Live Blogging The Vice Presidential Debate

Why is this VP debate so important? Most years no one cares. Everyone seems to care tonight.

8:00 CST

Why is this VP debate so important? Most years no one cares. Everyone seems to care tonight.

Sarah Palin asks Biden if she can call him Joe. He says sure. She’s dressed in black and reached out to Joe first. Interesting. That’s a statement of power. (Side note: He who touches first is most powerful. She touched him first. Initiated contact.) He looks like he always looks.

Biden says that they’ll focus on the middle class. The rest melted away. Sarah is talking from her heart. Talks about people’s fears. She looks nervous but if she keeps going, she makes Biden sound bland. He seems to be trying to sound bland.

8:05 Who’s to blame?

Palin: Predatory lenders and people living beyond their means? John Hawkins asks about Congress.

Biden: Deregulation is the problem. I hope Palin knocks this back.

Palin is going after “Barack” for raising taxes 94 times. Government is going to have to be more efficient and learn to live with less. Biden is going after the problem with lack of regulation. Why isn’t Palin explaining why regulation is wrong? Have they focus-grouped this?

8:10 CST About tax increases:

Biden is talking about Barack Obama’s tax cuts for middle class.

Palin talks about “redistribution of wealth”. She’s going after Biden because the small businesses will suffer. She also goes after what it means to be middle class. Says that too often government is part of the problem. She’s also talking about the government taking over health care. Affordability and accessibility, she says.

Biden doesn’t call it “redistribution” he calls it “fairness”. OF COURSE! That’s what all socialists say. Now Joe is talking money. He just lost me. He ends on “the ultimate bridge to nowhere”. Chuckles from the “neutral” audience.

8:15 What are you going to get rid of given the current crisis?

Biden isn’t answering the question. He’s just saying what he won’t do. He calls off-shore accounts as “unpatriotic”.

Now Palin isn’t answering the question. She’s talking energy and pointing out that Barack Obama gave tax breaks to oil companies.

8:20 Would you have supported the law change about declaring bankruptcy?

Palin: Yes…I would have. She doesn’t sound like she believes that, though.

Biden: Biden and Obama voted differently. I actually agree with Obama here. You can send that line to Mama, ‘cuz you might not hear it again. Biden is talking numbers again.

Now Palin is off on energy again. I wish she would answer the question.

8:25 Climate change.

Palin is talking about the arctic circle. “All of the above approach” to energy.

Biden thinks climate change is manmade. HE KNOWS. Puhleeze. So he knows that the sun’s energy is changing the earth’s climate? No, he doesn’t know this. Good grief, I hate conventional wisdom.

Tally: Right now, people talking to me is saying Biden is winning.

8:30 CST Same-sex benefits?

Biden: YES! There will be no difference between same-sex couples and married couples. Guaranteed same constitutional rights.

Palin: Marriage is between a man and woman. Oooh! And Biden and Obama are against gay marriage, too.

8:35 CST Iraq and Surge

Palin goes after Obama for not funding troops and uses Biden’s own words against Obama.

Biden says that Obama is the only one with a plan. He wants a time line. Saying that for “John McCain says there is no end to this war.”

Palin looks at Biden and says “Your plan is for putting up a white flag of surrender.” She’s going after him. Woot! Biden smiles–he knows he’s been hit.

Every time Biden talks I zone out. The man blabs. Just like Obama. Blab. Blab. Blab.

Palin sounds strong talking the dictatorial nitwits–“the Castro brothers”. We’re all laughing here.

Camera on FOX pans to Biden who is looking disgruntled, exhales, and rolls his eyes.

On Israel: But the question was on what Bush Administration done right.

Everyone loves Israel. Blah.

Palin scores another body blow: Palin said that for a ticket that talks about the future they sure point fingers back a lot. Joe looks stunned. He comes back swinging. Toooooo late.

8:50 CST What if nuclear weapons were used?

Palin goes back to Afghanistan. And defines a difference between McCain and Bush.

Biden goes after Afghanistan because there is so much more spending in Iraq than Afghanistan. Palin rebuts and says that “surge” strategy would work in Afghanistan.

8:55 CST What about interventionist policies?

Bosnia “worked”, quoth Joe. We’re still there, Mr. Biden. When did the war get won? Is he claiming victory? And we should have “no fly zones” over Sudan. He “doesn’t have the stomach for genocide.”

Palin talks about Darfur and divestment.

Gwen redirects: What is the line that should be drawn about intervention?

Biden says genocide is the line. Wow! That’s a huge interventionist attitude. So we’ll be everywhere? He’s making Bush look protectionist.

Palin is going after Biden for changing and lying about when he votes. Now, she’s talking about John McCain knowing how to “win the war”.

9:00 CST If the President dies, how would your administration be different?

Biden would be a clone of Obama.

Me, I would call bullshit on the question. It’s freaking crazy.

Palin says we’re a team of mavericks and so of course we disagree. She said she’s be for the people.

Joe Biden spends a lot of time in Home Depot. Snort. We’re laughing here.

“There you go, Joe, looking to the past.” She’s enjoying bothering him. And I’m enjoying it too.

9:05 CST What is the Vice Presidential role?

Palin says that she’ll be involved with special education and help with energy.

Biden says that “every decision that Obama makes, I’ll be in the room….because I won’t be afraid to tell him even if we disagree.”

Palin believes that the constitution is flexible.

Biden says that Vice President Cheney is the “most dangerous V.P. in the history of the United States.” Joe says that the only authority is to vote when there is a tie.

9:10 Critique against Palin is inexperience, against Biden is lack of discipline–what is actually the weakness:

Palin says that she does have experience and goes down the list, but doesn’t list the problems with herself.

Bidens problem is his “excessive passion”. Yep, and mine is perfectionism. Interview question 101, never give a negative about yourself that can’t be a positive. Biden chokes up about being a single parent.

Palin talks about Maverick John McCain and he gathers people together.

Biden goes after that and runs down the numbers.

9:17 CST Did you have to change a long-standing view?

He went from being reasonable to picking judges to choosing based on ideology. Is that a good thing?

She passed legislation that she didn’t agree with to work with people. But she hasn’t had to compromise her beliefs?

9:20 CST How will you change the tone?

You are respectful, says Biden.

Palin says that you pick the best people for jobs.

Did Palin just ask for another debate? She likes talking to the American people. Great conclusion–quotes Reagan.

Biden sounds sad, quiet, and has a weird energy. We measure progress about whether someone can pay their mortgage, education, health care, ….big government. It’s time for “America to get up!”

Who won?

She initiates contact with Biden again. Here comes the families. And there’s Piper that little Toot! Biden and Palin talk and they are peers. She’s formidable and he knows it.

She won and Biden knows it.

Fox’s Luntz Focus Group: Overwhelming majority feels that she won it.

Did you notice that they didn’t turn off the mics right away? My mom thinks it was purposeful. That’s how distrustful people are of the media. Is my mom right to be suspicious?