CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
Oct. 3, 2008 – 1:56 a.m.
The Vice Presidential Debate: CQ Politics’ Bests and Mosts
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
What’s more exciting than a debate between Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and his Republican counterpart, John McCain ? A debate between running mates Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Sarah Palin , apparently.
Biden, the Delaware senator running with Obama, and Palin, the Alaska governor paired with McCain, kept a fast pace with plenty of punching and counterpunching during the only vice presidential debate, held Thursday night at Washington University in St. Louis.
After weeks of ridicule for her inability to answer television interviewers’ questions, Palin had the most riding on the debate, and she delivered a performance reminiscent of her Republican National Convention speech that thrilled Republicans.
In her responses, Palin had a folksy style - lots of “darn,” “heck” and “doggone it” - her trademark and political strength.
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Biden more than held his own, attacking McCain’s record repeatedly without appearing too aggressive toward Palin. He answered questions fully without wandering, as he is sometimes prone to do.
Here are CQ’s bests and mosts from the first, and only, vice presidential debate of the 2008 campaign.
Most Discussed Topic: The Economy
Both Biden and Palin sought to claim the title of champion of the middle class by emphasizing their familiarity with “kitchen table” issues and portraying the other ticket as dangerous to the needs of middle class families.
Here’s Biden: “I was recently at my local gas station and asked a guy named Joey Danko (ph). I said Joey, how much did it cost to fill your tank? You know what his answer was? He said I don’t know, Joe. I never have enough money to do it. The middle class needs relief, tax relief. They need it now. They need help now. The focus will change with Barack Obama .”
Here’s Palin: “You know, I think a good barometer here, as we try to figure out has this been a good time or a bad time in America’s economy, is go to a kid’s soccer game on Saturday, and turn to any parent there on the sideline and ask them, “How are you feeling about the economy?” And I’ll bet you, you’re going to hear some fear in that parent’s voice, fear regarding the few investments that some of us have in the stock market. Did we just take a major hit with those investments? Fear about, how are we going to afford to send our kids to college? A fear, as small-business owners, perhaps, how we’re going to borrow any money to increase inventory or hire more people.”
Best New Counterpunch: Biden on 477 Tax Increases
Palin repeated the oft-used and controversial figure that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has voted 94 times either to raise taxes or to oppose a possible tax cut. Fact-check organizations have taken McCain and Palin to task on the figures because some of the tax hikes were coupled with tax cuts and some of them were on non-binding budget resolutions (though such non-binding votes have long been considered typical campaign fodder).
The Vice Presidential Debate: CQ Politics’ Bests and Mosts
Biden took Palin to task because McCain has cast more such votes than Obama: “Using the standard that the governor uses, John McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes,” Biden said.
There’s no way to check the number immediately, but, given that McCain has been in Congress more than six times as long as Obama, it’s safe to assume he has a lengthier record of votes supporting some increase - or no decrease - in taxes.
It’s also a good bet that Biden’s number would be far higher than Obama’s after 36 years in the Senate.
For the record, all three voted for higher taxes on oil companies when they supported a Wall Street bailout package earlier this week that partly finances renewable energy efforts with tax hikes.
Best Turn of an Opponent’s Phrase: Palin Paraphrases Biden
“ Barack Obama voted against funding troops there after promising that he would not do so. And Senator Biden, I respected you when you called him out on that. You said that his vote was political and you said it would cost lives.”
First Gaffe: Moderator Gwen Ifill on House Bailout Vote
Despite all the pre-debate anticipation of Palin or Biden gaffes, there were actually few gaffes on either side of the stage. And the first of the night actually came from the center when debate moderator Gwen Ifill misstated the outcome of the failed Monday House vote on a Wall Street bailout bill.
“The House of Representatives this week passed a bill, a big bailout bill -- or didn’t pass it, I should say,” Ifill said.
Biggest Palin Gaffe: Misnaming Commander in Afghanistan
Responding to Palin’s assertion that the principles used in the Iraq “surge” should be applied to Iraq, Biden said the U.S. commander on the ground in Afghanistan said that those surge principles would not work if applied in Afghanistan.
Palin replied: “McClellan did not say definitively the surge principles would not work in Afghanistan. Certainly, accounting for different conditions in that different country and conditions are certainly different. We have NATO allies helping us for one and even the geographic differences are huge but the counterinsurgency principles could work in Afghanistan. McClellan didn’t say anything opposite of that.”
The only problem: It’s not McClellan but McKiernan, as in Gen. David McKiernan. (General George B. McClellan was an important commander in the Civil War.)
The Vice Presidential Debate: CQ Politics’ Bests and Mosts
Biggest Biden Gaffe: Missing VP’s Constitutional Place and Role
In blasting Vice President Dick Cheney for claiming to be a member of both the executive and legislative branches of government, Biden, a lawyer and the former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Article I of the Constitution covers the executive branch. But Article I establishes the legislative branch and confers the only explicit power granted to the vice president, that of president of the Senate.
He also asserted that the vice president’s primary role is as a supporter and adviser to the president. However, Article II (executive branch) references to the vice president deal solely with how he or she is elected, succeeds to the presidency and is removed from office. The vice president isn’t even a member of the Cabinet.
Here’s Biden: “Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that. And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there’s a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.”
Best Stolen Line: Palin Swipes “There You Go Again” from Reagan
After Biden challenged Palin to name policies on which McCain differs from unpopular President George W. Bush , Palin reached back in time to reprimand Biden for looking backward.
Here’s what she said: “Say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again.” Reagan famously used the line “there you go again” to deflect Jimmy Carter in a 1980 debate.
Most Awkward Sound: Biden Drawing a Breath
It’s not his fault - there was a powerful open microphone nearby - but Biden managed to channel Darth Vader momentarily by drawing a deep breath while Palin gave an answer on Israel.
While we’re on Biden and Star Wars characters:
Most Yoda-like Answer: Biden on McCain’s Often-Repeated Claim of Being a “Maverick”
Palin has struggled with her syntax, but Biden ended up sounding most like Yoda, the sage mentor to Luke Skywalker who often inverted his sentences.
“Maverick he is not on the important critical issues that affect people at the kitchen table,” Biden said.
The Vice Presidential Debate: CQ Politics’ Bests and Mosts
It sounded a bit like this gem from the real Yoda: “When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not.”
Biggest Area of Agreement: Gay Marriage
Biden and Palin both voiced support for various civil rights for gay couples but said they oppose sanctioning marriages.
Best (and only) Shout Out: Palin Gets Bonus Points for Elementary School
“I come from a house full of school teachers. My grandma was. My dad, who is in the audience today, he’s a schoolteacher, had been for many years. My brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here’s a shout out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate,” Palin said.
Most Self-Congratulatory Line: Tie. Biden on ‘Admission,’ Palin on ‘Maverick’
Here’s Biden ‘conceding’ that he was right: “My recommendations on Bosnia. I admit I was the first one to recommend it. They saved tens of thousands of lives.”
Here’s Palin during an answer about the economy: “I’ve joined this team that is a team of mavericks with John McCain , also, with his track record of reform, where we’re known for putting partisan politics aside to just get the job done.”
Most Utterances of the Word “Maverick”: Biden
Not surprisingly, Palin praised her running mate eight times by calling him a “maverick.” But Biden, in describing when he felt McCain was not a “maverick,” used the word nine times.
Comments
Palin thinks that she lost the VP debate. Watch this interview here: http://tubedirects.net/index.php?q=Palin-Fox-interview
REACTION THE MEDIA WILL NOT TALK ABOUT... Bob Shrum: "She Barely Kept Up"... "McCain Lost the VP Debate Too"... Madeleine Albright: "Biden's Night... We Need A VP Who Can Be Persuasive With Foreign Leaders"... Arianna Huffington: "Not A Very Good Night For Palin"... Leah McElrath Renna: "Biden's Tears Did More For The Equality Of The Sexes Than Palin's Presence"... Nora Ephron: Not The "Exciting Blood Bath We Were Hoping For"... Adam McKay: Biden Was "Masterful"... Paul Reiser: "Hey, She Didn't Stink Up The Joint"...
Palin is not even in the same league as Joe Biden. I do not want a person who knows nothing of current issues to make decisions for this country. We have already tried that!
We will never have victory in Iraq. We lost when Shock and Awe tragically began, when our invasion and occupation of the unfortunate Iraqi people bankrupted us and ruined our reputation. If McCain wins, the world will not soon forget.
Palin didn't drown; she successfully stayed afloat in the deep end of the pool. That was really all the Republicans could realistically ask. Biden swam laps around her. The point that Obama's camp needs to stress is one of leadership, common sense, and steadiness under pressure. Obama made his choice for vice president after study, examination, and with an eye on the big picture: can this person handle the job of being the most powerful person on this planet should something happen? In Biden's case, the answer is yes. McCain made a political choice, a roll of the dice, a less-than-thought out selection of a person who currently lacks the vision and background to handle the reins of the nation, and to return the United States to its position in the world. I wish the McCain of 2000 was still around, and not this version of the man, who has shameless turned into everything he always said he was not -- a politician.
All Biden did was spout his normal old Liberal talking points. He's been in the Senate 35 years and he's been on the wrong side of every single issue. Nice job Joe shooting down Clarence Thomas and Robert Bork, he's a partisan schmuck and a party hack! Mind you i'm a Democrat and retired union guy. I'd never vote for a Liberal!
"But Article I establishes the legislative branch and confers the only explicit power granted to the vice president, that of president of the Senate. " I'm not sure I understand why you think Biden made a mistake here. Article I, Clause 4, does indeed state that the Vice President will be President of the senate. The only real power (in common practice) that grants the VP is the ability to cast a vote only in case of a tie. The point of this is generally agreed to be one of the checks and balances in the Constitution, namely that the Executive Branch (of which the VP is a part) will have influence and representation in the Legislative Branch (i.e. the Senate). Thus, Biden is correct in stating that the VP belongs to the Executive Branch and that his or her main role is to support the policies of the President. He wasn't saying that Article I defined the Executive branch. He was saying that Article I defines the VP's role, which it does. The end part of that sentence states that the VP's role is in the Executive Branch, which it is. The fact that the VP does not have a regular vote in the Senate means he or she is not a member of the Legislative Branch, even though they play a part in it. That Article II (Executive Branch) discusses the election and/or removal of the VP strongly suggests that the VP belongs in the Executive Branch. He's right about the historical role of the VP, even if it's not contained in the Constitution. If you want to find an error in what he said, it's probably where he claims that the VP presides over the Senate "only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote." Although this has been common practice, the Constitution says the VP is always President of the Senate, not merely in the case of a tie vote. It's just that that's the only time the VP can cast a vote. As a small, pedantic side note, Constitutional law is much different from any other sort of law, so the fact that he's a lawyer doesn't really have much bearing on his specific memorization of the Constitution as it relates to the VP, nor does, to my knowledge, his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee.
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