Sarah ‘Barracuda’ Clutch Under Pressure
It was the bold Sarah Palin of the Republican convention who appeared last night for her debate with Joe Biden, not the shaky Palin of the Gibson and Couric interviews. But until a few minutes into the evening, it wasn’t clear which Palin would show up.
Those who detested Palin before were highly unlikely to be won over by her debate performance, although McCain supporters breathed a huge sigh of relief. But both groups were in agreement that she did “better than expected.”
The same had been true the night she stepped onto the stage of the convention and began to speak. But the Gibson and Couric interviews had demoralized even Palin’s staunchest supporters, who were puzzled by her lackluster performance and meandering syntax.
Some of the difference between the Sarah of the convention/debates and the Sarah of the interviews was the result of the interviewers’ “gotcha” questions, hostile demeanor, sometime use of unflattering camera angles, and editing designed to accentuate the impression of incoherence. But not all of it. There seemed to be something about those venues that made Palin unaccountably nervous and unusually garbled. In contrast, there was something about the circumstances of her speech before the convention and the debate with Biden that focused her energy and her mind.
Most people would probably find a live one-on-one debate against a seasoned opponent, held in front of a large auditorium crowd and a TV audience of many millions, far more stressful than a pre-recorded interview with a journalist. But Palin is not most people.
This is all the more remarkable because, unlike so many politicians, Palin is not a lawyer. Biden is, and so it stands to reason that he might feel far more comfortable with the type of thinking and argument required for a debate, and that Palin might be better in an interview.
But Palin is nothing if not a driving competitor. Those who like to mock her often hark back to her beauty contest days. But that was a brief endeavor compared to the venue in which she repeatedly honed her skills: basketball. Palin’s claim to fame in her school and college days was that she was an athlete.
Raised it from F to C-
Palin, like Reagan, fares best when speaking directly to the American people, over the heads of a hostile media.
Palin should do a 15 minute or 30 minute infomercial on kitchen table issues of great concern to American families and spell out the connection between a corn ethanol subsidy and HIGH FOOD PRICES (corn is usually fed to livestock).
HIGH GAS PRICES. How the Democrats and their rich environmentalist buddies keep us from drilling for oil and fantasize about “alternative fuels” that don’t yet exist.
Perot did such a series of talking head with flip charts infomercials that the press laughed at. The infomercials, however, got higher ratings than the World Series — and there was no Tivo then.
People are worried about health care and education and a host of issues. Palin is the perfect person to address those concerns.
Couric smiled and noded her head when Biden declared FDR went on TV in the 1929 market crash to calm the American people.
Couric repeatedly asked Palin about Supreme Court cases. Gibson misquoted her than insisted her justify her misquoted statement.
It’s hard to concentrate your answers when you really wanted to say “you miserable son of a bitch…”
I can thank Palin for introducing a new phrase to me. At the RNC she promised to perform her “level best.” She did the best she could do given her experience and the context of the situation. She has only been sprung into this national-candidate role five weeks ago. Obama, Biden, and McCain have been at this presidential thing for years.
While she is chided for simply “doing better than expected,” what else can you ask for? If she wasn’t expected to do well, then I’d blame McCain for choosing a lightweight. But as for Palin, she performed her “level best.”
I agree with most points, but I think she does better than you state in the one-on-ones.
Last year, many of us were suggesting Palin as Veep, and I saw Kudlow’s interview of her – on energy issues mostly, I think – and she was outstanding. She’s impressed on Hewitt, Hannity, etc. as well.
Gwen Ifill probably saw the interview with Larry Kudlow, too, and decided it best to stay away from asking questions about Palin’s expertise – not to mention the Republicans’ best case with the voter against the Dems – and no matter how important energy independence is re our nation’s security and economy.
Afterall, Ifill needs to be fair.
You know what? I’m much more excited voting for a war hero and a hockey mom then two schiester lawyers. I frankly don’t care if she doesn’t pass the Katy Couric test. Both she and McCain are who they appear to be, the lawyers appear to be who they are depending on who they’re with. We don’t really know who these lawyers really are, but I suspect they’re not people we would want to have over on a Sunday afternoon for a BBQ.
wow…
im so not thikning like you guys…
she can stand her own..handle pressure.. etc etc..
but what about the issues, beside jsut stating what she was told to tell..
i mean about thinking on her own..her own thiknig process…
she has that im sure…but not necessarily for the economy and foreign policy.
whicxh is what president and vp is all about.
so she would be super for many many jobs and levels etc..
i just think a lot of people dont keep in mind what we re looking for in a vp. and i think there would have been a lot of other people that would have been better.
but of course we re not talking about picking the better vp for the role of vp.
we re talking about the best vp to win the election, to get people to love that person and vote for them for some reason…the vp people would love.
in this case, yes, palin was probably the best choice.
again, she has strenght, many of them.
but is she the best one to be vp…to advice the president..etc..
my 2 cent opinion is no.
I think Gov. Palin did an amazing job last night, she spoke directly to the people that she needed to appeal to and those are the “main street” Americans.
For the sake of the American way of life I truly hope that the old adage “cheaters never win” proves true once again in this election. Barack Obama is a man with no moral character who has sold his soul for the approval of people that will throw him out with the rest of the trash when he no longer proves to be useful. He should have seen the evidence of that after what happened with Hillary.
Liberals hate Sarah Palin for one reason and one reason only, jealousy. Liberal men WANT HER and know they could never have her (they just aren’t man enough) and liberal women want to BE HER and know that they have already sold their integrity for the price of their “equality” and “right to choose.”
Raised it from F to C-
For Robert to give it a C- means even he realizes Sarah kicked ass.
I’d like to see her ditch the news anchor interviews for some press conferences. In that context, her competitive streak might surface, and she might be freer and more adept to question the premises behind the questions in a way that a “gotcha interview” would never enable.
999 out of 1000 people would have left a wet spot on the floor in Palin’s place last night.
To have delivered as she did was nothing short of remarkable, and everybody who saw the debate knows it, even if they only admit it to themselves at night, alone, in the dark.
I am amazed as to the comments about Biden being knowledgeable as if this in and of itself leads to good decisions. His voting record on the important issues while he has been a senator is poor. The MSM gives him a pass on all those mistakes.
Palin has been an effective governor. Is she ready to be president? I don’t think so. On the other hand she is as ready or as unready as Obama. But the MSM doesn’t seem to get that.
If Obama is elected there will be buyers remorse.
Speaking of basketball and competition: The mainstream (mini-court) press has allowed Obama to get out in front of his opponents by giving him nothing but lay-ups and totally ignoring his player stats. The few times the pressure has been on him, he has been quick to foul others and to deny it. All of his long shots have clanked off the rim. If the tenacious “Barracuda” were ever to go up against him one-on-one, I believe she could consistently catch him leaning way to the left and then zip past him to the basket for a score. She could do this time and time again. Obama would cry foul and play more offensively. Nevertheless, if the refs would do their jobs properly, Palin would win the game by a point by coolly making two clutch free throws with no time left on the clock. Obama would predictably call for a point recount and a rematch. But it would be game over. Leaving the court defeated, Obama might be overheard to say, “Nice game, Sweetie, next time I’ll bring my Chicago cheerleaders with me.”
Charlie Colorado:
I am fairly old, 68, but I don’t ever remember hearing from a teacher that a C- meant I had kicked ass
Robert,
Charlie was inferrring that if you were magnanimous enough to “grade” her above an F, that must mean she did an ok job – Your usual posts tend more towards the “glass half empty” view.
We’re all so used to your pro-Obama rhetoric that it’s rather amazing to us that you would conceed that she managed a C- when we all expected you would say that she did so horrible that she didn’t even deserve an F – we live and die by your opinion here if you couldn’t tell.
I’m fairly young,24, but I always knew I’d made a tremendous improvement when I brought my grade up from an F to a C- ….
Robert Hurley:
maybe for you its on a curve.
Sarah Palin is as good or better than Obama anytime anywhere. ok lets ask the governor of Alaska.
Diane,
I wouldn’t give one cent for your opinion, much less two. I “thnik” you’re an idiot – “jsut” like Obama.
I suspect that the interviews were hard for Palin because she couldn’t really express her own views and take the knocks for any missteps. McCain sets the policy, and learning how to mesh her own style and views with his is no easy thing, especially when you can get hit with questions on any topic.
Biden was able to lie rather expertly about differences between himself and Obama because he has spent a lifetime justifying flips and ignoring flops. Palin has been in positions that didn’t permit such verbal game playing. Her experience has been in speaking only for herself. Now she is speaking for two. She has learned a lot about that in 5 weeks.
There is no doubt that Palin is a viable candidate for VP. Fresh, enthusiatstic, clear headed and grounded. Joe Biden is Biden proved once again his distain for the common person by misrepesenting the truth and himself. Once again Biden has show his exuberence for his own verbosity.
what is the implication, not stated outright, of Palin and McCain’s praise of Main Street, Joe Six-Pack, and small town values is that those of us who are not Main Street or Joe Six-Pack are not real Americans.
Anyone who dislikes identity politics based on race or gender or sexual orientation should also dislike this kind of small town/suburban white Christian working class/middle class identity politics.
Since Nixon, culture war has been a nice way for Republicans to win votes, but it doesn’t have much else to recommend it. I’d like to think that people like me, the demographic of shadowy coastal elites who read Borges and watch films with subtitles, are part of a shared enterprise with small town middle-class Christians. That’s more reassuring than the conclusion that we are irreconcilably alien to each other, and even if it were false, it seems like acting as if it were true would be preferable to the alternatives.
You’re right! It takes someone extraordinary to go into the debate like Palin did and do so well. Quite impressive!
SAF:
If Obama is elected there will be buyers remorse.
Oct 3, 2008 – 11:48 am
Yes, the buyer’s remorse of the automotive vein, one expressed as one is cut from the twisted wreckage of your car that’s wrapped around a phone pole thinking that I really shouldn’t have bought that Ford Pinto with the bald tires, nor should I have listened to the chants of my friends telling me that it will really go 100 mph.
We need more Barracuda out of McCain. And Gore was such a great VP lmao. Palin would run rings around that fraud. We need another Reagan in the White House and Sarah will keep it warm for Jindal in 4 years. Sarah get out with the people they vote for you not the media. The media is DEAD and so are the sheep that follow them. The current Congress is DEAD and it is time to take them out in orange jumpsuits. The government works for the people, Sarah and John recognize that and it’s time for the people to realize that. Alternative is Great Depression 2. Your call America.
Gov Palin ignore the media and corrupt Congress they are irrelevant. Talk to the people that vote for you. Go on the conservative radio and T V shows there are 35 million of us or more who want to know about you and vote for you. Nobody watches CBS nbc abc CNN msnbc etc they are all dinosaurs who will be extinct because only drones who can’t think for themselves watch them. Instill John to drop the gloves for the homestretch. Start talking about Wright, Ayers, Reczko, birth certificate, 3 AM phone calls etc or Great Depression 2 is coming and that is one ugly sequel. Great debate and may G_d carry you and John into the White House.
sashal-ooh, if you could only see how the condensending elitism drips from your post. As a recovered lib-activist during the Reagan era, I moved to rural Ca. and over the course of many years got to know and appreciate mainstream America. What I found are highly intelligent people with that rare commodity, (at least in big cities), common sense. These are people who deeply love their country, (imagine actually volunteering to defend it?), and fierceley love their freedom. This is the freedom that has made this country great, the freedom of limited government and not the freedom of licentiousness so important to big city liberals who seem hell-bent on following Europe’s downward socialist spiral. Try venturing out of your insulated bubble sometime.
Exceeding expectations or “beating the spread” is no victory. It just reinforces the idea that she is not very good to begin with. Many people do think she’s a fresh face and like here folksy style. But this does not in any way mean they want her to be vice-president, much less president. Most people do not want the compulsive gambler McCain to be President either and I believe this fact will be very clear on Nov. 4th. Why do you think Warren Buffett backs Obama? If Buffett though Obama would wreck the economy, he would be backing someone else. Can you imagine Warren Buffett, who is a genuine heartlander, wise elder and financial genious, having a serious discussion with Sarah Palin?
It’s all in vain.
John McCain seems like to have hoisted the white flag already. He isn’t bringing on the issue of Fannie and Mae to the fore like he should have.
I guess he is repeating his mistakes during the 2000 elections. If this is what he is doing then Obama has all the right in being president.
The real debate was sarah palin vs. Barack Hussein Obama.
They both debated older senators. Palin clearly did a better job that Obama especially given that Palin, like all conservatives, is honor bound to tell the truth and Obama, like all leftists, doesn’t know the meaning of the word truth.
One colleague thought that Biden was crisp. Of course he was crisp. He had no conscience to prevent him from telling 14 lies.
Red blooded American- Why does Buffett back Obama? Hum. Let’s see. Buffett has his. And the more he backs statism and the more restriction and regulation there is on small business the less competition there is for his elite ilk. If only you were truly a red blooded AMERICAN! Gov. Palin at least wants whats best for America and understands the stakes.
The filthy, nasty rich generally vote Democrat. Government interference in business favors the ultra-rich. Thus, Buffett supports Obama. Besides, isn’t he the guy who thinks the government should get it all when you die?
What everyone misses about qualifications for VP, is that they are exactly the same as for Prez: Born in this country and 35+ yrs old. After that, it’s a judgment call. So what qualifies Palin?
She’s a proven executive. She has a solid homelife. She has a solid track record of success. People really like her. They need that in their President or VP. The Exec branch gets its power from the people. (Bush has no political capital anymore, because he’s cut off from the people by the media. His approval ratngs would be better were the MSM not so biased.)
The problem is, the MSM has gone out of its way to define for us what the qualifications should be. Amazingly (gasp), they’re not Palin’s areas of strength. They portray her as a dummy, just like they did Bush.
Honestly, did those interviewers ask her about those areas where she’s strong and Obama’s weak? How about asking her about tough executive decisions she’s had to make, and how she made those decisions? How about asking her about drilling technology and its effect on estimated reserves, or the actual observed effects of drilling on the environment? Ask her about the politics of energy development, and also how it would affect the economy.
When she gets asked these things, watch people’s attitudes about her suddenly do a 180. You won’t hear squat about how she’s not qualified. You’re only hearing about her weaknesses and not her strengths. You never hear about Obama’s weaknesses from the MSM. You’re being conned.
Along similar lines, you might enjoy this article about Sarah Palin’s youth that appeared in Thursday’s Washington Post.
http://tinyurl.com/3u9stm
As an Alaskan I can tell you that Governor Palin is all about promoting herself. When it comes to issues she avoids them. Currently, she is under investigation for ethics violations and abuse of power. The McCain camp has taken residence in our lovely state and is attempting to stop the legislative investigation. Today in court it was ruled that the legislative body has the right to pursue the investigation. Meanwhile our attorney general has told witnesses not to honor their subpoenas related to the investigation. We have a mess here and Sarah Palin ran on an open and transparent government. As soon as she was selected as VP, she choose not to cooperate with the investigation. Remember that appearances can be deceiving.
To those who believe/say ‘she’s not qualified’, would you change your mind if she was black? What about if His Inflatedness, the One, was not black? Is He still qualified? I think Obama wears a black Eddie Haskell mask over a Lionel Barrymore as Henry Potter core. He hands out cigars and tries to buy people with charm. Stalin was very charming. As was the Serpent.
As a reader of this blog, I can tell you that Trish Lopez in all about trying to make us all believe she isn’t just making it up as she goes along. She is not an Alaskan; but is from a small planet in the Sagittarius nebula, Archon 3. She has tentacles instead of fingers. She has taken residence in our lovely comment area for her own nefarious purposes which I am not allowed to specify. Yesterday she told us that Sarah Palin comes from the planet of her arch-enemies, Atchon 12. She is dissimulating once again. She is from Atchon 14. We have a mess here, with open chow lines and transparent, not colored, jello. Remember, anyone can say anything here. Really.
Let’s be clear about one thing:
We will never know which Sarah showed up for the Gibson and Couric interviews, either. Selective editing took a hatchet to her.
Why were the interviews only released in snippets? Anyone who thinks it was to allow the public to better gauge the full range of Palin’s abilities and knowledge is need of a head examination…
Do people have any memory at all?
Just a year ago – and well into his campaign – Barack Obama was avoiding unscripted events like the plague. Back then the press was complaining about lack of access. Well, they have forgiven him.
Sarah Palin doesn´t have 18 months to learn all the talking points. Not this time. Unlike Obama, she could also not get away with frequent gaffes while the press covers for her. Unlike Obama, she will not be allowed to come down on every side of every issue until her true positions on everything from abortion to energy are completely blurred. But she is already a better speaker than Obama was earlier this year. Just you wait.
“Sarah-Cuda” Palin Delivers Hope In Protecting Freedoms For Americans
While gaining confidence throughout the evening, Governor Sarah Palin delivered a message of Change and Hope better than the Democrat talking point delivery of Senator Joseph Biden.
Sarah stayed on point while not allowing the thrust and parry of minutia in the questions to divert her from showing the difference between the inbred stance of Washington insiders and a “mainstreet” living Governor from and energy producing state that has a lot to contribute.
Sarah Palin was in a good mood while the Senator of 35 years was stuck in “senate speak”. Palin showed an energy and acted like an everyday person … better than expected.
In a post debate interview conducted on Fox News by Dr. Frank Luntz, several people in the crowd strongly felt that Sarah Palin would be ready to lead if the events came about where she had to step in. They felt that her executive experience and her performance in the debate brought them around to understand that our country needs an outside point of view to help refresh the leadership to run politics in Washington.
Plain talk can not be discounted in our country at this unique time, and it does not come cheaply. In the end, Governor Palin stated that it would be the goal of a McCain administration to help protect the freedoms each preceding generation has fought for and that these freedoms would not be eroded on their watch.
Charles Krauthammer, when interviewed in a post debate segment on Fox News felt Joseph Biden may have won on points but looked very sour in the end.
Note to Chuck Todd (NBC’s chief political observer, who had stated on Morning Joe the morning before the debate that the presidential race was over): The race is not over, not just yet!
[beings who hail from the Sagittarius nebula, Archon 3, do not give up in the face of socialism easy]
Trish Lopez, is that a voluntary astroturfing effort or is David Axelrod paying you? Because whatever he is paying you, it´s too much.
Ten reasons to vote for Obama –
1. You are a Marxist who believes that America should only have two classes. The ruling class and the workers. It doesn’t matter that they are already paying 95% of all taxes collected by the IRS. They need to pay more and just forego creating new jobs.
2. You don’t care if he is natural born or not, and that he may not even be an American citizen because he refused to take the oath and give up his citizenships to two other countries when he turned 18.
3. You find that endorsements from the Amercian Socialist and Communist parties as well as endorsements from Hamas, Hezbollah, Kadafi, Chavez and Iran are positive.
4. You don’t care that his involvement in Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac began in 1995 when he worked for and trained ACORN workers to file law suits against bankers who refused to give mortgage loans to drug addicts, illegals and people who couldn’t afford them.
5. You don’t think his close relationships to convicted felons, unrepentant terrorists, radical black theologians that hate both America and White people matters.
6. You think it is perfectly fine, to divert a million dollars of his campaign funds to ACORN so they can register dead people, duplicate people, illegals and college students and encourage them to vote early and vote often.
7. You want our defense allocations to go to re-education camps which are currently named Camp Obama instead of protecting us from terrorist. Oh I forgot he is friends with all the terrorists.
8. You feel that the first amendment only applies to people who agree with Obama. All others will have law suits filed against them.
9. That allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire isn’t a tax increase and giving 95% of Americans a tax cut even though only 47% of Americans pay taxes is possible.
10. You feel that babies born alive during unsuccessful abortions do not deserve medical attention and should be left to die alone.
Using Winston Churchill’s words, Obama is a “Riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. What do you really know about Obama?
These were the last words from a American Milatary and CIA agent code named Bruno. who passed away 2 weeks ago. Bruno was a living Legend. Remember what I said. It is true and part of a misinformation plan is to make the truth look paranoid. Just look around and see the media and DNC parroting the party line. The Christian Religion is evil. Homosexual is normal. Patriotism evil. Rebellion and changing the Constitution normal. Disarm the citizens normal. NRA and hunters evil. The Military and heroes evil. Anti military and ridicule heroes normal. Success and hard work evil. The government owes me normal. Shocking this is right out of the handbook of communist and Islamic terrorism guides to revolution and over throwing a country.. Schools teach the government is evil and socialism utopia normal. Divide the races through agitators and media. Destroy marriage and the families. The state is the parent. Call evil good and smear and destroy good. Look at the Hollywood crowd. McCarthy was right and history has proven it. They flock around dictators and tyrants Chavez, Castro, Iranian, and Syrians. Wake up and vote for McCain if you want freedom. After 40 years of Intelligence service I can just say look and watch. Look at Obama’s friend’s Islamic terror operatives. Rev. Wright preacher of Racist William Ayers radical terrorist. Farakhan. Research the hidden years at Columbia University. Also the overseas trips. Victor Marchenco, Ivan Scholos, Gory Machlinsos. Fhaad Hussan these are a few of the KGB friends who financed and open doors here through contacts. I am not long for this earth. A Terminal Sickness has attached to me. I want to warn my beloved country.
You know I find it amusing that the focus was on Palin all evening and that she had to deliver. It was incumbent on both to demonstrate to the American (Idol) Public that they were suitable for the VPOTUS job.
In my opinion, I saw a man who has been in the congress for 30+ years, has done nothing of significance in those three decades, and who could routinely spout facts and numbers while being interviewed by a very friendly interviewer.
On the other hand, I saw a woman (not that sex matters) who, approximately 18 years ago, began her “political” career in the PTA, who has risen up to be the Governor of an important state (What? Energy — particularly oil — is not important?), of whom 80% of her constituency approves of the job she is doing, and who, along the way, fought the very corruption and patronage system that infects our federal government today. I saw her stand up to several “gotcha” interviews, an incredible sliming by the fawning sycophants of her opponents, a campaign who hides her from the venues where she could most effectively communicate her message of reform and change, and to an interviewer who had a vested interest in seeing the POTUS candidate succeed. (Ummm, Glen, when did you say your book was coming out and do you really get your paycheck from the government?)
Yet she stood there and coolly presented her case. Sure, it contained some flaws, but considering how far she’s come in less than half the time her opponent has been in the senate, I think it was mag-freaking-nificent!
(Oh, and by the way, for all his experience, I’d give Biden a D- on his performance. C’mon, Joe, you shoulda knocked it outta the park, dude!)
Trish Lopez writes:
“..The McCain camp has taken residence in our lovely state and is attempting to stop the legislative investigation. Today in court it was ruled that the legislative body has the right to pursue the investigation.. “
..and this differs exactly how from the legion of lawyers that were air-dropped into Alaska to rummage through Ms Palin’s trash to find any shred of dirt they could?
In the event you’re too lazy to go to the link and read the article:
“According to reports, a “mini-army” of Democratic lawyers and operatives has descended on the home state of John McCain’s running mate to open the books on her past, and the Barack Obama campaign is trucking out a group of Alaskan supporters whose mission is to “set the record straight” on the governor’s career.”
WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU?
WOW! What a great night! Palin was genuine, self-confident and plain-spoken. She was upbeat and projected energy and passion. She demonstrated her leadership, executive experience and results. Biden appeared knowledgeable, but plodding and boring. The more the evening progressed, the faster Biden talked and the more panicky he looked to me. He was expecting this to be a cakewalk. He was looking forward to debating a moron, and all of a sudden he realized she had taken control of the debate. She spoke about limited government, lower taxes, cutting spending, energy independence, and national and economy security. She said of his intentions on Iraq, “Your plan is a white flag of surrender.” She reminded Biden that he himself said that he’d be privileged to run on a ticket with John McCain.
Palin noted that McCain was instrumental in bringing together Democrats and Republicans to pass the bailout bill in the Senate. She took a shot at Obama for campaigning during the crisis, saying McCain “put politics aside and put America first”.
Biden, continued to deny that Obama had ever pledged to meet with Iran’s Ahmadinejad without preconditions. “This is simply not true about Barack Obama,”, pointing out that Ahmadinejad “does not control the security apparatus” in Iran. However, in a Democratic debate on July 23, 2007, Obama was asked whether he would be “willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?” Obama answered, “I would.”
Palin sharply criticized Obama for saying last year that U.S. troops in Afghanistan are “just air raiding villages and killing civilians.” Why do we never hear this quote in the mainstream media? Could it be because Obama’s troop-bashing comment is unacceptable from the Commander in Chief of our country.
I was delighted to hear Palin’s response when Biden once again attempted to tie McCain to Bush. “Say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again pointing backward. Now, doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future.” Folksy talk, but appealing to those of us who are sick of hearing about the past and want to hear where the candidates want to take us in the future.
It is worth nothing that Gwen Ifill was a complete professional. I was concerned because she has written a book favoring Obama, but whatever her personal feelings or bias, it was not on display. I wish that were true of the rest of the media who generally act like prosecutors and vultures rather than journalists.
The media and Democrats of course will tell us that Biden won the debate, with ample contempt and derision of Palin. I can’t wait to see Saturday Night Live find a way to ridicule Palin.
It was clear Palin was happy and energized to have the opportunity to speak directly to the American people without going through the hostile filter of the media. When Governor Sarah Palin speaks directly to the American people, she hits it out of the park!
gailtalk.blogspot.com
While Obama sends dozens to Alaska to “open the books on her past” — he employs others to close the well-researched book on his past.
A failed lawsuit to prevent its distribution.
Thug tactics to stifle the author’s free speech.
Intimidation to prevent a public from learning the secrets he’s labored to keep hidden.
A tyrant in the making. Wake up, America. This man doesn’t respect our laws or our freedoms.
McCain said he’d found his “soul mate” in Sarah — both mavericks, reformers.
Biden’s performance was laden with lies and distortions of truth. Somewhere, I read the early count of 14 has grown to over 20 now.
Looks like Obama’s found his “soul mate.”
Along the lines of the sports/performance analysis, you might like this, one of my all time favorite articles 17 REASONS WHY FOOTBALL IS BETTER THAN HIGH SCHOOL…
#2. In football, teenagers are encouraged to excel.
By this, I don’t mean performing up to someone’s standards (which may already be limited), but to go beyond anything they’ve ever been asked to do before, to constantly improve. There is no such thing as “good enough.” We congratulate players on their improvements, but we don’t give them much time to be complacent we ask them to do even more. In the classroom, we give them a test on polynomials, and the best result they can get is to score high enough to never have to deal with polynomials again.…
#17. In football, a public performance is expected.
The incentive to perform in front of family and friends was a great motivating force for the athletes I knew. The potential for doing that performance poorly was another motivator nobody wants to be embarrassed in public. These kids were performing an important civic service for their small community, with over a thousand home fans at every game, and they took that responsibility seriously. But school work was almost always performed and evaluated in private. Both their successes and their failures were unseen, and their successes and failures were both irrelevant to the happiness of their neighbors.
thumbs up @ Cool Czech
~
Die Fledermaus: 999 out of 1000 people would have left a wet spot on the floor in Palin’s place last night.
To have delivered as she did was nothing short of remarkable, and everybody who saw the debate knows it, even if they only admit it to themselves at night, alone, in the dark.
that was good. that they were not able to wipe the floor with her is killing people over on other venues. KILLING ‘em. they can’t stand that they were not able to unsettle her.
for the most part it is coming across as nothing more than very, very jealous females, totally unrelated to politics, too.
We all need to really look at this election objectively. Since the completion of the vetting process of both VP candidates, Biden has gone on to accommodate roughly about 84 interviews with the press while Palin has done less than 4 interviews with the press. That is a MAJOR unbalance in the two comparisons and it truly shows McCain’s apprehensiveness about her ability to speak on her own accord, without his physical presence. What does this portray, first and foremost? It portrays that this Presidential ticket does not have the full and utmost confidence in his VP ticket to fend for herself and answer any questions that the American public needs to know. It truly shows that his vetting process was not done in a wise manner but more so in a political manner. Here is a woman that exudes family values; taking care of 5 kids while being the Governor of Alaska, maintaining a healthy marriage, having decent morals and values, and is completely a Washington outsider. This is a classic profile of a candidate that has never been tainted, in the eyes of the American public that has lost faith in the judicial system. This pick was merely done to appeal to the American families with values and tradition but what else could be said about this VP ticket? Does it show the American public anything about her ability to make all the necessary decisions in regards to foreign affairs, national defense, economic legislation, and the overall ability to govern the most powerful country in the world?
We must keep in mind that McCain IS in fact 72 years old and if elected, he WILL be the oldest President to ever be elected. The last oldest elected President was Ronald Reagan at 69 years old, when he was elected in 1980, but he was in fairly good health. McCain, on the other hand, will be 3 years Reagan’s senior, if elected. He also does have a history of skin cancers which are not completely cured, among other ailments that he suffered during his years as a POW in Vietnam. Can we, as the American public, be completely confident that if anything happens to McCain while in office, that Palin will in fact be fully ready to tackle anything and everything that this country will have to face? America MUST search deep down and answer this question, honestly.
Jeff
I feel completely confident that Sarah Palin would make a good president if something were to happen to McCain.
She has the right values. She puts America and Americans first. She believes in conservatism, less government and lower taxes. I believe that she would protect America fiercely. She has the intelligence to learn quickly, and to surround herself with others of high intelligence and good values.
She has communication skills that go far beyond those of anyone else in the race. She has the grace and charm to deliver her message, without fear.
Everything else can be learned or acquired. I do NOT have that confidence in Obama or Biden.
I have no qualms whatsoever about the thought of her stepping into the presidency.
I’m with you, Cindy. I have no doubt.
Hey — has anybody seen – or heard – even ONE of the supposed 84(!)- EIGHTY-FOUR – interviews Biden has done since getting tapped to run with BO? I haven’t.
Who cares what he says? Isn’t it pretty much made-up stuff anyway?
Like Michael Totten’s assessment of Biden: He’s in some alternate universe when in the debate he stated, “When we and the French drove Hezbullah out of Lebanon…”
And BO chose this guy to bolster his foreign policy creds. He’s having trouble enough figuring out what went on domestically: FDR getting on TV(!) in ’29 as PRESIDENT.
Jeff – Again, I’m gonna hammer you. You spend your time here as loyal opposition. That’s cool, but you never admit when the other guy makes a valid point. That makes you a shill for the Dems, not loyal opposition.
I’d like you to read my earlier post here. Think about all the things Palin DOES know! She’s an accomplished Exec. She’s done a good job as Governor and mayor. She’s run her own business. She’s done hard, physical work on a fishing boat. She can pilot same boat. She also pilots a plane. She is a proven huntress. She has a solid knowledge of energy development. She’s skilled in various sports. She performs under pressure. She’s now a millionaire from lots of plain hard work.
The role of a Governor as commander of the Guard is not an empty one. Budget and training and personnel is her responsibility. She has a very high security clearance, because AK is frontline nuclear defense. Should I go on?
It amazes me that people buy some of Palin’s garbage. When she said, ‘I’m going to be speaking to the American people and not through the lens of the media’ people used that to let her not answer the questions.
I am disappointed the Palin won’t put herself under the scrutiny of more interviews.
McCain Supporter, you are such a fraud. Go look in the mirror. Ask yourself if this deception is really okay. Don’t justify it, just ask if this is an okay way to behave. I don’t think it is, but you have to make your own call on this.
Gov. Palin did a great job at the debate and the last few days on the campaign trail. She does great when she can speak to the American people. She still understands what it is like to be middle class. She doesn’t have to tell us that she is just like us. We can see it in how she acts and in how she talks.
What do you really know about Sarah Palin?
She talks well when someone writes a speech for her. She is a Dominionist. If you are that wont bother you. If you dont belive in a State Church it should. As Mayor and Governor she fired those who did not agree with her, hired her friend and those from her church. Im not saying she is a bad person. Just unqualified and unethical.
If someone asked you what newspapers you read why would you not be able to say? Personally I read articles for 3 or 4 online. How about you?
Mike D – You know she’s a Dominionist, how? From all accounts, Gov. Palin shows no signs of forcing her religious views on the electorate. She seems to govern from the center.
As Mayor and Governor, she has the right to hire and fire whomever she chooses. Anyone in her position does. Why do you have a problem with her exercising her authority? In fact, in the State, she has Inds and Dems serving in her administration. It’s a different world in AK. You may disagree with others’ religious or political views, but the populace is just too small to do other than live and let live.
Besides, the terrain and climate are so harsh, you have to be nice, in case that person you’re dealing with may be the one who’s help you need in an emergency.
You’re saying she’s unethical, but say she’s not a bad person? That is self-contradictory.
If I were being interviewed as a VP candidate, and the meme being built is that I’m stupid, I’d have slapped Couric for asking such a condescending question. Schhhllaappp! For God’s sake, she’s a sitting Governor, a former Mayor, former Councilwoman. Of course she reads papers… and briefs… and budgets… and laws… etc…. THAT would have ended the stupid meme right there, and gotten her some danged respect from the press… and endeared her to millions more. It would be the most down-loaded YouTube video, EVER! The absolute NERVE of Couric!