Full disclosure: I'm looking for Biden to own during this debate. I think this could be entertaining, and I'm hoping for a little substance (out of Biden, I mean. I don't think Palin is capable of substance)
Debates might be as well be two stump speeches given in 90 second parts. Three questions in and they've given half an answer between the two of them.
When John McCain said the fundamentals of the economy were strong, he was talking about the American workforce? Uh, that doesn't make sense.
8:10PM Sarah Palin isn't going to answer the questions the way the moderator wants her to. Probably because she's a maverick!
8:20P At the beginning of this, Biden almost seems like he's sad, but he's starting to warm up now. He's dropped "the ultimate bridge to nowhere." I don't think it really fit there, but he probably wanted to get to it before Palin.
8:24PM Palin claims to be an energy expert. Joke!
8:30PM Palin is also a meterologist apparently. She doesn't believe that every action by man affects climate change. But she thinks we should do more to positively affect the climate? Joe Biden belives that the warming is man-made. He makes a good point that we can't fix something that we don't know the cause.
8:35 Biden hasn't been funny yet. He's fumbled some words, but I think it's because he's into what he's saying. Nothing too damaging yet.
8:40 Iraq: Biden says "I didn't hear a plan!" He called her on not answering the question!
8:53 Palin [hearts] Petraus and Israel!
8:56 Biden does a good job of tying McCain to George Bush's policies. He said that he hasn't heard how McCain's policies would be any different.
8:56 Palin uses cliches to talk about nuclear weapons. And then comes back to Afganistan. And somehow tries to tie it to the Iraq surge.
9:05 Palin [hearts] the pundits who will tomorrow talk about who said what. She must have gotten over that "gotcha" journalism.
9:07 Biden might have overstated the importance of this election. "The most important any of you have voted in, since maybe 1932"
9:13 Palin not knowing what the VP does was a joke? She must not have learned that from her brother, "the best teacher of the year." She's the joke. Now she knows that the VP presides over the Senate. Good job!
9:16 Biden educates Palin about the role of the VP, according to the constitution. VP only participates in the Senate when there is a tie.
9:28 Palin said she wants to answer the tough questions without the "filter of the mainstream media." I guess direct quotes from televised interviews are pretty biased. She'd rather have pundits assume what her policies are and how she'd act and fill an hour and a half without any substance. Kind of like what she did during this debate!
Quotes
"Darn right." (2)
"Joe six-pack"
"Hockey mom"
"East-coast politicians"
"The chant is "Drill, baby, drill"'
"back ya up, there"
"Americans are cravin' that straight talk"
"Wasilla main street"
Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Democratic National Convention - the speeches
The four days of the DNC will bring many speeches. I listened to a couple last night and read another just now. The response is overwhelmingly positive at the convention, as can be expected. The Republicans are trying to jump on anything they can, which is expected. Generally, I lean left, but there are some items which I've got problems with.
Bill Clinton's speech was good. Really, really good. Clinton is probably the best orator of our time. Instead of delivering the speech to the camera, which I find odd and annoying, he spoke to the crowd assembled. It's a lot like American Idol, most people who perform or speak before a live crowd and television would benefit by forgetting about the camera. A transfixed stare into the camera is disconcerting. Take care of the people who are actually standing in front of you, and it will translate just fine to television.
The content of Clinton's speech was good, as well. He drove home that he and Hillary are fully behind Barack Obama while seeming sincere. McCain and the Republicans were a target, but he wasn't chippy. Paralleling Clinton's quick rise to the presidency with Obama might win over some Democrats with questions about Obama's (lack of) experience.
While Obama will surely benefit from the whole-hearted endorsement by Clinton, the biggest result of the night might have been Bill Clinton's ascension to the Democratic Party patriarch. The ovation he received was surprising, especially since he had been campaigning for Hillary. Also, his events had begun to draw smaller crowds toward the end of the primary campaign. Just when it seemed as though interest in Bill Clinton had waned, he came roaring back.
Joe Biden is feisty. He showed some fire in his speech, unfortunately, he had to follow Clinton. It will be nice to have someone in the campaign who isn't quite so scripted. Ultimately, I can't remember him saying anything that I thought was too disagreeable.
Some are making a big deal about the stage set up for Obama's speech. Seeing the columns, I didn't immediately think of Romans and Greece or any of that, but apparently pundits did. Seeing it everyday, they must forget that Washington, D.C. is full of columns. Much more pretentious was Obama introducing Biden (after kicking off his campaign) in front of the old Illinois state capitol, the same place where Lincoln cut his political teeth. It is my assumption that Obama was trying to parallel his run with the significance of Lincoln's presidency. Indeed, Lincoln was rather green, having only served at the state level briefly and then nationally only briefly before becoming the president. Obama's analogy is a little much. While Obama's nomination has already been historic, it was what Lincoln did in office that was special, not how he got there.
Obama's speech was pretty decent. He offered some more details than I'd seen before in his speeches. I think he could have spoke more about expecting more out of Americans, but it was good he mentioned it. Republicans see Democrats as advocates of handouts and that's what sours a lot of people to the Democratic party. He reminds listeners that they are the party of Roosevelt, they are the party of Kennedy. Roosevelt helped thousands through the Depression with his alphebet soup, but he made them work for it. The WPA, CCC, TVA and others put Americans in direct employment by the government. Money wasn't handed out, it was earned and the government wasn't a charity. These projects (Hoover Dam, hydro electricity in Tennessee) benefited the nation. Kennedy told citizens to ask what they could do for the country. The space race leaned heavily on hard-working, intelligent Americans in pursuit of something worthwhile. Obama should suggest that America demand more of its citizens.
Overall, Obama's speech was good. All of the speeches at the convention were good, with Bill Clinton's being the only one I'd consider great. It would have been nice if everyone who spoke elevated beyond the politics of criticizing John McCain, but that's probably a naive thought. The convention was a good show, and one that apparently appealed to many Americans.
Bill Clinton's speech was good. Really, really good. Clinton is probably the best orator of our time. Instead of delivering the speech to the camera, which I find odd and annoying, he spoke to the crowd assembled. It's a lot like American Idol, most people who perform or speak before a live crowd and television would benefit by forgetting about the camera. A transfixed stare into the camera is disconcerting. Take care of the people who are actually standing in front of you, and it will translate just fine to television.
The content of Clinton's speech was good, as well. He drove home that he and Hillary are fully behind Barack Obama while seeming sincere. McCain and the Republicans were a target, but he wasn't chippy. Paralleling Clinton's quick rise to the presidency with Obama might win over some Democrats with questions about Obama's (lack of) experience.
While Obama will surely benefit from the whole-hearted endorsement by Clinton, the biggest result of the night might have been Bill Clinton's ascension to the Democratic Party patriarch. The ovation he received was surprising, especially since he had been campaigning for Hillary. Also, his events had begun to draw smaller crowds toward the end of the primary campaign. Just when it seemed as though interest in Bill Clinton had waned, he came roaring back.
Joe Biden is feisty. He showed some fire in his speech, unfortunately, he had to follow Clinton. It will be nice to have someone in the campaign who isn't quite so scripted. Ultimately, I can't remember him saying anything that I thought was too disagreeable.
Some are making a big deal about the stage set up for Obama's speech. Seeing the columns, I didn't immediately think of Romans and Greece or any of that, but apparently pundits did. Seeing it everyday, they must forget that Washington, D.C. is full of columns. Much more pretentious was Obama introducing Biden (after kicking off his campaign) in front of the old Illinois state capitol, the same place where Lincoln cut his political teeth. It is my assumption that Obama was trying to parallel his run with the significance of Lincoln's presidency. Indeed, Lincoln was rather green, having only served at the state level briefly and then nationally only briefly before becoming the president. Obama's analogy is a little much. While Obama's nomination has already been historic, it was what Lincoln did in office that was special, not how he got there.
Obama's speech was pretty decent. He offered some more details than I'd seen before in his speeches. I think he could have spoke more about expecting more out of Americans, but it was good he mentioned it. Republicans see Democrats as advocates of handouts and that's what sours a lot of people to the Democratic party. He reminds listeners that they are the party of Roosevelt, they are the party of Kennedy. Roosevelt helped thousands through the Depression with his alphebet soup, but he made them work for it. The WPA, CCC, TVA and others put Americans in direct employment by the government. Money wasn't handed out, it was earned and the government wasn't a charity. These projects (Hoover Dam, hydro electricity in Tennessee) benefited the nation. Kennedy told citizens to ask what they could do for the country. The space race leaned heavily on hard-working, intelligent Americans in pursuit of something worthwhile. Obama should suggest that America demand more of its citizens.
Overall, Obama's speech was good. All of the speeches at the convention were good, with Bill Clinton's being the only one I'd consider great. It would have been nice if everyone who spoke elevated beyond the politics of criticizing John McCain, but that's probably a naive thought. The convention was a good show, and one that apparently appealed to many Americans.
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