Barga's Analysis of the Debate (VEEP)

Let me start by saying that if this debate were between the two parties only then Palin would win; however, when dealing with the national public I think that Biden won. To me he seemed to be the person who was better tuned to what Americans en masse want. Palin was just a better debater and came off much friendlier.

I will be going through the debate start to the end. I will briefly explain the issue and then rate each person by their response. The winner of each section will be bolded (their name) but I will not rank these or give them points (as I did with SaddleBack).

• Intro

  • Palin scored a large point towards the American public here when she asked to call Biden Joe. While he was stuck sounding old and fogy saying Governor Palin, she was able to sound friendly and outside-of-Washington by seeming all impressed with whom she got to meet. Very nice psychological move here.

• Lets chat about the bail-out-bill

  • Biden starts with the normal thanks which, frankly, bore me. He then moves onto how the bailout would effect the middle class if it followed Obamas plan. That said, Biden did not really answer the question.

  • Palin argues that McCain has been sounding the reform bell for a long time. While she is correct, there is an issue with the fact that McCain has not attempted to call for full reform as Obama has. How republicans can win on the economy startles me.

• Partisanship on the hill

  • Biden starts by saying that he has worked with both parties on many different issues. He then moves into attacking McCain on the economy again and mentions that McCain is very, very far out of touch.

  • Responds about the economy, then attacks Obama for being party line while McCain is a maverick. She seems to not notice that McCain has not been a maverick for about the same amount of time that Obama has been in office.

• Neither of them really answered the question; however, Ifill moved on onto – the subprime lending meltdown [BARGA NOTE – don’t borrow what you can not pay back, and always have a safety net, because they both blamed the bankers and not the stupid Americans (not that they could) neither gets any boost here]

  • Palin blames the banks for being deceiving when it came to the mortgages. I am sorry, but people need to be smarter when it comes to getting into debt; don’t buy that 300,000$ house when you can only afford the payments on a 100,000$ house.

  • Biden responds by blaming the deregulation that McCain had been pushing. Deregulating the industry can be both good and bad for the economy, depending on the external situations. Attacks McCain on health care.

• Responses to the attack on McCain regarding health care

  • Palin attacks Obama and Biden on tax increases. She argues that these increases harm the American people and the middle class.

  • Biden points out that not only did McCain vote the same as Obama on what Palin was referring to, he voted to raise taxes 477 times. Nice counter.

• How taxing the rich (Biden) is not class attack and how taxing health care (Palin) does not harm the poor

  • Biden attacks on fairness. His logic is that most Americans do not make more than 250,000$ a year and so they should not pay as much as those who do. He says that the middle class (for the record, the middle class is far under 250,000$ a year) will not be harmed.

  • Palin responds by making the 250,000$ about businesses, not persons. She argues that this harms small businesses and thus stalls the economy. She then attacks big government. The problem is that businesses are not covered in the Barack plan under the tax cuts/raises, so there is no issue there.

• McCain’s health care plan

  • Palin states that McCain will give out 5000$ as a credit for health care and thus it is budget neutral compared to Obama’s plan. Just wondering, but how is not taxing 5000$ that you would otherwise end up as budget neutral?

  • Biden responds by mentioning that McCain will fund this credit by taxing the health care provided by employers and thus is actually harming the health care. Attacks using the Bridge to Nowhere

• The audience laughed at this point, ruining my belief that the politicians were actually talking to me… assholes

• What promise is not going to be kept

  • Biden explains that they will need to slow down on Foreign aid and tax cuts. He then mentions that they are full steam ahead on plans such as education, health care, and keeping people from hiding their money from the IRS

  • Palin responds by saying that McCain does not do flip-flops like Obama does (which, Biden just helped her point out with examples). She then uses a vote that Obama had (helping the oil companies) and her opposing to it and gained points as defeating big oil.

• Climate change

  • Palin mentions that it is natural AND man made, countering most scientists AND most of the anti-GW crowd. Interesting move. She then moves on to explain that no matter what we need to clean up the nation and become energy independent. Had she quoted Genesis (stewards of earth) she would have won the bloody debate.

  • Biden argues that it is man-made (which, it is) and then mentions that McCain voted against energy independence and cleaner energy.

• They talk about clean coal, say nothing, and refuse to admit that it can not exist

• Same-Sex benefits

  • Biden starts by arguing that benefits should be universal to all parties involved and are guaranteed under the Constitution. This is why I think that there should be no governmental marriage and only a series of contracts. He agrees that there should be no gay marriage.

  • Palin agrees with biden 100%.

• Funding the Iraqi troops

  • Palin attacks Obama for voting against funding the troops for political reasons.

  • Biden responds by saying that McCain also voted against funding the troops due to political reasons. Mentions that McCain knows no history.

• Withdrawing from Iraq

  • Palin, the pitbull, attacks full swing saying that withdrawing is a white flag and would result in nothing. Attacks Obama for being wrong on the surge and still not admitting it.

  • Biden tries to argue that the planned withdraw of his camp will be good, looks like an idiot.

• They talk about Pakistan, Iran, and Isreal. The normal party lines are followed and all parties LOOK STUPID. Biden does score some points by arguing that McCain is the same when it comes to foreign policy as Bush.

• They talk some more about Afghanistan, about nukes, and about Bosnia. They basically are arguing party lines AGAIN and do nothing.

• Talking about what a Veep does

  • Palin starts by arguing the Cheney branch of VEEPNESS, that is, that it is separate from the executive and is strong.

  • Biden attacks back arguing that the Constitution is pretty clear (and it is) that the VEEP is in the executive branch. He then attacks Cheney.

• Their Achilles heels (Palin experience and Biden discipline)

  • Palin comes off strong by arguing that she has a ton of experience though I am not so sure what being a governor of a large (not in population) state and a mayor have to do with it. Mentions the hilly peninsula of Boston.

  • Biden responds by going on about how he is stubborn and that that is a good thing because people know what they are going to get. He then launches into a little chat about raising his kids alone after his wife died and teared up a little.

• Change

  • Palin launches into this topic by talking about McCain as a maverick and how he is a great leader and person due to it.

  • Biden responds by simply showing that McCain has been voting with Bush for a long time. The logic is simple, one side is the same as before ergo the other must be changing. Always remember, change is not always a good thing.

• Have you changed a long-held view due to a change in facts (Which is what any normal person should do)

  • Biden responded by talking about the judiciary. When he came in as a young lawyer he thought that education and good standing were all that mattered but soon found that the way they would decide should matter.

  • Palin argues that it is about what is best for the economy. She talks about taxes she wanted to cut and budgets she wanted to short, but didn’t for the betterment of her people.

• Bipartisanship ROUND TWO

  • Biden respond by saying that you should question the judgment of people always and that you should work with all sides based on what is needed.

  • Palin responds by saying that she appointed people, has family, and has friends, from all different political backgrounds. She then moves on to attack the Obama camp on jobs. Palin would have won had she stuck to talking about bipartisanship instead of making the question about parties.

• Closing Statements

  • Palin states that McCain and she will fight for all Americans and that as RR put it, we need to always fight for freedom. She then plays the VET card for McCain.

  • Biden counters by saying that the Americans need to get back up (vote D) after being knocked down (from Bush). He blesses us and the troops.