "The past is prologue". Right on! The past is prologue, and although they lie over and over, mccain is basically a bush that can sing (remember "Bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran?).

When one is outright lying and deceiving (to put it nicely) the specifics and questions must be evaded at all costs. She did a fine job of not only lying through her teeth, but evading the questions and details as well.

I'm now more convinced than ever that my latest bumper sticker is the most accurate description of McCain/Palin:

MCCAIN/PALIN - THE SPECIAL NEEDS TICKET

Joe Biden showed up for a vice presidential debate last night. Sarah Palin showed up for a beauty pageant? a popularity contest? or what?

Palin didn't even stop her routine to show some empathy, or class, when Joe got choked up remebering his two little boys in critical condition after the wreck that killed their mother and sister.

I find the folksy act to be over-done and irritating. Just wind her up and watch her go.
(((((((((((((SHUDDER)))))))))))))

The ya'betcha chick AKA: "Soccer Mom" "Joe Six Pack" "Can I call ya Joe?" The Divine Ditz Ms Sarah opined:
That Cheney's worst act as Vice Pres. was shooting Harry Whittington while hunting "It’s the only thing Cheney’s done wrong that I can think of"...That a vice President should have more power...That she may not answer Ifill’s questions that she was gunna talk straight ta' the American people regardless...That she likes answering tough questions without the media filtering what people hear (I have yet to hear her answer a tough question)

I've had enough of everything Palin and am disgusted with her using the words like um for them, yuh for you, wergunnadu for we are going to do, and all the of her phoney folksy schlock. She has proven to me that she is an unqualified, ignorant,incompetent and a power hungry wannabe. ENUFF!!!

***The most honest statement made last night during the debate came from Biden when he said "Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history,"

"Democratic and Republican candidates for vice presidents, two areas of consensus appear to emege: Sarah Palin didn't do anything TOO stupid and voters, the ones who still make the decisions on election day, feel Joe Biden won the night."
My my how cute I watch CSpan again to not hear anyone else I like to make up my own mind. But my question is who's ticket is she running on? She agrees with democrat's more than republicans. Ain't she cute. Well cute doesn't get it.
Refusing to answer questions well I wanted to say then why did you show up. Then saying there you go again going back well duh as I recall Bush is still the president and even though she doesn't have a record in this McCain and Biden sure as heck do I wouldn't call that going back when Biden went through the votes all three of them had made glory be where did she get that.
She tried and I give her E for effort and F for not knowing she is so out place it makes you feel sorry for her but not enough to risk our country on. She scares me and OMG she needs to go back to Alaska and put this way behind her, then she can sit on her porch and watch Russia.

Ann

The only person I've ever heard pronouncing "nuclear" as "new-cue-lar" is G. W. Bush. Palin pronounced it the same way many times during the "debate". For a while there I thought I was seeing Bush in skirt and lipsticks talking. Learn how to walk like Bush and you'll be really "presidential", my gorgeous. Can I have a hug!?

McCain - Palin 2008

Thanks, but no thanks.

I'm still trying to understand why nobody is bringing up McCain's part in the Keating Five and the S&L rip off of the elderly.

Are Obama and Biden just being gentlemanly or will Obama finally bring it up in another debate?

Very disappointing to have such factual information against your opponent and not use it.

Palin did a GREAT job! She also proved that she was a well trained soldier doing what she was told. She stuck to her script (literally - color codes and all) and only tried to deviate one time (a mistake). I have revisited the debate and have found that almost half the time she was either reading, or studying, her notes and the rest of the time being endearing by looking directly into the camera and smiling (she did this REALLY well) whilst giving well prepared and rehearsed thoughts and/or replies.

I am sure there is a real Sarah Palin and am equally sure we didn't see her last night. I do know that without her notes she is a disaster, as her two interviews have shown. Someplace, in between the interviews and debate there must be a real person but I haven't seen that yet and am not holding my breath. Any discussion that what she was saying was, somehow, the real Sarah and her views, is, I think, simply wrong.

jgw
Port Angeles, WA

Palin's formula for the Debate: a Palindum

>being a governor who has actually balanced a budget is completely dismissed

Sorry, Sherry. "Balancing the budget" of the State of Alaska is no accomplishment at all: They have so much oil company income that they don't have an income tax or even a sales tax. The "budget" calculation consists of (oil income - state expenses) / population = your yearly royalty check. Sarah Palin didn't have to negotiate with her state assembly, didn't have to choose programs that would need to be cut, didn't have to do much of anything at all except sign the spending bill her handlers put in front of her.

BTW: I really enjoyed the way she threw Bush and all the congressional Republicans under the bus during the debate! She remembered to distance herself and Senator McCain from the Bush Administration, but apparently forgot that, in the highly unlikely event they win, she would have to work with a Congress full of members she just called corrupt, wasteful, blunderers!

She also had no difficulty spouting the joys of deregulation in one breath, and than calling for stricter regulation in the next. Could it be that Sarah Palin doesn't understand the meaning of that term? Because if she does, then that just makes her a sociopath who can lie with a straight face.

What really makes me sick is how even pundits that that don't like her having acknowledged she is as dumb as a doornob walk on eggshells being carefull not to notice her as the Elephant in the room she is.

Dip Krap pundits stating how she skillfully avoided questions by not answering them...come on, skillfull my Pink Ass, thats bald faced arrogance! Nothing 'skilfull' about that. She has the intelligence quotient of a flea (no insult intended to fleas).

The Chimp is a Noble laureate compared to Palindum... 'SHOCK'....Never thought I'd hear myself saying that.

Sherry,
Stay on CHB because I like to see a variety of opinions, not just down-the-line mutual admiration society stuff. But I need to ask you: Do you REALLY think the McCain/Palin ticket is better for America than the Obama/Biden one??

Personally, I'd rather write in Ron Paul (though my state won't allow me to), and thus am not a doctrinaire liberal. But there is no way in Hades that I would ever feel that McCain and Palin are the right ticket for where the country is at, especially at this time. Life is too serious for second-drawer talent in that position of responsibility, for the nation and for the world.

Heck, the last time a good looking gal
like that winked at me that many times,
she was trying to get an extra $20 for
a lap dance.
Almost felt like I was cheating on my wife ;-)

Kibitzer, I know. The Republicans. I mean, Sarah Palin, you guys? Really? Really?

-- Kent Shaw