Notes on the 10/2 Vice Presidential Debate

I sit here preparing a glass of Fireball cinnamon-infused bourbon and a Torano Virtuoso cigar, watching an eighteen year old episode of “Tales From The Crypt”, waiting for the vice presidential debate to start.

And dreading it.

So far, Sarah Palin has proven herself to be nothing more than an empty, if rather pretty vessel and I don’t expect that to change tonight. I’ll try to keep score of the number of times that she spouts some asinine piece of neocon rhetoric such as “victory in Iraq”, or using “our fine troops” to justify continuing the pointless slaughter of “our fine troops”, or “tax cuts” meaning “tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations”. Oh, and let’s not forget “Me and John are just a couple of Mavericks.” My hope is that Biden, being kind of a tough old campaigner, won’t let her get away with it too much.

Okay, the debate’s starting. Here come Palin and Biden. “Mind if I call you “Joe”?” She asks, right off the bat. He should have said “I actually prefer “Mr. Vice-President.”

Okay, first off, of course, Gwen Ifull asked about the economy. Joe Biden did a good job of talking about the problems and how we could fix them. Sarah Palin said “If you want to know if America’s economy is in good shape or bad shape, go to a youth soccer game and turn and ask the parent next to you and ask them.” Want to know if the economy is in good shape or bad shape? Watch the news. Read a paper. Look at your portfolio.

First round to Biden. You know, as Palin babbles about how Americans are craving the change that her REPUBLICAN running mate who’s been in the Senate throughout this mess will bring… uh… back? To Washington. I also think that there needs to be a permanent moratorium on her EVER using the term “hockey mom” again. Joe Biden should be able to shoot her on the spot of she ever says it again. She needs to understand that being a “hockey mom” and being able to see Russia from your house doesn’t qualify you to be vice president.

Okay, first attack on Obama for trying to raise taxes on the wealthiest 5% of Americans.

Now, I will say this… Palin is at a real disadvantage here because she isn’t in the Senate. Joe Biden was there in the Senate with Obama and McCain, so he knows exactly what happened.

Hey, you want to get young people watching this debate? Make it a drinking game. Every time that Palin mentions tax cuts, one team gets to take a drink, every time Biden says “Wall Street Gone Wild”, the other team gets to.

Round 2 is health care. Palin is sticking firmly to “Obama wants the government to run your health care”. She also outlined McCain’s idiotic “plan” to raise taxes on your employer for providing health care for you and give you a $5000 tax credit.

When Gwen Ifull asked them to answer the question that neither Obama nor McCain did about what they’ll give up to help the economy. Biden said that they wouldn’t be able to go forward with their planned increases in foreign aide, and that they would halt the proposed McCain tax cuts to the wealthy. Governor Palin started talking about energy plans, and how she “took on” the oil industry in Alaska. Finally, when Gwen Ifull asked the question again, she admitted that she had no idea, having been basically “at this” for five weeks.

Round 2 to Biden.

God, I love Gwen Ifull. She’s asking them both about a recent bill making it more difficult for Americans to declare bankruptcy, which McCain and Biden voted for and Obama voted against. Biden has to guts to say that he and Obama don’t agree on that, and defended his stance. Palin, again, started talking about energy.

Okay, round three is about… are you ready… ENERGY! Specifically, climate change. I love how Palin consistently says she doesn’t want to talk about the causes. Kind of like after the unprovoked invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq, the neocons started saying “Let’s not talk about whether or not we should have gotten into this mess, let’s just deal with it.” Balderdash. Biden: “If you don’t talk about the causes, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a solution.” Thank you, Senator Biden. One thing about increasing off-shore drilling that neither side (both of which support it) is taking into account is the environmental threat that transporting both oil and Ms. Palin’s beloved natural gas poses.

Round 3 to Biden.

Round 4 is about providing benefits to same-sex couples, which Ms. Palin approved in Alaska. Biden says yes. Palin now says “no”, if it would lead toward “redefining” marriage. But she says that she’s tolerant of people picking their own partner. Hmmm. Fastest turn-around I’ve ever seen. A note is that both McCain and Obama oppose “same-sex marriage”. Personally, I’d love to see the government taken out of marriage entirely.

Round 4 to Biden.

Round 5 is about Iraq. Biden has a son in Iraq, Palin has a son headed for Iraq. Palin used it as an excuse to talk about the “surge” (actually an escalation). Oooh, there it is. “We have got to WIN in Iraq.” “We’re getting closer and closer to victory in Iraq.” Governor Palin brought up the same issue about funding the troops that McCain did, and Biden is tearing her up on it just like Obama did. And just like McCain, she completely disregarded the fact that McCain voted against funding for the troops as well.

Round 5 to Biden.

When they’re talking about Pakistan and Iran, and she’s rehashing an issue that was already addressed in the presidential debate, Obama’s willingness to talk to these people. Oh, and she also said “They hate us for our freedoms.” And she, who opposes a woman’s right to choose a safe and clean abortion EVEN IN CASES OF RAPE AND INCEST and made women pay for their own rape kits, talked about how Iran and Pakistan don’t respect women’s rights. Jesus, someone needs to define these terms for her. BOTH of these are basic women’s rights issues. Biden, unfortunately, is giving her a pass on this.

Now they’re both blowing Israel, without commenting on how our giving arms to Israel has caused a lot of the terrorist mess that we’re in today.

Oh, there she is talking about what a couple of “mavericks” they are.

By the way, I’m counting all of these follow-up questions as part of round 5 – it’s all under an umbrella.

I also wonder why any politician thinks that it’s okay for Israel and Pakistan to have nuclear weapons to use as deterrent, but not Iran.

Oh, God in heaven… now she’s using her political inexperience to mean that she’s a “Washington outsider”. Please. Give me someone who knows how the fuck the other Washington operates.

Round 6… their varying comments on their comments on being vice president. Sarah Palin explained that hers was a “lame attempt at a joke”. Then they both explained that they look forward to being vice president under their principles.

Round 6 is a draw.

Round 7 she asks what their true “Achilles Heels” are. Sarah Palin started babbling about how great her experience as a mom and governor of a large state (largest state with the smallest population, truth be told) would count in her favor. Biden said, just as his detractors have, that his is a lack of discipline. And thank God for it, when you define “discipline” as doing what the executive wants, like Bush does.

Round 7 to Biden.

Well, there she goes again talking about what a couple of mavericks they are. Here’s what Sarah Palin needs to understand… those of us who respected John McCain loved this about him. He gave up his right to claim “maverick” when he took his turn to the right over the last year. Like Arianna Huffington said, “The John McCain that we all knew and loved is dead.” Thank God, Biden is taking her to task for that comment.

Round 8 a question about if there has been any area where they’ve had to change long-held views. Biden said that there has for him. His change has been the realization that the ideologies of a potential judge SHOULD matter on confirming him or her. Bravo. Palin said that hers is that she didn’t veto certain budgets. Other than that, no. No guts to admit her changes, for instance, on the bridge to nowhere in other words.

Final round to Biden.

I think that Biden has won this debate handily.

One thing that I’d like to comment on here is Sarah Palin’s consistent reference to increasing taxes on the super-wealthy as “redistribution of wealth”. I want to make it clear here, brothers and sisters, that over the last eight years we have witnessed the largest redistribution of wealth in HISTORY, from the middle class and poor to the rich. What Biden and Obama are looking to do is bring that redistribution back into balance.

Thank you, Sarah Palin for using the term “walk the walk, talk the talk” correctly. Maybe I’ve heard the end of “walk the talk”. I can hope, can’t I?

Peace.

Randal.