hot off the press, debate summary

For those of you who missed it: here's a summary of tonight's vice presidential debate

The Debaters: Both dressed in black...

Biden is a very confident speaker talks like a very convincing high school teacher. Very self-assured, authoritative.

Palin is not as good of a speaker, but can clearly hold her own on the podium. Took a decidedly Populist approach. A lot of fear talk. Strong use of repetition in her responses.

2. How would you eliminate polarization in the government.

Biden: McCain lied to us...

Palin: We're mavericks (uses McCain's metaphors). Picks on Obama. I respect you, but...

3. Subprime-who's at fault?

Palin: Blames the lenders (greed, corruption). We're going to deal with the corruption. Let's use a few more metaphors...We need to defend ourselves and do what our parents told us (individual/personal responsibility).

Biden: McCain acted surprised by the subprime crisis. Deregulation is not the answer.

Palin: We need to cut taxes. Cutting taxes will create jobs. Government needs less money. We need tax relief.

Biden: McCain voted for all these same bills but that's . She didn't answer the question.

Palin: I want to talk about taxes, and I don't care if I'm not answering the questions. I want to talk about me and how I cut taxes as governor. Goes on and on about taxes until moderator cuts her off.

4. So you want to talk about taxes? Okay...

Biden: We need to be nice to the middle class. If you don't make over 250,000 you will be fine.

Palin: that's redistribution of wealth. What about small businesses? What about patriotism? Let the private sector do its own thing. I want to talk about privatizing healthcare now. We want to have competition in the healthcare market and offer tax credits.

Biden: I'm from Scranton, and I don't think Exxon Mobil deserves a tax break this year. McCain's health care plan is crap.

5. What promises are you not going to be able to keep?

Biden: We're gonna have to halt tax cuts, and slow down, we're not going to support any more corporate tax cuts. We're going to go after deadbeats.

Palin: McCain isn't two faced. I want to talk about energy. In 2005, Obama voted for tax breaks for oil companies. Back in Alaska, I had to break up the party. We're not getting our cut as a state. I haven't promised to do anything, except do the right thing.

Biden: Why is McCain planning on giving Exxon Mobil another tax cut then? I want to give the entire country what the people of Alaska...

Palin: Wall Street is corrupt. We need to thank John McCain for warning people that this was happening. We need to put politics aside. It's a toxic mess.

Biden: Barack Obama has always been on top of the subprime mortgage market. McCain acted suprised about it. We want people to stay in their homes. We don't want banks to collapse. We want to help people but the Bush administration is not interested.

Palin: I want to talk about energy some more. I want to talk about the 2005 vote. We need to become energy independent, we need to drill. How dare the east coast tell us what to do? We need energy independence.

6. Climate change? What is true, what is false?

Palin: Alaska feels the impacts of climate change, some of it isn't manmade. I don't care about the causes. What are we going to do? We've got to clean up this planet and get other nations involved. I was the first gov to form a climate change subcabinet. Our approach is all of the above. We need energy independence.

Biden: I think climate change is manmade. If you don't understand the cause, how can you come up with the right solutions? John McCain has voted against clean energy 25 times. I believe in coal and nuclear...(Yikes!!!) We can drill all we want, but we'll never meet the demand this way...

(Clear it up, people)

Palin: Drill baby drill! Drilling is safe. All of the above! Nuclear/clean coal!

Biden: I've supported clean coal for 25 years (makes sense, the guy is from a coalbelt state). If all you want to do is drill though, how will that address carbon emissions.

(New question)

7. Same sex marriage/benefits?

Biden: Sure. They should have the same rights. That's what's fair.

Palin: I don't want to redefine the definition of marriage, but I'm tolerant of what consenting adults want to do in their private lives. We should maintain traditional definition of marriage.

Biden: We don't support "gay marriage". That's up to faith community to decide. I'm glad Palin feels the same way I do.

Palin: My answer is the same as his.

(You agree, let's move on.)

8. You both have sons in Iraq. What should the exit strategy be?

Palin: Our plan, troop surge is good. Obama voted against this. Biden, you called him out on it. We have a plan. We have got to win. We need to focus on Afghanistan. We can't quit now

Biden: I think Iraq needs to take more responsibility for themselves. McCain voted the same way as Obama. They both voted against it because of the timeline. We need to draw down the troops. We're spending 10 billion dollars a month and Iraq is running a surplus? That's messed up!

Palin: Your plan is surrender! Is Barack Obama ready to be commander in chief?

Biden: John McCain voted against the same amendment! Let me say it again. He voted against it. I warned them this wouldn't be a short war. John McCain has been dead wrong about this war.

9. Let's move on to Iran and Pakistan...who's more dangerous.

Biden: They're both dangerous. Especially Pakistan they already have nuclear weapons. Iran is about to. The problem I have with McCain is that he's stuck on Iraq. But Al Qaeda isn't in Iraq, they're in Pakistan. What we should be doing is building schools, winning hearts and minds.

Palin: both are dangerous. The terrorists are in Iraq. Petraus said so, so I believe him. Israel is in danger. (She says "nuculear" like Bush!) I think Obama doesn't realize how dangerous Iran is. McCain has a fashion for diplomacy. They hate America! They hate what we stand for. We can't just sit down and talk with them. Diploma is hard work by serious people.

Biden: Diplomacy is sitting down and talking to people. How do you do anything if you won't sit down and talk? If we don't make the effort, how do we expect our allies to make any efforts to support us?

10. What about the Israel/Palestine conflict?

Palin: Two state solution. Israel is our best ally. We'll never allow a second holocaust.

Biden: Our current policy is a failure. Too little, too late. We tried to warn the current administration. Now the terrorists are in charge.

Palin: I'm glad we both love Israel. Yeah there's been huge blunders. You guys do too much finger pointing. We're going to learn from the past and forge ahead--our country comes first (McCain campaign slogan), "maverick"

Biden: How different is John McCain's policy from George Bush? So far it sounds the same to me.

11. Intervention (nuclear weapons)

Palin: (She says nu-cu-lear again, eww). We shouldn't let anyone have them. We need to keep sanctions in place (Iran/North Korea). I'd like to talk about Afghanistan. We need to use the same strategies from Iraq in Afghanistan. We're supposed to be fighting terrorists, and building schools (steals Biden's line)

Biden: Facts matter. The current general says the Iraq policies will not work in Afghanistan. We spend more money in 3 weeks in Iraq than in 7 years in Afghanistan. McCain voted against the comprehensive nuclear test ban.

12. Intervention (Bosnia? Darfur?)

Biden: Yeah, if you want to save lives. Now things are stable in Bosnia and Kosovo. I said Iraq would be a mistake, but I think we should do something about the genocide in
Darfur.

Palin: I'm not used to you Washington outsiders. Are you for the war or against it. I just want straight talk. Who are you for? Obama or McCain. We are in a position to help Darfur.

Biden: John McCain says the same stuff as Dick Cheney.

Palin: I disagree with you. John McCain knows how to win a war. He knows what evil is.

13. "A heartbeat away..." You disagree with your running mate. How would you be different?

Biden: I would stick to Obama's policies. Reiterates Obama's campaign statements.
I agree with everything he has suggested.

Palin: She says nearly the same thing. We don't agree on every single thing. We're a team of mavericks. He has never asked me to check my opinions at the door. Reiterates much of what she's already said. Clean up government. Says "working class" instead of "middle class".

Biden: It's time to remember the middle class.

Palin: I don't want to think about the past, I want to talk about the future. We need to talk about education. We need to fund schools. Teachers need to be paid more. I've got a lot of teachers in family. We need to increase our standards.

14. What do you think the vice presidency is all about....

Palin: I think the vice president should have more authority. Reiterates campaign slogans. Want to work on children with special needs.

Biden: Let's get back to education. McCain has never supported education.

Palin: we should support and cooperate with the president.

15. What is your weakness:

Palin: I can relate to the little guy. I'm a mom. I know a lot about energy policy. Spouts the American exceptionalism line.

Biden: I know what its like to raise kids and deal with real life.

Palin: John McCain is a maverick and a party outsider. We've gotta end partisanship.

Biden: He's not a maverick on...previous administration issues.

16. Can you change your mind when you need to?

Biden: Yes.

Palin: Just because I didn't veto things doesn't mean I agreed with them completely (as a governor). I never compromise on the big things that matter. You gotta walk the walk. You create jobs by lowering taxes. Or you vote for Democrats and kill jobs and raise taxes. I'm an average Joe. I'm proud to be American. We need to fight for our freedoms (quotes Reagan).

Biden: we need change. Cites campaign themes.

I think Biden was the stronger speaker, but nobody really "won"...I think they both were able to get it done on the podium