[gilleshk]

I think that substance and presentation are equally important in a televised political debate. The reality is that the likable factor is an important part of winning an election but it's obviously not the only one.

I think Palin managed to not appear as stupid as she has been appearing in the last few weeks and she was fairly likable. I doubt that she won a lot of people over with her performance but she probably didn't lose many either.

It's looking more and more like Obama's race to lose at the moment. The McCain crew will have to do something special to turn it around. The Palin-Biden performances were not much of a factor either way.

[SpecialK]

Originally Posted by gilleshk

It's looking more and more like Obama's race to lose at the moment. The McCain crew will have to do something special to turn it around. The Palin-Biden performances were not much of a factor either way.

I agree but do have to say that Biden's constant grinning had me thinking that he was either senile or more suited to being a kindly grandfather than VP.

Sarah Palin made a big comeback I think in terms of being taken more seriously. It's unfair to criticise her for talking like she'd prepared all her answers beforehand when the same can be said for Obama, Biden and McCain. They're trying to win an election not our personal approval. Little will be left to chance, not least what they need to say to get their messages across.

And on another note (though related to saying what the speech writers have written) I must say that even though I'm slightly pro Obama I'm getting sick and tired of hearing him march out the same old answer no matter what the question. He talks so much yet says so little.

[timklip]

Agreed Gilles, and I think if she hadn't come across so poorly with Couric et al in the previous weeks, which raised everyones awareness of her lack of experience, knowledge and savvy, she might have made strides in the debate. Instead, everyone was looking for her to do the moose in the headlights again, and when she didn't alot of people prob. thought " Well, at least she didn't make a fool of herself THIS time"...not exactly the response I think the Rep's would have welcomed when they picked her...also, if you discount the large number of mindless sheep who will be responsible for picking the next pres., I think anyone with any kind of 'people sense' can tell she's running scared and fronting bigtime, with all the 'hey can I call you Joe?, Joe Six pack, awe shucks, I'm one of you main streeters' crap written into her speeches...this is full on damage control when it's far too late already...

[FilipH]

the McCain campaign hit a new low ...

YouTube - Sarah Palin Tells The Truth About...

Two words : gutter politics

[Claire ex-ax]

"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." Margaret Thatcher

The McCain-Palin side knows it's not doing well... Time for Bush to declare an indefinite postponement of the elections due to the ongoing economic crisis and the perpetual war on terror.

[timklip]

or to 'arrange' another 9-11 style terrorist attack (conspiracy theorists are now encouraged to speak up) to show how the Rep.s handle things..(heehaw! lets blow up another 1000 mud huts somewhere! heeehaw!)

[PDLM]

This is brilliant... roll your mouse over and click on all sorts of things.
PalinAsPresident.com
(You need sound on)

[Football16]

That is very funny PDLM.

Claire may be right in quoting Thatcher along the lines of personal attacks mean your gun is empty but until this year this stuff has worked very well for the GOP and the Christian right wing fanatics. Not all Christians who vote GOP are fanatics but the whack jobs are.

Palin is a joke but the irony is that the whole world seems to have cut her so much slack simply for showing up and giving BS diatribes.

Well if Obama is guilty of knowing a Weatherman in 1995 when he was 8 when that movement was active, then McCain is even sleazier and slimier as he sleeps with a woman who stole drugs from her own freaking charity and then accused the whistleblower who subsequently sued for wrongful dismissal of extorting money from them. The irony was that the dismissal suit came well after this former charity executive called the FBI to report Cindy for stealing drugs. Hey she was an addict so needed them.

McCain should be defeated if the polls don't all collapse and this campaign will go down as even worse than George McGovern's did in 1972.

As to why Obama keeps saying the same things over and over is because he doesn't want to slip up and he is committed to staying on message and looking like a world leader. McCain is like Biden says, simply an erratic character who formed his world view in a POW camp and in reading books of great mythological leaders who did great things all by themselves.

Biden did a whole lot of smiling that night as he was warned not to attack her so he didn't.

[Claire ex-ax]

There has been much mooting about McCain's slip up in this last debate. Tugging the nose and covering the mouth can't disguise what he uttered about the Kennedy 'assasination'. Of course, what someone hears in the playback may depend on one's point of view...

[Football16]

McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail

Wow some harsh stories on McCain here!!!!

McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail