Thursday, October 2, 2008

The VP debate live blog

10:33 - Talking Heads will say Palin didn't screw up, so she 'won' -- they're wrong, Biden did everything that a frontrunner should do. G'night, and go Sox.

10:30 - The only thing that Obama might possibly be lacking on from the perspective of undecided voters is gravitas/presidentiality (and melanin count, but that ain't changing). Biden showed tonight that Obama made a very presidential choice to be his VP.

10:29 - "Without the filter of the mainstream media" - What, did CBS edit out that part where you predicted what the Large Haldron Collider would find?

10:28 - How the fuck is your family diverse?

10:27 - Motive vs. judgement is a nice comparison, at least for an egghead like me

10:26 - Yes, all the accomplishements in Alaska, which is why it is a backwoods state...

10:23 - Biden has a nice balance between restraint and attack.

10:21 - Look, Paley Pal, 'Maverick' would have worked n 1985, but Goose is dead, and so is the dream. You also just named four rich white guys as evidence for McCain's maverickicity

10:18 - Does Sarah Palin even know what a sentence is? Can she speak in sentences? FUCK OFF BITCH, CITY ON A HILL WAS WINTHROP (1600s), NOT REAGAN.

10:16 - Nice question about Cheney and the execute/legislative divide of the VP; "yeah, so"

10:13 - How should the VP 'exert more authority' over the Senate? What does that mean, the VP gets two votes? The VP gets to -- I GOT BINGO -- the VP gets to eliminate a Senator each week, because in fashion, one week you are in, and the next, you are out.

10:12 - My school teacher wife and mother (separate people) hate Sarah Palin, and in my book, they get extra credit for that. Think they should teach teens about sex in schools honey?

10:11 - Wha? There you go again AND say it ain't so Joe in one incomplete sentence?

10:10 - Sarah Palin, I knew Ronald Reagan. You're no Ronald Reagan.

10:08 - Watching the first Prez debate and now this one keeps bringing one image to my mind: the NY Giants of the mid-80s. They'd get a lead and the would own the 3rd quarter. I mean, every game, they'd come out of the locker room and own the 3rd quarter. They'd run the ball, the get first downs, they'd play tight D. This is what Obama-Biden is doing. Nothing flashy, not throwing the ball downfield, but rather putting themselves in position to win this game. I dunno who is Mark Bavaro in this analogy, but man, he had good hands.

10:06 - How exactly does John McCain know how to win a war? I mean, I don't want to disrespect a veteran who served the country, but what wars has he won?

10:04 - Palin did not actually watch those debates, I guarantee. Biden is showing incredible patience by not just blowing up at Palin for being a moron and asking her, you know, questions.

9:59 - There is no way you could walk away from watching this and not think that Biden doesn't know his shit. He's been good.

9:56 - Good question, on the nuk-u-ler weapons. Palin is into rambling phrase mode.

9:55 - McCain is a bit too late to claim the 'change' mantel...

9:51 - Ifill just asked if a "two state solution is the solution" in Israel and Palin vehemently agreed. I think that Ifill could have asked if a "broccoli-coated noodle is the solution" in Israel and Palin would have vehemently agreed.

9:49 - I would really like to hear a fact-based question asked of Palin. I mean, about anything. Math? Geography? Potent Potables?

9:48 - Please please learn how to pronounce nuclear

9:45 - Without reading the history of the last 700 years -- great line :)

9:38 - Tolerant people generally don't say how tolerant they are

9:36 - Fuck yeah Joe, don't be timid about same-sex couples. This is something Obama has always been very good on.

9:34 - Green natural gas? That's new to me...

9:31 - Palin is eating her tail right now -- why argue about causes, because it is not like knowing what is causing something can help you prevent it...

9:30 - Great question Gwen!!!

9:29 - Please nail her on this nonsensical drill-baby-drill approach...

9:26 - If you're a Sports Guy reader, you just saw Sarah Palin use the face that has been attributed to Derek Lowe, Peyton Manning, and others who become confused in the face of pressure. She's starting to ramble more.

9:24 - Sarah Palin: I've been at this five weeks

9:23 - Palin says "earmarks" and I got Bingo (call Troy Brown)

9:22 - Call me nuts, and certainly Palin wouldn't be here if she were, but wouldn't Clinton - Palin just be unreal?

9:19 - Palin is talking as if the Republicans haven't been in power the past 8 years...

9:16 - Biden is effective on the taxes issue, and the Reagan comp is good.

9:14 - Biden has sharp elbows. "I may not answer the questions" no shit Sarah

9:10 - Well, 10 minutes in, Biden has yet to talk to Palin about anything, which is probably a good move. Palin has yet to screw up and sounds better than with Couric. I'm up to 2 hits on bingo, btw.

9:08 - Well done Biden, don't let that stuff hang out there, take command of the debate, and don't let Sarah Palin get away with that stuff. That wink of hers in infuriating. The good news is that she's already just yammering out fed lines, meaning her brain is shut off.

9:06 - Palin is way more comfortable talking to a camera than a human.

9:05 - Is Palin pretending to be writing things down? Or is she doing the Jumble?

9:04 - Excellent pivot by Biden on the first question. Blame Bush, praise Obama. Debating 101.

9:00 - Tom Brokaw mentions that Biden will need to have undergone a 'gene transplant' in order to be succint. I have no idea what that means.

8:56 - You know, so many people in the media are already so anti-Palin (I'm watching Chris Matthews right now, but there are many people -- George Will, Fareed Zakaria) that no matter what happens right now, they know she's a joke and won't be convinced to sing her praises solely because she doesn't screw up.

8:44 - For those wondering what to watch whilst waiting, I suggest "Dodgeball" on Fx, although you just missed the best quote in the movie, "let me hit you with some knowledge," which I plan on using during job talks.

8:41 - While I wait, I've turned to the Brewers/Phillies game. Eric Gagme is pitching and doing well. Either he has found some new and improved 'supplements' or the NL is just a joke.

8:39 - Printed out my Palin Bingo card. I'm playing card #1 -- well, The Live-In Intern will be playing for me, because there's not enough time in the day for live-blogging and playing bingo.

5:54 - About three hours from now, the American public will get to see Sarah Palin think on her feet. Or not. I'm quite bummed that the candidates aren't allowed to talk to each other much, nor does it appear that the moderator, Gwen Ifill, will get to ask too many follow up questions. This may allow Palin to get away with her incredibly vague platitudes, but you only need one deer-in-the-headlights moment to show, yet again, that she's not smarter than a fifth grader. I hope at least some of the questions are direct repeats of ones she's already been asked, especially regarding her assertion in the Couric interview that the Constitution does contain a right to privacy, the underpining of Roe v. Wade.

I think the Talking Heads are going to waaay overemphasize the expectations game, namely, that if Palin doesn't make any major screw-ups she'll have 'won' because everyone expects her to screw up. While that may be how they watch the debate, it is not how the most important audience, undecided voters, watch the debate. Truly undecided people will not vote based on who exceeded expectations more but rather who looks better in the comparison to the other, Palin or Biden -- and even then, do they really care all that much about the VP debate? Don't get me wrong, if someone does say something really stupid it will move voters, but I don't think that seeming maybe-competent is a victory for Palin, although that is what most Talking Heads will spout.