Some Days You Just Can’t Get Rid of a Bomb

I can’t help but think that John McCain and I have some things in common.

-Batman

Bat Gaffe-o-meter

(8:02) Before we even begin the debate. Palin – “Hey, can I call you Joe?” – How sweet, twitter explodes with chatter.

(Palin 1 / Biden 0)

(8:06) Palin brings up McCain’s campaign suspension. Seems like a bad time to remind America about McCain’s failure to save the economy.

(8:08) Nice rebuttal by Palin on McCain’s “economy is sound” quote. “He was talking to and talking about the American work force.” She even throws a little wink in there, not sure how I feel about that one.

(8:12) “Joey how much did it cost you to fill up your tank?” “I don’t know Joe, I never have enough money to do it” great quote Biden. Really hits home on the issues middle class America is facing.

(8:13) Biden- “Tacis” bit of a tounge slip there…

(Palin 1 / Biden 1)

(8:14) Oh, snap! The bull dog bites back, but gets cut off. Too bad, she was on a roll there.

(8:16) Biden saves himself from a few technicality gaffes. Changes are different from a break and millions are much different than billions. Well done sir.

(8:17) Palin is middle class? Depends on what you call middle class I guess…

(8:20) Biden drops a Bridge to Nowhere bomb on Palin. Laughter from the “silent” crowd.

(8:22) Biden can’t quite get characterized out.

(Palin 1 / Biden 2)

(8:22) Biden- “I don’t have time cause the light is blinking”

(Palin 1 / Biden 3)

(8:24) Palin – “I’ve been at this what, 5 weeks?”

(Palin 2 / Biden 3)

(8:26) Biden links Obama tax cut to a tax cut Palin gave residents of Alaska. Way to show America how maverick Palin is by going against a tax plan she once supported.

(8:30) Palin seems jittery, lots of movement behind the podium. Um… didn’t America say no to the Kyoto Treaty? I think that makes us the irresponsible ones. At least she knows that climate change is not entirely man mad as opposed to Biden.

(Palin 3 / Biden 4)

(8:34) “Senator O-Biden” fumble on Palin’s part.

(Palin 4 / Biden 4)

(8:35) Biden tries to clear up his rope line gaffe. Wants to send the clean coal technology to China.

(8:36) Biden says he and Obama support same-sex benefits. Palin says she will be tolerant, but doesn’t support changing the definition of marriage. Biden agrees with Palin saying he and Obama. Palin doesn’t state McCain’s stance. Something tells me they disagree on this issue.

(8:41) “I didn’t hear a plan” and Biden throws another punch. Starts talking about ending war in Iraq and he and Obama are going to do it to boot.

(8:42) Palin a bit speechless after Biden’s attack. Claims giving up now would wave a white flag.

(8:44) I should have started counting how many time Biden says “Fundamental”. (Update: It’s #6)

(8:45) Another “Fundamental” from Biden (Update: #9)

(8:48) Palin – “Naive-tae” That’s a bit too folksy for me thanks.

(8:50) Biden talks in the third person? (Update: His third time apparently)

(8:54) Heavy sigh from Biden as Palin talks foreign policy. It seems like he’s getting agitated.

(8:54) “Looking backwards and pointing fingers” Palin hits Obama/Biden hard on their forward thinking stance. Biden responds fairly well with a McCain = Bush comparison.

(8:56) Biden – “George Bushes” mark another one for Biden. Wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t repeated it over and over and over again, but I guess he was trying to drive a point home.

(Palin 4 / Biden 5)

(8:58) “Let me say that again” I think we heard you the first time Joe.

(9:00) Palin and Biden arguing about what McClellan said. They remind me of children the way they’re arguing back and forth.

(9:01) Biden knows his foreign groups “Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks” without hesitation or skipping a beat.

(9:03) Palin doesn’t get it, Biden is attacking McCain. She needs to be aiming for Obama instead of pointing out Biden’s changes in policy.

(9:06) Twitterland praising Biden for his comparison of McCain to Cheny. If that’s the case I hope Palin doesn’t take McCain Moose hunting. Another explosion from twitter as Palin claims John McCain knows how to win a war. Most users pointing out he knows how crash planes some of them hyperbolizing the facts.

(9:07) A tough question “What would you do if you became president?” Biden says he’s going to stick with Obama’s plans. Palin winks and says she’s a maverick.

(9:09) Palin’s word of the night is “Main Street”

(9:11) “I say it ain’t so Joe” Really? Tack another one on for Palin.

(Palin 5 / Biden 5)

(9:12) “Shout out to those 3rd graders” She’s on a roll folks.

(Palin 6 / Biden 5)

(9:13) Palin tries to rectify one of her interview answers. Not quite sure I believe her on this one, and even if she was joking that was not the place nor the time to be trying to get a laugh out of someone.

(9:14) Voted best phrase to take out of context “John McCain tapped me and said, That’s where I need ya”

(9:18) Palin reminds everyone that she was the governor of a HUGE state (Filled with practically no one. Only 1.1 people per square mile)

(9:20) Biden chokes as he talks about having to play the role of a single parent. (Update: Possibly the most powerful moment of this debate. Biden levels with Americans and shows us a soft side at the same time.)

(9:22) Freaudian slip by Palin “He is the man we need to leave — lead” That’s gonna be circulated for a couple days.

(Palin 7 / Biden 5)

(9:23) Biden attacks McCain on his “Maverick” status. Points out he’s not a maverick on issues that “people talk about around the kitchen table”

(9:27) Biden talks about questioning judgment instead of questioning motives to bring bipartisan politics to an end. Palin talks about her diverse family (since she doesn’t have a whole lot of that Washington experience).

(9:29) Palin’s closing remarks. Takes a shot at how the media has been portraying her before going into a well spoken (although highly scripted) tale of how “We don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same”.

(9:30) Biden’s closing remarks. Talks about how he and Obama mark progress “on whether or not someone can pay their mortgage, whether or not they can send their kid to college, whether or not they’re able to, when they send their child to fight, that they are the best equipped and they have everything they need.”

So, with the VP debate over we have our standings at

	Palin	Biden
Gaffes	7	5
Word	Main Street: 3 times	Fundamental: 11
Quirk	Winks: 4 times	Third Person reference: 4

Biden threw some good punches attacking McCain/Palin on their maverick status and on their plan for the war in Iraq. Palin hit Obama/Biden back on their progressive thinking stance. Who wo… oh hey, the Bat Signal! Gotta run!

-Batman

On Choosing a Sidekick

When I learned of McCain’s choice for his Vice Presidential running mate I had to pause for a second in the Bat Cave and seriously consider what McCain was trying to do. While it would appear that announcing Sarah Palin, Alaska’s interim governor, as his Vice Presidential choice was a brilliant strategic move, it was in fact not a smart pick.

When choosing a sidekick an important thing to note is that he (or she) will become a foil of you. In the case of McCain, Palin will only serve to make him look older and more senile, while on the other side Joe Biden will amplify Barack Obama’s youth.

Or does he even need the help? (Notice how he fidgets with his wedding ring and keeps checking out Palin)

Experience is important because there will be times when the hero (or President) will be unable to act upon a situation. I know I can rely on Robin to get the job done, but how ready is Sarah Palin to pick up the mantle of President should John McCain become unable to perform his duties? Dying aside (the average life expectancy of a male in the United States is roughly 75 years and McCain is 72!) there is always the chance he has a relapse of his cancer or any number of other health issues that would Palin in the driver’s seat.

Perhaps John McCain chose Palin because it would bring those PUMAs over from the Democrats who are still bitter about Obama getting the nomination, but is it worth the risk?

But among the critical undecideds, the Palin pick made only 6 percent more likely to vote for McCain; and it made 31 percent less likely to vote for him. 49 percent said it would have no impact, and 15 percent remained unsure. More to the point: among undecideds, 59 percent said Palin was unready to be president. Only 6 percent said she was. If the first criterion for any job is whether you’re ready for it, this is a pretty major indictment of the first act of McCain’s presidential leadership.

Either way, many people are saying that McCain’s choice was enough to ruin Obama’s DNC bounce, but that it will not age well as more and more is revealed about McCain’s new sidekick in the coming months.

– Batman