Posted on 10/03/2008 12:10:38 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Gov. Sarah Palin, once again, confounded her critics with a strong performance. She did it at the Republican convention, and she did it again last night in her debate with Sen. Joe Biden. She performed with poise and charm. She effectively made the case that Senator Obama would be naïve in foreign policy and harmful to economic growth, and that Senator McCain would be a common-sense reformer. She handled questions about Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran well. She connected domestic-policy arguments to the lives of average voters. Anyone who hoped — or feared — that she would fall flat on her face was proven wrong.
Biden, it must be said, also did well, and Palin was of course not flawless. She let a few hard shots from him, on health care for example, go unanswered. At times she slipped into platitude, as when she repeatedly referred to greed as the cause and regulation as the cure of the financial crisis. On the other hand, her account of the roots of the housing bubble were more sophisticated than Biden’s (she allowed that consumer behavior had played at least a supporting role in the drama).
The response from liberals/reporters on the airwaves after the debate was instructive. They criticized Palin for dodging some questions. Dodge she did, and good for her: Instead of taking Gwen Ifill’s loopy invitation for the candidates to dilate on when we should use nuclear weapons, she talked about rogue regimes and nuclear proliferation.
Paul Begala was among those who said that Palin had helped herself but not McCain. It’s fair enough to observe that the election is, of course, not going to turn on the vice-presidential debate. We expect that a lot of Democrats will be saying that now.
Yes Toby. The “Rise from the Ashes crowd”, like many at National Review. They hope a Hussein Presidency will hike up subscriptions.
Last night's FR thread was remarkable with the number of comments against her and her performance. I figured that it was newly signed up members. But no, it was from those with sign up dates going back all the way to 1999. I do a lot of browsing on this forum and most of these people are unknown to me. Where have they been all these years?? Sleeper trolls? I surely don't know but it is suspicious.
I think I heard all the same tripe in 2004. In my best lockjaw William F Buckley accent...”John Kerry did a fabulous job this evening and clearly had a commanding grasp of the issues. He clearly won.” Well we know how that worked out in 2004. Liberals are big on pyrrhic victories, like getting more votes in the popular vote, etc.
Sadly, too, she allowed Biden to imply that McCain also voted not to support the troops when he voted against the bill that contained the time line provision. Palin could have smacked his goofy ass into irrelevancy if she had just said "why would McCain have supported a bill that broadcast our wartime strategy to our enemies?" But she let that one fly.
Palin is, without question, earnest, fresh, energizing, and exciting. She's also a babe. But let's be honest: Hillary Clinton would have demolished her last night. Thank God she was only up against Joe Biden, who makes less sense than my two-year-old son.
It's sad but I must admit that arguing from the basis of emotion is probably the only tact that works in today's media. We conservatives complain all the time about a lack of coverage from the MSM but when the Democrats are constantly putting on hyperbolic feigned outrage street-theater tantrums, of course the media are going to give them more air time. Who wants to watch stale, boring facts, figures and logic? Definitely a minority of viewers. I too want McCain/Palin to win but it's that "in your face" emotional zinger that people really want to see. For example, how many times will the media replay the clip of O'Reilly calling Barney Frank a coward? I expect many more times than they will ever replay any serious policy discussions on logic and fact. Sadly, presidential and vice presidential debates have come down to one-liners and zingers which is why the selection of candidates has been so poor. When so many people get their news from late night comedy shows, what person in their right mind would want the job? Not many which is why we'll never have a Mt. Rushmore president again. The entertainment media would never permit it.
Since McCain seems to be adverse to that himself I doubt her handlers will allow it from her either. But don't expect the Anointed One's handlers to reciprocate McCain's reluctance to fight smear with smear. They are no doubt busy this morning thinking up a new pack of lies to smear Palin with at the most opportune moment just as they have done in every election in recent memory.
If you put 35 lawyers to work digging into every recorded detail of anyone's past life they will sooner or later come up with something unfavorable, and that's what The One's people are doing in AK right now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.