Sarah Palin Won the Debate Against Joe Biden

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This is just silly. Palin won because she smiled? Alfred E. Newman smiled a lot, didn't he?

Byron of GA 1:21PM October 10, 2008

"Now, (sic) we are about to spend billions to bail out the irresponsible - who largely vote democrat." That's one of the more bizarre statements I've read on any blog. Logic dictates that "the responsible" largely vote Republican, and conversely Republicans are, largely, responsible. Does that responsibility extend to the current world economic crisis, or just to the accumulation of personal wealth. I doubt many of the CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other execs of the financial industry tend to be Democrats politically. Quite the contrary, they appear to enthusiastically support and pursue the principles of the Republican economic philosophy. It's unfortunate, and a sad comment about our society's lack of real progress that we still cannot conduct a political campaign for the nation's highest office on the basis of the parties' and candidates' platforms, but instead attack the opponent's character. Doing so, whether as a Democrat or Republican, discounts the value and validity of the other person, falsely bolsters one's opinion of self, and works against the best interests of a two party nation. Thankfully we have only four more weeks of having to avoid taking the candidates and issues seriously.

of FL 12:40PM October 08, 2008

Palin needs to be @ home w/her children & especially the special needs baby, Barbara Walters, om the View was bothered just as I was,"why do they continue to carry that baby around?",,the little doll should be in bed.when will she have time to love & tke care of her youngest..he needs her LOVE & attention. her negative ads will make them lose. sadly she may be a GOP puppet. he's just using her & if they win he will ignore her bec. Cindy will see to it.

denise mary of MA 2:44PM October 07, 2008

In two scientific polls (which have just been corroborated by another), Biden was clearly deemed the winner by undecided voters and voters in general. Those who don't believe in statistical inference (and scientific method) will insist otherwise - but it becomes their own biased opinion versus statistically unbiased estimates of the undecided voters and the voters in general. Why am I not surprised that republicans once again put their personal opinions above the voice of the people? I'm guessing it's because most of them (including Barone) have probably never taken a graduate level course in statistics or research methodology), and the concept of statistical inference is over their heads.

Jissoji of TX 12:02PM October 07, 2008

In the alternate universe where McCain/Palin live, she probably won before the debate was ever held. Remember that McCain won the day before his debate with Obama. Palin is a breath of fresh air, which you could probably hear rushing through her head if you could get close enough, but that is all. What makes her so unique is that no other presidential candidate in our nation's history has ever picked a running mate so lacking in knowledge of domestic or foreign affairs. In doing so McCain chose to put his own ambition ahead of what is best for our country. Along with her acceptance, this tells me everything I need to know about either of them. When is the RNC going to break down and spring for those "Country Second" signs?
Palin was able to respond in a mostly coherent manner, but she only answered about half of the questions asked. She alternated between talking about energy, taxes and John McCain - the hero/maverick. She often did so in no particular order and without any regard to the actual question posed. Could this come from a lack of depth or understanding of the serious issues our country faces? I believe that Palin is sincere in the belief she has in herself and her determination, but to me this is even more scary than faking it. That she thinks she is ready for this job in spite of sufficient evidence to the contrary only shows that her ambition and lack of judgment is on par with that of her boss.
Guess what? McCain/Palin already have their base of under-informed, we're more moral - until we get caught, we'll believe whatever you tell us even after eight years of GW, followers. Drill, war and reform - the planks to slap any non-believers with! Yee haw. Palin's performance, interspersed with "you betchas", "darn its" and a wink or two, were about as unprofessional as anything I have ever seen from someone running for national office. (Oh, I almost forgot the "shout out" - wasn't that cute!) Palin is not ready for this job and McCain has already proven he is more than willing to sell his soul to attain the office he sees himself as being entitled to.
That some people have latched on to this women as a symbol for the middle-class, ordinary folk of our country is amazing. I am in the middle class and an ordinary person and have nothing in common with her. If some people want to live vicariously through her and her shot at the "big time", perhaps they just haven't realized that the debate wasn't something they got from Netflix. (Although it and the interviews of Palin have been spoofed very well by SNL - using her actual words. The fact that its funny when part of a comedy sketch, but that we're supposed to take her words and behavior seriously when presented to us in a serious format is certainly interesting.) This is real life and the challenges we face are enormous. She and the First Dude need to stay in Alaska where killing things apparently is more valued and acceptable to many than actually knowing things.

Ian of AR 5:25PM October 06, 2008

I THOGHT IT WAS A GOOD DEBATE AND THAT BOTH CANDATES HAD GOOD POINTS BUT THE BEST WON

ERICA KING of AL 3:48PM October 06, 2008

I'm an independent.I really feel Obama/Biden is the better ticket, providing they choose the BEST team .You're just as good as your team. Obama will probably turn "gray" in 4 yrs tho.they all do, but he won't mind if he's helping the poor, middle class & the country. I'm against lavish & many Inaugural Balls. the country is @ war. also Pres Bush should cut down on the many Christmas trees in the white house..so much money wasted when 2 blks from white house I see the homeless. enough said.

from DC of DC 3:07PM October 06, 2008

I'm looking to MY crystal ball and I can perceive a conversation between Obama and Dmitri Medyedev of Russia.(Gee, I guess the news of Putin's successor hasn't yet reached Idaho.)
Medyedev: Mr. Obama, Russia is investing its economic and political capital in South America, the Middle East and Africa. We see these parts of the world as markets and strategic spheres of infleunce which affect the global balance of power.
Obama: I understand your position. America has had its turn as a global superpower, and the results in the Middle East alone speak for themselves. As you know, I'm a strong proponent of change. I think that a rise in the status of Russia as a leader on the world stage might be refreshing. Who am I to judge the relative merits of Russian or American hegemony?
Medyedev: Mr. Obama, we intend to support North Korea and Iran in building up their nuclear capacities.
Obama: Well, in my campaign I mentioned that Iran must not acquire nuclear capability. But, once I sat down with Mahmoud, I mean Mr. Achmadinijad, I came to realize that I could see the issue from his point of view. Iran has lacked power since the days of the Persian empire. Surely it's high time for their return to a status of world power. I think they've done a passable job as administrators in Iraq since I had all remaining U.S. forces withdraw from there. I also think that we can all be grown ups and admit that the Middle East has been much more peaceful since the removal of Israel. And besides, who are we as Americans to decide who can and cannot have nuclear weapons? By the way, Dmitri, did you notice that I can pronounce the word "nuclear" correctly?
Medyedev: Why, yes, I have noticed, Barack. Your education and eloquence is refreshing, as is your open-minded attitude to real change. It is a pleasure to deal with you! But, do you realize that Russia intends on taking over not only South Ossetia and Abkhazia but all of Georgia?
Obama: Well, Dmitri, I certainly HOPE you may CHANGE your mind on that point. However, I realize that I can't stand in opposition to you, because that might cause you to dislike me and, by extension, to dislike the United States. As president, my first priority is to restore America's image around the world. So, in this case, I guess I'll go along to get along, just as I did with my party during my single term in the senate. I simply ask that both the Russian forces and Georgian forces remain calm and avoid excess during the invasion process.
GOD HELP US, indeed!!!

Crystal of IN 3:03PM October 06, 2008

As an eighty year old woman I feel I am an expert by now on elections. I am amused and saddened by the male reaction to Sarah Palin. She is so scripted and not a plausible candidate for the vice presidency. In watching and reading male reactions they are judging her on her appearance her winks.her smiles not on her knowledge. I feel as if I have to tell the gentlemen this is not a beauty contest. look beyond the beer and aw shuck'sattitude.

Ginny Park of ME 2:55PM October 06, 2008

Jeffrey of CA says he is disgusted with that "dumb bimbo's" comment about Biden's "dead wife."
If you could be bothered with actually learning a little bit about the person you are supporting, you would realize that Palin was referring to Biden's CURRENT wife of many years, who is very much alive. Where I would take issue with Palin is that Mrs. Biden is a college professor, not one of those long-suffering school teachers whose "reward is in heaven." Somehow, I don't see teachers at the college level as facing the same challenges as those who teach K-12.
As for your choice of terminology, I think "dumb bimbo" is more than a little sexist. I presume you're a man, Jeffrey, so you obviously can't be a bimbo. So, does firing off an attack based on your own misperception make you "dumb mook?"

Swampy of IN 2:14PM October 06, 2008