I thought Biden was very good. He could have been stronger at the beginning, but he was very strong on foreign policy and I loved it when he hammered McCain on just continuing Bush's policies and on how he isn't a maverick. He came across as reasonable and intelligent - I felt like I could learn from Biden - and definitely kept his more Biden-esque qualities in check. Nice work by Biden. And I thought his moment about his family was great too - though, as Palin has pointed out, Biden has been around for a long time, polls show that he was still a somewhat unknown quality, so I think an emotional moment can only help people to feel like they know him a little better.
As for Palin, I have very little to say. I have a visceral dislike of her, and her "doggone it" and "you betcha." I think that she is the condescending one who presumes that the American people don't want to trouble their heads with facts and instead just want someone to relate too, like we aren't smarter than that (in all fairness, the U.S. elected Bush twice and thus in the past, has not been smarter than that). Still, I just find her so unappealing - why should I be impressed by someone who can give talking points? Biden said that facts matter - but it's not just knowing the facts . . . it's as David Brooks said (someone I don't usually agree with) it's having experiences and skills that help you learn how to use those facts, what he called prudence and wisdom. I don't know, I am so bothered by Palin (and McCain really) that I am not even sure what to say about it. Except to post this, which while old, is a classic and I think it sums up the Palin approach:
Thoughts on the debate??
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Last night's debate
Posted by Jennie at 7:54 PM
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3 comments:
Paul and I were talking about the debate last night and decided he feels the same way about McCain/Palin as he does about people who are gungho for religion: you're wrong and I just don't get it. Why can't you see how wrong you are????
I share your visceral dislike of Palin and hate her more for the "doggone its." You're right, it is condescending, as well as just damn annoying! I know people from Alaska and they do NOT talk like that!
Last thought: Paul concluded that if we elect McCain and he dies and Palin is president we will be the laughing stock of the world. I conclude that if that happens, it won't matter because we will have gone to war with everyone. And then I'm moving to Canada. Or Sweden.
I came away very impressed with Biden. He had facts and good, punchy rhetoric at his command, he took some nice shots at "McCain the maverick" and filled in the gaps on foreign policy, just as I hoped he would.
Palin didn't look nearly as foolish as she has in her recent interviews, so it at least stopped the bleeding for her. I find her over-folksiness grating, and just her accent and when she says things like "there you go again talkin' about how you're the party of change but then looking backward, playin' the blame game," well I kinda wish her ill at that point. But I don't think her attacks or attempts to show that Biden used to disagree with Obama didn't come to much effect.
Obama and Biden both came off way more presidential than Palin and McCain. I am back to being optimistic.
i buried my face in the couch whenever palin started using any kind of folksy-speak. for my palin halloween costume i might make a sash that says "miss maverick" on it. in any case, i thought biden did a great job.
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