Palin-Biden Debate: Lots of Sound, Little Fury, Signifying Nothing

The Palins did release their tax returns. They reported making $170,000 last year.

I have always considered my family part of the middle class. Evidently that is not true. Try as we will, we never in my 45 years have made even half what the Palins made. How can Sarah Palin who sold her house IN ALASKA (where housing prices are much lower than in the rest of the nation) for $350,000 even begin to compare herself to the middle class 'main street' America?

I take offense at the 'Joe Six-Pack' comment in reference to the hard working middle class. I find it stereotyping and durogatory. I says that the average American drinks a six-pack of beer a night. How demeaning. Evidently she feels we are nation of uneducated alchoholics.

Or maybe her and her husband do drink a six-pack a night. But I thought Evangelicals were opposed to the drinking of alcohol.

I had hoped that with the new millinium that demeaning stereotypes would be dropped from the American mind set.

We had made such progress during the latter half of the 20th century. So sad that we are taking so many steps backwards. As a country we embraced an illegal war, when not 40 years ago we thought we could outlaw war. Listen to the music of that era (music being a reflection of society), it is available on all the 'oldies' stations. Has the meaning been lost?

Peace, harmony, love? Do those virtues meaning anything anymore, or is just in one ear and out another?

The America of our fore-fathers, ie. Washington, Jefferson, even Roosevelt, would never have considered attacking a sovereign nation unless in defense of our own boarders.

Robert of WV 9:41PM October 05, 2008

I'll post it again, Robby...

And who are you? You work for media corporations that get the great bulk of their incomes from advertising.

The work of journalists has become a kind of infotainment targeted at certain niche groups to sell products like cars, and mouthwash, and new credit cards. That's why you lie -- tell them what they want to hear, reinforce the prejudices of the public you are selling to. If they like your show they will buy the products advertised.

No candidate is required to assist the corporation you work for in the sale of its products. Candidates should wise up and realize that they have a strong hand in the transaction and they should play it. You need them to get viewers or readers to see your advertising. You should begin to treat them with the value they deserve, lest they migrate to those venues that do and with them, your advertising dollars.

You take the attitude of the artist, but cash your checks as timely as any banker.

Andy Bradshaw of CO 1:08PM October 04, 2008

I am frankly disappointed that so many of the supporters for Sarah Palin have been congratulating her solely because she is likeable.

Bulldog50 of IN writes, "Sarah Palin is so likeable. Joe Biden looks like a grouch...Americans want a genuine real human being, not a rock star politician like Obama, or an old dried up politican like Biden."

Let's get this straight. Saying someone is a "real human being" just because he or she looks better is not a real argument. I will not make the mistake of generalizing for all Americans, but I want a president who is not as prone to mistakes as I am or the average American is. I want someone who understands my problems but has superior experience and/or intellectual capacity than I do. Sure, Obama may not be as experienced as McCain, but he appears to me as someone who knows what he is talking about. Although I am only a freshman math major who doesn't know too much about politics, I still feel like I knew more than Palin did.

G Green writes, "Sarah Palin may not be as polished as Joe Biden or others in Washington But she has something they lack the ability to speak her mind,a commitment to say what she really thinks, a belief that she can make a difference and a GENUINE desire to help America."

I saw both Palin and Biden speaking their minds. Just because Biden is smoother and more entrenched in Washington politics does not mean he believes any less in what he says. From a political perspective, saying too much of what she thinks hurts her campaign (e.g. the windfall profits tax in Alaska). From a personal perspective, she didn't seem to think deeply enough on foreign policy to do any research on it. I don't want someone who only has a genuine desire to help America; I want someone who knows the best way to help America, taking into account a thorough cost/benefit analysis.

Scott of AZ comments on double speak.

I agree that the bias of the listener (even that of myself) will affect the interpretation. In such a case, we can only look at the facts. Biden used many hard facts, Palin almost none. Thus, none of her statements were really refutable or demonstrated concrete knowledge or policy. That in itself shows a severe lack of qualification for the VP job. Furthermore, it bothered me a lot that she thought McClellan was alive today.

Ana of CA writes, "since when was the vice president candidate so important they don't have much say, nor power"

Apart from the many assassinations and attempted assassinations on presidents, the VP is still an important adviser to the president. Two heads should be better than one. Clearly, it matters; no one would pick me to be their VP.

jeff of KS writes, "they say this about palin but it isnt a gut wrenching gaff when obama claims there are 57+ states in the U.S.?"

Yes, and you will find a lot of people criticizing that. However, that probably is an honest slip from fatigue. Palin, however, could not name a single newspaper she read even when pressed. No comparison.

Teddy of NJ 1:23AM October 04, 2008

This proud american person most definitely does not love Sarah Palin. As an Obama supporter from the beginning, John McCain nonetheless had my gratitude and respect. His maverick move of choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate totally changed the respect if not the gratitude.

For me the most telling debate points were the questions about what the candidates would do as VP (with Biden having a strong, clear sense of his place) and how they would conduct themselves if they became president. Biden's answer to this was clear, to the point, and exactly what I wanted to hear. At that moment, he was presidential. Palin's response was frankly quite scary. Let us pray that trigger finger is never on the nuclear button.

Linda Keller of FL 9:36PM October 03, 2008