Wow! First of all, let me say sorry for not "planning ahead". I waited until about 15 minutes before the debate to print out my "rubric" and found that I was out of ink:-(. Not to worry though because I just grabbed my handy dandy notebook and pulled up the PDF on the laptop. After saving the day...I soon found that I wouldn't need it after all.
Useful Analogy:
Frank and Bob are two "Pop-Warner" Little League Football coaches. They've both made it to the championship game and have been preparing all week. This is only Franks second year as a coach but he's found his niche and his team is undefeated. Bob's been a coach for 10 years. He's decided to work out a "secret weapon" because he feels that his team only made it to the championship game because the last two teams they played had to forfeit due to injury and angry parent involvement. It's the day of the game and when Bob yells the secret word..."FAKE-OUT!"...his entire team starts to play by the internationally accepted rules of rugby! There is such chaos that the referees call the game off and disqualify Bob's team for not adhering to the rules.
Sarah Palin didn't play by the rules...she made up her own. What a Maverick! I'm watch this thing and don't even know what to do. I'm waiting for Gwen Ifill to "referee" and take control. She, however, found herself under extreme pressure to be "fair" and not appear to "badger the witness" because of her yet released book. I watch the entire debacle and then I got a phone call from someone asking me what I thought of the debate. My first thought was..."what debate?" but I didn't say that because I wanted to know what the person calling thought and I didn't want to "poison the well" with my impression. She told that she thought Palin did well. She said that she was very personable and didn't have any major gaffes. I instantly thought to myself that I MUST be talking to a person that obviously didn't read "Debate Watching for Dummies." She did, however, give me her honest opinion and even though she thought Biden "won" the debate, she thought that Palin did well. Of course, she felt differently after talking to me and hearing what I thought.
What did most of us think was going to happen? Did we think she was going to do as badly in this debate as she's been doing with Katie Couric? Did we think we'd get our SNL moment early this week? Did we think that she would leave the stage in tears after Biden ripped her to pieces? If that's what you "thought" was going to happen then, she did do well...or maybe I should say she did much better than expected. If you thought she was going to answer the questions that Gwen Ifill asked and give us all a chance to see "how she thinks" on the fly and under pressure...she was F.U.B.A.R.!
Now I'm not one for beating a dead horse. I've been surfing through the "bloggisphere" and reading many opinions of several people that feel that this was a "joke" of a debate. It feels good to know that many of us can't see "the emperor's new clothes". I do, however, have a suggestion that I'll be sending in to the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Debate Suggestion for Future Debates...
I think that there should be at least one question that the candidate themselves get to pose to their opponent. And also have a chance to ask a follow up to this question. I think there should be a "team of pundits" to score the response right there at the debate. If this question is asked first, then the pundits will have the rest of the 90 minutes to mull over the responses and have their verdicts by debate's end and share them with the public. This way, right there on the spot, a candidate would be "called out" and hopefully somewhat embarrassed for not answering a question or answering a question wrong because the responses could also be "fact checked" during this time. The type of question asked would also say something about the candidate. For example, if Palin had asked Biden how he feels about "hockey mom's getting a special tax credit for buying pucks" we'd all feel a certain way about Palin for asking a question like that, wouldn't we? Just a suggestion. If you see something like this used in future debates, know you heard it here first! lol!
Thanks to Natalie for emailing in your rubric and notes;-) You'll find mine and hers below.
Thedlitical's VP Debate Rubric...
Natalie's VP Debate Rubric & Notes...
11 comments:
awesome post. Palin, contrary to what the right wing pundits say, did my no means...win. It's so comical to me...how they sway and swoon over her like she's royalty..simply for not putting her foot in her mouth
Now I must say, I WAS among the ranks of people who felt Pailn did well in the "debate"... but see, I'm a special educator, and in the special education world, we tend to give props to people when they reach the bar that they previously stuggled with touching, even if it is set close to the ground. So you see, in the resource/sped classroom at The School of Politictians, she clownd!! lol! :( F'ed up reality. I know.
FUBAR?
lol
Yeah, so, there was no debate. What's funny is, as I was watching it live, I was thinking two things:
1. Hey, Sarah Palin is talking in complete sentences!
AND
2. When the hell is Gwen Ifill going to make her answer the questions?
Other than that, this debate, just like most other modern "debates" was just two people on a stage talking - nothing more nothing less.
Doggone it, I sure was disappointed. *wink* *wink*
P.S. Some people REALLY don't want Obama for President so bad, that they would put a complete idiot in the White House AGAIN so they can keep their tax breaks. Pathetic.
LOL!! okay, it's beyond me how you guys pay so much attention to politics but are so clueless on how they work. First everyone is on Palin about not answering ?s, well how many ?s truly get answered in a presidential debate? These candidates are not participating to answer ?s, their main purpose is to push the agenda of their ticket and expose the opposing ticket as much as possible. That being said, that's why Palin on one occasion completely ignored Gwen's ?s on healthcare and went back to that energy vote. Because she smelled blood. She was very successful in driving a wedge between Obama and Biden. She successfully pointed out several instances were Biden voted in difference to Obama and in agreement w/ McCain. Biden on the other hand did a poor job of defending his position in these instances, but then again, this is the same guy who publicly said that Obama was not ready to lead and when asked about it in the primary debates he said "I stand by that statement". Fast forward a few months and you'd think he and Barack were longtime fishing buddies. LOL!! The only thing Biden talked about the entire debate was $4 billion tax cuts for the oil companies.
Since Palin didn't address the healthcare issue for obvious reasons, lets talk about that. I hope you guys weren't dumb enough to buy the statement that Biden made about the tax credit that McCain wants to give that "will go straight to the insurance companies" LOL!! That's like me saying I won't give my daughter $1 to buy ice cream b/c it'll go straight to the ice cream man! Secondly, I saw Obama's commercial about his healthcare plan that he claims will lower healthcare costs by "going after the insurance companies". Then he said he'll force them to cover pre existing conditions. Okay lets get this straight, you're going to lower costs by making insurance companies pay more in claims? LOL! Am I the only person in America with a calculator? If you will admit it, Obama is telling people what they want to here not what's real. While I'm on pre-existing conditions, asking a insurance company to cover that is like 1st having a car reck then calling Alfa and saying I need some insurance now b/c I have a reck I need you to pay for, or waiting until you die to get life insurance. Yes, it sounds good to the guy with diabetes that has an exclusion on his current coverage, but how can you do that AND lower cost? I'll save you the time of trying to figure that one out. YOU CAN'T!!!! Obama needs to realize that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Or in this case better coverage and lower premiums. But I guess you won't get asked as many ?s when you say "it's the insurance companies fault!!" So whose really dodging ?s here? I think Palin is playing exactly by the rules. Textbook presidential politics.
Oh yeah, I tried to read the previous blog, but you lost me when you said CNN was objective. LOL!! The correct statement is probably they agree w/ your positions more. Ponder this, if Fox News is so blatantly biased all by themselves, why do they still exist? Why do they consistentyl rank among the best in the ratings? I'll tell you why. Rupert Murdoch is a brilliant businessman and he saw the need for a network that leans to the right b/c the left has had the market cornered for a long time. Just my take on it.
boss hog,
Clearly you enjoy "the game" of politics, and feel all is justifiable as long as your side wins. I get that.
Here's what I don't get:
Why is it okay for people to die because insurance companies can't make a profit off of them?
Why should "healthcare" be a "for profit" enterprise in the first place?
In the vacuum of hypotheticals and double talk, it is easy to throw around facts and figures to support things.
But when you lose your job (and the shitty health insurance you had) and you are dying, and it profits no one to pay for you to get better, you may not feel so "smart".
Nobody wants to argue with you or Sarah Palin about who gets the f*cking McCain "health tax credit" payments - because regardless of who it is, it is NOT ENOUGH and it will NEVER BE ENOUGH.
So listen closely -
We want a system where the government will pull $700 billion dollars out of its a$$ to protect WE THE F*CKING PEOPLE when we are sick, the same way they do the banks.
People get sick, and when they do they need medical care, and if there isn't a way for some greedy bastard to make a profit on it, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
@boss hog....
"Since Palin didn't address the healthcare issue for obvious reasons..."
What are the obvious reasons? dude... you can't tell me that you think Gov. Palin is the BEST qualified VP McCain could have chosen...can you? I mean, before i address anything else you talked about... is this what you think? And don't go telling me that "Barack Obama has no executive experience..." answer the questions...please.
Arguing with Boss Hogg on the internet is more like running in the Special Olympics - even if you win, you're still retarded.
I'm done. Boss, there is only one way to find out who is right in all of these blogs - and NO ONE - not you, me, Thed, Blog Queen, or anyone else will know the answer until one of them get into office and DO something... or not. Dude, you still ain't stated a fact yet. I think you may like hearing yourself (or maybe you fondle yourself while you write these rebuttals...). Entertaining. I'd like to hear your comments in 2 years, and again in 4 years.. That would be a more accurate debate, even a retarded online debate :)
Until then, chill out lil buddy. If you're right, I expect to hear from you loud and clear. If you're wrong, I expect we won't hear from you or your mighty keyboard anymore. I'm waiting to see......
Holla back in 2010.
good point Mr. Johnson. but blogs are fun! I'm having a ball being "retarded"! lol! keeps me grounded...;-)
I know it's fun dude, don't get it twisted. But I'm so ready to get this underway....there will be a lot of foot-chewing if you know what I mean. Check out my 'space' bulletin for a much longer, less politically correct clarification... I was really nice here, only cause it's your blog and I know you :)
Thed,
I can't tell you whether or not Sarah Palin was the best qualified candidate for VP b/c I don't know what McCain's options were. I don't know if he asked someone else 1st, or who else was willing to be his running mate. McCain is not the most popular candidate in the GOP b/c (unlike Barack) he will split with his party from time to time and that has hurt his support w/ in the base. That being said, and this is me personally, I wish Palin was the principal on this ticket and not McCain. Before Palin, I was going to write in Huckabee, but now I'd vote for McCain.
As for the "obvious" reasons, like I said in my previous post, Palin smelled blood. She found an issue (energy) that Biden was weak on and wanted to exploit it.
To respond to Nashville Fan and Mr. Johnson, why y'all sound so mad? I must be making some since or you would 1. prove everything I said wrong(obviously you haven't done that) or 2. ignore me. Nashville, if you want a 700 billion dollar healthcare deal then I'm sure Obama will pull it off for you (or at least tell you he will). By the way I see most of you guys are against the bailout, but I've yet to here any of you criticize yo boy Obama for pushing for it.
As it relates to stating facts, Mr Johnson, I think you need to reread my posts without the Obama colored glasses. Look at my comments on healthcare, taxes, Barack's record, and on and on...all facts. What are you talking about? fondling myself? I hope you're not telling on yourself. LOL!! No one has yet to prove out why, based on his record, Obama is so much different than any other guy with a "D" behind his name. He's cut in the same mold as any other dem. He doesn't split with them on one single issue(well maybe his passion for the bird flu). Nothing special except for alot of people wanting him to be MLK the sequel and this negroe aint Martin Luther King!!!
As for 2 years 4 years or whatever, one thing I can tell you is no matter who wins MY FAMILY WILL BE STRAIGHT!! worse case the government will declare me rich and punish my success by trying to take my hard earned money, but that's what Estate Planners are for.
You know what, listening to you guys, I've come to realize that Obama is the candidate for you guys and if I thought like y'all, I'd probably vote for him too. But I don't, so I won't. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!!
Angry? Nah. Just stating obvious facts...I'll do it again for those who missed it. "NO ONE - not you, me, Thed, Blog Queen, or anyone else will know the answer until one of them get into office and DO something... or not."
Holla in 2010 or 2012 for a more meaningful conversation.. we've already proven we can go all around the world with this 'speculation' (great educated guesses/theories if you ask me).
Peace..
Post a Comment