VP Debate: Biden vs. The Mavericks

It was a showdown in St. Louis, as Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin faced off in the first and last VP debate in just the final five weeks of the presidential race.

Here are my thoughts about both Biden and Palin's performance:

Let me start by saying that every Republican and woman should feel personally insulted that John McCain would even consider Sarah Palin as his running mate. It's insulting to women and our fight for equality, as well as the reputation of the GOP party.

Her responses to the Katie Couric’s interview were simply ignorant. She couldn't identify one Supreme Court case other the Roe v. Wade. She couldn't name one major publication that she reads in order to stay abreast of international affairs. When asked about her reaction to the economic meltdown, after fumbling through a series of talking points, her only audible response was that she feels that health care needs to be reformed.

What???

Diddy summed it all up in this video...

In regards to last night’s debate, I could have done just as well as Sarah Palin, especially if I had some of the best political advisers in the country coaching me for a week prior to the debate. I could not, however, have spoken with such authority, with such ease, and with such composure as Joe Biden did when addressing the important issues of the economy, foreign policy, energy, education, and so on.

Joe Biden spoke with ease because he has experienced the issues for over twenty years in the Senate. Sarah Palin spoke ‘robotically’ because she stuck to her speaking points, which were vague at best, and relied on rote memory and the cue cards that she had studied over the last week. No offense Sarah, but I don’t want a vice president whose understanding of the economy and international politics is based on random notes and speech coaches.

My Grades:

Sarah Palin: D+

Let me explain. Palin's girlish ways were borderline inappropriate and she lacked substance in her rebuttals. Apparently the pitbull is back...

I mean, how distracting was her bobble head, smiling, winking, smirking, and mispronunciation of simple words like "nuclear" or "terror." She set women in this country back 100 years. Seriously!! I don't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat, as an American you should feel disgusted by her lack of knowledge and respect for the voting public.

She over used the word 'maverick', to the point that it lost it's punch.

Hockey moms? Soccer games? Trying to relate with the American people through hockey mom references is not going to get your ticket into the White House.

Nor is it acceptable to make a cheap shot at Biden for not knowing what it's like to be a single mom. He's gone through his own struggles. And we all know about Palin's issues. Oh, and don't forget her claims about McCain helping the middle class. Now that's a joke!

Biden: B+

Here are the areas where Biden excelled:

Unlike Palin, Biden was able to answer each question with an appropriate answer. I love the way he repeated things three and four times to embed the message into the viewers head. He made his words memorable. I also appreciate the way he spoke eloquently about international issues, but still refrained from talking over the heads of the average person at home.

His message resonated the highest during talks of changing the economy and pulling out of the war in Iraq. Biden stole the show during a debate about the environment:

Biden said the cause was clearly man-made, and added, "If you don't understand what the cause is, it's virtually impossible to come up with a solution."

Palin stood firm on her choice to NOT debate the cause. Figures...

Overall Biden's biggest strength was his ability to stick to the facts. He rattled off exact times, dates, figures, dates...I mean I know Biden has decades of experience in politics but he was spitting more facts than Wikipedia. I'm just sayin'...

Coming up: The Presidential debate is Tuesday, Oct. 7th at Belmont University. Tom Brokaw is the moderator. Tune in!

Decision 2008. You Decide.
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