So. Sarah Palin didn't implode, as I was expecting. However, I came away with the impression that this woman does not have an original thought in her head, and if she did, it probably died of loneliness. I counted only 2 times when she directly answered questions posed by Gwen Ifill; the other questions, she veered off into pontification and politicking, saturating her speechifying with home-spun colloquialisms. For someone who touted herself as being a straight-talker, she sure danced around an awful amount of the moderator's questions.
On the other hand, Biden was spirited and eloquent, though he did as much politicking as Palin. He quoted some really large numbers that, I think, the average viewer probably can't relate to his/her life. I think he would have done better if he had been able to divvy up those financial numbers into chunks that pertained directly to middle-class America. Like, instead of saying that McCain wanted to give Exxon $4 billion in tax cuts, he could have said McCain wants to give Exxon the equivalent of the 4-year operating cost of the Department of Education (thereby implying a vote for McCain means a vote for cuts to education).
Oh, and did you notice how quickly Palin cut herself and McCain off from the Bush administration, with her admission that 'blunders' have been made by the government in the past 8 years? That was pretty surprising. Equally surprising that Biden didn't go after her on that issue. I was expecting him to directly ask her whether or not she supports extending the Bush tax cuts, as McCain has stated he would do, if she's so committed to making change in Washington. Better yet, he could have directly addressed her, and said 'Governor, I'm glad we both agree that the policies of the Bush administration are wrong'.
Anyway. I found it ironic that Palin, playing the role of the populist with her soccer mom references and 'darn rights', came off as insincere. By contrast, in the moment that Biden had to choke back his emotions as he talked about being a single dad after losing his wife, he pretty much convinced me that he is the real deal.
I'm going to give this debate to Biden.
In other news, I need a date.
On the other hand, Biden was spirited and eloquent, though he did as much politicking as Palin. He quoted some really large numbers that, I think, the average viewer probably can't relate to his/her life. I think he would have done better if he had been able to divvy up those financial numbers into chunks that pertained directly to middle-class America. Like, instead of saying that McCain wanted to give Exxon $4 billion in tax cuts, he could have said McCain wants to give Exxon the equivalent of the 4-year operating cost of the Department of Education (thereby implying a vote for McCain means a vote for cuts to education).
Oh, and did you notice how quickly Palin cut herself and McCain off from the Bush administration, with her admission that 'blunders' have been made by the government in the past 8 years? That was pretty surprising. Equally surprising that Biden didn't go after her on that issue. I was expecting him to directly ask her whether or not she supports extending the Bush tax cuts, as McCain has stated he would do, if she's so committed to making change in Washington. Better yet, he could have directly addressed her, and said 'Governor, I'm glad we both agree that the policies of the Bush administration are wrong'.
Anyway. I found it ironic that Palin, playing the role of the populist with her soccer mom references and 'darn rights', came off as insincere. By contrast, in the moment that Biden had to choke back his emotions as he talked about being a single dad after losing his wife, he pretty much convinced me that he is the real deal.
I'm going to give this debate to Biden.
In other news, I need a date.
VIEW 25 of 25 COMMENTS
morgan:
Gimme a camera, quick!
dinah:
If only it were that easy...curses!