Friday October 3: videos, photos and assorted babbles

McCain ad fail: note who gave Palin rave reviews!

Ironic headline, no? Hat tip: Liberals Must Die.

Funny Videos

More Debate Stuff

My thoughts on Sarah Palin and the Republican Party:

Tonight the Republican Party outed itself as the proud parent of a C- student:

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.

I admit: unedited transcripts make everyone sound like an idiot. However, so does sounding like an idiot. [...]

And this speaks to what I find so objectionable about Sarah Palin in general. Sure, she really isn’t any dumber than John McCain, and I like John McCain (as a person). But she is so clueless and doesn’t seem to care that she is clueless. When she is caught sounding like an idiot, it is the fault of someone else.

Appearing on a friendlier news outlet, Gov. Sarah Palin said she was “annoyed” with the way Katie Couric handled their interview and complained that the CBS Evening News host failed to give her the opportunity to take a proverbial axe to Barack Obama.

In a portion of her sit-down with Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron, Palin claimed that Couric’s questions — which produced a series of staggeringly embarrassing responses — put her in a lose-lose position.

“The Sarah Palin in those interviews was a little bit annoyed,” she said. “It’s like, man, no matter what you say, you are going to get clobbered. If you choose to answer a question, you are going to get clobbered on the answer. If you choose to try to pivot and go to another subject that you believe that Americans want to hear about, you get clobbered for that too.”

Follow the link if you want to see the video.

Nevertheless, it appears that Palin is one of those “it is cool to be utterly ignorant” types who managed to get ahead though personal cunning and charm.

Point-Counter Point.

The response:

What is going on?

Palin’s False Tax Claims

Palin repeated a false claim about Barack Obama’s tax proposal:

Palin: Barack Obama even supported increasing taxes as late as last year for those families making only $42,000 a year. That’s a lot of middle income average American families to increase taxes on them. I think that is the way to kill jobs and to continue to harm our economy.

Obama did not in fact vote to increase taxes on “families” making as little as $42,000 per year. What Obama actually voted for was a budget resolution that called for returning the 25 percent tax bracket to its pre-Bush tax cut level of 28 percent. That could have affected an individual with no children making as little as $42,000. But a couple would have had to earn $83,000 to be affected and a family of four at least $90,000. The resolution would not have raised taxes on its own, without additional legislation, and, as we’ve noted before, there is no such tax increase in Obama’s tax plan. (The vote took place on March 14 of this year, not last year as Palin said.)

Palin also repeated the exaggeration that Obama voted 94 times to increase taxes. That number includes seven votes that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on corporations or affluent individuals; 23 votes that were against tax cuts; and 17 that came on just 7 different bills. She also claimed that Biden and Obama voted for “the largest tax increase in history.” Palin is referring here to the Democrats’ 2008 budget proposal, which would indeed have resulted in about $217 billion in higher taxes over two years. That’s a significant increase. But measured as a percentage of the nation’s economic output, or gross domestic product, the yardstick that most economists prefer, the 2008 budget proposal would have been the third-largest since 1968, and it’s not even in the top 10 since 1940.

Note: the link goes to a fact check of the debate as a whole.

Sarah Palin vs. Joe Biden: vote on who won! Note: Palin made a huge Gaffe!

Workout notes 4000 yard swim; I was bit sleepy as I stayed up too late last night. 500 easy (8:47), 5 x 100 (25 sfs/75 free) on the 2 (1:50-1:55), 5 x 200 on the 3:30 (3:15, 3:15, 3:14, 3:13, 3:13), 500 stroke, 5 x 200 on the 3:30 (3:19, 3:17, 3:16, 3:16, 3:16), 500 cool-down.

I wasn’t at my sharpest, but it wasn’t bad (by my standards) either.

The Palin-Biden debate

This post is ordered:
1. Who won: places to vote.
2. Palin’s big gaffe: she misstated McCain’s position on bankruptcy and mortgages.
3. A good snark on Palin’s performance.
4. Debate videos and campaign commercials spun off from the debate.

1. Who won?

Make your voice heard here:

• L.A. Times poll
• NBC poll
• CNN poll (scroll down, on right)
• AOL poll
• Wall Street Journal poll
• Guardian poll
• Politico poll (scroll down, on right)
• The Drudge Report poll
• Townhall poll
• Fox News poll

The results as of 9:25 am, Central time:
LA Times: Biden 92 Palin 7
MSNBC: Biden 76.7 Palin 20.2
CNN: Biden 67, Palin 28
AOL: Palin 47, Biden 45 (debate), Biden 49, Palin 48 (better VP)
WSJ: Biden 50.5, Palin 49.0 (hat tip to postsimian)
Guardian: Biden 83.4, Palin 16.6
Politico: Biden 84, Palin 14
Drudge: Palin 70, Biden 28
Town Hall: Biden 57, Palin 41
Fox News Biden 59, Palin 41

When you are a Republican and you win neither Fox News nor Townhall, you are in big trouble.

Update Peoria Journal Star Poll (58-42, Biden with 512 votes so far)

My Daily Kos Poll Biden 97-1 (516 votes so far)

2. Palin’s HUGE Gaffe

(hat tip to a Daily Kos diary writer)

Via ABC:

ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports:

Sarah Palin got her facts wrong in Thursday’s debate with Joe Biden when discussing where John McCain stands on new protections for homeowners facing foreclosures.

The Alaska governor incorrectly made it sound like McCain supports giving bankruptcy judges the power to rewrite mortgage payment terms on first homes.

He doesn’t.

The McCain campaign confirms to ABC News that Palin misstated McCain’s position.

“No, that is what is called the cramdowns, which is so objectionable that Obama didn’t even want it jammed into the stabilization bill,” said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers when asked if McCain supports giving bankruptcy judges the power to re-adjust the interest rate and principal to help people stay in their homes.

Palin’s mistake came when the debate’s moderator asked her if Biden was right in thinking that she and McCain oppose giving bankruptcy judges this new power.

“[W]e should be allowing bankruptcy courts to be able to re-adjust not just the interest rate you’re paying on your mortgage to be able to stay in your home, but be able to adjust the principal that you owe, the principal that you owe,” said Biden. “That would keep people in their homes, actually help banks by keeping it from going under.

“But John McCain, as I understand it,” he continued, “I’m not sure of this, but I believe John McCain and the governor don’t support that. There are ways to help people now. And there — ways that we’re offering are not being supported by — by the Bush administration nor do I believe by John McCain and Governor Palin.”

“Governor Palin, is that so?” asked PBS’ Gwen Ifill.

“That is not so,” said Palin, “but because that’s just a quick answer.”

The Alaska governor then quickly changed the subject to energy.

By the way, though Palin brought energy several times, all she said was:
1. We ought to be drilling more and
2. Natural Gas is good and
3. Alaska is building a pipeline and
4. Obama voted for the 2005 energy bill (Illinois is a corn growing state) and
5. It is good to consider lots of energy sources.

But I digress:

ACORN, a liberal group which advocates on behalf of low- and moderate-income people, seized on Palin’s seeming endorsement of the Obama-Biden position and is now trying to use them to pressure McCain to change his official position.

“Sarah was just being Sarah,” ACORN’s Charles Jackson told ABC News. “It’s clear from the transcript that she supported the provision that Senator Biden brought up. We’ll see if McCain’s handlers will allow her to continue to hold that position tomorrow.”

ACORN would like the Republican presidential nominee to change his position but the McCain campaign has already made it clear that is not going to happen.

3. As far as Palin’s answers, this Daily Kos diary pretty much got it right:

4. Videos and Commercials from the Debate

McCain no maverick

Joe Biden: personal story

Barack Obama’s attack ad on McCain’s health care plan

John McCain’s attack ad on Joe Biden

Note: Barack Obama supports clean coal; check out his website or his previous speeches. Also Barack Obama said that he would meet with Iranian leaders; the wacky Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does not control foreign policy nor does he control the military. The military is controlled by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei even though John McCain is unaware of this:

At least Joe Biden brought this up (once) during the debate.

Palin on climate change Go ahead an excuse her transposing climate change and man made remark. Her note cards were probably hard to read.

Biden’s last line says it all:

Joe Biden Cruises to Easy Win in the Debate

Basically, this looked like a Vice Presidential candidate debating a candidate for a State House; a complete mismatch.

My wife thought that Palin did “well” but to me she came across as cutesy and non-presidential; I could not envision this woman being Commander in Chief. I could see her in a state house somewhere; that is about it.

Joe Biden kept the focus on McCain vs. Obama; Palin talked about herself a bit too much and tried to be a bit too “folksy”.

The charm may have helped in 2000 when times were good, but not now. Sarah Palin appeared to be reading scripted answers to prepared questions and they often didn’t relate to be what is being asked.

The commentators are saying that Joe Biden was more substantive and less rehearsed.

In fact, someone said that Palin had lots of answers but they weren’t to the questions being asked.

The CNN internet poll had Biden winning 76-22 and MSNBC had Biden winning 78-19.

CBS poll of undecideds: 46 Biden, 21, Palin, 33 a tie.

CNN poll of all viewers:

Who did the best job in the debate?

Biden 51
Palin 36

[...]

Is Palin qualified to serve as president?

Yes
Before debate: 42
After debate: 46

No
Before debate: 54
After debate: 53

Update Media Curves

Independents: 69-31 Biden
Democrats: 87-11 Biden
Republicans: 80-19 Palin

Update: Kathleen Parker

Well, darnit all, if that dadgum girl (wink, wink) didn’t beat the tarnation out of Joe Biden. Maverick Sarah Palin fersure surpassed expectations and said everything under the sun, also. And Biden smiled and smiled.

Palin is a populist pro. She hit all the notes that resonate with non-elite Americans: family (Hi Mom and Dad!), “Can I call ya Joe?” personal responsibility, Wall Street greed, children with special needs. Her most effective technique was speaking directly to the American people and letting Joe know that’s what she was gonna do, doggonit.

Stylistically, she used the language of the people to great effect. And, you know what? If you want to know what the American people care about, you can go to a kid’s soccer game on Saturday and ask parents how they feel, and “I’ll betcha you’re going to hear some fear.”

I’ll have to go to the transcript to figure out what Palin actually said and try to figure out whose facts were right. But there’s no question: She won the debate on popularity. She did her homework, studied hard, and delivered with spunk. Still, I had the uneasy feeling throughout that I was witnessing a data dump from a very appealing droid. Even the winks and jaw juts seemed slightly programmed. And the question remains: Is she ready to be president should the need arise?