Geraghty on the Debate


Regular readers will be stunned that our servers have survived and NRO’s have not, but there you have it. As regular RS readers are aware, we feel their pain and hope they’re back up soon. Jim Geraghty is one of the most necessary voices on the internet this election cycle, so with his permission I’m reposting his analysis so you won’t have to wait.

My thinking is that it’s a tie or near-tie, which is very good news for Palin. Both played to their strengths. Biden was a bit less of a blowhard than I expected, but I’m pretty sure he got some basic facts wrong. His “I was taken out of context” excuse on the “no coal plants here in America” line is laughable. He had some classic Biden moments, confusing Articles I and II in the Constitution and saying America spent more in less than one month in Iraq than in seven years in Afghanistan” off by, oh, 2000%, says the Western Standard.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand… I was a Gloomy Gus heading into this. I continue to wonder how so many Americans were instantly triggered to a frothing rage by this woman’s debut on the national stage. But after some subpar television interviews, I braced for a rough debate.

Instead, she provided much crisper answers, much more professional. She didn’t seem overbriefed; in fact she was able to rattle off a level of policy detail that worked for the conversational style of her answers.

Did she pass the could-she-lead-in-a-time-of-crisis test? Let me put it this way. I could picture the woman on stage tonight leading in a crisis. I couldn’t picture the woman interviewed by Gibson and Couric doing that.

She’s a natural saleswoman. She certainly saved her prospects for national office in 2012, if she so chooses. She certainly, my guess is, reenergized the GOP base and independents, centrists, and undecided, if they’re honest with themselves, will conclude that they witnessed an impressive woman tonight. Many Democrats will continue to loathe her.


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OH BOY Frank Luntz's Focus Group

PaRep (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 9:43PM EST (link)

LOVED SARAH

 

Geraghty & everyone else at NRO

PaRep (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 9:59PM EST (link)

are Wrong as usual

 

Dem Facts

JamesBD Thursday, October 2nd at 9:59PM EST (link)

When is Palin or McCain going to bring up the fact that this mess IS the Democrats fault??? … I was happy she used the term ‘Personal Responsibility’ (a term that scares liberals/socialists), but she never fought back his claim that this mess is because of the big, evil ‘De-Regulation’. When is someone on the ticket going to put the blame on Fannie/Freddie and blame this mess on the Democrats? Until that happens, I don’t know if McCain can pull this off.

 

Biden Opens With a Whopper

ggross56 (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:01PM EST (link)

I said here that Biden opened with a whopper, saying that deregulation & Republicans caused the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac meltdown. What a liar.

 

Biden, McCain and Palin

BlakeW Thursday, October 2nd at 10:04PM EST (link)

Senator Biden came across a lot better than I thought he would. Whatever his flaws, I think he is a genuine person.

He did allow Governor Palin to get under his skin a bit, which changed his demeanor toward her. Which won’t play well with women.

I thought Governor Palin did quite well in this debate and showed she’s not the lightweight she’s been portrayed as.

Senator McCain, Governor Palin and Senator Biden all come across as serious people who also know how to smile.

Which, to me, makes Senator Obama look like the lightweight he truly is.

 

Well, I do think that Biden is a genuine

dbecraft Thursday, October 2nd at 10:11PM EST (link)

politician… Other than that, he does not exactly impress me much. After all, he has been in office for an eternity ahd failed to fix anything… Yep, that is a politician alright.

Can we PLEASE get these life-timer politicians out of office!

Formally known as Deagle… “Golf is a way of life…”

Was that the one on Fox News? (n/t)

Finrod (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:14PM EST (link)

Let’s get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?

 
 

Well of course

dkons05 (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:14PM EST (link)

She seemed different then those interviews… HELLO BIASED SELECTIVE EDITING.

I was impressed, I’ll wait til I get some more fact-based research done on the voting assertions by the 2 candidates to declare a winner.

Palin studdered on a couple answers early on, but I would give her at least a slight margin for winning like 53:47 right now. I’m sure after checking some fact, and realizing how much Biden actually lied that margin of victory will increase 10-fold.

Now hear this

Leon H. Wolf (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:14PM EST (link)

I suffered through the disrespect shown to John Cornyn, an honored guest here at RedState earlier today. I’ve had quite enough. Geraghty is a guest here at RS, and also an honored one. Disagree with him all you like, but you will do so with respect, you will give reasons for doing so, and you will not make it personal.

We’re going to get back to showing respect to our guests here at RedState, and we’re going to do it immediately.

————
We can’t stop here. This is bat country.

 
 

She is our Sarah.

KBDay (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:15PM EST (link)

I’m fact-checking now. Biden made some gaffes–definitely on clean coal (saw the vid) and I think on the constitution, right?

Whatever. We’re back in the game.

But let me tell you. This is war. Have you seen Gawker? Complete slime listed there–they did a story with a sensational headline that made it look like it was about McCain’s son. When you read the story, it was about a friend of McCain’s son. Another story alleges a “rumor” from an unnamed source that McCain had something going with P.J. O’Rourke’s wife.

I hope some lawyer somewhere sues. These tabloid blogs stoop lower than what my chicken leaves on the deck.

Whatever all that. We’re back.

And let me tell you. America loves Sarah Palin. You could feel it.

She is our Sarah and now we have to be her linemen. uh. linewomen too.

KB Day/The US Report

“Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration.” (Eisenhower)

YEP !!

PaRep (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:16PM EST (link)

Yes n/t

Justin_Case (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:18PM EST (link)
 
 

Enough

pwest (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:19PM EST (link)

with the Palin 2012 talk; we have a 08 race to win. Let’s get moving!

Pam

Biden didn't gaffe about clean coal.

29Victor (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:19PM EST (link)

He lied.

How McCain/Palin can win the election

conservativecash (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 10:23PM EST (link)

Simple: They announce an investigation of anyone who received large bonus sums from Fannie and Freddie Mac be investigated and will be forced to return the millions that they received to the American taxpayers. Americans wants those who screwed the public over to be held accountable and will cheer the move on.

 
 
 

Disagree

CORepub Thursday, October 2nd at 10:51PM EST (link)

I’m having a difficult time seeing how anyone watches this debate and objectively calls it a “win” for Palin. She held her own, I’ll give her that. She had no fall on her face gaffes. But Biden seemed far more knowledgable, more experienced, just as “likeable”, just as in touch with “real America”. He also did not come across as sexist or arrogant, to my view. Palin had several “non-answers” where she just plain evaded the question, and most Americans will clearly recognize that.

I think Palin exceeded expectations. Nothing more. Regrettably, I think that does nothing to change the dynamics of the race today. McCain effectively conceding the race today in Michigan should make everyone nervous.

Americans Need Little to Survive

JaneMei Thursday, October 2nd at 10:53PM EST (link)

I need one thing from our government. National security. The other issues, pale in comparison. My family were refugees in the late 70s and had an extremely tough journey from the savage lands they fled to the promised land they now reside in. My parents taught their children to honor and respect this great land we call America. Aside the fluff talk of the debate, I feel Palin spoke well and represented the platform with decorum. Biden of course did well, and should have, being in public service for over 3 decades. But different platforms. I don’t need the fluff. Give me National Security, and my family are capable of figuring out health care, insurance, taxes, energy, housing…I don’t need government creating that platform for me. That’s why McCain / Palin need to be in office.

 
 

Palin scored the Knockout!

SirGladiator (Diary) Thursday, October 2nd at 11:19PM EST (link)

What an awesome performance by Sarah Palin, she not only ‘held her own’ against a 36 year veteran of the Senate, she DOMINATED him, a decisive Knockout win for Sarah Palin! No less than Rudy Guliani himself agrees with me, he called it a Knockout win for Sarah also, and rightly so. Nobody who isnt a HUGE Obama supporter could say anything other than Palin won the debate tonight, she owned him from pillar to post. The owned the style, the substance, the one-liners and the deep substantive comments, she won it all. I agree that she completely cemented her 2012 nomination tonight, and she certainly made it a LOT likely that she will be running her campaign from the White House as Vice President instead of Alaska as Governor. What a night!

We Give Your Opinions More Weight When You're Not a Drive-By

IJB Friday, October 3rd at 12:14AM EST (link)

FYI.

Moby.