Ex-Bush Officials: Biden Won The Debate

The consensus from the debate seems to be that while Sarah Palin exceeded the exceedingly low expectations set for her, Joe Biden won the night. The word comes from former members of the Bush administration and even John McCain's former press secretary.

Torie Clarke, who worked with McCain back in Arizona and with the Bush Administration's Department of Defense, had the following remarks on ABC:

"I'm so surprised at what we are talking about before and after the debate. Before the debate the speculation was all on Sarah Palin, how well can she do, can she answer the tough questions? Nobody was paying attention to Joe Biden. I think Joe Biden had his best night tonight. He came with one mission, and that was to go after John McCain, and he did it, backed up by facts. I think he did a better job tonight of tying McCain to the Bush administration than Obama did last week.

Matthew Dowd, who worked for George Bush's communications team while in the White House, followed Clarke and he too agreed that the Delaware Democrat took the evening.

"I think, you know, I agree with her on this. I think Sarah Palin did reasonably well. The death spiral she has been on for the last week, she survived. She's lived another day. She did well. But I think, when the polls come out in the next two, three days, Joe Biden won this debate."

Comments

[ralph10]

Torie Clarke???? I've seen her on CNN and she 's been as bad as Michelle Malkin.

[jackadams123]

It was so silly. Palin practically was reading and responding to whatever she felt was appropriate. When asked about the Mortagage she talked about energy. This was the worst debate ever. My son who is 10 can probably do the same speech that she did. It was a wasted 1.5 hrs. Biden did a great job and my vote (as a republican) will not be wasted on a wannabe actress or parrot who memorises speeches and spills it out without any substance but full of cliches and buzz words. I am a right wing person but not stupid as she seems to make all of us republicans to be. Give me a break.. God help our country if this ticket wins.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Your post made me laugh. Congrates on your release from the Dark Side.

[ready4truth]

Thank you for your post. I hope more people will have such an open mind on Nov. 4th.

[Sisto]

Biden was perfect! Palin seemed more like a PTA, VP! Talibani?

[shedances]

'Saturday Night Live' is probably gonna have a field day with Palin & her wink, her 'extra-credit' comment & her repeated 'maverick' claims! I won't miss it.

[Insideman]

Was it me or did she call the Taliban "TALIBANI"

[xmw]

No it wasn't just YOU! She did call them the "Talibani". She probably thinks they are some Italian design house.

[anniegirl9]

And she mentioned the Teliban government.

[LynndaMaree]

Yes she did call the Taliban the Talibani, I nearly fell out of my bed. lol lol lol . The woman is just pathetic and pitiful. She's a hot mess.

[Lisa Gans - Huffpost Blogger]

I believe she was referring to Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish President of Iraq. She's no rocket scientist, but I'm sure it was written out clearly for her in her talking points.

[luvronpaul]

I could be wrong but I thought she said "the Talabani".. I'm not sure

[ready4truth]

Oh! I thought it was just one more cutesy reference, like gonna, gotcha and you betcha... wink!

[luvronpaul]

No, you heard correct, she said Talibani.. Everyone in my house looked at eachother like WTF

[LeftHandedBrain]

Both M c C a i n and P a l i n keep talking about how they're "mavericks" because they go against their own party's policies so often. If they're against their own party so much of the time, why don't they just join the Democrats?

[T-Bear]

Please, tell me who are these FOLKS that everyone in the media are talking about? Who is she relating too? At least 60% of America does not get it and at least 50% of the other 40% are lying. I don't know any woman who is excited about shooting moose.

[Sseb]

I loved another commenter's analogy so much, I have to repeat it:

Palin looked like the student who crammed to memorize the test and eked out a B. Biden looked like the professor who wrote the book, and taught the class.

[Canuckski]

Thats perfect!
To me she looked like the Bimbo who had attempted to memorise the debate prep book. Also she frequently didn't answer the question she was asked.

[hark]

Best line I've heard so far:

It's like she was trying to pick up America in a bar.

[EllaBee]

Could not have said it any better!

[kburlz]

elitist

[sadiehawkins]

Not a B a D minus.

[kwoodberryesq]

I certainly hope that Sarah enjoys her soccer mom status, because quite frankly, I am sure the folks in Alaska feel thoroughly embarassed by Govenor Palin. If there's anyone out there who is looking for a good job... I can foresee the Alaskan Govenor's Office having a vacancy!

[xmw]

You betcha!!

[Decipherer]

Yup, yup -- it must really suck to be an Alaskan nowadays, doggonit.

[SecondBase]

Serious times demand serious people.

[LiberalDemIda]

Did anyone else notice that Palin said "nucular" three different times? I counted 3. Who else says "nucular" again? Oh yeah...Bush!

Didn't anyone tell her it's nu-clee-ar?

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[SecondBase]

"Nucular" is code for "Hey, look at me! I'm stupid, like you, and we're both proud of it."

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

I sure did notice that. It was a hoot.

[metsfan1]

I have noticed she pronounces that way for quite some time. I was watching her on the campaign trail and she was mispronouncing then. She's a joke! However, if McCain should win, it won't be any joke to have her next in line! GOD FORBID!!@!!

[kburlz]

She thinks it's spelled "nukeyoular."

[yoli647]

Senator Biden won the debate. Palin did her part, just like a robot, memorized her lines, winked, smiled and with her silly voice, tried to look Vice Presidential. It's over McCain!!! Great job Joe, Obama/Biden '08!!

[savconsulting]

Jay Leno had Dennis Miller on last night. Miller thaought it was a good idea to make McCain president because he was in a prisoner of war camp."He gave us 5 1/2 years the least we can give him is 4yrs back". Pretty dumb reasoning for a clever guy. He also said people relate to foksiness and want to relate to and have a drink with their Pres. / Veep. Huh? Isn't that what people said about Bush? So Leno responded " Who would you rather have do your taxes, a great accountant or the guy who changes oil at the gas station; or my favorite...you need a brain operation, you meet the top surgeon who will operate on you and he is professional, humorless and a bit in a hurry. That night you meet a guy in a bar who slaps you on the back and buys you drinks who said he dropped out of Medical school. You tell him about your impending surgery and he says. "Let me do it, I can do brain surgery pretty well." Of course you choose the guy you can have a drink with right? RIGHT?

[kathy001]

I know a guy who was a prisoner of war for 7 years. He's absolutely wonderful. He's smart, he's funny, he's got a good memory for names. And for a bonus, his right arm is permanently disabled because it was broken when he crashed - yep, he was a pilot, too - and it didn't get set and it withered during those 8 long years he was in a Viet Nam POW camp.

I think we owe this guy even more than we owe McCain because, in addition so spending more time in a POW camp, he's got a permanent disability from it. Can't we replace McCain with him?

Oh, by the way, my guy does not have a gambling problem, so he won't be gambling with our economy or our national security. And he does have a drinking problem so he'll always be available to have drinks with the voters.

[kburlz]

As long as they stayed in a Holiday Inn last last.

[Equalizer]

McCain will take his gloves off in the Second Debate.How about Obama?

http://mav-equalizer.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-will-take-his-gloves-off-on.html

[Matt7]

I'm trusting Barack Obama, by the grace of God, to be my next president.

I can trust him to know how to handle himself in a debate.

I've got my opinions, he's got the facts, and he's there "on the ground." I'll allow him to speak for me, or do what needs to be done. This is what it means to have representative government.

[roshni]

He's going to implode and I can't wait to watch it on national T.V.
Hope Obama asks him about Keating Five.

[kburlz]

No, because then it gets into a petty tit for tat.

[JJeff88]

Most of Obama's success during the past 2 weeks has been when the Economy moved to the forefront and Palin moved to the back.

I truly believe that the more the campaign dialog is toward the issues and away from Palin, the better off Obama will be.

Passing the "She's not an air-head" bar may have stopped the bleeding, but in at least partially taking the issue of Palin's qualifications off the table, it also relegates her to the background and clears the way for the dialog to center on the Economy and McCain-Bush v. Obama - which is where Obama wants to be at this point in the campaign.