Biden and a “Robohost”

Heads up: It may appear the lady interviewing is some sort of right wing robohost, or that the following clip is from sort of fake show, but this is an actual interview. Biden at one point asks her, “Are you joking, is this a joke, or is that a real question.” Huffington post has a great commentary on this interview including a link to a clip of the same interviewer with McCain.

You Betcha, SNL Kills

With Queen Latifah as Gwen Ifill, Tina Fey is too good to be believed. She hits every gag, you can’t miss this.

She won by not falling flat on her face (wink, wink)

Heather Gehlert from AlterNet:

Many politicians have mastered the art of dodging questions. What struck me about this debate was that Sarah Palin has mastered the art of something else: making you forget the question.

This debate wasn’t lost or won based on anything verbal. It was won on nonverbal communication. And the winner was Sarah Palin.

I completely agree. While her lack of knowledge, experience, curiosity and depth is evident every time she opens her mouth, her charm, charisma, and strong personality get her through. However, she is ALL personality. ALL folksy charm. I spent the first half of the debate tense and frustrated – she was winning! Not by answering the questions (she didn’t), not by offering better solutions (she didn’t), not even by properly and truthfully defending John McCain’s record (she didn’t), but by coming across as the cute, enthusiastic soccer mom from down the street. She looked directly in the camera – at the American people – while Biden addressed Gwen Ifill and looked at his notes.

The second half was a different story. Even dodging the questions, changing the topics, and sticking to the tired one-liners could not get her out of the mess that is her limited, weird understanding of foreign policy. And her answer about the powers of the VP was astounding. Biden loosened up, got emotional, showed that he is a ”Main Street” kinda guy.

Joe Klein:

What she did show was some folksy charm and some energy—qualities that might get her selected for Dancing With the Stars, if not Jeopardy.

Ouch!

All she did was save herself

Conservative Ross Douthat of the Atlantic has a nice summary…

But those same initial polls also show respondents giving it to Biden, and I’m not all that surprised. He didn’t need to wipe the floor with her in order to win, and he wisely didn’t try; he just needed to sound more authoritative, nuanced, and experienced than her, to hammer away at John McCain, and to generally play defense for a ticket that’s on its way to victory at the moment. And I think he succeeded. The Democrats have a lot of built-in advantages in this election cycle, and judging by the public’s reaction to the first debate, the key to victory for Obama-Biden is to do no harm – don’t squander your advantages, don’t freak out when the Republicans score their points on the surge and offshore drilling, and just be sure to always nudge the conversation back to the economy, to middle-class tax cuts versus tax cuts for the rich, to health care, and to George W. Bush’s record. So while Sarah Palin did an awful lot for Sarah Palin tonight, there was only so much she could do for her running mate - given her own limits, but especially given the state of the country, and the gulf between the issues the McCain campaign wants to fight on and the issues voters care about. She’s saved herself from Quayle-dom, but Obama-Biden is one debate closer to victory.

The Verdict: Win for Biden

Early snap polls give the debate to Joe Biden by a large margin. TPM has a good write up on it here. To sum it up:

CBS polled 473 uncommitted debate-watchers, and found that 46% say Biden won, 21% say Palin won, and 33% say it was a tie.

While most people didn’t see the blathering confusing rants of the Couric interviews, They still do not see her as qualified.

And here’s a really key number from CNN. While a startling 84% said Palin did better than expected, it still wasn’t enough for her to clear her basic hurdle tonight: Only 46% said she’s qualified to serve as president, up only four points from before the debate. And a clear majority, 53%, say she is not qualified.

Finally, Bubba Steps It Up

Today’s fire tracked with what one former Clinton campaign staffer told the Huffington Post would be a passionate next 35 days for the former president on the stump for Obama. The source added that we might even be treated to a “red-faced, finger pointing” moment on behalf of Obama, in order to lay to rest any remaining doubts regarding Clinton’s passion.

“That’s not change. That’s more of the Same.” – Joe Biden 8/27/08, Denver, CO

Gov. PALIN: I have quite a few people who are giving us information about
the record of Obama and Biden, and at the end of the day, though, it is–it’s
so clear, again, what those choices are. Either new ideas, new energy and
reform of Washington, DC, or more of the same.

Really, Gov? More of the same? Um, I’m sorry, which party has been in power for 8 years? Oh, that’s right, YOURS!

And, Gov, you know that is Obama’s slogan, right?

Laugh Break

This Thursday, get some popcorn and moonshine and watch the show.

“I have to admit, though, he’s a great debater, and he looks pretty doggone confident, like he’s sure he’s going to win,’’ Ms. Palin, 44, said of Mr. Biden, 65. “But then again, this is the same Senator Biden who said the other day that University of Delaware would trounce the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wrong!”

Go Joe

Biden Says Election Is About Values. Damn Straight It Is.

Yes, this campaign is about change, but it’s about even more than that.  It’s about what we value as a people.  It’s not just about a job, it’s about dignity. It’s not just about a paycheck.  It’s about pride.  It’s not just about opportunity. It’s about respect. That’s why Barack and I are in this race.

And here’s out of touch John:

Lies, Lies, Lies II

We are getting somewhere.

Thanks, E.J:

John McCain’s campaign acknowledged this weekend that Sarah Palin is unprepared to be vice president or president of the United States.

Of course, McCain’s people said no such thing. But their actions told you all you needed to know.

McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all subjected themselves to tough questioning on the regular Sunday news programs. Palin was the only no-show. And it’s not just the Sunday interviews. She has not opened herself to any serious questioning since McCain picked her to be next in line for the presidency.

McCain’s advisers clearly don’t trust Palin to answer questions about policy and don’t want her to answer many of the questions that have been raised about her tenure as governor of Alaska.

Momentary Lapse of Concentration

Sometimes, you just need a break from all of this hoopla.

 

Good Times

How to Debate a Woman

Random Thoughts From an Ordinary Person

Slate has a piece on the debate strategy Joe Biden should take when debating Sarah Palin.

And that’s why the best way for you to approach Sarah Palin will be to forget that she is a woman. Tell yourself that she is a machine in 3-inch heels that has been programmed to make you look brutish and aggressive. She will attack, and you will smile. She will make jokes, and you will laugh. Do whatever you need to do—take four Percocet, deploy Zen breathing techniques—to prevent yourself from attacking this woman. 

Give ‘em Hell Joe

By way of Talking Points Memo

President Obama and the Pursuit of Justice

Recently Joe Biden implied that they might be interested in investigating crimes that may have been conducted by the Bush administration. 

If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued.

At first this struck me as somewhat disingenuous. I must admit that Obama’s compromise on the FISA bill really took the wind out of my sails. After vowing to fight against retroactive immunity for the telcos, he failed to stand on principle.

After thinking about it, I could see the logic in this, “don’t punish the telcos, punish the one who instigated the act.” This would be more in line with Obama’s world view. I believe the telcos are complicit in illegal activities, and have a quid pro quo relationship with government. Not to mention the big party that AT&T hosted at the conventions.

At the end of the day, as much as I would like this all to be true, I think it is in conflict with Obama’s message about ending the conflict in Washington. If charges were pursued, their would be all out war across the aisles. There is already so much animosity over the Democratic shutout during the Republican controlled years, which is was a reaction to the Republican shutout during the Democratically controlled years, etc., etc., etc.

I am torn between the idea of effective government and the pursuit of justice. Ultimately, if justice is pursued aggressively, publicly and fairly, it will win out. The question is are there enough people in Washington untainted enough to act.