Sarah Palin hit a home run
She won hands down.
She dominated Joe Biden
This debate wasn’t about making points but making an impression.
Palin was flying and Biden was defeated.
It is this impression that Palin made that everyone will remember and respond to.
Giuliani said this was the greatest political debate he has ever heard. Here’s why.
While Biden busied himself by going into minutia of their health plan or the minutia of Bush’s false moves in the Israel/Palestinian conflict etc., thinking he would win on points, Sarah ignored him and focused on fundamentals. We will provide for you, we will stand by our friend and ally Israel, we will provide for education, we will achieve energy independence, we are a great nation, we will put country first, we will put the government back on your side, we are the best and on and on.
Remember most people can’t really compare the two health plans or know little about foreign policy. All they know is who are wearing the white hats and who are wearing the black hats.
I turned a deaf ear to Biden’s detail and preferred to be born aloft by Palin’s rhetoric. Biden came prepared to duke it out man to man while Palin floated around him like a butterfly and stung like a bee. Biden didn’t lay a glove on her because no one was listening.
At 11:30 PM the Fox News poll had Palin over Biden 7.5 to 1.
None of the above.
But I blame this first on Israel before I blame it on the US.
Comment by Shy Guy — October 2, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
I need a link. Those 3 AM broadcasts are killing me.
Comment by Kim Hartveld — October 3, 2008 @ 2:19 am
Shy Guy, you missed the point entirely so did JPOST.
Comment by Ted Belman — October 3, 2008 @ 2:39 am
Ted, I didn’t. Palin can stand on her own, certainly up to Mr. Never Been Anything Special Biden. And she didn’t convolute her message.
But as for Israel specifically, as I’ve said many time - and so have so many others - McCain is only the lesser of 2 evils when it comes to Israel. The path taken by Bush/Rice/State will continue down the line and Palin, as only VP, will tow it.
Notice that I’m talking as if it’s a given that McCain will win. I just want to squeeze a squeel out of Pesky.
Comment by Shy Guy — October 3, 2008 @ 4:13 am
I didn’t see Palin as a decisive winner.
1. This was my first look at Biden in action, and he conducted himself in a capable, professional manner.
2. Palin didn’t fall on her face; but she had to do far better than that: The Republicans were about 5 points behind in this race, going into the debate.
3. Palin’s stand on Israel was disappointing. I agree with Shy Guy, that McCain is the lesser of two evils regarding US policy toward Israel; but I wouldn’t take his “none of the above” approach: This is not an election to sit out, unless you’re genuinely confused about whom to vote for.
4. Biden did look like a “boring white man”, in an election being treated like some great rock concert. He did score some points, though: He noted that in exchange for a $5000 credit to buy health insurance, the average taxpayer would lose about $14,000 worth of insurance. Sarah Palin did not have a comeback to this, and it is an important issue with many voters — especially with voters my age, whose health insurance costs have been rising dramatically every year. This is a strong suit for Obama and Biden; if health care were the only issue on the table, my wife and I would certainly vote for the Democrats.
5. Concerning the Wars in Iraq, Afganistan and now, (go get the aspirin) Darfur, neither candidate was awfully inspiring. The fact that Biden’s son has deployed to Iraq, has taken much wind out of the sails of the Republican candidates: The man is putting “country first”. He puts forth a really fantastic reason why we should abandon Iraq to fight in Aftanistan and Pakistan (”Bin Laden is there” — as though the al Qaaeda leader has his feet in cement and can’t move to Iraq or anywhere he pleases); but I doubt that Obama’s supporters blinked an eye at this.
Net score:
Biden, on the healthcare issue: 1 point
Biden, for looking professional: 1 point
Biden, for having a son in Iraq: 1 point
Palin, for being a rock star and not falling on her face: 5 points
Net score: Palin wins by 2; but her team needed a win of about 7.
We still have a month or so left, and two presidential debates. We’ll see how it goes.
Comment by BlandOatmeal — October 3, 2008 @ 4:57 am
The reason Obama will win-
Comment by elvis — October 3, 2008 @ 7:58 am
Palin may have won the hearts of many Americans, but it was Biden who won their minds over with his superior grasp of facts and his obviously greater experience in government.
That such greater experience may not be better then Palins or that Biden’s experience was particularly good will matter that much for those voters whose bottom line is which of the two have had more experience.
Unless McCain in the coming debates and weeks succeeds in dramatic fashion to outclass Obama or Obama in dramatic fashion begins to stumble, Obama will be the next President no matter how many anti-Obama or pro-McCain messages fill this and other blogs.
These pro-McCain and anti-Obama opinions are not shared by the main stream media and it is the main stream media that are reaching the most people and it is the main stream media that is having the greatest impact on voter perceptions.
Comment by Bill Narvey — October 3, 2008 @ 8:32 am
It is amazing how we see things not as they are but as we are. Palin won, says all the McCain supporters? Even Fox cable, an ardent conservative show, notes that Biden won. How many other news sources should I list to indicate that Biden was declared the winner by objectiv e polls and papers but that Palin did not fall apart. Besides: the main issue is not who won but rather who bolstered their would-be boss…Neither VP sunk the “boss,” but the trend continues in Obama’s favor and Palin is not going to change it, though something else might later on.
Ps:” note how Palin said Jerusalem would be the capital? How many american presidents have said that. and then reneged.
Comment by davidstill — October 3, 2008 @ 10:11 am
This is the only place I can note that Biden had a true ’senior moment’ when he finally said “the country north of Israel” though he finally remembered it is called Lebanon a bit later.
As to the McCain proposal for health insurance - at least he understands that the #1 reason why American manufacturing jobs move to Canada and elsewhere is the burden of employer-paid health insurance on unit labor costs. THAT is behind his proposal to eliminate employer tax deduction for health insurance benefits while extending a tax credit to the employee getting that benefit. And that having the insurance industry regulated by each state is no longer a valid model (AIG). McCain would do well to stop complaining about government-run health insurance since Medicare is widely considered a model for not-for-profit health insurance. Bring back not-for-profit national BlueCross/BlueShield, and thus create a national pool for spreading cost/risk without the profit motive.
Bill Narvey writes:
MSM currently has a lower approval rating than Congress. Maybe 20 million voters are engaged by MSM. Two of us watched the debate together last night after discussing how ABC and CBS both shamelessly edited 70% of their respective Palin interviews. And how the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post are retaining some journalistic integrity compared to the kool-aid drinking NYTimes. Critical thinking is not totally lost.
In the end, depending on how the current dismal economic news plays out through October, the more than 50 million voters who are NOT political junkies may just vote for the name on the ballot that sounds familiar and American like they usually do. We should not forget that 120 million voters will be making this decision.
Comment by Birdalone — October 3, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Biden couldn’t have been more wrong when he said “we threw Hezbollah out of Lebanon” whereas in fact it was Hezbollah that threw America out of Lebanon when they blew up the US marine barracks.
Comment by Ted Belman — October 3, 2008 @ 11:05 am
More onMoron historical illiteracy-A Public Declaration Of IgnoranceComment by elvis — October 3, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
psst Shy Guy, Huckabee also supported a two-state solution…as long as the Palestinian state wasn’t in Judea, Samaria, Gaza, or the Golan
Comment by soren — October 3, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Huh!?!
Don’t be duped, Biden made factual error after error — huge ones, too — but as I’ve mentioned in posts past, he just speaks with a tone of bold confidence, thus it gives the appearance he knows what he’s talking about when he’s just mistaken or even knowingly lying.
As for the “obviously greater experience in government,” I noted obviously less, as in zero, executive experience, thus sure, I did notice obviously greater experience in Washington politics…and that’s not a compliment.
Comment by soren — October 3, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
Ted: You are correct, Palin made an impression by not falling on her face. Much as we are awed by a talking dog. We are impressed not so much by what the dog says- it is just the fact that the dog is able to talk that makes headlines.Same for Palin- she was able to stand her ground, nothing else.
She won hands down- well that might be your opinion but your quite alone on this score.
Comment by h peskin — October 3, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
Michael: This was the key exchange and Sarah was caught with her pants down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEeAHB8sxW0&feature=dir
Comment by h peskin — October 3, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
[...] of us are smiling this morning at headlines like this, and this, and this. The graphic above comes from this new website encouraging prayer for Sarah [...]
Pingback by Praying for Sarah Palin « Jeremyiversen’s Weblog — October 4, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
I was for Gingrich but he chickened out , Then Tancredo and lastly Huckabee. I could have supported any of those three.
Comment by yamit82 — October 4, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Ditto.
Or Bolton.
Comment by Shy Guy — October 4, 2008 @ 4:12 pm