I largely subscribe to Josh Marshall's view on the Palin-Biden debate. Palin exceeded expectations, by which I mean she managed not to set her podium on fire or fart throughout the entire event. She came off reasonably articulate and capable. She didn't embarrass her campaign. I found the winking a bit annoying, but maybe that's just me.
That said, my impression was that Biden simply came off better. He was sharply critical of McCain and demonstrated a solid knowledge of both economic issues and foreign affairs. He defended Obama well. He made no serious gaffes (other than referring to Bosnians as Bosniacs). His statements were far more substantive than Palin's and yet still, for the most part, managed to have an emotional punch.
Anyway, I'm giving it to Biden. But Palin wasn't bad.
UPDATE: Biden was right, I was wrong. As Struwelpeter points out "Bosniak" is the accepted term for a Bosnian Muslim.
5 comments:
I agree about how the debate went, though I wonder how things would have been if Ifel had been allowed to ask follow-up questions.
I am curious if the whole McClellen/McKiernan thing is going to stick.
One quick note: despite what Cokie Roberts claims, Bosniak is the proper word to describe Bosnian Muslims. Because Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks all live in Bosnia, the term "Bosnian" is terribly imprecise.
You know i read all these comments and postings about how Palin wasn't as bad as everyone thought she would be and that "at least she didn't fart her way through the debate".
C'mon, if that's the bar we have set for her then of course she will succeed. but for me, the reality of the night was that she didn't look, act or feel presidential. A VP should be able to step in if needed and i don't think she passed that test at all. That was my bar as i watched the debate. would she make a good president? "passable" is not the standard i look for in a president.
Biden was showing that he not only has an emotional side but he also was incredibly intelligent and understood the world around him. Palin seems like a nice person but i feel tapping her for veep is an absolute slap in the face from McCain. His pick of a hockey mom is irresponsible and his judgement, in my view, cannot be trusted.
We need a Obama-Biden victory now more than ever. I don't know how this country would react to 4 more years of the same crap sandwich we've been eating for the last 8 years. I want a new crap sandwich, with nuts in it!
Cuzin Eric
i realized last night that sarah p. is not just a cunning politician. she's actually a witch. (sincere apologies to my good witch friends.)
she casts a spell while distracting us with irrelevant words, like a magician getting us to take our eye off the ball.
she tries to make love to the american people...right through the camera. it's like one of those horror movies where something gets played on the t.v. and causes all the viewers to go into a trance.
she's a 21st century mass-media witch. i really hope that in one month i can forget about her for a long time.
on another note - i was amazed by the interest in this debate. as i rode my bike through berkeley i saw people pressed against the glass of a sports bar window, trying to see what would happen. crossing campus there were two courtyards full of people watching it on outdoor screens. certainly in berkeley most people tuned in hoping to witness a train-wreck, but there's got to be an element of involvement in this election that is unprecedented. i'm hoping that bodes well for our future.
oh, and gimme that damn fusco book back!
:)cc
Colin, are you suggesting that Palin is like Ursula the Sea Witch in "Little Mermaid"? That she somehow stole Hillary Clinton's voice and put it in a conch shell she wears around her neck to lead us away from the true path? And the rest of the country is Prince Eric, helplessly under her spell?
when the little mermaid came out in the theaters i was dating a girl named ariel. for the record - she had real legs and could speak english.
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