Comments on: Prediction: The televised Biden-Palin Debate

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:07:28 +0000

Not to mention that premiums will go up for many individuals who are no longer protected by community- and experience-rating of premiums.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:06:23 +0000

It's a fucked place we live in when the opposition TV spot makes hay of the fact that taxes are involved, instead of the fact that you'll have to pay a $12,000 premium with a $5,000 credit.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:39:47 +0000

Upyernoz,

I agree! I was wrong, I’m glad to say. I thought that Biden could have called her more on her shit, but that he at least did more of that than Obama in the first debate. The polls I’ve seen look good for Biden.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:46:30 +0000

Yeah, he did a good job of avoided those vices. His smile annoyed the hell out of me, especially when Palin would flat out lie about his or another’s record/position, but what can you do.

I think this debate will be either a wash (=inconsequential) or else slightly help Obama. But maybe I’ll go see what is bein’ reportid in the polls, Joe Sixpack, before I go on again thinkin’ I’m the be all end all.

By: upyernoz

upyernoz — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:10:31 +0000

hey chris, i actually agreed with your prediction going in. but today it doesn’t look like anyone is calling biden highhanded or condescending.

By: Andy - Fort Lauderda

Andy - Fort Lauderda — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:39:35 +0000

Palin – WHAT A JOKE. That woman has absolutely not idea of what’s going in her household let alone the country.
Biden – NOW, THAT’S A VICEPRESIDENT !!!!

By: Andrea Jones

Andrea Jones — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:18:32 +0000

Joe Biden did an outstanding debate and clearly won on every point. He had a huge advantage in his grasp of all topics and issues and his ability to express his team’s platform and views. I was highly impressed.

Palin was able to disguise her lack of knowledge and understanding, which was a relief. I’m glad that she was able to save face. I think that Americans are intelligent enough to see that the country deserves a person of high competency and excellent judgement in this important position.

By: Linda - Boston

Linda - Boston — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:10:30 +0000

McCain scarcasims aren’t befitting for a president elect. Palins comments on foreign policy: well I’ve been to Mexico and Canada!!!We are so much more sophisticated and intellectual to know what is right, or wrong.
Obamas intellect outshines both McCain and Palin. With Biden its a sure bet!

By: E. louise

E. louise — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:27:38 +0000

It’s definitly going to be a cat fight! A tiger vs. a kitten! Mc. Cain is a wack-job for picking her.

By: Janet Greene

Janet Greene — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:37:47 +0000

I know it will be hard for Biden not be be condescending to Palin. I am just a “regular person”, not that involved with politics, yet I know I could win against Palin debating the economy, international affairs, or energy (without breaking a sweat). It would be hard for ANYONE not to be condescending to someone who is all bluster, no substance. In fact, for me it would be hard to hide my incredulity at the wild things she says. I would try to keep a straight face, though.

By: jeff

jeff — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:40:24 +0000

Not going to be that easy. Joe is just going to let her talk and hope she screws up. If Palin can pull it off(and do much better than in her interviews) than it could be enough to push McCain over the top – as it is, this race will be too close to call. If Palin screws up -Republicans might as well pack up and wait for 2012.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:34:58 +0000

Don’t feed a troll, you twit.

By: Spaz

Spaz — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:42:45 +0000

“He is just a figure the democratic party is using to represent change. Good riddance if the democrats continue to try and fix the polls and he winsâ€¦”

And that’s a bad thing is it? Just a vantage from Canada here, but I heard McCain say,

“And let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big- spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: Change is coming.

I’m not — I’m not in the habit of breaking my promises to my country, and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we’re going to change Washington and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. And we’ve…”

And why is it that McCain/Palin need to “change” Washington after 8 years of their cronies running the place?

Well, as I mentioned further above, Palin is the only one of the four to have any experience governing anything. So there you go, an Obama sympathizing Canadian will admit she has more experience governing Wasilla and Alaska than Obama does. But if you think McCain’s experience leading troops should count as experience readying him for the presidency, you’re evading the truth as much as those you accuse. If you think McCain/Palin will change the status quo (i.e. Bush/Cheney) more that Obama/Palin, then you’re even more misguided.

Obama is a young man starting his political career and now catipulted to a position where he could win the highest office. It is not terribly surpising that his legislative record is not as long as, say, McCain’s or Biden’s. However, he has been catipulted because of his ability to inspire and yes his promise of change; because there is an appitite for change so large, that there is a willingness to actually try someone with limited experience! That’s how dire the situation resultant from the past 8 years is!

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:57:05 +0000

It’s unfortunate that the Obama supporters refuse to discuss the truth: that Palin, a VP candidate has more experience than a Obama, Presidential candidate. Not to mention Obama has never authored an ACTUAL piece of legislation. He is just a figure the democratic party is using to represent change. Good riddance if the democrats continue to try and fix the polls and he wins…

By: Abby Mae

Abby Mae — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:15:22 +0000

Biden will be respectful but he has to bring the truth forward and expose this joke of a Republican ticket. The polls may be tied now but things will change once the debates come forward. I have to admit, i was a little confused with the photo of building up on the screen with Pinhead McCain in forground, thanks for the info.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:40:17 +0000

Funny. I noticed the strange use of “automobile” too. Without any special insight, I do think that the reader comment Josh Marshall posted may be right: the McCain campaign put their A-team on the Palin speech, and left the McCain speech to the interns.

By: DC

DC — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:27:24 +0000

Well actually that’s exactly what I was thinking watching it on youtube today – “golly this biography bit is quite good, but I imagine most people will have changed channel/dosed off by then, what with the awfulness of the rest”. OTOH I presume it’s been the most repeated part on TV.

(OTOOH come to think of it watching McCain speak is a bit like watching Kerry in’04 – 1) drone drone drone 2)’Nam ‘Nam ‘Nam (POW POW POW) 3) repeat.)

Given his Abe Simpson style and persona I also think it was a bad idea for his speech writers to have him say “electric automobile” rather than “car”, no? Can’t remember if he promised to develop an “electronic telegram” or not but one wouldn’t have been surprised…

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:41:25 +0000

I’m sorry to say that I must have zoned out, or changed the channel, when the starting talking up his war experience. Perhaps that makes me a bad judge, in the end. Although perhaps it reveals that the speech sucked and could not be relied upon to hold the audience’s attention.

By: DC

DC — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:07:04 +0000

I’d say it was 90% bad but the 5 minutes about his war experience was pretty effective, no? (Though obviously dirty hippies like ourselves might wonder exactly what the consequences of his 23 flight missions over North Vietnam were – the “angry crowd” that greeted McCain on the gound seemed to be a laugh line for the RNC crowd.)

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:28:09 +0000

I don’t think deserves its own post, so I put it here.

John McCain’s speech was truly awful. His delivery is, of course, piss poor, but the speech itself was a disaster. I haven’t got the stamina to go through it again and justify this, but two parts jump out of memory.

First: “In this country, we believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential, from the boy whose descendants arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We’re all God’s children, and we’re all Americans.”

Don’t descendants by definition come later in time? Shouldn’t it have been “ancestors”?

Second: “I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost… APPLAUSE) … lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market.”

I can’t quite believe this. McCain’s speechwriters want to show that he is concerned about those hurt by the mortgage meltdown, and they choose to highlight a couple that is down and out because their real estate *investments* (plural) went bust? I mean, seriously??

And, of course, this is hilarious:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/213806.php