Wasn't the train-wreck I was hoping for and Palin came across better than expected. She spoke directly to the country both literally and figuratively. Her body language was 10 times better than McCain's was and she spoke to the problems of "average Americans" although by "average Americans" I mean ones who think the Olive Garden is great dining.
Expectations for Palin were about equal to what your expectations should be if you decide to start Mewelde Moore against the the original Steel Curtain but that is what this election is all about.... low expectations.
I heard a great analysis on this thing by a guy from the conservative NewsMax, he made a great point. What she did here was re-energize her base; she did not bring any independents or undecided voters into her camp. His point was that after the convention, your base should already be energized but that she has wasted the last 4 weeks losing support and this might have only gotten the wayward followers back into the fold. That is like saying the market is up today and celebrating!!!
The Times put it best when they basically called her entire 'debate' a prolonged stump speech, she couldn't even stay on topic. Ifill asked about health care and she answers about energy. With all of that said, Palin does have the ability to connect with those "average Americans".
Gwen Ifill is absolutely terrible, although to be fair she was fair, I was looking for more than just fair. I didn't want somebody to just read questions, rather somebody who could engage the candidates; she treated the moderator gig like she was reading questions at a couple trivial pursuit night.
She should be put out to pasture.
Biden was decent although all the women I have discussed this with were disappointed he didn't go on the attack more than he did.. He does lose me completely at times when he gets into nuance like when he tried to explain McCain's tax credit for health-care and how that would be offset relative to having your employer covered health care taxed as part of income. Something about $5000 and $12,000// He would have been better off saying "McCain plan gives you $5000 but will tax you $12,000, a net loss to American people of $7000", remember you are talking to "average Americans"
also.. the Times reported today that his big proclamation of 3 Weeks in Iraq = 7 years of Afghanistan doesn't fly. The numbers are something like $7.5 billion for Iraq in three weeks and $17.2 billion in total for Afghanistan. His point would have resonated the same way if he had said "less than 2 months in Iraq = total cost of Afghanistan" and then he would have been right. Why open yourself up for unneeded criticism.
There were a few times I really wanted him to interrupt that ditz Ifill and ask Palin straight up to answer the goddarn question. When she winked at the screen, I almost made a mess of my workpants.
My biggest problem with her isn’t that she doesn’t come across as genuine in her persona. She’s a chick who tells you that she is from small town America, went to 5 colleges in 6 years to get a Bachelors degree in communication, who goes to PTA meetings and gets her opinion on Israel changed, doesn’t read the newspaper and if she does she reads nice colorfull ones like the USA Today, who married a guy who keeps his cell phone clipped to his belt, has a daughter who got knocked up in high school, who doesn’t care much about foreigners, who shoots bison or moose or something and she’s unapologetic about all of it. I think this all has a bit of charm to it but just because you are average doesn’t mean you should run the country. If you are average you shouldn’t even run the marathon
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