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Yeah, you're darn right I changed the subject! Because America needs some straight talk from a maverick blogger about who's the sexiest candidate for vice president.
Gettin' things done! Main Street! Wasilla! Bikini pictures!
SERIOUS ANALYSIS: Joe Biden did not lose the election tonight. That's the most important thing. He might have lied through his teeth, but he's got very nice teeth, doesn't he?
Sarah Palin did better in her debate than John McCain did in his. She obviously dodged some questions, talking taxes when Biden raised the issue of regulation, and talking energy policy -- darn right! -- whenever she felt like it.
Biden was very sharp and very confident, and very repetitive. If you wanted to hear class-warfare talk about how the middle class is getting screwed over by the super-wealthy, tonight must have been heaven for you, since Palin also jumped onto the let's-bash-greedy-corrupt-Big-Business bandwagon.
Palin would be a much better candidate, I think, if she wasn't chained to Maverick. It was in defending McCain, and repeating the slogans and soundbites McCain's advisors had fed her, that she was least convincing.
Palin's best line was, "How long have I been at this? Like, five weeks?" That was good. I don't know if that was spontaneous, or something she'd practiced, but it was very good.
Biden's worst line was when he talked about a plan to "adjust the principle you owe" on your mortgage. Holy freaking crap! Good-bye, rule of law! Adjusting the principle? You paid $300,000 for a house in 2005, took out a loan for $270,000 and now, because it's not worth what you paid for it, the government is going to force the lender to mark down the principle to $200,000? That's not reform, that's larceny.
Jimmie at Sundries Shack links with a debate roundup -- thanks. In comments, Smitty just said he thought Gwen Ifill did an excellent job as moderator and I agree. Before the debate, there were accusations of bias, since Ifill's written (or is writing) a supposedly pro-Obama book. But in terms of her performance as moderator, Ifill seemed to me to be quite fair.
UPDATE: Team Maverick claims victory. Well, not "victory," perhaps, but she's "ready to lead," blahblahblah. I'm telling you, they're just going through the motions over at Maverick HQ these days. Working on their resumes and updating their LinkedIn pages, trying to look busy while watching the clock (is it lunch yet?) and thinking about playing golf Sunday.
UPDATE II: Michelle Malkin is ecstatic:
Sarah Palin is the real deal. Five weeks on the campaign trail, thrust onto the national stage, she rocked tonight’s debate.And a man who, in fact, is the next vice president, since Maverick's poll numbers are heading south faster than that midnight train to Georgia. (Cue the Pips!) I think Michelle's enthusiastic response to tonight's debate isn't about Nov. 4, it's about . . .
She was warm, fresh, funny, confident, energetic, personable, relentless, and on message. . . .
McCain has not done many things right. But Sarah Palin proved tonight that the VP risk he took was worth it. . . .
She matched -- and trumped several times -- a man who has spent his entire adult life on the political stage, run for president twice, and as he mentioned several times, chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.
PALIN 2012!
PREVIOUSLY: Not that it matters anymore, but tonight Sarah Palin squares off against Joe Biden and I just watched Karl Rove trying to spin the possibility that this might somehow avert the now-inevitable Obama administration.
While I henceforth refuse to believe that Maverick can win on Nov. 4, if Biden blurts out a confession to computer porn addiction tonight, it might prevent a 47-state sweep for the Democrats, so I'm obligated to pretend I care.
Hot Air has a live debate chat thread. Allah has a separate comment thread. Or you may want to play Biden Bingo.
UPDATE: Ace tries to put the jinx on, suggests that a Biden blurt might yet doom the Democrats, and will have an open debate thread where you can say the f-word as often as you'd like.
While I henceforth refuse to believe that Maverick can win on Nov. 4, if Biden blurts out a confession to computer porn addiction tonight, it might prevent a 47-state sweep for the Democrats, so I'm obligated to pretend I care.
Hot Air has a live debate chat thread. Allah has a separate comment thread. Or you may want to play Biden Bingo.
UPDATE: Ace tries to put the jinx on, suggests that a Biden blurt might yet doom the Democrats, and will have an open debate thread where you can say the f-word as often as you'd like.
It's only 24 minutes into the debate and the Cuda is kicking ass!
ReplyDeleteIt may be or may not be time to stick a fork in McCain, but I can't believe the American people will sweep that socialist in office. In 2006 people put the dems in charge of congress because they were tired of the republicans and the dems screwed it up. I wish there were better choices at this point, but this is what the media and parties have come up with. May be in the next life.
ReplyDeleteMeh. I don't think she really landed much, but she showed that she's a credible candidate.
ReplyDeleteAnd Gwen Ifill did an excellent job, I thought.
Appreciate the moderate tone of this thread so far, especially from Robert. I too got the sense that many pundits on the Right are enthusiastic not so much with her performance but as the inevitable set-up to 2012.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of the far reaching punditry, saying that she was brilliant and knocked Biden out, is so clearly panic and desperation setting in.
I have to disagree that this is in the bag for the Dems.
Republican ingenuity at winning elections( and not so much on administrating) is remarkable.
"I wish there were better choices at this point, but this is what the media and parties have come up with. "
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I have seen a party whiff on a campaign in my short life. In '92 Clinton was nominated because most credible Dems thought Bush41 was unbeatable and didn't run when the campaign season started (91).
This time, in early 2007, most likely and credible GOP candidates thought they couldn't win with the memory of 2006 fresh and Iraq still in the tank -- or decided to go third party and become irrelevant.
When will they learn their lesson?
RE: the debate
I'm not ready to give up this election (thought RSM is, typically Libertarian in that respect), but McCain at some point has to put the deal together. This election was his until he flubbed the tactics last week. It was his when he adopted part of the Drill agenda, until he failed to carry through. It still can be his if he comes through on the FM mess and adopts a total America first energy agenda that his #2 is so pining to push.
McCain has had the right strategy, but his political career habit of screwing up the tactics have destroyed him.
Y4E:
ReplyDelete>Republican ingenuity at winning elections( and not so much on administrating) is remarkable.
Representative Franks? Senator Dodd?
The creeping federal socialism is what ails us, sir.
Not that I would accuse JSM (that momma's boy) of being a terrific cure...