Biden soars, Palin bores
I don't have a whole lot to say about the debate. I put up my requisite post debate analysis at Detroit News so all I'd add here is that Biden did great under difficult circumstances. He had to dance a fine line between shredding Palin on her still obvious ignorance and appearing too aggressive in doing so. I think he rose to the occassion admirably and managed to keep the focus on the top of the ticket rather than take the numerous cheap shots Palin offered up as targets.
Palin for her part managed to meet the sub-zero expectations of her perfomance but didn't manage to exceed them, not even by a subatomic particle. Her fan club will praise her as the winner, the rest of America will yawn at hearing the same talking points she's been pimping since the day McCain dragged her on stage. The only point that really resonated was her open admission that she wants the office of VP to accrue even more unlimited power than the wildest of Cheney's wet dreams. Low info voters probably won't pick up on that point, but if this debate changed anything, it will be to energize the Obama supporters to work even harder to prevent the disaster that a McCain administration would bring.
Bottom line, Biden came across as a serious candidate for a serious office at a critical time in our country. Palin came off as a vapid beauty queen with a fake, fixed smile and a badly hidden mean streak, running for Miss America. I don't think it will affect the polls much at all. It may reenergize the base for a while, but to the extent that the debate was any kind of game changer, it's that Palin showed she has nothing new to say and the media may start ignoring her and put the focus back on Obama and McCain, where it belongs. On those terms, it's a win for Obama.
[cross-posted to The Reaction]
[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]
Palin for her part managed to meet the sub-zero expectations of her perfomance but didn't manage to exceed them, not even by a subatomic particle. Her fan club will praise her as the winner, the rest of America will yawn at hearing the same talking points she's been pimping since the day McCain dragged her on stage. The only point that really resonated was her open admission that she wants the office of VP to accrue even more unlimited power than the wildest of Cheney's wet dreams. Low info voters probably won't pick up on that point, but if this debate changed anything, it will be to energize the Obama supporters to work even harder to prevent the disaster that a McCain administration would bring.
Bottom line, Biden came across as a serious candidate for a serious office at a critical time in our country. Palin came off as a vapid beauty queen with a fake, fixed smile and a badly hidden mean streak, running for Miss America. I don't think it will affect the polls much at all. It may reenergize the base for a while, but to the extent that the debate was any kind of game changer, it's that Palin showed she has nothing new to say and the media may start ignoring her and put the focus back on Obama and McCain, where it belongs. On those terms, it's a win for Obama.
[cross-posted to The Reaction]
[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]
Labels: Election 08, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin
posted by Libby Spencer at 10:54 AM
5 Comments:
I'd say that's a pretty accurate analysis. She came out great guns but as the night wore on she showed signs of faltering. First, as you noted, she tried to bait Biden to go after her. When that didn't work it was on to Plan B; getting McCain's name out there. She really didn't answer any questions that she hadn't been pre-briefed on. Her lack of knowledge on most areas was pretty apparent. The old; "fake it 'til you make it" just doesn't play out when the stakes are this high.
Joe, bless him, stayed within his time limits mostly and all in all looked relaxed and confident from start to finish.
Somewhere in my angry,clouded mind is a voice telling me that the desire to appear polite and respectful in the face of evil is what allows evil to prosper.
I remember the SNL skit that opened with "Jane, you ignorant slut." I imagine myself in Biden's shoes standing at Biden's podium saying "Sarah, that's a goddamn lie and you know it" and saying it over and over.
It's the truth, after all. Nice guys finish last, after all.
Rocky I think that's about right.
Fogg, I was sputtering at the teevee, alternately between sardonic laughter and wanting to throw a brick through the screen. Biden was in a bad position. It would have felt good for the moment to confront her, but I think it would not have played well. It would just drum up sympathy for her.
He ended up looking pretty classy and she looked just clueless and tacky. That's a win really.
Palin's supporters support her for reasons having nothing to do with her. If the hand of God wrote mene,mene, tekel, upharsin on the TV screen they'd call God an elitist liberal and sympathize with her because they're not supporting her -- they're supporting their own stupidity, bigotry, ignorance and all the other base characteristics of their tribe.
I think that tribe is getting smaller though Fogg. That's something.
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