The Show Me Debate
02 October 2008 5:53 pm by Taylor Marsh
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| Visiting Missouri a couple of weeks ago, where I was born, we drove to St. Louis, where I went to to school through high school. It’s a gorgeous city. |
Do you have your Sarah Palin bingo card ready?
They take the stage. Palin asks, “Hey, can I call you Joe?”
Bailout question goes to Biden, because of a coin toss. He went right to the middle class, going into specifics on what was needed. “Lunch bucket Joe” answer with specifics.
Palin goes to “fear” seen at a soccer game on the weekend. We need “reform.” A little shaky.
Asks if he can respond. Goes at McCain when he said the “fundamentals of our economy is strong.”
Palin is tight. Her eyes are flashing, when responding to Biden on McCain, saying McCain was talking about the American worker. Platitudes in response to Biden’s truth.
Who was at fault in the economic crisis? “Darn right it was the sub-prime lenders.” Greed. “Joe six pack and hockey moms need to band together!” “Don’t live outside our means.”
Two years Obama warned about sub-prime mortgage problem, said Biden. At the time, McCain gave an interview to the WSJ saying he was always for more deregulation. Obama was talking about regulating, while “20 times” John was deregulating, also saying he wanted to do for the health industry what was done for banking. Then turns to a guy named Joey filling his tank. Biden asks how much it costs to fill his tank. Joey states, “I don’t know. I never have enough to fill it.”
Ifill asks Palin is she wants to respond on what Biden said about McCain. She turns to “raising taxes.”
Biden calls her on not answering the question on deregulation.
Ifill asks if she wants to respond. She says she wants to talk about taxes. Then says she’s going to talk about her record.
Biden just keeps smiling… on to taxes. “When (the middle class) does well, we all do well.”
Palin brings up Biden’s comment about paying taxes is patriotic. Keeps hitting Obama on taxes. Then swings to health care, urged by Ifill. $5,000 health care credit. The feds taking over health care is bad.
Biden: We don’t call it redistribution not to give a tax break to Exxon-Mobil. We call it fairness. McCain gets the $5,000 health credit, he taxes people. Biden is now off and running on facts and policy. Ending with: “I call that the ultimate bridge to nowhere.”
See Palin’s eyes glaze over here. Smiles on his soundbite, which was a beauty.
Palin then talks about the energy plan that Obama voted for, while she “took on those oil companies.” Point to Palin on this one.
Ifill asks if there is anything she’d take off the table since the crisis. “What have been at this like 5 weeks.”
I agree with the governor. She gave a windfall profit tax against the oil companies. That’s what we want to do. McCain doesn’t want to do this. “I hope the governor is able to convince McCain to support our windfall profit tax, which the governor did and I give her credit for that.”
FREEZE MOMENT… Palin was clueless on bankruptcy, so she completely changed the subject to energy. Turned to CNN. On “energy independence” the dials went high for both the men & women. Biden’s dial numbers have been high throughout.
Biden goes off on energy and the dials on CNN go way up. Talks about using clean coal, nuclear and all avenues. … .. John voted 20 times against funding alternative fuels.
Do you support benefits for same-sex couples? Biden: absolutely, positively. “It’s only fair. That’s what the Constitution calls for.”
Palin: Not if it changes the definition of marriage. “I am tolerant.”
IRAQ: Palin, “surge” is working. No quitting. Al Qaeda… blah-blah-blah.
Biden: “With due respect, I didn’t hear a plan.” Obama and I agree that we must have a timeline. Iraqis have a surplus. … “We will end this war. For John McCain, there is no end in sight to end this war.”
Palin: PREGNANT PAUSE HERE.. white flag… blah-blah-blah… Bush talking points here.
Biden throws down on funding military equipment. Slams McCain. “McCain was saying that Sunni and Shias. “God love him, but he’s been dead right on the fundamentals relating to the war. As my mother said, God love him, but he’s been dead wrong.
Biden now launches into Pakistan. (NOTE: He shared his views in a post during the primaries here on this site.) John continues to tell us that the central war on terror is in Iraq. .. (if an attack comes) it will come in the hills of Afghanistan and Pakistan. “There have been 7,000 madrassas built.. We should help them build schools.”
Palin turns to Petraeus. “Central war in terror is Iraq.” OH NO!!! ‘NUCULAR’ weapons. Iran, Israel, insert Sean Hannituy talking points here. “The Castro brothers?” Is that a lounge act?
I had a talk with Kissinger, said Palin. They hate us for our freedoms.
Biden: It surprises me that McCain doesn’t know that Ahmadinejad doesn’t control the security apparatus in Iran. Five secretary of states say “talk, talk, talk.” McCain says he won’t sit down. Throws down the Spain card. “I find that incredible.”
Nobody supports Israel more than Joe Biden. The policy of this Administration has been an “abject failure.” Biden then said he would have never joined the ticket if Obama hadn’t supported Israel. EXCELLENT. Biden mentions Bush pushing for Palestinian elections, calling Bush out.
Palin: Glad we agree on Israel. Quit lookin’ back!
Biden: “Past is prologue.” I haven’t heard how John McCAin’s policy will be different from… insert an issues. Biden cleaned up here. Remarkable exchange, just remarkable.
Biden reminds Palin that an Iraq like surge WILL NOT WORK IN AFGHANISTAN. Why? The generals say so. Pivots to the Lugar agreement on nuclear proliferation, which Obama was instrumental in.
NOTE: Palin takes on Obama on Afghanistan. According to the CNN dials, they didn’t buy it. The trust factor is definitely with Biden. Goes back to defense spending in Afghanistan.
The American people have a stomach for success,” was Biden’s response to an Ifill question on interventionism, talking about Africa. “I don’t have the stomach for genocide when it comes to Darfur. I’ve been in those camps in Chad…. We should rally the world to act.
Ifill turns that to Palin… I’m so obviously an outsider. Clueless to what Biden is even talking about. Segues to Iraq. “All options are on the table” for Darfur. YIKES. Back to Alaska… then back to Darfur.
