The Real Reason Palin Lost the Debate

Sarah Palin did not light the stage on fire last night, literally, as Democrats had hoped, or figuratively, as David Brooks and Rich Lowry seem to believe.

No, what happened instead was that Sarah Palin started out okay. She was folksy, she's good-looking, and she didn't sound like a political Britney Spears, which seems to be what many expected.

Watching the first part of the debate, as someone who is obviously in the tank for Biden, I thought, Palin's doing fine, for Palin (I thought her answers were painfully awful, and I wanted to beat my head against a spiked wall whenever she spoke, but I'm not an independent still looking to decide on a candidate).

However, as the debate went on, Palin lost it. And here's why: the folksiness wears thin. I know that the commentators afterward could not stop babbling about how great the folksiness is for middle America. Stop it. It's grating to people in any part of the country, because as Palin continued with her non-answers, winks, and jibes, there was no way to conclude anything but -- this woman has no idea what she's talking about.

It's great to be folksy for a couple of answers. But an hour and a half of this stuff is nauseating, and that's why she lost. When Biden would talk seriously about foreign policy or education, Palin would talk about the third-grade class watching the debate and getting extra credit. That may have worked at minute two of the debate. At minute 70, it just doesn't work anymore. She just seems like she's being too cute, which then comes across as an insult to people's intelligence.

And this is where the Republicans are really kidding themselves, particularly the in-the-tank types who don't get it. I'm talking specifically to David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Rudy Giuliani, who called this one of the best debate performances ever, and --Pat Buchanan.

They all have this completely wrong. Many Republicans, and certainly the undecided voters out there, are not jumping on their couches with excitement for Palin, as Brooks claims today. Many are ready to jump out their windows at the thought that this woman could be a VP nominee.

Last night, Sarah Palin seemed a little more "on" than she had been in her previous media appearances. But her down-home act gets very tired very fast. The hour and a half debate was just like the last month with Palin: good at the outset, then, holy crap, she really doesn't know her stuff.

The problem for McCain is that Palin is going to cost him the election.

The problem that the people mentioned above -- Brooks, etc. -- is that McCain is going to lose, and they will continue to write their columns, or, in Rudy's case, continue to be a disaster ambulance-chaser (but he's another story). When they do write their columns, it will be impossible to read them without giggling -- they thought Palin did great last night!

What does that say about them? Why would a reader take them seriously?

Read more reactions to the Biden-Palin Vice Presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[Kay72403]

I saw the debate as Littman. Palin began to seriously tank as the debate continued with increased meaningless speak. The more meaningless the more folksy,sexy, provocative winky she became. Palin became less likable and empty demonstrating her unreadiness for VPOTUS.

[HeevenSteven]

Confirmation bias is powerful; and even though sophists like Brooks know better, he has to feed HIS base with the gobbledygook they expect from him (although they don't know it's gobbledygook). They just want to know it's ok to be for Palin, and Brooks et al make their livings weaving a rationale for them to hold their opinions.

[jericho4119]

Much as I would love to agree with the thesis that Palin will cost McCain this election, John McCain is out there everyday proving he is quite capable of losing it himself. I too found Palin's debate performance woefully lacking - but then I have never thought George Bush looked good in anyone of his presidential debates, yet people keep telling me he won a few of them.

I have decided there are criteria that Republicans look for that I do not know and cannot discern; a frequency - if you will - that I cannot hear. So if Brooks and Buchanan saw or heard something, I say bully for them.

It helps John McCain not.

Palin will be the top of the ticket challenging Obama come 2012; and won't that be interesting? Palin / Romney, perhaps?

You heard it here first!

[fuzzywuzzy6]

Pat Kilbane played a politican running for president on MadTV some years ago. The character was named Smith Comma John--Human for President. He was actually an alien in disguise, making way for an alien takeover. He looks remarkably like Mitt Romney.

[fuzzywuzzy6]

I posted in a comment once before that I thought maybe some part of the McCain campaign was trying to torpedo his chances of winning. It has occurred to me that either Ms. Palin was prepped intentionally with misinformation and frightening ideas (like serving as a veep with greater powers than Cheney) or that she was intentionally underprepared so that she could not perform in a credible way. She is not educated enough to understand that. She may be shrewd in techniques of manipulation or swaying crowds, but she is not a content and substance person, relying entirely on performance and charisma to win the populace over. I think some sector of the McCain campaign is looking ahead to the GOP ticket in 2012, having figured out that this one is a wash. McCain has not been getting good or consistent counsel from his campaign staff, and whatever good counsel he is getting, he is not following.

It is hard to believe that all his campaign's disarray is due to infighting and incompetence. These people have won presidential campaigns before, with a pretty unappealing candidate.

[stee1962]

When asked if she agreed with Dick Cheney's interpretation of the role of the vice-president:

"Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also."

Good lord.
It occurred to me while reading this that there's a good chance that the reason many people don't think that Palin's particularly stupid or unqualified is because they really can't tell the difference between her mad libs talking points and an actual policy discussion. It seems like all you have to do as a candidate is use political-sounding words or phrases like "constitution", "executive experience" or "president's agenda", and none of the connecting words matter.

[CitizenE]

Well, you know John McCain is a maverick. They're a pair of mavericks. Oh and taxes. Drill, baby drill. Isn't she cute as a bug in a rug. And she can string two sentences together, one after another. Doesn't that just calm you down with little starbursts of happiness, given that she's been at this for just 5 weeks. Hey and a shout out to the third grade and all you third grade wannabes among the Georgetown elite, extra credit and twinkly little stars. Unfiltered, the straight talk, no matter what you want to hear or what questions you want answered.

As a teacher, myself, I am happy to find that my reward will be in heaven, because sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to retire before I get there. Thanks Sarah--can I call you Sarah--for the shout out.

[hydeseek]

What I don't think many understand, its that it doesn't really matter to a great many people what comes out of Sarah Palin's mouth so long as it comes from the mouth of a white soccer mom.

The fact that she was semi coherent this time they'll tout as a great victory. If they had placed a pumpkin opposite Joe Biden the people who fear a black president would've said the pumpkin did pretty well for a pumpkin. ( and would've seen a down home folksiness to the pumpkin as well )

This thing should've been a landslide. The only reason its not is because of racism, overt and subtle. Period.

[MinuteMan]

Now there's an idea: schedule a rematch for Palin but this time change the rules so that the Democratic ticket has to be represented by a pumpkin. McCain would never go for it though: the pumpkin might be though a fool for not answering any of the questions, but Palin would surely open her mouth and remove all doubt that she is an utter fool!

[TheDude72]

I agree entirely. But, I think BO is gonna win it nevertheless. The pumpkin and the grinch will not prevail. You betcha they won't.