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VP DEBATE: We call the debate for Joe Biden.
Sarah Palin did well by not doing disastrously. She didn't answer
questions, stuck to her talking points, and was painfully folksy at
times. Biden commanded the stage. Palin had no awful Couric moments. The
GOP will be pleased, but Biden won easily.
The
VP Debate Pits Age Against Inexperience
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Few
politicians can match Joe Biden's expertise in foreign affairs, nor his
love of words |
Article
by
Athina Simonidou
Whichever way you look
at it, Joe Biden cannot lose the vice presidential debate against Sarah
Palin. Choose any issue you like and Joe Biden has superior knowledge,
intellect, and vocabulary. At the moment, the McCain campaign is trying
to minimize the potential damage by demanding a debate format that plays
to Palin's strength and minimizes her weaknesses. This involves short
answers, plus little opportunity for Palin to be cross-examined by Biden.
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Joe
Biden has to be very careful. He must not be seen as wanting to
humiliate Palin. Democrats don't want her to get the sympathy vote from
people disturbed by what they see as bullying. The Republicans'
new-found |
enthusiasm for feminism does not yet extend to allowing a
woman to debate freely and openly with a male politician. They want
Palin to be treated with kid gloves, otherwise they'll play the lipstick
card and cry foul. Of course, if the debate had featured, say, McCain
against Hillary Clinton, the Republican base would be baying for blood.
But with Palin it's different. The pitbull has to be treated like a
poodle.
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Joe
Biden Fact File
Born:
November 20, 1942 in Scranton, PA.
Educated:
University of Delaware, political science and history. Doctor of
law from Syracuse University College of Law. Was a lazy student.
Day
Job: Six term senator.
Political
experience: Chairman Foreign Relations Committee, former
chairman Senate Judiciary Committee.
Strengths:
Experience, foreign affairs
Weaknesses:
Verbosity, prone to careless remarks and invented personal history |
Palin's
weaknesses could well turn out to be strengths for the voters
she's trying to reach. Imagine Biden giving a detailed, nuanced
reply to a question about the situation in Zimbabwe. Palin won't
know what on earth he's talking about; she'll be unfamiliar with
the names and places, she won't have a clue which countries are to
the north, south, east, and west of Zimbabwe, but she'll make it
sound as though her lack knowledge doesn't matter. |
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Sarah
Palin Fact File
Born:
February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Educated: University of Idaho. Studied journalism. Attended
five minor colleges in six years to obtain bachelor's degree.
Day
Jobs: Governor of Alaska
Political
experience: Mayor of Wasilla; chair of Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission, Governor of Alaska
Strengths: Direct. Decisive. Not afraid to make enemies, even
in own party. Zingers.
Weaknesses: Inexperience. Knows nothing about Washington; Is
unable to construct coherent sentences, long-winded under
pressure. |
Palin
will boil difficult questions down to "doing the right
thing", "a need for a fresh approach and fresh
faces", "putting American interests first",
"being a good guy in a bad world". She'll slam the U.N.,
aim a few potshots at Europe, fire a salvo about the need for
freedom to reign over tyranny. Gosh, she might even mention God's
will. To the right-wing hockey moms and dads out there, these
slogans are convincing.
Of course, there's a big
risk Palin will come out of the debate looking hopelessly naive and
making McCain look even more foolish for choosing her.
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What if Palin mangles her words again? What if she ties herself in knots as she did
when trying to explain a way out of Wall Street's troubles? Will she
embarrass herself by saying that seeing South Africa is the same as
being there? Will her penchant for sarcasm and one-liners seem petty,
shallow, and cruel.
Biden
should do all he can to bring out the worst in Palin. Get her riled
enough to hurl a few insults at him and Obama, which she obviously
enjoys doing. Undecided voters will then see her for what she is: a
power-hungry hack lacking in depth. It won't take much for Palin to seem
trigger-happy and impulsive, willing to plunge the world into crisis if
it seems to serve America's short-term interests. She is no different
from president Bush in that respect. It
promises to be an exciting debate, far more watchable than the dismal
fare we've been served in past campaigns. It's sink or swim for Palin.
Biden can't lose, but will he win big? That's the question.
| Sarah
Palin answers Gwen Ifill's question about lack of international
expertise
After Gwen Ifill asks Joe Biden a tricky
question about national security interests in East Africa, which
Biden answers calmly and expertly, she asks Palin whether her lack
of foreign policy experience is a problem. Here is Palin's likely
answer:
Sarah Palin: "Gwen, that
question is so typical of the old-boys network. It's clearly
biased and aimed at making senator Biden look like the right guy
for the job. But the question is wrong, Gwen, it's wrong. Did you
ask your mother whether she was qualified to birth you? No you
didn't, Gwen. Your mother, like every other mom, just rolled up
her sleeves and got on with the job. When you are called upon to
do great things, you don't worry about your resume, you do the
job, Gwen. Ok, I admit don't know the King of Finland or the
capital of Uzbekistan, the leader of this stan or that stan, but I
pray, Gwen, and I ask for guidance, and I'm a quick learner, and I
can look Putin straight in the eye and say, 'Vlad, you get those
troops out of Switzerland or face the wrath of the United States.'
That's what I'm saying to you this evening, Gwen."
Biden: "Wow, I thought I was
the windbag! Gwen, could I just point out to Governor Palin
that Finland is not a monarchy, they don't have a king, and
Switzerland is a neutral country that Russia has no intention of
invading.
Ifill: I think we all know that,
senator Biden. |
What do you think? We welcome
contributions from left, right and between
Read Guestbook comments here
What
must the GOP be thinking now? Get Out Palin
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Gwen
Ifill Moderates Debate
Gwen
Ifill of PBS moderated the VP debate
Seasoned
journalist Gwen Ifill responds to criticism from Rush Limbaugh and other
conservatives that she will favor Biden in the VP Debate: "If I was
sensitive to criticism, I wouldn't take this job. It comes from both
sides," Ifill said.
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Limbaugh
will not back down. He says: "Gwen Ifill is in the tank for Obama.
She's an |
African-American liberal, Biden is campaigning for an
African-American liberal candidate. This isn't rocket science. Join the
dots, people."
A
spokesman for the Biden camp said: "These complaints are
ridiculous. It's like saying your English literature professor can't be
fair and impartial because he's written a book about Shakespeare."
Debate
Format
The
Vice-Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will take
place on October 2. It will
be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill and take plave at Washington
University, St. Louis.
The
two campaigns have agreed on terms for the debate. The McCain campaign,
eager to protect its inexperienced candidate, wanted to limit the amount
of time Palin could be questioned on a single topic. Palin lacks depth
in almost all areas of foreign policy, which puts her at a distinct
disadvantage to Joe Biden.
Democrats
wanted Biden and Palin to speak standing from lecterns rather seated
than at a table. The informal setting of table and chairs probably
favored Palin, who performs best when allowed to relax. She has little
experience of in-depth political debate. In
the end, both sides got what they wanted.
| Gwen
Ifill asks candidates about the Wall Street crisis. Here are their
likely answers:
Biden: First, we have to think
about the millions of hard working Americans who are struggling
right now, unable to pay their mortgages, coping with
sky-rocketing gas prices, seeing the value of their hard-earned
dollars eroded. And then we have to acknowledge that the crisis on
Wall Street is the result of the Republican desire to deregulate
financial markets. Until a week ago, John McCain was a strong
proponent of deregulation. Now he's more in line with the Democrat
approach of sensible government working to ensure fair play in the
market place. By the way, the rescue package is a bipartisan
effort. The Republicans caused the mess, but we Democrats felt a
responsibility to sort it out, not to let John McCain off the hook
but to bring confidence back to the economy.
Ifill: Is it true, Governor Palin,
as senator Biden suggests, that you and John McCain have u-turned
on regulating Wall Street?
Sarah Palin: Gwen, I would not
call it a u-turn. I'd characterize it as a populist response to an
economic crisis that has been brought about by greed and
corruption on Wall Street. The liberal media has been very unfair
about John McCain's verbiage on this matter. You see, Gwen, I
cleaned up the old boys' network in Alaska, and that's what I am
going to do in Washington and on Wall Street. The problem, Gwen,
isn't deregulation because that's a good thing. In fact, John
McCain and I want to regulate in order to create a more
deregulated market that allows banks and big business even more
freedom to act as they wish, which is always in the interests of
the American people. Making a profit is never bad, Gwen. The
problems we face today are the result of a liberal entitlement
culture that wants government to jump in with taxpayers' dollars
whenever there's a crisis. That must end, Gwen. We need a return
to traditional values of freedom, responsibility, and enterprise,
not the culture of "I want more handouts", which is what
Barack Obama and Joe Biden are all about.. |
READERS'
COMMENTS & ANALYSIS
Janie
writes: "All Biden has to do is use her own words against her. Or
ask her a question and let her answer. I am sure she will be the captain
of her own sinking ship. She syas she doesnt know the answers and can't
connect the dots. Is that who we want to run our country?"
Ron
writes: "You forgot one important weakness under Biden's column. He
has been in government for 26+ years and look at where we are!"
Jackie
writes: "This lady wants to be president more than vice president.
McCain better get a taste tester."
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From
top to bottom: Amy Brenneman, Madonna, and Sharon Stone
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