Biden / Palin VP Debate, Oct 2nd @ 9PM EST

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

She was trying to suggest how old and entrenched in the Senate Biden is. An odd strategy, given who her running mate is.

Well, she was trying to make a point of how much of a Washington insider Joe Biden is. A decent point considering John McCain was still in a prison in Vietnam when Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate for the first time.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by CrackerBarrel

Well, she was trying to make a point of how much of a Washington insider Joe Biden is. A decent point considering John McCain was still in a prison in Vietnam when Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate for the first time.

here ya go

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_127543.html

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by CrackerBarrel

Well, she was trying to make a point of how much of a Washington insider Joe Biden is. A decent point considering John McCain was still in a prison in Vietnam when Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate for the first time.

Not a very decent point, I don't think, given that McCain has been on the Hill since 1982 and in the Senate since 1986. 36 years makes you a Washington insider but 26 doesn't?

You don't make that point by stressing how long Biden has been in Washington, 'cause that comes back to bite you with McCain, who has also been there long enough to be considered an insider by any reasonable, chronoligically-linked definition. You make that point by pointing out what Biden has done/who he has sided with during his time in Washington.

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Not a very decent point, I don't think, given that McCain has been on the Hill since 1982 and in the Senate since 1986. 36 years makes you a Washington insider but 26 doesn't?

You don't make that point by stressing how long Biden has been in Washington, 'cause that comes back to bite you with McCain, who has also been there long enough to be considered an insider by any reasonable, chronoligically-linked definition. You make that point by pointing out what Biden has done/who he has sided with during his time in Washington.

I didn't say that you compare it to when McCain got there, I said you stress that McCain was still a POW when Biden got there. Because without saying the years you start the thought process of "Well, McCain is pretty old, but he wasn't that old when he was a fighter pilot and that's when he got shot down. Jesus, Biden must have been there forever!"

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by CrackerBarrel

I didn't say that you compare it to when McCain got there, I said you stress that McCain was still a POW when Biden got there. Because without saying the years you start the thought process of "Well, McCain is pretty old, but he wasn't that old when he was a fighter pilot and that's when he got shot down. Jesus, Biden must have been there forever!"

I'd agree that if she had said "McCain was still a POW when Biden went to Washington" it would work because that emphasizes that Biden has been there longer than McCain and also suggests that Biden was pursuing political ambition while McCain was a prisoner in service of this country. When she says "I was in second grade when Biden went to Washington," it doesn't work, because then you're just pointing out that Biden has been there a long time. But so has McCain. And it sounds like you're dismissing his experience, while at the same time touting McCain's experience.

Looking at it from the standpoint of preparing a legal argument (which is how I tend to look at these things), it's one of those "don't put it that way" arguments because it invites an easy response that does you no good.