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

[neoconscums]

He went into the debate oozing charm from every pore. I have NEVER seen two people so complement each other that Obama and Biden. Such grace, elegance and undisputed INTELLIGENCE! Can this country ever ask for more? Thank you Joe and congratulations.

[Maygressive]

Sturgeonhoof is so right!! NUCLEAR< NUCLEAR NOOK KLEE ARRR!!!
not NOOKKYOOLER. God I am tired of hearing that word mispronounced for the last 7 years !!!!

[TheCritic]

LOL!

[beaupritchard]

Palin didn't ebarass herself but she didn't add anything that might change anyone's mid about voting for McCain.

Biden on the other hand clearly defined what his role in an Obama administration would be. He said he would be point man on getting legislation through the senate and congress. Obama would then be free to meet with leaders of other countries , meet with people here in america to address domestic concerns , rebrand america .

I like having Biden as a war or a peace time consigliere ... not my first choice but I'm beginning to see the best choice ... to help Obama govern.

Yea Biden helped Obama with this debate. Palen did nothing for McCain.

[beaupritchard]

Sorry about the typos ...

[lisak2008]

That's okay. I understood your points, which were good ones at that! Thanks for reminding about Biden's comment on getting legislation through Congress. After last weeks episode in the House of voting down the bailout, I mean "rescue" plan, I think Biden's point here will resonate with folks a little more, as Palin is too polarizing a figure to ever be able to get anything done.

[ANewAmerica]

Why is the winner even a question. Sarah went in strong I give you that, she looked and spoke great, but she spoke everything she memorized, she bullied the moderator and instead of answering questions asked to her she decided to speak on talking points she was forced to memorize by the mccain/bush team.

This is not a leader, this is a puppet who memorizes speeches and talking points. Sarah Palin is no leader! SARAH PALIN IS NOT READY TO BE PRESIDENT. THE TEST LAST NIGHT WASNT TO SEE IF SHE COULD STAND ON HER 2 FEET AND PASS AN SAT TEST... GOD FORBID MCCAIN/BUSH STEAL THE ELECTION AGAIN AND SHE IS A HEARTBEAT AWAY FROM BEING PRESIDENT.

this

[kabukiguy]

The Debate

The showdown in St. Louie
Had its share of hooey,
But the killa from Wasilla
Through an act of sheer self-will-a
Showed some striking spunk,
Even if her words were junk.
The white-haired pol beside her
Never did deride her
While showing one and all
How to put her to the wall.
There was no real impalin’
Of Gov. Sarah Palin,
Who calmed her queasy base
By avoiding losing face,
And bringing her special touch
Despite not knowing much.
Several times, she changed the rules
Thinking us all fools,
But Ifill let her do it,
Though she may be forced to rue it.
Gov. Palin reached hardcore voters
By revving up their motors,
But to me she came off phony
Her remarks like pure baloney.
Yet since she didn’t stumble,
And her words were rarely fumbled,
Her well-reputed charm
Sometimes managed to disarm,
So I’ll grant it to this dame
That she’s now back in the game.
Wwhile never being rude
Joe Biden had her skewed
As this polished guy from Scranton
Let her babble and rant on,
Stirring voters to rock out
While he delivered his big knock out.
When Palin had no answer
She ducked questions like a dancer,
But Biden wasn’t hiding
And never gave up chiding
McCain’s failed history,
No longer any mystery.
If both speakers tripped on facts,
Biden’s paled before Joe Six-pack’s.
Clarity, conviction, command,
These were the Biden brand.
Dodging, denial, deceit,
Brought Palin her defeat

[Imzadi]

Very well done.

[rzan1]

I'm impressed.

[JJ30]

Nice!

[ReasonablySkeptical]

Bravo!

[JustSpeakingMyPeace]

EXCELLENT!!! Post it EVERYWHERE!!!

[theface10]

The contrast between the two candidates' knowledge, intelligence, and manner - profound to the nth degree.

A shout out to an elementary school? Are you kidding me?

The kicker for me is that even with all of that cheery eyelash batting and funny patter, content analysis of her verbatim explanations (caves) shows her to be a pessimist. Same with McCain. The pessimist never wins the election no matter what.


I'm still reeling in disbelief. I used to feel like this hearing Bush talk.

[Imzadi]

That's because her party is the party of F-E-A-R. Can't be optomisitic when you're always afraid.

[BonnieJW]

You betcha he won! Gosh darn it, did all you Joe Six Packs every doubt Joe would come out shining?

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Goldarnit,I 'm thinkin we just won us an election.You betcha!Rah­,rah,rah,s­is boom ba!

[whatsgoingon]

Biden won no doubt about. Biden stayed on message. Palin Doesn't know the VP job also said she doen't konw what they do in the senate. With that what change's can you make if you don't know what they do! The one you have to feel sorry for is her husband, he has to live with her.

[vincealy]

The fact is Palin did little more than avoid the questions and repeat ' Team of mavericks ect.ect.ect.. The real look into the heart of the 'barracuda occurred after Biden talked and showed genuine emotion about his family. The barracuda became cold as ice and without a wink went to her talking points.'

[Zingaro Zorro]

Eraseable, reprogrammable random access logic micro-chip with a moose-drool vocal characteristic.

[DeadlyArrow]

LOL. That's awesome. May I quote you?

[WAWTU31]

LOL, that is the best description of Palin yet I tried ZOOLANDER but this hits it on the head

[loria]

Palin was dead wrong on Afghanistan. The Commander did say that an Iraq surge would not work. She went onto say that McClellen (she got his name wrong, that's not the commanders name) never said a surge wouldn't work. He said exactly that yesterday. Why isn't this being discussed?

[applespider]

She was talking about General George B. McClellan, who created the Army of the Potomac and commanded the Union Army for a time!

Doggone it, she kinda got it right. The people of this great land of ours aren't concerned >wink!< so much with facts: they just want a team of mavericks who are gonna >wink!< not wave the white flag of surrender, but face down those freedom-hating terrorists, even if they have nucular weapons. }smile{

Sheesh.

[Sturgeonhoof]

It's nuclEar not nucUlar Sarah. Just one more similarity to Bush.

[loria]

If she doesn't quit saying Eye-Rack I am going to scream. One thing this war has taught us is that the right way to pronounce the name of the country we invaded is e-Rock.

[Imzadi]

Will she visit the Pope in EYE-tali this year?

[lefty247]

BIDEN was incredible-- tight, concise, a deep knowledge, factual, elegant, statesman, great vibes.

Palin?....All i see is the person responsible for Alaskan Wolves being hunted down
from the air and murdered for $150 hide----All I hear is her playing the flute.

[amaycatbaker]

The Vice-presidental debate is a way to see how the person, that could become president, thinks. I think that Biden won.

[ggirl00]

The only reason she made it through this debate was that huge stack of note cards that she was fixated on the entire time. Biden answered most of the questions first. While he was giving his answer, Palin was reading like ... "Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Afghan ... there it is". Then, she would give her talking point. She didn't defend nearly any of Biden's attacks on McCain's record beause 1. she wasn't paying attention because she was sifting through 100s of note cards and 2. that info was probably not on the cards anyway, so she skipped it.

She skipped a few things because she simply didn't study that part. And then at the end she all but said "this is the last time I'll be taking questions for the duration of the campaign. Thank you and good night".

[Babzter]

A couple of times I think she grabbed the wrong card.

[obackarama]

How could you tell?

[loria]

She was wrong on Afghanistan. The commander DID say an Iraq type surge wouldn't work in Afghanistan. He said it yesterday. I guess they didn't have time to correct her notecards.

[LovelyVelocity]

Why didn't Gwen Ifill ask Palin to define victory? Has anyone asked her to explain what victory in Iraq would mean? We created anarchy in that country. Is restoring order victory? Biden explaining how McCain is not a maverick was brilliant. I wish that clip was getting played as much as his choking up over his family. Play it again, HuffPo! Go, Joe!

[obamanation31]

Palin came across as a "Stepford candidate" who was programmed to say a series of talking point. On the other hand Biden was articulate, spontaneous, and very real and that’s what the audience saw.
I thought she was very condescending, and had no vision of McCain/Palin ticket would be different than the last 8 years. She must have said “Maverick” at least eight times referring to herself and John McCain. She used the word s of Ronald Reagan a lot and yet she spoke like GW. (I.e. saying nucular and being folksy and trying to be likeable).
She did not come across as a statesman, Biden did. She came across as out of her league.
She just wasn’t credible.

[duchessdorleans]

"A team of mavericks..." how is that supposed to work?

[Zingaro Zorro]

Nucular mavericks.

[Zingaro Zorro]

Her eyelash flutter revealed the effect the eraseable,­reprogamma­ble computer chip in her medulla oblongata was failing.

Stepford wife revealed for all America to witness.

[Imzadi]

I find it so funny that the McCain campaign consistently brags about going against their party and criticizes Obama's campaign for not doing that. Did it ever occur to them there is nothing to disagree with their party about?