Predict Palin's Debate Performance

[workinwifdakids]

All right, my impressions:

1) I eat crow: mass media leftist troll elite redistributionist marxist moderator? I expected it, I called it, and it did not happen. I couldn't have asked for a more professional, balanced attitude from her.

2) I eat my hat: Palin didn't screw the pooch! She held her own.

General impressions:
* If Palin says "Maverick" one more time, I'm going to throw up.
* If Biden says "Bush" one more time, I'm going to throw up.
* I'd call it a draw, but no more than 55/45 in favor of Biden. If anyone says it's farther than that, I'd call them on partisan bias.

BTW, I love that sentiment that he's been at it 30 years, and she's been doing it six weeks, and it's still a draw! Good comment...

[mekender]

1) I eat crow: mass media leftist troll elite redistributionist marxist moderator? I expected it, I called it, and it did not happen. I couldn't have asked for a more professional, balanced attitude from her.

only issue i saw in bias was that biden got to close out damn near every question

[SoupOrMan]

Well, he was talking about Ann Hathaway.


HTRN

I don't know what these guys see in Mr. Drysdale's secretary...

[Frankingun]

I thought she might have been a little too folksy at times, which may in the end not be too bad of a thing. Biden got smarmy a few times, especially in the first half hour, then he calmed down a bit. Keep in mind too that McCain\Palin have to keep up the maverick\outsider\main street thing since the libs are trying to tie him to BushHitlerCheneyHaliburton.

I cheered when she brought up that Obambi voted over 96% with his party.

I call it 55/45 for Palin, I think she held her own and got in a few good jabs, and I'm biased. I'm also not being paid megabucks to deliver "news" and write fawning blowjob books about a presidential candidate, while also moderating a debate over that same election because I kinda sorta forgot to tell the debate commission about my upcoming book.

[morsetaper]

Sorry!

Don't feel bad, Flix. I had to look closely to detect his tongue in his cheek.

[morsetaper]

Well, he was talking about Ann Hathaway.


HTRN

I don't know what these guys see in Mr. Drysdale's secretary...

You have her confused with Robert Culp's sister.

[Jericho941]

Palin did okay. Not great. She blatantly dodged questions, kept going back to buzzwords (Maverick, Wasilla, Special Needs) and Reagan quotes without really saying much of anything. Basically, she was treading water.

That pays off for her in the short term because everyone's expectations were so low she'd have to have a meltdown for Biden to come out clearly on top, but if there's going to be another VP debate she'll have to do a lot better than that.

This is where the "experience" thing comes in, really. Biden might be a dishonest bastard but he's much better at playing the game. Gratuitous Reagan quotes might appeal to the Republican base, but as blackeagle603 pointed out, it's about the mush brains in the middle.

[chrisb]

There will be no other VP debates. I think she won handily. She showed that she has the political wits needed, and was literate on most of the topics.

McCain now has to come out attacking like mad in the next two debates. He has to paint Obama as who he is, a left-wing, go along get along, Chicago machine politician.

[Evyl Robot]

I think I am in love

+1. I told my wife, and she wasn't even jealous.

This is where the "experience" thing comes in, really. Biden might be a dishonest bastard but he's much better at playing the game.

Stereotypical lawyer, he is. The second oldest profession lends itself well to politics, but not leadership ironically.

--Michael

[blackeagle603]

She blatantly dodged questions, kept going back to buzzwords

You say that like it's a BAD thing.

Dodged questions?
It's called reframing the debate or question. It shows presence of mind, strength, a tactical awareness and ability to stay the message she wanted to get out -- not the moderator's agenda. The moderator isn't running for anything.

Going back to buzzwords?
Again, that was Palin successfully staying on message. Repetition is fundamental to getting the message out. Remember that half the bell curve lives on the south side of the mean and are slow on the uptake -- and many of them vote. Also, remember who the candidates are trying to communicate with during these debates (hint, it's not the firmly entranced fringe).

They're trying to connect with people who are undecided and probably haven't been paying too much attention so far. A large % of the population doesn't really tune in to the race until about a month before election day.

As for the moderator...
Subtle bias is more powerful than blatant.
Ifill gave Biden something like a 6:1 advantage in number of times he was allowed to rebutt and clipped Palin short/changed the subject on a couple strong answers from Palin.