Matt and Liam were writing blow by blow, allow me to write a little after the fact reflection. My take away was that I love Joe Biden. I think he did as good tonight as Dick Cheney did in 2004. And Dick Cheney did fabulously in 2004.
Sarah Palin was fine, but only because of the disaster she had been up to this point. She was much more nervous and awkward than any individual we've seen debate in our lifetimes. And, I'm really not sure how far that aw shucks crap can get you. I don't think "I'm new at this" is disarming. And I think the I'm just an little old outsider wins her a laugh but damages credibility. She didn't break down into tears and she didn't have a question where she twitched and said "I'll have to get back to you." Because both of those things could have happened, we see this as better than expected, which it was, but it is still the worst debate performance I've ever witnessed. (Nope, check that. Sorry Matt, but Stockdale probably has her beat.)
Biden on the other had was marvelous. The biggest take away is that he give a shit. He's a real guy. He cares about this country. Oh yeah, and he knows what the hell he's doing. In 2004, Cheney proved he wasn't the devil, much like he did with Liberman *pfth* in 2000. Cheney also made it very clear that he, not John Edwards, knew what the hell was going on. Biden did that every bit as much tonight.
Of course, he is also right on gay rights, right on global warming (you can't find the solution if you don't acknowledge the cause-nice), the war on terror, the way to grow the economy, . . . Wow this is a great year for me to vote. I mean seriously, I really, really support this ticket.
5 comments:
I like Biden every bit as much,if not more than I like Obama, and that is quite a bit.
I echo the Biden love, which originated years ago for no better reason than liking having a prominent figure from my hometown (Wilmington). Since then, I've never failed to be impressed by his openminded analysis of policy, his progressive principals, and his practical, solution-oriented approach to governance and legislation. My Pop, who has lived in Delaware for 50+ years says Biden's never seen a tax he didn't like, but my Pop is a grouch that way and has learned to cope with it.
I watched the debate on youtube today after reading some comments and blogs, and didn't feel as strongly about it as I think I would have if I had seen it live.
In general Palin struck me exactly as she always has, as an even emptier, shallower pool than W. There were scattered moments where her scripted answers (well, statements more than answers exactly) were at least generally related to the topic of the question and where they presented a partial principal or approach that I vaguely could see value in, but it was pretty obvious throughout that she couldn't have said anything of actual substance on 95% of the material, and nothing at all extemperaneous. I think she cribbed several lines from past debate zingers like Reagan's "there you go again." As ever, I feel like I get the thinking of alien species more clearly than I get the thinking of Palin/W. voters.
Biden was much more substantive, and I'm sure the fact checking will reveal him to have been more truthful, but he did have some fairly empty moments himself (falling into cliche, rote responses, ignoring the exact question posed). He was best when he schooled Palin on stuff like the VP's constitutional role, but he was also weakest in the same spot, because he failed to put the nail in the coffin by mentioning that the entire reason Cheney tried the whole VP legislative/executive dodge was nothing to do with the Constitution but an attempt to weasel out of a court order. Of course, to be intellectually honest as opposed to falsely balanced Ifill should have made that fact a part of the question to begin with.
I thought Ifill did a decent job of pointing out when either of them had avoided a question completely, and was competent considering how hamstrung she was by the format, the rules, and the time constraints, though she definitely failed to be clear on the gay marriage/rights issue. She closed that bit concluding that Palin and Biden agreed, even though Biden had offered a very complete and nuanced examination of the topic while Palin had merely said she didn't approve of "gay 'marriage'."
Debates like this are such artificial formats that they are by nature incompatible with the actual presentation, transmission, and comprehension of real information or ideas. I would think a "real" debate would be like a guided conversation, where the moderator would present the topics and keep things on track, on topic, prodding for depth and truth, but where the candidates would basically be arguing with each other, asking each other follow up questions, without particular time limits other than to cover a single broad subject in each half-hour or so. Have a half-dozen of those per election (say 90 minutes each) and you might actually separate the wheat from the chaff and the audience might actually be informed.
Palin stopped the bleeding, and that was necessary.
But Jim, Stockdale was way, way worse. He stopped talking in the middle of the answers. He was flat out confused in the middle of the debate. He was worse.
She was not good, but Stockdale was pitiable in a way she was not.
Yeah, there is no question, you're right. Didn't your dad know the admiral? I seem to remember you being ready to be really impressed by him and ended up having to stop watching. Did that happen or did I make it up?
I don't recall that my dad ever knew him. They would have served in Vietnam at the same time, but I don't think they knew each other.
I looked him up... Jesus he was accomplished. 4 Silver Stars, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, POW in Vietnam, Vice Admiral, and oh, a little thing I like to call the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Dennis Miller said this about him: "Now I know (Stockdale's name has) become a buzzword in this culture for doddering old man, but let's look at the record, folks. The guy was the first guy in and the last guy out of Vietnam, a war that many Americans, including our present President, did not want to dirty their hands with. The reason he had to turn his hearing aid on at that debate is because those fucking animals knocked his eardrums out when he wouldn't spill his guts. He teaches philosophy at Stanford University, he's a brilliant, sensitive, courageous man. And yet he committed the one unpardonable sin in our culture: he was bad on television."
Post a Comment