LIVEBLOG: 2008 Vice President debate
Ladies and Gentlemen! In this corner, marching North to the Future, hailing from the Land of the Midnight Sun, Sarah "Barracuda" Palin. And in this corner, the statesman from The First State: Joe Biden!

PALIN! it's as good as bingo. But there are always drinking games. What to watch it online? CSPAN's got you covered.

Game.

Fucking.

On.
There are 756 comments for this entry.
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Yes! You beat me to the punch, butterstick - I was composing a nearly identical post. For posterity and linkitude, here's the text:

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In one corner, the gaffe machine from Scranton with rolled-up sleeves and a foot in his mouth. In the other, entering the ring despite injury, the hockey mom with lipstick major who will read any paper you put in front of her. Keep it clean, ref. Fight!

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Let's do this.
Also, I dunno if images are still turned on, but deep inside I'm hoping that tonight is a....

http://www.yuwantitwhen.com/blog/wp-content/images/train_wreck1.jpg
Dude, your post is way better than mine. Well played.
I will not be near my computer during the debate, so I cannot participate in what I'm sure will be a delightful thread. But my prayers are with y'all in this time of need.
I'm really nervous. I feel like it's going to be bad for the Dems either way it goes.. Look at how they're spinning sympathy for Poor Lil' Palin out of the Katie Couric interviews.

I feel like those have been like watching someone beat up a kid in a wheelchair. You just want to tell Katie to lay off – Palin obviously has no f***ing business being on the national stage. I know it's Couric's job to push the issue, but P obviously will only make herself look stupid. (As a friend of mine pointed out tonight, it's not like a member of the football team beating up the wheelchair kid, either – more like another crippled child.) If you can't hold your own against Katie Couric, may the gods have mercy on your soul!
Hello, livebloggers. I think tonight's gonna be anticlimactic, but a girl can dream, can't she?
Say what you will about Palin, she's certainly generated a lot of interest for this debate.
Dude, that 23/6 thing is fucking hilarious.
Meh. PBS doesn't have any pregame.
Did you all hear about how someone "cleaned up" the Palin Wikipedia page just before McCain announced that he was choosing her? There's some analysis available here.
For all the concerns about the debate format favoring Palin, I feel like it could very easily be a boon to Biden, as well. If limited to 2 minutes, he doesn' have much time to come across as "bullying" and he's still sharp enough to have time for all of his points and rebuttals.
PBS? You don't go to PBS for pregame! FOXNews, baby! Bill O'Reilly (Mr. "Body Language Segment" every other night) has the nerve to express concern over media scrutiny of facial expressions and hand gestures. What a butt!
For those just watching, not commenting, this link will take you to the bottom of the thread as it grows:
http://www.politicalfilter.com/content/frontpage/comments/liveblog#lastcomment
I wish I were smart enough to write a firefox code that would auto-refresh this page.
scartol, I value my sanity too much to watch O'Reilly do anything.
This is my first liveblogging experience. None of my friends could gather tonite, so I'll settle for a virtual rowdy crowd. I feel like Kyle and Stan playing Guitar Hero. Real guitars are for old people!
LET'S DO THIS!!!!!


(whipcrack!)

http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/3/10/2/f_yachtrock2m_73d28bd.jpg


HALL AND OATES!!!!
Why am I getting no sound from the MySpace dealie?
oh man, the cspan cameras can't do red well.

Did I just hear a starting bell?
This was the fastest site registration I ever went through.
Okay it's making noise now.
Gwen looks pretty in teal.
It's gwen!
I like her jacket.
She's cool; I've seen her on the NewsHour. Liberal media elite!
GIMMIE BRACELETS AND DESKS AND LETS EFFING DO THIS.
Ifill looks and sounds good.
Quick, everyone! Check Sarah's ears for any earpieces!
Well, that "can I call you Joe?" was straight into Joe's lapel mic.
Palin blowing kisses at the crowd; "Can I call you Joe?"
Salon: Is Sarah Palin just playing dumb?

Except she's clearly playing smart, using a lot of "big" words incorrectly. She sounds smart to dumb people and dumb to smart people. The worst possible combination.
Palin needs a booster podium.
I see a lump on her back. Just kidding.
"Can I call you Joe?"
Can he call her Sarah then?
START FESTOONING
Nice tie, Joe.
Why are the CNN response lines "Men" and "Women"? That's flat out insulting.
He chose the tie to match the backdrop. Blue state latte-sipper.
*taps the keyboard*

Is this thing on?
Wow. Biden is smooth as ice.
Why is Joe still looking down at his notes so much?
Stop with the live polling, MySpace! Who'd have thought MySpace would have annoying interruptions to my web experience?
I <3 Joe. Clear, to the point, and easy for regglar folk to understand.
I also wish they showed a timer or something.
"Can I call you Joe?"

Ex points out that her ears are uncovered.
She needs more pins on her lapel.
And I thank the judges and I thank America and I thank all soccer moms
Here we go with the Hockey Moms.. Betcha count: ONE
Time to soccer game: 15 seconds.
Time to "betcha": 20.
Soccer! Drink! Betcha! Drink again!
Barometer resounding?
I brought popcorn.

Also: You'd hear fear in their voice as they realize they're about to get cornered into a conversation about economics at a soccer game.
FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Republicans just love it.
Soccer game anecdote. Why does she insist on "folksy" anecdotal data over real data?
Wow. Soccer moms and "betcha" in the first sentence!
She's staring into the camera too much... Snap me out of it if she starts swinging a watch.
Oh those reform measures did a bangup job!
Those eyes. So dead when she looks at the camera straight-on.
When I go to kids soccer games, they always call the cops. :(
"Obsessive politics".. classic! VOTE FOR ME!!!
John McaCain Bipartisan rinse, lather, repeat
Campaign suspension drop. Ugh.
Wait, is she agreeing with Biden?

Full of lies, but coherent, that was nice.
Must...ignore...opponent...must...stare directly..at camera!!
Yeah just what the Democrats need, to prove how willing they are to be just like Republicans..
Yes but how many seconds was that comment, Joe?
Yay! Fundamentals quote!
fundamentalS!! Plural! And no he wasn't!
Oh here we go with the John McCain Dictionary
WINK
Palin wink!
Good recovery/sleight-of-hand by Palin...
Silly Joe. Fundamentals of our economy is just John McCain dehumanizing the American work force. Which is fundamentally strong, dontcha know.
A Team of Mavericks: Screw You and Your Fancy Washington Rules!
GO TEAM MAVERICK
Is she going to stare into the camera for the entirety of the ninety minutes?

You betcha.
Biden's talking to the moderator, Palin's talking to me. Score one for her, sorry to say.
Biden doesn't appear to be looking in any useful direction...not the camera or Palin, much like McCain last week.

Ooh, they prepped her for the "fundamentals" callout. That was a rote-practiced answer.
Wow, how do all those lies fit in her head?
Awesomeness is intreched in our economic fundamentals - our workers. The best in the world.
My first laugh of the night: "Where we (Repubs) are known for putting our partisan politics aside
Something new and different -- like John McCain! :D
MAVERICK! DRINK!
I've been smitten.
Here's the new energy! Maverick! I almost got bingo already!
Did she wink at *me*?
Go Gwen!
Darn right! You betcha!
Darn right. Those black folk shoulda stayed in their hunnerd thousand dollar house.
Joe Sixpack, really?
oh, i don't know if i can watch this.
Holocaust slogan count: ONE
Darn Tootin
Those predators, those wolves, let's shoot them from the helicopters
Joe Sixpack for president!
Biden just sighed in her direction. He knows it's an uphill battle against her perk.
"Never again." Indeed.
"never again?" Spare me.

Guess they know they lost Florida.
Y'all, I am already drunk and it's only two minutes into the thing. Bingo! Drink!
I don't like this debate format at all. It's wearing out my hip boots.
Joe Sixpack and Hockey Moms!

Jeeesus, it's like a cartoon.
My parents told me to live as far outside our means as possible! I'm an American, dammit!
20 million dollar deficit? Live inside our means?
Staring past the camera makes her look even more like a deer in the headlights.

Also: Sarah Palin has a FLAG PIN to end all flag pins.
Holocaust slogan count: TWO
"Taken advantage of"? What The HELL?!?
"a heck of a lot of good lessons"
It's not the American peoples fault that they bought $300,000 houses even though their parents told them not to.
She is going to play well to the proles
I'm still on my first beer and I'm already feeling sick. This perky stuff is just disgusting.
Joe does need to look at the camera more. Palin's creepy when she does it, but it does connect with the audience.
Deer in the headlights (Tom Tomorrow)
This is so lame. Buncha speeches.
Wow, good answer from Palin. She's doing well.
Thank god someone is saying we need more regulations..
I feel like biden is a more dynamic speaker than he's letting on
Go, Biden, go! He's hitting McCain, ignoring Palin. Awesome.
There ya go. Good eye contact, Joe. Keep it up.
Darn Right count: THREE
This performance is like her convention speech. She's doing exactly what she needs to do.
Darn right those millionaires need tax relief
She absolutely douses her rhetoric in "folksy" phrasing. "Heckuva" "darn" and the call-outs to "Joe Sixpack" and the hockey moms....it's so transparent it's painful.

As far as the CNN reaction lines go, women seem to love both VP candidates more than men do. Ugh, who else has good coverage, the gendered line reactions are bugging me.
Is that whole thing one flag pin?
We agree Joe! Darn right! Obama! Increased taxes!
Come to PBS. It's bland, but it's squiggly-line free.
My wife says the 4x,000/yr tax increase is "BS"
Is there any chance of this getting away from talking points and rehashed stump speeches?
I want Joe to throw a very nice, eloquent insult into one of his responses, and have Palin go "Darn Right, I agree" just because it would be funny.
(I was talking about the answer before last. The one about predatory lenders)
"Private spectre"? Did I just hear that?

Paging Dr. Freud, paging Dr. Freud...
Nice riposte, Joe.. Take that, McCain!
I like how she waves everytime she mentions middle class, as if she's supposed to be one of them.
My PBS feed is in glorious HD but the sound is out of sync so it looks like Gov Palin's words are dubbed over.
Call her on non-answers. Good.
Ooh, good call on the factual de-spin rebuttal on the fake tax raise argument there, Joe.
Yeah, I'm guessing most of the time Palin says "Obama...blah-blahed" it is going to be a lie
"Fuck you, I don't have to answer your questions!"
Yeah, she's a Maverick! Screw you, moderator! I'm not gonna answer how you want me to!
PALIN: FUCK YOU AND YOUR QUESTIONS!
birdherder, I'm not getting any syncing issues on the HD feed. Could it be a local thing?
Gov, you live in a subsidized state! You don't need fucking taxes. We're paying for you!
Oh boy. I'm not going to answer the questions you want me to answer because I am a Maverick!
I may not answer the questions the way the moderator or Senator Biden wants but I want to talk straight to the people and ITS MY PARTY AND I CRY IF I WANT TO
To be fair, ignoring "rules" and "questions" are pretty standard fare for the GOP.
If she was gonna talk to the people, she woulda done it already.
Gwen, WTF? Talk about a butchered question.
I need to see my dentist, the sugar is killing me.
Oh thank god Gwen's bringing up the absurd McCain plan to tax health benefits. I can't wait to see Palin worm out of that one.
I like that Palin keeps saying "predator lenders" - that was one of those low-level vocab wars that was going on between activists and the payday lending industry. I'm glad to see that Palin's lack of awareness of the context of these things is letting her popularize the term
I can't even be bothered to sort through the numbers right now.. Do all these stats serve a purpose, considering it all gets spun into infinity within hours?
She doesn't have to worm out of anything. She's just going to recite talking points 4 through 7.
I'm just a simple caveman lawyer hockey mom....
Thanks for finally talking to me joe.. now win!
Biden is very eloquent. I haven't really listened to him talk much before, but he's impressive. Not an "uh" or "um" out of him, either.

And there's Palin, using big words in a not-quite-right manner.
As if 700 billion to Wall Street isn't "redistribution of weath"..
(Thanks, andrew...)
"Redistribution of wealth!" Clarion call to the superweathy republicans.
She's blinking a lot, isn't she? Is it the bangs? Is she communicating in code?
Yeah government was the problem on Wall Street there, huh? Nice one, Pale-on!
Palin, try not to look too much like Fey mocking your smiliness. It's creepy.
Ugh, I must be on my fourth card for Palin bingo.
"Government, yer not always the solution" Oh god, she is just kidding.
Look at meeee! I'm middle class!
Yeah, nice one Andrew.. I may not understand your fancy microwave ovens..
Yeah, it's patriotic to despise and dismantle your government!
AH god damn it CSPAN is getting all buggy on me.
I think it's safe to say that unless things start going downhill, we're going to be trainwreck free, at least.
Who could possibly be pleased with the way the federal government has been running anything lately?
I'm pleased with the way the federal government is running Social Security. Best government program ever.. Vastly reduced levels of senior poverty, no question..
Sweetie, your party has been in charge!

Erase the state borders? What about state's rights?
DESTROY THE GOVERNMENT! ELECT ME TO DESTROY THE GOVERNMENT!
Sometimes redistribution is fairness.. To be fair..
Cross state lines to get abortions, if you have your way, you fucking moron.
PALIN: Yes I did memorize John McCain's health care "plan" talking points.
Don't jinx my popcorn, cortex...
This is incredible. Palin chucks out a lie, Biden shatters it. It's like a verbal skeet-shooting match.
Keep smiling, governer.

Here's hoping she gets writers cramp
Awesome. Hammer it home, Joe. The McCain healthcare plan is the most jacked proposition ever.
I want Republicans someday to talk about distribution of wealth and how unfair that is, instead of constantly whining about redistribution..
Has Biden had recent eye work done? Looks like a nip tuck to me.
Right on, go after McCain's absurd health care plan.
Biden is talking directly to America....I like it. Ooh, "Bridge to Nowhere"!!!
Stay Classy, Audience
Ooo burn in your face, Palin! The ultimate Bridge to Nowhere..
Heh, laugh on the Bridge to Nowhere bit. Lame, but got a laugh.
What did he just say about the Bridge to Nowhere?
She is flinging the bullshit wide and deep. Being "Patriotic" to the GOP is being in lockstep with whatever crap the government dishes out. Like taking your shoes off at the airport.
Joe is sounding like my accountant. I don't understand him either. Just tell me where to sign, and let's keep it at that.
Nice retort on McCains health plan.
This is very dueling-popular-appeals so far.
That's easy for you to say, Joe.
But Palin is pretty and smiles a lot!
Sure he does.. Tire inflation!
"Characterised."

I guess it's the zed. Which you might call a zee. Crazy world.
John McCain certainly never says two different thing about the same thing, yeah.
I don't know what to say, so I'm not going to answer your question
She's such a dingus! I knew Dan Quayle, Ms. Palin. I worked with Dan Quayle. And you, Ms. Palin, are no Dan Quayle.
what? John McCain wants Bush to veto the bill he voted for last night!
ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.
Oh yeah she's been soooo oppositional to the oil companies.. I heard they all pulled out of there. "Bless their hearts"! To CEOs!
Value like bridges and hockey arenas and shopping centers
Bless their hearts. And just stab me in mine, too, ok?
Did she just bless those oil bastards hearts?
Why isn't gwen making palin answer the questions?
Go, Gwen! Go!

I haven't promised anything, so you can't expect anything from me! no fair!
Wow, this strategy of just bringing up random talking points is very confusing. How to keep up with the actual question?
She is making me feel all stabby.
"You" includes your running mate, about whose policies you should in theory be aware.
No, we don't want oversight.. We want REGULATION! There's a difference, you dingus!
Ex says 'she played Couric'
PALIN: I KNOW MORE ABOUT ENERGY THEN ANYONE IN AMERICA.

(but I don't know anything about what our campaign has promised)
Did she just disavow McCain and all his "promises"?
I really like how Joe is debating the guy who isn't there.
I don't get mad. I get stabby. First Simpsons reference of the evening? Nice..
I like her shoes. There. I can say something nice about Palin.
Way to turn it back on her Joe!
Ooooo and the Americans salivate at the sound of a $1000.00 check!
Bidens "widfall tax" answer was fantastic.
She's not a hideous mutant creature from Neptune. There, I can say something nice about Palin. Everybody else, your turn.
Audio guy is shite - there are more rings than a pawn shop in that room.
It was a bit wonky, though.
Was "kind of rear that head" in the drinking game?
Nobody's gaffing! Gaffe, damnit!
So you'd still string up mortgage strapped people, then? got it.

She's a smoooooth talker
Actually Biden was really the driving force on making bankruptcy more difficult.
John McCain is such a reformer that he reformed the system so that poor people got fucked over even further when they needed to declare bankruptcy. Also: ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU STUPID COW.
Corruption and greed on Wall Street? Since when?

But the movie was FICTION!
I think Biden's windfall answer through Palin off, she looks shaken.
From your lips, Zax.. Main street and wall street mixup..
Thank John McCain?

There are some things I'd like to thank him for, but I don't think they are any of the things she's just mentioned.
"We need to be appreciative of John McCain. We need to lick his shoes. We need to slather him with mooseburgers and roll our nubile bodies all over him."
So when is Biden going to mention that McCain never actually stopped campaigning?
The bankruptcy reform bill is my one big grudge against Biden.
Did she just say on the finance crisis "it's a toxic mess on Main St that affects Wall St"??
shiu mai baby: Get some white wine. When she's annoying, have some. You don't have to work tomorrow, do you?
PrinciPal.. it's a P not a B.. But he's right, tho..
goodnews: You betcha!
Palin's got that scharmy "You're fucking stupid" look down.
ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION FOR FUCKING OUT LOUD.
Gwen, please don't set up yes-or-no rebuttals. "Is that so" is not a good prompt.
"All that we can! Drill baby Drill!"
Well, given Biden's close ties to the banks and credit cards, it's unsurprising ...

Wait, what? We're back on energy? I've got whiplash over here.
Ticket...ticket...ticket...that's a fun word isn't it?
It is not so. There, I answered a question. Now, where was I?
This is not going well.
She spent 30 seconds spouting words without making any points. Then whined about not being able DRILL BABY DRILL In alaska.
Anyone playing the bingo? Is tough.
Well, given Biden's close ties to the banks and credit cards, it's unsurprising ...

Seriously, that was wide open for her.
"East Coast Politicians." Read: librul gay faggy elites keeping us from drillin' in that useless chunk of land called ANWAR
It doesn't matter what caused it!
What happens when she runs out of paper?
Ooooo tapping into that magic oil baby. That wonderful magic, slippery oil.
No, you're not giving energy companies "tax breaks". They're called "subsidies".
Her delayed reaction in going back to previous questions is kind of amusing. It's like the Pre-recorded Call-In Show. Or a Time Machine bit on SNL.
See, you east coast politicians don't realize that we have *oil* in Alaska!
Every man activity of man.
It's just God huggin' us closer!
PALIN: I do not attribute all of man's activities to global warming.
Palin's speaking style is really grating. It's like she's literally sewing together talking points.
Can this climate change answer be the trainwreck moment?
She's on safer ground with climate change

christ, she went back to drill baby drill
Impacts! Four times!
How many times can you say "climate change impacts" in one breath?
I see some emissions you can get rid of right now. The ones coming out of your stupid yap.
wtf is she talking about?
Yeah, drill offshore to stop global warming! OH YEAH the US cares more about global warming than all those faggy Kyoto signatories!
I don't want to argue about the causes because you can just magically "clean-up" the planet without knowing what caused the problem. Jesus told me so.
You can actually pinpoint the exact moments her single track train of thought gets derailed. Watch her smiles.
Should I be concerned about this CNN graph thing?
My empathy is kicking in too much - I feel sorry for her (is that in the drinking game?).
JOE BIDEN: "JOE BIDEN!!!! AND JOE BIDEN!"
She's making me angrier than the speed of my fingers.
Bingo! Joe got it.
I do not attribute all of man's activities to global warming.

Somehow I parsed that as "man's activities as a result of global warming"

"I only blame short shorts on bad fashion, not global warming"
Mock the drilling. Good.
Actually most solar panels are made in China as well.

BIDEN: "DRILL BABY DRILL! JOE BIDEN LOVES THE DRILL!!!"
Man. I don't know if it's confirmation bias or not, but she really seems to be getting more rambly, not less, as this thing wears on. I don't think she's doing very well. Again, probably confirmation bias. But at least Joe is staying on message, and, you know, answering the question.
Man, I'm so glad I don't have to memorize all the voting specifics for my running mate as well as the opposition
This is like the UN and Model UN were both given the same conference room.
PEOPLE ARE STARVING FOR OIL
Those people chanting "Drill Baby Drill" are dentists, advocating good periodontal health. Oops, I mean: They're idiots.
She's so fucking proud of the "Drill, Baby, Drill" thing. I think I'm gonna be sick.
She does not play the pedant well. "The chant is Drill, Baby, Drill, Joe you ignorant slut."
"Clean, grean natural gas".

FUCKING HILARIOUS
OK, I switched to CNN. Women hate "drill baby drill."
Senator O'Biden. She just made him Irisher!
People are so hungry for oil. They want us to tap into the earth and let the oil flow right into their mouths.
shiu, she seems a bit more rambly to me too, but not necessarily signficantly so. We'll see.

TINY FOOTPRINTS
Tiny footprints? How can that be bad?
("grean"? I'm drinking too heavily already.)
Are we winning yet?
Senator O'Biden?
Nuke u laaaaar!
"New-cue-ler"!
Sarah Palin drinks your milkshake.
"Raping the continental shelf."

Also, there's no conversation going on. Zero.
hahaha, she actually said it

"DRILL BABY DRILL, FLOW INTO HUNGRY MARKETS!!"

Will Palin make the earth pay for it's own rape kit?
bottomhole n: the lowest or deepest part of a well.

Now you can ask: are we there yet?
WHERE ARE THE BRACELETS
I've got my WristStrong™ bracelet on..
Now, the gay-baiting portion of the program.