Palin/Biden Debate Reviews

timesunion.com


You betcha, the debate is debated


First published: Saturday, October 4, 2008

Make no mistake. Most of the attention put on this debate did not stem from a deep yearning on the part of the American public to hear Sen. Joe Biden, the Democrat, talk about the policies of his running mate, Sen. Barack Obama. No, many viewers wanted to watch Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

... in the last few weeks viewers have watched a string of televised interview clips, most recently with Katie Couric of CBS, in which Gov. Palin seemed to struggle with answers and strangle on her own syntax. She appeared not only uninformed but embarrassingly inarticulate. Because of that, many Democrats were hoping for a clumsy reprise. And many Republicans were probably cheered to see Gov. Palin present a poised, well-briefed demeanor — no rambling vagueness and a confident expression.

Gov. Palin had clearly made good use of her days in seclusion at Sen. John McCain's ranch in Arizona being prepped by campaign advisers. Sen. Joe Biden clearly took to heart the advice from just about everyone to, essentially, put a sock in it and not ramble on until he swallowed his foot.

... Who won? Gov. Palin exceeded ridiculously low expectations. Sen. Biden sounded substantive and knowledgeable without coming off as stuffy or tedious. The upshot: People who liked Sarah Palin before the debate probably saw nothing to change their minds. The same is likely true of those who back Joe Biden.

—Charlotte Observer

Despite a few weak moments, Palin delivered a strong and sure performance Thursday night. After enduring weeks of derision, Palin didn't just beat the low expectations for her performance; she ran all over them.

... if you were looking for Palin to stumble — and Democrats wouldn't have minded that one bit, despite all their pre-show praise of Palin's debating skills — you just didn't see it onstage Thursday night. Palin emerged from a couple of weeks of misguided Team McCain handling with her Palin-ness intact, and she showed it onstage when it counted.

And that, for a lot of Republicans, was a deeply satisfying turn of events.

—Byron York, National Review

So, who won? On substance, the edge goes to Biden. On style, Palin eked out a close win, enormously magnified by the plain fact that she wasn't chased off the stage.

Did this change the dynamics of the overall race, which is trending toward Obama-Biden? Probably not.

But here's what's key: A Palin collapse Thursday night probably would have ended any chance for the McCain presidential bid. By giving no yardage to a three-decade U.S. senator, she kept her team in the game for another day.

We've still got a race on our hands — and given how poorly things have gone for Team McCain in the last two weeks, goshdarnit, that's an unexpected gift.

—Dallas Morning News

Sarah Palin showed up with folksiness and grit. Joe Biden brought emotion and substance.

The two provided a captivating matchup for Thursday night's vice-presidential candidate debate.

In the end, however, Biden's deep knowledge of domestic and foreign policy easily trumped Palin's often superficial presentations.

Too often Palin, the Republican, retreated to rally language and platitudes about her running mate, John McCain.

Biden, the Democrat, did a better job of providing specifics about how he and his running mate, Barack Obama, would perform in office.

— Kansas City Star

As Americans weigh the vice-presidential candidates, the important question is: Can I see this person as a president? Thursday's debate leaves that question pretty much where it was before the debate.

Few people doubted that Sen. Joe Biden, the vice-presidential pick of Sen. Barack Obama, could step into that role. And nothing in the debate changed that. Biden is substantive and experienced on foreign policy and has thought deeply about the role of the vice president.

But from the time that Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, the question of her as a potential president has been at the forefront for people of all ideological stripes. On what issues of national importance has Palin given deep, substantive thought? This debate did not answer that.

Palin is smart, a quick study and has the discipline to stay on message, qualities important for the ceremonial role of the vice president as a president's emissary. But she has yet to offer deep insight on any substantive issue or to indicate what she would hope to do as vice president. Her scripted responses Thursday night gave few clues about the qualities she brings as a possible president.

— Sacramento Bee

Palinphobes and Palinphiles alike can breath a sigh of relief. This wasn't the battle of the sexes and it wasn't a full-scale gender disaster. It's just that Tina Fey still looks more qualified.

—Ellen Goodman, columnist

Sarah Palin didn't trip and fall on her way to or from the podium. She didn't go on a nonsensical, grammar-defying journey through the English language while talking about her state's proximity to Russia or the Wall Street bailout. And she didn't demonstrate a moment of shocking ignorance, like failing to know what the Bush Doctrine was or being unable to name a single Supreme Court decision.

And because Sarah Palin didn't implode on the stage last night in St. Louis, her performance was hailed as a success.

...Really? Because she didn't self-destruct on stage, she is a success?

—Michael Bard, Huffington Post

It took her about 15 seconds to define her persona — the straight-talking mom from regular America — and it was immediately clear that the night would be filled with tales of soccer moms, hockey moms, Joe Sixpacks, main-streeters, "you betchas" and "darn rights." Somewhere in heaven Norman Rockwell is smiling.

With a bemused smile and a never-ending flow of words, she laid out her place on the ticket — as the fearless neighbor for the heartland bemused by the idiocies of Washington. Her perpetual smile served as foil to Biden's senatorial seriousness.

Where was this woman during her interview with Katie Couric?

—David Brooks, columnist

In general, there wasn't a car crash of moose-killing proportions. It was just more of the same — someone who was so far out of her league on the issues that she could not help but be as nervous as a baby seal at a polar bear pot luck. This came out when she kept calling General David McKiernan, our commander in Afghanistan, "General McClellan."

...Some things cannot be shrugged off with a snarky wink and a winning smile. Some things, Governor, are just too gosh darned important.

Like not knowing the name of the commander of our troops in the middle of the decisive war of the fight against terrorism.

—Lt. Col. Robert Mackey (Ret.), Huffington Post