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

[APhi Sailorgirl]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Forget the juggling 5 kids and the campaign - if she can juggle the campaign AND plan a wedding as MOB - THAT is impressive.

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Didn't really think it took that long to plan a shotgun wedding.

Actually they're supposedly thinking next summer according to the baby daddy's mom. Wonder if she's hoping for a white house wedding

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by APhi Sailorgirl

Actually they're supposedly thinking next summer according to the baby daddy's mom. Wonder if she's hoping for a white house wedding

They're getting married *AFTER* the baby's born?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Apropos of nothing . . . is anyone going to change their minds because of this? Obama/Biden fans will chuckle and say "See? We told you so." and the McCain/Palin fans will go "Yeah! She's great!". As to the undecided - hmmmm . . . you tell me.

At least one previously undecided in CNN's Ohio panel said the debate convinced her to commit to Obama, while another said it convinced her to vote for McCain. FWIW.

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Biden was terrific, IMO. He even had a real "moment" there! (my husband turned and gave me a fist bump on that one )

LOL. My wife and I did the same thing.

She accomplished her goal, which was not to repeat the disasters that were her interviews. Anything beyond that was a win for her, even if most watchers (per the polls, at least) thought that Biden did a better job than she did and that Biden presented a better case than she did.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

At least one previously undecided in CNN's Ohio panel said the debate convinced her to commit to Obama, while another said it convinced her to vote for McCain. FWIW.

LOL. My wife and I did the same thing.

She accomplished her goal, which was not to repeat the disasters that were her interviews. Anything beyond that was a win for her, even if most watchers (per the polls, at least) thought that Biden did a better job than she did and that Biden presented a better case than she did.

See, I didn't think Biden did all THAT well in the debate. I might have had too high an expectation for him, in that he's done this many times before. I thought he was much better during the second half of the debate (especially since they were talking about foreign policy, right in his wheelhouse), but I wasn't sure he did that much to advance the ticket.

If anything, I'd say that he did his best service to his campaign by not flying off the handle, so to speak, and by being fairly measured in his responses. It wasn't a bad performance, by any means, but I don't think it was his best performance.

One point, and this may just be the law nerd in me - if I were him, I wouldn't mention the Bork thing all that often. I think that the Bork nomination fight is a sore spot for Republicans, and that if he and Obama were to win, there could be some residual issues with their first Court nominee (especially if it's someone remotely controversial like Dean Koh, as opposed to a safer pick like Dean Kagan or Judge Sotomayor).

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

If anything, I'd say that he did his best service to his campaign by not flying off the handle, so to speak, and by being fairly measured in his responses. It wasn't a bad performance, by any means, but I don't think it was his best performance.

I missed the middle of the debate. I heard the first part on the car radio, got home and missed part while getting kids to bed, and then watched the last third or so.

I'd agree that the best thing he could do was not fly off the handle or say anything too stupid, and not say anything that could be construed as condescending, and I think from what I saw he pulled all that off well. While Sarah Palin's task was to do better than her interviews, Biden's task was not to blow it and he didn't. They both accomplished what they needed to accomplish.

We were watching it on CNN with their dial-meters for the panel/focus group in Ohio -- certainly an unscientific and limited group for statistical purposes. But it seemed that they typically reacted more favorably to Biden than Palin -- for her, the lines stayed flat quite a good portion of the time, particularly toward the end, while he was getting mostly positive reactions.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I missed the middle of the debate. I heard the first part on the car radio, got home and missed part while getting kids to bed, and then watched the last third or so.

I'd agree that the best thing he could do was not fly off the handle or say anything too stupid, and not say anything that could be construed as condescending, and I think from what I saw he pulled all that off well. While Sarah Palin's task was to do better than her interviews, Biden's task was not to blow it and he didn't. They both accomplished what they needed to accomplish.

We were watching it on CNN with their dial-meters for the panel/focus group in Ohio -- certainly an unscientific and limited group for statistical purposes. But it seemed that they typically reacted more favorably to Biden than Palin -- for her, the lines stayed flat quite a good portion of the time, particularly toward the end, while he was getting mostly positive reactions.

We had on the CNN feed at the law school; I was watching that for about a half hour before I headed for home. I listened while I was driving home, and then started watching at home again (on NBC).

Since you both watched and listened, I wanted to get your take on something. I found that Palin came off much better when I was listening to the debate, rather than watching it, while Biden was better on TV than on radio. Did you find something similar, i.e. a difference in their success depending on TV versus radio?

I may be a bit off, but that was my impression.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Since you both watched and listened, I wanted to get your take on something. I found that Palin came off much better when I was listening to the debate, rather than watching it, while Biden was better on TV than on radio. Did you find something similar, i.e. a difference in their success depending on TV versus radio?

Hmm. We thought that Biden didn't look at the camera enough -- he seemed to be talking to Gwen Ifell while Palin seemed to be talking to "us." He got better about that at the end, but my wife kept saying "look at the camera, Joe!"

I thought they both came off better on the radio. I dunno, though.