What? No VP debate thread?

Bond · 10-03-2008, 12:15 AM

Yeah, I had an Accounting midterm during the debate.

How was it? Hopefully CSPAN uploads it to YouTube.

TheGame · 10-03-2008, 01:16 AM

In my opinion Palin did better than expected, however it seemed obvious she had practiced for it and it didn't seem like a natural version of her. Its like she wasn't replying directly to Biden, she just took one key word or topic he'd mention and talked about it.

I think it was funny how she dissed the moderator for nobody laughing at her question.. especially when the crowd is supposed to be quiet, though they did make noise after she burned her. lol

TheGame · 10-03-2008, 01:48 AM

Just some other news today. Yup, Mccain's never a flip flopper.

Vampyr · 10-03-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGame

Just some other news today. Yup, Mccain's never a flip flopper.

I didn't watch that video, just commenting on your comment, but being a "flip flopper" is not a bad thing. Intelligent people change their minds when given new information.

Anywho, I think Biden won the debate. He didn't let up and really poured on the attacks. I don't think it was a failure for Palin, though, I think she really appealed to a lot of typical Americans. Not a game changing debate, though.

TheGame · 10-03-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampyr

I didn't watch that video, just commenting on your comment, but being a "flip flopper" is not a bad thing. Intelligent people change their minds when given new information.

I agree, I think being able to admit you're wrong about something is a good quality. But you should watch the video however.. Basically he votes yes for the bail out, and less than 24 hours later he commented that bush should veto it. If he truely had a change of heart that fast, that means he made an ill informed decision to begin with.

Its alomst like the republicans wanted the bill to pass, but also wanted to pin it on the democrats at the same time.

-EDIT-

Strangler's post wasn't there when I typed this one. Watch the wholeinterview that he has, but just keep in mind Mccain voted yes for the bill. I think he's admitting he followed his party even though he disagreed with it? Some Mavrick.

Professor S · 10-03-2008, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGame

Strangler's post wasn't there when I typed this one. Watch the wholeinterview that he has, but just keep in mind Mccain voted yes for the bill. I think he's admitting he followed his party even though he disagreed with it? Some Mavrick.

I know he voted yes, and he explains (or mis-explains, quite honestly) why he voted yes, but is against pork overall. Watch the whole thing in context, and his views are clear. His stance on this issue is nuanced based on the dire need for this particular bill to pass, but having always been against pork and consistently so. If he were to rail against all the pork on the bill, it would be weeks before anything passed, and the fear is our economy could collapse by then. he has also fought for financial reform for years, going back to 2005-06 when he tried to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but democrats like Barney Frank shot the bill down. Honestly, how the McCain camp hasn't made a national ad about that yet blows my mind.

Also, keep in mind that John McCain has NEVER asked for or benefitted from pork in any bill in almost 30 years, and has called for a line-item veto to ELIMINATE pork for years. If anything states that a politician is honest and has integrity, its refusal to accept pork, because pork is literally a bribing/purchasing of votes.

A single vote in a very unique situation does not negate a lifetime of reform when it comes to cutting fat from legislation.

TheGame · 10-03-2008, 10:40 AM

I agree strangler, and I agree that it may be a special circumstance. But I also think its very bad timing. I wouldn't have been mad at him for voting no for political reasons in this case. In the middle of an election where you're preaching one thing, you can't sit there and vote another way. If he'd have voted no and it passed, he'd have a good angle to pin Obama/Washington with.

But I think that's the bigest problem with the bail out in general, most guys wanted to vote no for political reasons, but wanted it to pass at the same time.
Mostly because they know this bail out won't fix the current problem, it'll just catch an economy that's falling, and not nessicarily lift it. I can understand why one would have mixed feelings on it.

Anyway, on the subject of the debate itself, I think Palin did have a good strategy of changing the subject and making her own off topic points. Its better then her trying to answer things directly and fumbling like in interviews. And her off topic ramling actually made sence, they cleaned her up nice for the debate.

Professor S · 10-03-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGame

Just some other news today. Yup, Mccain's never a flip flopper.

I actually had a LONG post agreeing with you on this... but then I realized the clips were from Keith Olberman so I decided to fact chack it, and my hunch was correct, and McCain was taken SEVERELY out of context.

McCain's stance is that this bill was too important and timely to be held up because of arguments over pork, but OVERALL pork spending needs to be curtailed and vetoes used. He never asked Bush to veto THIS bill, in particular. I will agree that I believe McCain's answer was inartful, but it was NOT what Olberman attempted to portray it as. If you listen to the context, when McCain said "This bill puts us on the brink of disaster", is was an obvious misstatement. He meant to say that the reason he voted for this bill was because we are on the brink of disaster.

Here is an unedited version of the appeareance on Morning Joe, if anyone would like an unbiased view of the interview, where I think McCain actually came off quite well, but you might disagree and thats fine. But PLEASE don't take Keith Olberman's word for it...

By the way, someone needs to tell McCain to stop smiling. He's not a smiler.