Who came off looking best in the Palin-Biden debate?

Biden rocked.

I'm sorry, but anyone who compares themselves to a "soccer mum" is not winning my vote to becoming #2 leader of my country. Pity (or perhaps fortunately that it's not my country), I don't have a vote.

Japan today? not USA today.

Japan today? not USA today.

Using this logic, the Nishi Nihon Shimbun should only print news occurring in Western Japan, the New York Times should stick to New York issues and ... you get the idea.

Biden is better than the guy at the top of the ticket. Palin is fresh and charismatic, but not enough to persuade undecideds. She is new to this, though, and she'll get better and better. Still not the best candidate that could be found in her party.

Considering the amount of Americans that visit JT, I find it curious that anyone would have an issue with this most important of issues on a Japan related website (since it is catered more towards foreigners interested in Japan).

At any rate Biden looked the best, and no one even republicans or anyone who will vote for Palin can deny. While both tended to stretch the truth on some issues, Biden was clearly in charge, knew the issues and stats, and spoke with a measure of authority. Unlike Palin who spoke mostly in generalities, spoke in less professional demeanor, and appeared to skirt many issues. Many times she answered the question (after being prompted by the moderator) with simple yesses and nos, unable to elaborate further on several key issues.

In particular, in one of the most important issues for voters as well as being the highlight of the debate, Iraq, Biden was supremely masterful in dictating the insane policies of the current administration and McCain's "strategies." Palin was unable to come up with anything more than the usual pro war mantra, something about a white flag of surrender.

I think it speaks volumes when the most favorable thing the blind Palin supporters can say about her performance was that she didn't blunder outright. Clearly lowering of standards.

Palin is not someone that I would feel confident at all about being President, and that is a reality with McCain in office should he become President.

Biden was the clear winner.

Palin, a woman of principle, won the debate. Biden also did well, but the better man was Palin. I cannot understand why so many of my American friends in Japan hate her so much. Is it because of her strong Pro-Life support, and the fact that she is an out and out Christian, who is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs and her princlples? American politics have been without principles for so long, she is a refreshing change. I hope McCain/Palin get elected. It will be good for America and also for the world, if they do. I like Obama also, but my vote, of I had one, would go to this fine woman.

Is it because of her strong Pro-Life support, and the fact that she is an out and out Christian

No, it's because she kills for fun and thinks playing politics is more important than caring for her own new-born baby.

I watched a recording of the debate this evening. Biden oozed and inspired confidence (well, as much as any politician can reasonably be expected to) and underlined many times over the fact that McCain's policies are nothing more than Bush Jr Lite. Palin scared me.

It is not that I hate Palin, its that the repulicans keep saying she is a "breath of fresh air" and that she closely identifies or connects with most ordinary people.... Fact of the matter is I don't know too many Gun toten, Moose hunting, middle class Hockey moms with five children and a Husband that races Snowmobiles. A friend of mine up north know all to well about the Hockey moms. He said Hockey is a very expensive sport and very few average middle to lower income families can afford it. I do know alot of single moms struggling to raise their children and trying to provide them with good health care and education. I also know peope who ride the Train to and from work everyday. Also know when I looked at the candidates from each Party during the primaries. The democratic party had, A latino, african american, and a woman running for president. The republican party had..... well you know...Mor of the same. :)

anyone who compares themselves to a "soccer mum"

I prefer if she were just mum, as she has nothing intelligent to say.

Like Schutz, I don't hate her. Maybe she has principles. Maybe she doesn't. Either way, it's dangerous to have an anti-rationalist ignoramus in the White House. If you can convinece yourself that the world was created less than 10,000 years ago, you're liable to convince yourself of anything -- such as that countries have weapons of mass destruction when they don't, and other self-delusions.

Palin and Biden both appeared to do well. Though, if you listened to what the candidates actually said the clear winner was Biden. Too often during the sections on foreign policy Palin seemed to be streaming together a series of non-sequitor sentences that had little to do with the topic at hand nor made a whole lot of sense in general. I don't have confidence that she could do the job in the event that McCain died.

cleo...100% agree. All Palin had was some superficial "knowledge" she crammed over the past few weeks, and some stock one-liners her staff wrote for her. Do we really want a VP who winks into the camera? Does not understand she is runiing for VP, not still competing for Miss Alaska? (Where she was second-best by the way as well.) Cannot understand how anyone could believe she is qualified to meet with heads of state, which a VP has to do on numerous occassions.

After the Debates, I reviewed both CNN and Fox for their views. TIME/CNN admitted that both did well, giving each a rating of "B" in that neither made any major muck-ups, but neither truly outshone the other. Fox said republicans were breathing a sigh of relief that Palin didn't muck-up anything major. After her previous TV interview blunders, they were happy to see her say her lines correctly.

Personally, I agree with TIME. They both did what they needed to. Biden kept himself in check and didn't throw out any big gaffes, nor did he rise to Palin's attempts to go tit for tat. His cracked voice during the recounting of his having to raise his injured sons alone after their mom and sister died in a car wreck may have helped him connect with single parents.

On the other side, Palin kept throwing off low-brow comments and affections like winking at the camera and using "doggone it" in order to try to connect with under-educated white people. I personally found her behavior insulting and patronizing. She reminded me of a bad actor in one of the English textbook CD's I teach, trying to pretend that she's a hick when its clear she isn't. I'm surprised she didn't throw in a "Y'all come back now, y'hear?" and then spit chewing tobacco into a spittoon. But I'm sure she made her masters happy. Fox News definitely thought so.

Biden.

Didn't really have much of an opinion about Joe before the debate, but came out of it impressed by his knowledge and articulation. He seemed intelligent, clear headed and competent.

Palin, on the other hand, did well when she knew what she was talking about, but fell HARD when she didn't. I found her rambling, platitude filled responses to some of the questions to be painful to listend to. That and the artificial "folksy" schtick is really starting to grate on me.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_biden-palin_debate.html

Since neither of them told the truth on the facts and figures they posted, and they both answered the questions with their preplanned over used statements aimed at defacing the other and not really answering the question. I cant judge the debate on the ability to answer questions.

I have to say that she (Palin) (just for Cleo Biden is an avid hunter and has been on hunts for big game, and instead of raising his children after his wife died he stayed in congress, so you dont like him now either_? veg heads are so foolish some times, go eat a steak and calm down) did very well considering her past performances, but over all Biden was more refined and comfortable giving out his not actual facts then palin was, so I say as a whole Biden was better.. If you base it on what was expected by people then Palin won.

Just so you know people who live in the area around Canada have that way of talking, havent you ever seen Fargo? Its not hick talk its just the dialect in that area...As far as hockey being expensive it is but I know allot of single mothers who have low income and have children playing on teams....

Summary over all Biden was the better debater, neither had any information to give (same old lies and mis information), and palin did 1000% times better then the people thought she would..

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=526029

Talks about the accent she has and who also has that one.

I cannot understand why so many of my American friends in Japan hate her so much. Is it because of her strong Pro-Life support, and the fact that she is an out and out Christian, who is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs and her princlples?

I think Matt Taibbi summed the issue of Palin quite well, and the reasons so many despise her....

"...Sarah Palin is a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern United States. As a representative of our political system, she’s a new low in reptilian villainy, the ultimate cynical masterwork of puppeteers like Karl Rove. But more than that, she is a horrifying symbol of how little we ask for in return for the total surrender of our political power. Not only is Sarah Palin a fraud, she’s the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV – and this country is going to eat her up, cheering every step of the way. All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation....."

Read the whole thing here.... http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin

leitmotiv...great post and thanks for the link.

I really wish Pallin had stuck to the format instead of "looking and talking to the American People in the style I'm used to". I'm not interested in how good she looks, or if she's a good soccer mom. I am very interested in how willing she is to be responsible for the decidsions she and her party had made. Biden presented himself well, and pointed out the differences between the two plans. Now that is what I wanted to hear, not down home talk.

Just because she's a christian, doesn't mean she has principles. Bush is a christian. Hitler was a christian.

Who came off looking best

What, like we watched it with the sound off?

Thanks Nippon.

I would have to say it was the one who mopped the floor with the tired, waxy, botoxed, hair-plugged windbag from Scranton.

Great stuff: 'Popular' teen and collegiate set liberal pundit Matt Taibbi (above) explains to his pimply devotees that Governor Palin's popularity is the result of an America that is too stupid to know better or too lazy to care ~

"All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves...

but that has mysteriously made itself so influential and wealthy:

...who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation....."

Both of them did well, and if the polls continue to be so close and there is an equal number of the required votes come election day, there is a strong possiblility that the outcome could be decided by the House of Representatives and the Senate. The result? President Obama and Vice President Palin! I would love that.

coulrophobic...well-written rant, but a rant nontheless, as it avoids the facts scrupulously, just like Palin. If you don't like Matt Taibbi, try Patel's opinion. Same conclusion -- she is totally unqualified and it reflects terribly on McCain that he chose her. But, the good news for the Dems is that he has been forced to go off message many times recently to defend her. Like his lame defense of her to Katie Couric. My God, she could not even adequately expalin her own claim -- that Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy credentials.

My God, she could not even adequately expalin her own claim -- that Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy credentials

My god people.... read the entire transcript. That's NOT what she said... Do you get ALL your news and information from youtube?

"Who came across looking best in the Palin-Biden debate?"

Well, if you're a female, you probably think the handsome, distinguished Biden did. If you're a male, you probably think the good-looking Palin did.

A better question would be, "Who came across as the person better able to fulfill the duties of the office of the vice president of the United States?" To which the answer is obviously Palin.