Dick Cheney Wanted to Work With Special Needs Kids Too, But the Kids Said No

Jesse Walker | October 2, 2008

By ordinary standards, Joe Biden "won" the debate. He was more articulate, seemed more conversant with the facts, made more of an effort to answer the questions. But Sarah Palin's performance was so weird that I don't know how to judge it. She just wasn't playing the same game as her opponent.

The Alaskan dived deep into the Avatar Of The Everyday American role, not just with cloying, self-conscious allusions to "Joe Six-Pack" and "hockey moms" and soccer sidelines and so on, but by stammering through her answers like she'd won an Anyone Can Debate Joe Biden contest. Maybe there's a method to this madness. Maybe she was authentic enough to impress a lot of viewers as Someone Like Me, evasive and incoherent enough to lure Democrats into attacks that might be seen as mocking People Like You.

Or maybe she just came off as an ill-informed panderer. Who knows? I appreciated the debate as Dada, at any rate, especially that bizarre exchange about the vice president's powers.

Apropos of nothing, or everything:

Comments

Fluffy|10.2.08 @ 11:16PM|#

Sarah Palin doesn't know what the expression "Achilles' Heel" means.

Just thought I'd reiterate that.

|10.2.08 @ 11:18PM|#

I get really sick of hearing politicians talk about the middle class. By they're definition I am not among them, because I am not married and have no children and do not own a home. A single male who rents an apartment is never asked what he thinks about the economy or any other issue by the Republicrats. I guess I am a member of the classless class or something.

Kolohe|10.2.08 @ 11:20PM|#

Sarah Palin doesn't know what the expression "Achilles' Heel" means.

Just thought I'd reiterate that.

If only it was her only weakness.

Fluffy|10.2.08 @ 11:21PM|#

Sarah's Achilles' heel is her brain.

|10.2.08 @ 11:22PM|#

I guess I am a member of the classless class or something.

Welcome to the Proletariat, Comrade.

Orange Line Special|10.2.08 @ 11:22PM|#

For those who'd like more information, here's a recent article on the Kochtopus/"liberal" common ground.

Seitz|10.2.08 @ 11:26PM|#

The Alaskan dived deep into the Avatar Of The Everyday American role, not just with cloying, self-conscious allusions to "Joe Six-Pack" and "hockey moms" and soccer sidelines and so on, but by stammering through her answers like she'd won an Anyone Can Debate Joe Biden contest.

Can someone please explain the appeal of having an "everyday American" in either the Presidency or Vice Presidency? I hate to sound too obvious, but these are actually pretty important jobs.

If I'm going in for brain surgery, I don't want the guy who seems "most like me" or "who I'd like to have a beer with" doing it. I want the dude who knows something about fixing brains.

Seitz|10.2.08 @ 11:27PM|#

A single male who rents an apartment

Woohoo! Single males who rent apartments unite!

cunnivore|10.2.08 @ 11:32PM|#

But Sarah Palin's performance was so weird that I don't know how to judge it. She just wasn't playing the same game as her opponent.

Yes, it did remind me of an ultra-low level Little League game where the kids try to catch the ball when they're at bat. It was significantly less depressing than the Cubs-Dodgers game that I was flipping back and forth to, though.

|10.2.08 @ 11:35PM|#

So when she strikes out and runs straight to third, does the GOP score it a triple?

(Rough start in the playoffs for Chicago teams...)

Orange Line Special|10.2.08 @ 11:41PM|#

Seitz says: If I'm going in for brain surgery, I don't want the guy who seems "most like me" or "who I'd like to have a beer with" doing it. I want the dude who knows something about fixing brains.

Seitz is docked two points for not typing it in as specified. It's "amateur cardiac surgeon", see this for what you're supposed to say.

Don the libertarian Democrat|10.2.08 @ 11:47PM|#

Here's my favorite part:

"IFILL: Next question, Governor Palin, still on the economy. Last year, Congress passed a bill that would make it more difficult for debt-strapped mortgage-holders to declare bankruptcy, to get out from under that debt. This is something that John McCain supported. Would you have?

PALIN: Yes, I would have. But here, again, there have -- there have been so many changes in the conditions of our economy in just even these past weeks that there has been more and more revelation made aware now to Americans about the corruption and the greed on Wall Street.

We need to look back, even two years ago, and we need to be appreciative of John McCain's call for reform with Fannie Mae, with Freddie Mac, with the mortgage-lenders, too, who were starting to really kind of rear that head of abuse.

And the colleagues in the Senate weren't going to go there with him. So we have John McCain to thank for at least warning people. And we also have John McCain to thank for bringing in a bipartisan effort people to the table so that we can start putting politics aside, even putting a campaign aside, and just do what's right to fix this economic problem that we are in.

It is a crisis. It's a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that's affecting Wall Street. And now we have to be ever vigilant and also making sure that credit markets don't seize up. That's where the Main Streeters like me, that's where we would really feel the effects."

I find this especially eloquent:

"...who were starting to really kind of rear that head of abuse."

|10.2.08 @ 11:48PM|#

she'd won an Anyone Can Debate Joe Biden contest.

Jaysus, is second place 'two weeks in Bakersfield'?

|10.2.08 @ 11:49PM|#

So when she strikes out and runs straight to third, does the GOP score it a triple?

It's that game where everyone wins by participating.

Franklin Harris|10.2.08 @ 11:50PM|#

Apropos of nothing, or everything:

If you're saying this is the Ed Wood of presidential elections, you may be on to something.

Jesse Walker|10.2.08 @ 11:58PM|#

OLS: I don't know what that link has to do with the Kochtopus, but Kinsella does describe the sort of reaction that the GOP may be hoping to set off. If the criticisms of Palin's performance come off as class snobbery or cultural condescension, that helps her. If, on the other hand, all her I'm Like You! pandering comes off as a slippery attempt to deflect legitimate criticisms, she gets hurt.

|10.3.08 @ 12:02AM|#

Jesse Walker, my wife thought Palin was very smug in her answers and her attitude toward Biden. Mrs. brotherben told me after the debate tonight that she is now a firm Obama voter . My wife is a mid 40's white christian fwiw.

Orange Line Special|10.3.08 @ 12:16AM|#

My great apologies to Jesse Walker for putting him in the same category as those described at the previous link. I am sure I misread what he wrote, and I'll print it out and read it again until I fully understand it.

brotherben: you are docked three points and ordered to report to Chicago for failing to type it in correctly. Your wife is actually in her fifties.

|10.3.08 @ 12:21AM|#

Lonewacko, you're a weird dude.

rhywun|10.3.08 @ 1:13AM|#

If I'm going in for brain surgery, I don't want the guy who seems "most like me" or "who I'd like to have a beer with" doing it. I want the dude who knows something about fixing brains.

You're missing the fact that the Presidency is a figurehead more than anything else. They've got a flotilla of advisers to handle all that thinkin' stuff.

|10.3.08 @ 2:20AM|#

...like she'd won an Anyone Can Debate Joe Biden contest.

Can you prove that it didn't happen?

|10.3.08 @ 7:07AM|#

Jesse, this is why you are the best reason staffer. Fucking Criswell? Criswell done, dude.

|10.3.08 @ 9:09AM|#

"...who were starting to really kind of rear that head of abuse."

When the mortgage lenders start to really, kind of, rear that head of abuse up into our airspace, where are they?

Alaska.

|10.3.08 @ 10:56AM|#

Palins "wierd" performance might be the result of trying to answering questions selected by a a pro-Obama democrat who would like to see her lose.

|10.3.08 @ 11:13AM|#

You mean, really hard questions like "What newspapers do you read?"

Waaaaahh! The moderate writes about politics!

|10.3.08 @ 11:13AM|#

bigbigslacker,

Please, give us an example of an unfair question that Ifill asked Palin.

|10.3.08 @ 11:37AM|#

Joe, too busy to exchange 10 or 20 posts with the likes of you:) I have private sector shit to do - getting products to market. I can review the transcript later for specific examples. Then again, that's not likely either on a Friday night. But, to "answer" your question, from listening last night (was working in and around the house - that includes BBQing, smoking AND drinking) the questions had the tone of "tell us about the great plan you and Osama have for x" vs. "would you care to defend McCain's lousy position on Y".

Probably just my imagination. Its not like Gwen Ifill has a book she is trying to sell. Odds are, she is really a Republican.

Mark Miller|10.3.08 @ 11:39AM|#

As both the father of a child with special needs AND a hockey fan, I'm doubly offended by Gov. Palin. See why at http://specialneeds08.blogspot.com

Andy|10.3.08 @ 12:04PM|#

So has anyone actually had time to study any polls of the masses about whether they changed their minds about anything? My nightmare is that people may actually be more likely to vote for McCain/Palin after last night, but i'm afraid to find out.

Geotpf|10.3.08 @ 2:09PM|#

Andy | October 3, 2008, 12:04pm | #

So has anyone actually had time to study any polls of the masses about whether they changed their minds about anything? My nightmare is that people may actually be more likely to vote for McCain/Palin after last night, but i'm afraid to find out.

Both CNN and CBS had snap polls that were very pro-Obama/Biden. The internals of both polls (beyond the top line "who won the debate" numbers-which were 51% Biden 36% Palin in the CNN poll and 46% Biden 22% Palin 33% tie in the CBS one) were even more pro-Biden. 98% of people in the CBS poll thought Biden was knowledgeable about the issues and 97% thought he was prepared for the Vice Presidency. 87% in the CNN poll thought he was qualified to be VP. Those 98% and 97% numbers in the CBS poll are astounding-you can't get 98% of people to agree that the sky is blue.

DannyK|10.3.08 @ 6:42PM|#

Jesse: best headline of the week. Nice job.

Tre|10.6.08 @ 10:18AM|#

No kidding the kids dont want to work with dick. I mean really what would the mothers think a guy that goes hunting and shoots someone by accident. Come on there afraid he'll shoot the kids