Oct 3, 2008

The Veep Debate

I watched it.

Feh.

I thought Joe Biden was a straight-shooter who only marginally did better than Sarah Palin when it came to actually answering the fucking question from the moderator. And that's the thing that really bothers me about these debates. The moderators really need to make them answer the fucking questions, but this is what we get. Anyway...

Listen, no one is gonna have their minds changed on this election by the VP debate. The people in the McCain camp are only gonna look at the positives from Palin and move on. The folks in the Obama camp are gonna do the same with Biden. Neither VP candidate made any colossal blunders, nor did they bring any monumental revelations of truth. They both towed the line. And they did it well.

My own scorecared shows that Biden was more specific in his answers and really geared everything towards distinguishing he and Obama from the current administration and showing that they will be agents of change. I thought Palin stayed in her comfort zone (taxes and energy) and that her non-answers will be picked apart by smarter people than myself in the coming days. I thought Biden was boring at first, but came around viciously and triumphantly toward the end. I thought Palin stood her ground even when she clearly didn't have a leg to stand on. That showed a bit of character even if it didn't show any real substance. She shouldn't get any points for not being the Palin from the Katie Couric interviews though. I know that many were expecting that she would repeat her train wreck previous performances. That she showed she was a professional politician shouldn't garner her any positives. It's the least we can expect for someone who aims at the second most powerful position in the nation.

I thought Joe Biden won. Bottom line.

But it really doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who I thought won or who you thought won. I'm just glad that this circus is over and we can focus once again on the kids at the top of the ticket.

(Note - I wanted to smack my head against the wall every time Palin got "folksy" or winked at me. When did folksy become a pre-requisite for leadership? - Earl)

PS - I just watched the debate for the second time tonight (I can't sleep), and I'm leaning towards being less gracious towards Palin. How dare she call out the main stream media for censoring/editing her comments? She has remained virtually locked up to the media since she was picked for the VP spot a month ago. And she is gonna complain about it? FUCK. HER. I guarantee that we are only going to hear public comments and stump speeches from her in the next month. No interviews (unless they are with FOX) and no real question and answer sessions with the press. She can't handle that and she let everyone know tonight that she can't. Once again...FUCK HER! Feh.

21 comments:

kiki said...

i thought i won.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the description. I haven't had time to see it yet, and after reading your post I'll probably only suffer through a little bit. I hate that folksy bullshit too. That country homegirl schtick of hers is as phony as Bill Clinton's was.

Avitable said...

I watched the first half hour and got so sick of her winking at the camera every time she was too stupid to speak intelligently.

Verdant Earl said...

Kiki - Did you abstain from watching? Then you won.

MikeB - It was annoying, but I'd still watch it if I were you.

Avitable - You betcha! {wink}

RW said...

Palin; "Romper Bomper Stomper Boo..."

Heff said...

I thought Biden could have REALLY kicked her ass, what with all his experience. It didn't come off that way in my opinion, though.

Verdant Earl said...

RW - nice Magic Mirror.

Heff - Absolutely right. I don't know why he didn't.

Michelle said...

b.e. you are probably going to hate me big time for saying this but i thought Palin wasn't all that bad! Dog gone it, darn it, you betcha, wink, wink, wink!!!

Let's all hockey mom's unite!! You betcha!! I think i am moving to Alaska!! Wink, wink!!!

Slyde said...

wait till you watch it a THIRD time... you'll want to slap her upside the head.

Honestly, i thought biden crushed her. I wish either he or the moderator would have taken her to task on a few statements after they got refuted by biden, like her ridiculous $5,000 gift so people could get their own health insurance?

Where does SHE live that she can get health insurance for her family for 5k a year, the outback? When Biden told her that it will cost the average family 12k a year for health care, Palin was not taken to task on it and they moved on.

The same scenario played out at least 3 other times... it was getting me mad.

And if she calls herself a maverick one more time i may have to put my fist thru the screen.

Verdant Earl said...

Michelle - was that a direct transcript? :)

Slyde - that's why they settled on this format, so she wouldn't be directly confronted on the, ya know, issues.

Kaye Waller said...

I wish that just once the candidates would adhere to standard Lincoln-Douglas Debate rules. These aren't debates, not by a long shot. They're monitored campaign speeches.

As someone who has judged debates at our local high school, I can tell you that the candidates know nothing about official debating.

Besides the folksy persona Palin employs, what also bugs me is the way she uses her voice, period. Her inflection -- moving from empowered to the faux sincere soft tone -- is exactly how all the women I grew up hearing in Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting use their voices.

This is a farce on a global scale and I've never been more embarrassed to be an American.

Brown said...

Right there with you Earl. I couldn't stand it when she would be asked a direct question and would deflect it by reiterating something she had already said earlier. "I want to go back to energy..." Tough shit bitch, answer the question!

Anonymous said...

Where is Alaska?

Mrs. Hall said...

Yeah. The sheer self-righteousness, the unbridled disdain for her oppenent . . . the empty ness between her ears ..

ug

They way she tried to stifle her smiles . . It was killing me.

It was kind of neat watching her snuggle with her baby after the debate. Watching her chat with "Joe" while her daughter Piper was standing in between them. He had his hand resting on Piper's shoulders. It was all very cordial and like those get togethers after church. The only thing missing was coffee and cookies.

weird.

Anwho-Earl-

Finally used a phrase I first learned from you

'Easy peasy lemon squeezey.'

;)

Mrs. Hall

Verdant Earl said...

Steph - Totally agree.

Poopie - That's what we needed. Someone to call her out.

WLC - Up there! :)

Mrs. Hall - And I learned it from Michael Caine. ;)

Anonymous said...

Dude, the winking and the constant smiling and shit was unreal. I don't want you to be folksy and charming. Try that with some of the these middle east leaders or Putin, etc. You've got to be kidding me if this is the best this country has to offer is Ms. Congeniality.

The Trailer Of Love

Anonymous said...

I couldn't watch through the whole thing but of them both, I think the moderator did the best job and I loved when she told them that neither of them answered the question. My favorite part. Sad.

Verdant Earl said...

Wil - Gosh darn it, I agree!

Teeni - I thought the moderator did a horrible job. The debate format didn't help her, but she should have been more forceful in making them answer the questions.

white rabbit said...

Palin kept winking at you? :-O

Tell her you're taken.

Verdant Earl said...

WR - but I want her soooo much.

Barlinnie said...

For all those who 'attacked' my views on the elegantly stoopid Ms Palin... I fucking told you so!

Na na na na na.