October 2, 2008

Live-blogging the VP debate.

7:31, Central Time: I'm here, eating strozzapreti with burned tomato sauce, counting the last few minutes before the grand showdown.

7:39: Strozzapreti? "Priest choker"!

7:55: Are you going to watch on CNN, with the uncommitted viewers' reaction lines undulating at the bottom of the screen? Wow. That's crazy! I can't tolerate that distraction, and the "persuadable" voters they've assembled are... not people I feel like monitoring on a real-time basis.

7:58: What are you looking for, mainly? Honestly, I'm mainly looking to see if Sarah Palin can sound reasonably competent.

8:02: The 2 candidates stride out, both dressed in black. "Hey, can I call you Joe?" we hear Sarah say. Palin looks tiny behind her lectern. She's behind her lectern there, and here's where I am, chez Althouse:

DSC09497

8:06: Palin's flag pin is way bigger than Biden's. Biden has a brown dot on his forehead. Palin refers to "the fundamental" of our economy. She's speaking too quickly, sounding nervous.

8:09: Whose fault is the sub-prime mortgage meltdown? Palin says the moneylenders have taken advantage of people, and she mentions "hockey moms" a second time. Biden blames Republican deregulation. Biden's forehead wrinkles only way over on the side, while the whole center is smooth and flat. What do you think? Botox?

8:13: Palin says she might not answer the questions the way the monitor wants, but she's going to talk straight to the American people. She reveals her overarching strategy. And I note that she's speaking clearly and confidently. There is no stumbling or fear, as far as I can see.

8:19: Joe Biden is going to "eliminate those wasteful spending."

8:27: I'll bet a lot of people are tuning out about now, satisfied that Palin is competent and smart, but pretty bored.

8:29: I'm reading Andrew Sullivan: "Biden is just dreadful. He speaks in Washingtonese. She just issues the soundbites and wrinkles her eyes and tells stories. And that works. The speed and chirpiness she delivers overwhelms one's ability to even quite absorb what she's saying. And it has put Biden off-stride. It's Biden who seems over-crammed." It seems to me that both of them are spewing policy (and it's getting tiresome). "Chirpiness"... I don't know, Andrew... that reads as sexist to me. Why is she overwhelming your ability to absorb what she's saying? Is she working some voodoo on you... and on Biden?

8:34: Palin said "Senator O'Biden."

8:35: Palin razzes Biden on clean coal. Is he for it or not? Biden says he's for it, and his rope-line comment was about his support for exporting clean coal technology to China. That doesn't seem to fit the text of his remark (which he claims was "taken out of context").

8:37: Biden passionately expresses support for equal treatment for same-sex couples, and Palin opposes same-sex marriage, but says that in all other ways she's completely tolerant of adults forming their own relationships. Biden then is given the opportunity to disavow gay marriage, which he eagerly does. Okaaaay.

8:40: Palin is praising the surge and insisting on victory in Iraq. "It would be a travesty if we quit now." Biden complains that she didn't state a plan. On the split screen, when Biden is speaking, Palin looks like she's brimming with ideas she's just waiting to express. When she gets her turn, she says Biden's plan is a "white flag of surrender." She reminds Biden of how much he supported McCain and how he said Obama was not ready to be President.

8:49: Biden is mugging and scratching his neck in an exaggerated way. I think he was trying to signal his objection to the things Palin was saying about Obama's willingness to sit down with Ahmadinejad.

8:51: Biden's heating up! Is he losing his temper?

8:55: At Drudge:



8:57: Well, let me ask:

Who's winning?
Palin.
Biden.
It's not about winning and losing in the debate.
Shut up! It's not over.
pollcode.com free polls


9:03: Palin enthuses over her Washington outsider status as she claims to hear Biden saying, essentially, I was for it before I was against it.

9:09: "Palin: 'Oh, man, it's so obvious that I'm a Washington outsider and just not used to the way you guys operate!' And then, Biden pats down his brow. On sheer theatrics, Palin definitely won that moment." LOL. That's Jac (my son), who's also live-blogging.

9:11: "There you go again. Say it ain't so, Joe." Palin was waiting to say that. Biden's error? Linking McCain to Bush. Palin seems supercharged. The question is education, and she's praising teachers and winking at her dad in the audience.

9:13: Palin gets a big laugh saying that she and Biden made "lame jokes" back in the beginning of the debate when they avoided answering the question what they wanted to do as VP. Clearly, she's really relaxed. The end is in sight, and she knows she's done well. She's stood her ground next to Biden. She hasn't stumbled, and he's seemed a bit boring.

9:25: Asked what he's changed his opinion about, Biden says he came to realize that judicial ideology matters. (Which is why he opposed Bork.) Palin says she's never had to compromise.

9:29: We've reached the prepared closing statements. So Palin has survived... more than survived. She won, I think most people will say. Now, she's able to say she likes to do these unscripted things. She quotes Ronald Reagan (again) and mentions "freedom" (again and again).

9:31: Biden gives his closing statement. He seems like a nice man. Did he ever attack her?

9:34: Huge crowd of family on the stage.

9:36: The final poll:

It's over now, so who won?
Biden
Palin
Neither
pollcode.com free polls

POST-DEBATE: Let me highlight some comments. Stupe said...
Althouse can't just eat normal foods, she needs trendy.

She doesn't go to chain restaurants, and her cuisine needs to reflect her offbeat, edgy, urbane, t[r]endy life.
Is burning the sauce now a trend? Or do I create the trend? If so, I can't help but be trendy. Is there a strozzapreti trend? I just picked the pasta that had a shape that appealed to me. So just be yourself, Stupe, and believe it's all very trendy, and that might make you happy. Don't think about me. Or, hell, think about me until it drives you crazy.

Ruth Anne Adams said...
The hair in [Sarah Palin's] eye is bothering my husband.
Ha ha. That was bugging me too. I was distracted thinking about whether she was distracted thinking about whether it would be more distracting to disentangle her bangs from her (false?) eyelashes than to allow the bangs-eye combo to continue as a single unit.

Lisa said...
So far, she sounds smart, sane and Republican.

The left will hate her. The right will agree with her.
(Lisa said baby on a night like this...)

vbspurs said...
Does Palin have ice water in her bloodstream or is it me?

She's almost too un-nervous. It's making me nervous!
LoafingOaf said...
What a twitchy, nervous wreck Palin is!
Palladian said...
Sarah Palin's pussy is gnawing at LoafingOaf's brain again.
vbspurs said...
OOOOOOH. A little lesbian tension between Palin and Ifill just now. HAWT.
(It's late-night Althouse.)

Michael_H said...
I don't want to channel surf--anyone know the Brewers/Phillies score?
Ruth Anne Adams said...
Gwen's questions SUCK! Too complex. Easily ignored.
Trooper York said...
Phillies won 5 to 2.

Go 2 up on the series.
Michael_H said...
Ifill keeps cutting Palin off, then letting Joey Plugs run as long as he wants.
Really?

vbspurs said...
The 'Mos are getting their questions now. Surprising nod to Palin by Ifill.

I smell a skunk. Or a fish taco.
!!!

ex-prosecutor said...
If these were two lawyers, arguing, to a jury, she'd be killing him.
palladian said...
God, the only thing more boring than a Vice Presidential debate is baseball. I'd rather listen to Joseph Biden filibuster than listen to people talk about baseball. I'd rather watch "An Inconvenient Truth" 100 times than listen to people talk about baseball. SHUT UP ABOUT BASEBALL.
vbspurs said...
Nice! "Not sane or stable" about Dinner Jacket.

THE CASTRO BROTHERS. She just won Florida, que rico!!!
lem said...
Gwen went off the script to help Joe!
michael_h said...
Love the way Palin smiles as she's making notes while Joey Plugs speaks.
chip ahoy said...
No fair! They televise the back of Biden's head to show all the work was done in the front.
lawgiver said...
Cuda is landing some major body shots now. Joe's eyes are glazed, he's going downnnnnn!
john stodder said...
Palin is just so damn normal.

On TV it looks weird to be normal.
goesh said...
500+ comments - holy wow

Palin's faster pace makes her come across as very competent/intelligent, a bit smarter than Biden - she sure the heck exudes confidence - what happened to the dummy from up north???? gone, gone, gone
palladian said...
I love the milling around parts of C-SPAN broadcasts. So much better than listening to talking heads blabber.
ricpic said...
Sarah's happy.

Lefty freaks can't stand happy.

But normal human beings love happy and love Sarah.
joan said...
Karl Rove just ticked off 10 major gaffes by Joe Biden. It was hysterical.
schorsch said...
Regardless of who won, Biden's tactic failed. He was there to debate Bush and McCain, and to ignore Palin as if she wasn't worthy of his attention. She engaged him, specifically, and was therefore the only person in the debate that was actually occurring.

MORE FROM THE COMMENTS: patca said...
I am soooo relieved--and very happy. She was fabulous.

I feel like smoking a cigarette.

1,045 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   801 – 1000 of 1045   Newer›   Newest»
Roberto said...

simon: "Althouse has already posted two of them. Oh, you mean a poll conducted by a major polling company?"

No, let's hear the one you're doing in your trailer.

Roberto said...

jim says: "I completely debunked the biased pro-Biden ones you posted."

Uh, you mean Fox, CNN, CBS...?

And by the way, these are "polls" not a bunch of people siting around a bar.

The have specific criteria...even Fox.

Jim said...

somefeller -

I agree with you completely how much BS these instant polls are. Perhaps the dripping sarcasm wasn't adequately conveyed in my posts.

I was merely illustrating just how ridiculous Michael's entire rant about "what the polls showed" was.

I tried to make it clear with my comment that "I can play this game too," that I was merely taking the utterly juvenile nature of michael's posting and throwing it back in his face.

Roberto said...

"If you want to shoot down Michael's points on polling, come up with something that doesn't sound like an ill-informed rant. You're letting down your side with that."

That'll be the day.

Cedarford said...

Palladian said...

Sarah Palin's pussy is gnawing at LoafingOaf's brain again.


A gay Jew imagining vaginas have teeth.

Something no self-respecting homo fears as they shove their hog down Palladian's throat at some restroom he hangs out in.

If Palin's pussy, which appears attractive to most guys as a MILF, GILF, or VPILF trophy, may have teeth...to Mr. Palin or any worthy aspirant...it would just add extra stimulation to any rock-hard, diamond-resistant member..

Roberto said...

jim, the polls I posted are national organizations, associated with networks, that depend on being unbiased...even Fox.

Why?

Well, if not, they would be seen as mere pawns.

Drudge, on the other hand is a right wing website that caters to...well, the right wing.

I would assume Michelle Malkin, and other conservative hacks will have similar poll results as Drudge, but they're only polling those who visit the site.

Got it?

Roberto said...

jim: "I was merely taking the utterly juvenile nature of michael's posting..."

I posted polling results.

You consider that "juvenile?"

In what respect...the results?

Anonymous said...

peter hoh-

Well I hope you, and Beth don't judge us all by what you read on the internet -or whatever nasty crowd you hang out with there.

I was in a room full of military guys-they liked Biden on Darfur-ya I know they're a bunch of bleeding hearts-and their jaws dropped when Biden choked up.

The room silenced and then-well it was if he had hit it out of the park.

They also don't have the time to follow this as closely as most.

So they haven't seen Palin's previous interviews-I'm not going to expound on what they thought ...because I'll get hammered.

They were arguing that she was fine and up to the task.

They aren't saying that right now...

Jim said...

michael -

What I got is that your instant polls are worthless...ALL instant polls are...For every one you can find that says one thing, I can find one that says the exact opposite.

They are all self-selecting by nature which makes NONE of them worth the electrons being spun to be report them.

The fact that you breathlessly report them and insist on issuing juvenile challenges for people to refute them only illustrates just how completely uninformed you are.

ROFL on your comment about these organizations being "unbiased"...That you would even write those words says everything anyone needs to know about how simple you really are.

On that note, I'm done batting you around like a catnip toy for the evening...This cat's got better things to do with the rest of his evening than waste it arguing with children.

Enjoy the rest of your evening spamming the comment threads as usual...Remember: Axelrod pays for quantity, not quality..

blake said...

I don't talk to sock puppets.

Peter Hoh said...

Victoria, I've been too busy to comment the past couple of days. I went to a debate party tonight, sans computer, so there was no way I could join in the live-blog.

The debate party was a bit of a let-down. it was only interactive if you were into hooting along with the crowd. The appetizers were fairly uninspired, and they charged me three f-ing dollars for a coke.

I cooked a lot better meal at home before I left. Roasted chicken with potatoes, onions, and carrots, with a side of butternut squash - also roasted, to the point of caramelizing on the cut side, but not burnt. I should have stayed to have dinner with my family and then joined the live-blog here.

I thought Palin did very well. She certainly redeemed herself from the awful TV interviews. Her performance tonight suggests that the McCain campaign has not handled her very well.

The base, with whom I watched the debate, clearly loves her. And she delivered for them.

Biden was okay, but the Bosniacs? Did I hear that correctly?

Roberto said...

jim, think about reading up on polling companies so you can understand what they do and how they do it.

Instant polling is most definitely accurate, sometimes even more detailed and accurate that long term polling.

Cnn, CBS, ABC, USA, Gallup, Rassmussen, Pew, etc. all basically use very similar statistical models and data gathering, some more fine-tuned to specifics, some more across the board.

You dismiss what I posted because you don't have the guts to admit the results might be fair and accurate...and again, I challenge you to present objective polling to refute those I posted.

If not...take a hike.

Roberto said...

blake said..."I don't talk to sock puppets."

Translation: Duh.

Dark Eden said...

I wonder how many Code Pink members were part of the CBS and CNN "undecided" polls.

Beth said...

hmmm. going off topic, but I'm going to take a tomato tangent --

VB or ernie, can either of you help me find a recipe? I want to make shrimp balseros (shrimp in a cuban creole sauce -- maybe sofrito? -- on a sauteed plantain "raft"). I make a good Louisiana shrimp creole, but what I'm trying to make is slightly different. I'm tasting oregano, and some kind of pepper -- maybe chipotle in adobo? I don't know. I'm assuming there are some common cuban red sauces.

Any ideas y'all? Enough politics for the night, I need to plan what to do with the excellent fresh Gulf shrimp in my fridge.

Peter Hoh said...

madawaskan, I don't think the group I was representative of regular GOP voters. This was a very partisan crowd, and they were looking for any reason to cheer Palin and boo Biden. It's possible that, collectively, they misheard Biden when he was speaking about almost losing his son, and thought he was making another gaffe.

vbspurs said...

Just finished reading all the comments. I thought the commentariat did a very good job on the thin gruel we were given tonight by both candidates.

I am checking out the SLOG comments, which Peter Hoh linked to last time (hey Peter! Nice to see you back again. 3 dollar cokes in this economic climate should be an imprisonable offence). They were moderated by a feminist, which oddly strikes a rather sexist note. It's like the Presidential debate is too important to give to two women, or that Dan and Eli don't consider the Veep debate that worthy.

(When it was THE marquee debate this election)

Ah well.

From the various funny and astute comments out there, I think my favourite was Mark's at 9:41.

Palin can reference President Reagan. Biden can't refer back to a democrat president.

He could mention Bill Clinton, but that would just piss off the PUMAs.


As Instapundit might say, heh.

Night all! Catch you later, or tomorrow.

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

Beth, I am out of my element with cookery, so I'll leave Ernie to answer.

However, try the site for a local gastronomical crew, 3 Guys From Miami. Two are Cubans, and one is a gringo who loves him some Cuban food.

Buenas noches, Beth. ;)

chickelit said...

Ha Ha, "Michael"

Try as you might, you can't kill what's genuine; you can't kill what's real. That would be like killing life itself.

You'd think someone as smart as yourself would have figured that out by now.

Roberto said...

peter hoh said..."madawaskan, I don't think the group I was representative of regular GOP voters. This was a very partisan crowd, and they were looking for any reason to cheer Palin and boo Biden. It's possible that, collectively, they misheard Biden when he was speaking about almost losing his son, and thought he was making another gaffe."

Oh, brother.

Roberto said...

chickendick: "Try as you might, you can't kill what's genuine; you can't kill what's real. That would be like killing life itself."

That would be more interesting if it actually made any sense.

Roberto said...

Dark Eden said..."I wonder how many Code Pink members were part of the CBS and CNN "undecided" polls."

Translation: You don't like the results of the poll.

nick said...

she did NOT win

are you all fucking MORONs?

or in mccain's words, a stupid CUNT!

amba said...

It's a little intimidating to come in at the end of 822 comments (WTF?), but anyway . . .

What do you think? Botox?

I too had the strong impression Biden had "had work done." His eyes look Asian, too; with epicanthic folds. Down Syndrome?

Palladian said...

"she did NOT win

are you all fucking MORONs?

or in mccain's words, a stupid CUNT!"

Ahh, the "progressive" left!

Always concerned about women's rights and always, always good at capitalization, punctuation and grammar!

Synova said...

I had my daughter record it and watched it late and the recording quit at the beginning of the ending statements.

The moderator did fine.

Palin did just as good as Biden. For what it's worth. The things she said that people won't like are differences of opinion between parties. She said "no child left behind" failed for lack of flexibility and Biden said it needed money.

Palin praised the ability and tenacity of the working class, Biden said they need help from government.

Biden "proved" that McCain is the same as Bush by quoting fellow shoppers at Home Depot...

I wished that Palin had pointed out that the constant refrain from the Democrats from day one is to equate the two men, so it's not amazing that people think they are the same when they aren't. But she couldn't have pointed that out without implying that voters are stupid, so I suppose she's smarter than I am.

The only time Biden looked very uncomfortable to me was when he had said that our general in Afghanistan said that Palin was completely wrong about using... I think she had said surge and counter insurgency principles, and he said over and over that our general said the surge would never work in Afghanistan... and Palin told him he was simply wrong, that McClellan never said that the principles of counter insurgency learned in Iraq couldn't be adapted for the different situation in Afghanistan.

I don't know why that particular exchange would have made him upset, but it seemed to.

blake said...

amba--

I didn't notice, but others have. I can see it now. Honestly, though, it's almost starting to look normal to me, so many old people are doing it.

Roberto said...

Palladian: Palin says it's a choice.

Is it?

blake said...

Synova,

Ifill was pretty biased, but the degree to which her bias was hyped beforehand meant that she'd have had to tell Palin to "shut up" several times to live up to it.

chickelit said...

"Michael" wrote: That would be more interesting if it actually made any sense.

Try as you might, you can't kill Palin; you can't kill what's real. That would be like killing life itself.

You'd think someone as smart as yourself would have figured that out by now.

Roberto said...

chickendick: You think I want to "kill" Palin?

Are you crazy?

Peter Hoh said...

I thought Ifill treated both candidates fairly. At most, she delivered a zinger at Biden. Otherwise, I can't think of anything that looked like bias.

blake said...

peter--

I really wasn't looking that closely for bias. I did notice that she let Biden have the last word most of the time. She didn't ask a question on energy (but Palin threw in her energy talking points any way), which is Palin's strong suit and a damned important issue.

Some people are claiming Biden got more actual talking time but I'm not sure if that's true, or whether it just seemed that way.

(Actually, they both made 90 seconds seem like an awful long time.)

chickelit said...

"Michael" wrote: chickendick: You think I want to "kill" Palin?

Try as you might, you can't kill Palin votes; you can't kill what's real. That would be like killing life itself.

You'd think someone as smart as yourself would have figured that out by now.

Unknown said...

Question: Do you want to kill Biden?

Answer: How do you kill that which has no life?

chickelit said...

Come on "Michael", arguing with you is like arguing with an idiot patent examiner. I'll keep fleshing out my original claim without giving ground on the scope I care about.

BTW, I think Joe came across as a decent guy.

Why can't you?

former law student said...

I thought Palin did fine; the debate was basically a tie. Her only gaffe was not knowing what an Achilles heel was -- I blame public schooling.

Speaking of which, she revealed her Democrat side when she advocated higher pay for school teachers -- hell I don't even support that.

This debate was much less acrimonious than the first Presidential debate. In conclusion, I would much rather see her become President than Grandpa McCranky.


BTW, A Bosniak is someone who comes from Bosnia:

www.bosniak.org

nick said...

you dont like mccains words


"cunt"

hes your man

chickelit said...

FLS: You are becoming a decent and reasonable guy. I'm sorry if I ever insulted you.

Synova said...

I notice that (having read the posts.. oh no, eek... look at the time) McClellan wasn't the right name but I wonder if I/we heard McClellan because it's a common name and the real guy's name is similar or if she actually said McClellan.

But what she said was certainly true. That the principles of counter insurgency ought to be applied in Afghanistan. The surge in Iraq wasn't just about more troops, it was very much about what was done with them. I don't know if Biden knows the difference or understands just how big a change the COIN philosophy was. Making a big deal about how the "surge" wouldn't work in Afghanistan suggests that he doesn't.

I think it's pretty nasty to make fun of Biden getting choked up over his wife and son, though I did wonder why he brought it up. I was watching and I didn't notice that anyone had accused him of not understanding what it was like to be a single parent, I mean... Palin wouldn't have made a claim about being a single parent because she never has been. Her whole thing, besides having normal struggles, is that she's got this great support system. So where did that come from? I didn't *notice* that she tried to claim Biden didn't know, no matter that AL or Michael or someone claimed she did, it seemed out of left field...

And she certainly has read his bio! So why would she accuse him of something so absurd?

Without going back and rewatching that bit I have to wonder if he had prepared a counter to "I'm a mom" just in case she brought it up, and went with it even if it didn't really fit. I don't think she did do the "I'm a mom" thing... at least not as a qualification, because this is a major pet peeve of mine. Life and family, yeah, that is experience, but the special moral authority of motherhood is like nails on a chalkboard to me. She didn't do it.

mrkwong said...

So like any good predator, the way we get her to perform up to expectations is to throw some chum in the water.

I would really, really like to think she's one good briefing away from ripping Barney Frank's heart out on some talking-head show and grilling it with some onions and capers.

TRundgren said...

Christ, Palin is the ice woman. Good lord, I would of passed out from nerves in her situations.

If nothing else Sarah: RESPECT.

LoafingOaf said...

Althouse posted my early comment. But I was very generous to Palin after the debate. It's not my fault that in the early-going her hair was positioned in a way that emphasized her nervous eye-blinking.

Anyway, Palin did well in this debate and I will not call her a dunce anymore. But she WAS a dunce in her interviews with Couric and Gibson. That was not my imagination, and no spin-control from Althouse can change it. She had a problem in those interviews, but now I'm thinking Bay Buchanan was correct and Palin had too many handlers screwing her up before her interviews.

I have a much higher respect for Palin after this debate and I will treat her with respect from now on. Finally she has earned it. But I'm still voting for Obama.

blake said...

So, Oaf, do you suppose that she looked so bad on those canned interviews because that's how the interviewers wanted her to look?

mrs whatsit said...

loafingoaf, maybe she really was a "dunce" in those interviews or maybe she was made to look that way. Until we see the full transcripts, opining either way is letting ourselves be manipulated.

Anonymous said...

I did a quick cable channel surf last night before going to bed.

Did MSNBC replace Chris Mathews with a lesbian? Rachel Maddow looks like she could snap Olbermann in half. With one hand. Blindfolded.

Now Fox has Patsy Schroeder on as a commenter. Patsy Schroeder? Have all the A, B, C, D and E list commenters disappeared?

PunditJoe said...

Some debate viewers might be asking themselves why the portrayal of Palin had been so wrong the past few weeks. I think many will conclude the press has been in the tank for Obama and, as a result, been presenting Palin in an unfair light. As a general rule, folks don’t take kindly to being lied to.

Anonymous said...

What I hoped to see as the debate ended:

Sen. Biden: ....and thank you Gewn Ifill for moderating this debate. C'mon everybody, a round of applause for Gwen Ifill. Gwen, stand up so we can all see you. What? Oh. What the hell was I thinking.....?

Eva said...

CNN headline is Poll says Biden won, Palin exceeded expectations. I know that polls fall somewhere in the lies, damn lies, and statistics continuum, but still, interesting. I do think expectations were low for Palin. I find her likeable, but her "folksiness" a little rehearsed. Does she really drop all her "g"s? But then I'm a liberal elitist who hates happiness. Off to Starbucks and will kick a puppy on the way.

hdhouse said...

oooooooo by golly....fargo redux

KCFleming said...

What I hoped to see as the debate ended:

"Thank you Gwen, and congratulations on your upcoming book about Senator Obama. I must say I have never been in a debate before where my opponent led off the evening, and got the last word on every topic, including the final sum-up. Must be something new they teach in j-school."

reader_iam said...

Interesting, how this vice-presidential debate inspired some of the most light-weight, unintelligent, unserious commentary (not to mention unfunny and boring and least diverse, in terms of participation) commentary I've ever seen at Althouse.

Strike interesting. Fascinating would be the word.

Anonymous said...

Good morning, commenters.

I see the pollsters are out in force. Again, let me remind them of the 2004 election exit polls.

Couple of links:

A PDF of an analysis by US Count Votes.

and

a Wiki article.

Enjoy, I shall return with coffee, Starbucks, sadly. I prefer Latteland's, but we only get Starbucks at work.

reader_iam said...

Since someone might say, "well, if you thought so, why didn't you jump in?", I'll say upfront that we were still on the road when it started and listened to the first 50 minutes on the radio and then arrived at the in-laws in time to catch the last bit on TV, while unpacking the car etc. By the time things got settled, it was a little late to start, but I read through the entire thread anyway (as I watched the first part of the debate in rerun, so I could get the visuals). At that point, it seemed clear to me that it was pointless to start.

KCFleming said...

ernie:
Yesterday I read for the first time the Quevedo letter. Stunning; thanks.

I have come across Babalublog before, struck by their excellent expose' of cuban hospital conditions.
______________________

reader:
owww!

KCFleming said...

1000!!!

Meade said...

Lame excuses, reader. Come on, up your game.

reader_iam said...

Madawaskan: When we got in, my father-in-law--a hard-right guy who also despises Sen. Biden, who, of course is senator of the state in which my in-laws have lived going on 40 years--looked as disturbed as I've ever seen him.

He said he was disappointed in Palin and that he thought Biden was doing far better, something which surprised him. He said he was worried that, when all is said and done, that Obama is going to prevail (he can't stand Obama, thinks his policies will ruin the country and thinks the man's associations are highly suspect, to put it mildly). He said he could now understand why people were worried about Palin at this particular stage in her political trajectory.

By the way, both of my in-laws thinks the jibes at Biden over his kids and how he handled things over the years are utter nonsense. Of course, they know better. They know full well that he never moved to or ran around Washington. They know that he came home. They know that while it's true his sister moved in for a while to help out (just as Palin's family pulls together, and admirably so), that he was, and is, a committed father, and that there are no packs of nannies out there hiding the fact Biden really was a selfish bust of a father, with no real emotion about what happened all those years ago. They know better, and they're in a better position to know than, say, either Peter V. Bella or Victoria. As am I, for example.

Of course, my theory is that Peter, at least, knows better, too, but doesn't mind propagating lies in service of his cause. He only hates that if the OTHER side does it.

Anonymous said...

Pogo, thanks for reading it. It is one of those very powerful documents that send chills down your spine. I hope people could see the parallels, but we humans generally don't think in those terms.

Babalublog is pretty good, and I should visit them more often.

reader_iam, I am sure we will have tons of post-debate threads today, and this one is still alive.

Anonymous said...

reader_iam, what jibes about his kids?

Meade said...

"I shall return with coffee, Starbucks, sadly."
ernie,
Maybe Althouse has some leftover burnt sauce to go with your burnt coffee.

btw, I think people like astroMichael are just envious because they can't be Todd Palin.

reader_iam said...

Biden's family values with regard to his own family are as real and impressive as Palin's. He made some real sacrifices on that front, and, yes, has as much standing to understand kitchen-table issues. It's silly to pretend otherwise.

That doesn't make some of his policy preferences right, or best, of course. It's totally fair game to attack those.

KCFleming said...

Yeah, reader, you're probably right.

This isn't 1976 where some dipshit incompetent liberal goofball leads us into double digit inflation and shortages and a severe recession, but we could survive it. Now some dipshit incompetent leftist goofball will lead us into the worst possible reaction to this economic precipice, and survival as a free nation is in my mind for the first time actually in doubt.

Indeed, I believe we're about to enter the Bastille, not Camleot.

Anonymous said...

meade, the burnt 7 ingredient sauce would definitely be an improvement.

Anonymous said...

reader_iam, did someone here attack Biden's family history?

reader_iam said...

As far as the election goes, I'm still planning to write in at this point, so I can't say I'm in the "undecided" category. It's possible the upcoming debates could change that, but I'm dubious. The veep debate did more to solidify my current (and for-some-time-now) inclination.

Have fun with statement, everyone!

Anonymous said...

Both of these candidates fairly suck, though Obama has a really hellish downside. However, the nation will survive. We merely face a recession compounded by bad policy and the looming threat of China, Russia, and Iran. However, our civilization is not in peril, whoever wins.

reader_iam said...

Off to prep for a 75th birthday party of an old--heh, and old!--friend.

Life goes on.

KCFleming said...

"We merely face a recession compounded by bad policy "

I wish. I see expansion of the State at a rate to equal FDR and LBJ. Currently the government eats 36% of GDP. Add in finance and health care sectors, we'll be close to ruinous EU levels.

Once these powers are taken, they are never ever relinquished.
_________________________

ernie, some of the posters questioned if biden's tearful choking up was real or a show.

It was real, but so much of Biden is for show, like his motel smile, how could you tell?

Anonymous said...

Pogo said...
[...]

ernie, some of the posters questioned if biden's tearful choking up was real or a show.

It was real, but so much of Biden is for show, like his motel smile, how could you tell?

7:55 AM


I must have missed those comments. Those are cheap shots, honestly. Why, knowing his family history, would someone question such tears? We shouldn't do what others do.

Anonymous said...

And, yes, Biden is a theatre act, but not on that.

Anonymous said...

Is everyone else still sleeping off their drinks? Shame on you, people! I have been at work for an hour, with a killer tonic induced headache, but at work nonetheless.

knox said...

This post and comments perfectly encapsulates why Althouse is such a great place to hang out. Bravo everyone, what a fun thread.

And Bravo, Sara! Atta girl.

PS Wish it was Biden not Obama. I could live with President Biden, for all his faults.

KCFleming said...

"Why, knowing his family history, would someone question such tears?"

I don't; it was heartfelt. But I really have never liked the man either. He is a consummate backstabber (see SCOTUS justice's Thomas bio excerpt about Biden knifing him here; scroll down to the quote "[Biden] was right about one thing: I didn’t believe him.").

I believe the skepticism was retribution for the MSM impaling Palin these past few weeks. Mere retribution.

Trooper York said...

Jeeez reader, when did you get so pompous?

krylovite said...

She won, I think most people will say.

Not according to national polls of uncommitted voters:

Two national polls of people who watched the U.S. vice-presidential debate and are uncommitted voters showed that more of them thought Democrat Joe Biden, not Republican Sarah Palin, turned in the best performance.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found 51 per cent of those polled after Thursday night's debate in St. Louis, Mo., said the Delaware senator did the best job, while 36 per cent said the same about the Alaska governor.

The survey of 611 adult Americans had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Respondents said Palin —- who had to recover from some bumbling media interview performances —- was the more likable of the pair, scoring 54 per cent support, compared to Biden's 36 per cent.

The Republican candidate also exceeded expectations, according to 84 per cent of the viewers who were surveyed.

CBS News and Knowledge Networks conducted a cross-country poll of 473 uncommitted voters who watched the debate and found 46 per cent said Biden won the debate, compared to 21 per cent for Palin. Thirty-three per cent said it was a tie.

The margin of error for the sampling was plus or minus 5 percentage points.

krylovite said...

I see that Michael has already posted poll results. Sorry. :o(

It's interesting to see how wrong Professor Althouse's instincts were about the debate though.

Beth said...

Trooper, she's not pompous, just having a let-down from experiencing a Reverse Palin. After the presidential debate blogging here, expectations were HIGH, but outcome was LOW. We need to underperform for a few more threads, then swoop back up to mediocrity and reader will be impressed again.

integrity said...

krylovite said...
I see that Michael has already posted poll results. Sorry. :o(

It's interesting to see how wrong Professor Althouse's instincts were about the debate though.



Althouse is about celebrating ignorance, pay attention.

Has there been anything she has ever told the truth about or even been right about?

I came into my office this morning and found a mausoleum, apparently my Inland Empire right-wing wackjob employees have not been watching the interviews and expected something coherent from Palin last night. They didn't get it, and now I have to deal with these miserable morons all day. They should have known, the MSM gave them a head's up about this dunce.

If it were permitted within California law I would tell them to take the rest of the day off and kill themselves when they arrive home.

Thank God it's FRIDAY!!!

Nichevo said...

"integrity, "


If it were permitted within California law I would tell them to take the rest of the day off and kill themselves when they arrive home.


You need to wash your mind out with soap. Lye or ammonia would also work.


Thank God it's FRIDAY!!!




And since when did you believe in God? If you do, why are you living your life shrieking for Him to punish you?

integrity said...

"integrity, "


If it were permitted within California law I would tell them to take the rest of the day off and kill themselves when they arrive home.

You need to wash your mind out with soap. Lye or ammonia would also work.


Thank God it's FRIDAY!!!




And since when did you believe in God? If you do, why are you living your life shrieking for Him to punish you?



Why don't you enable access to your profile and let us know something about you. What do you do for a living? Where do you live? Interests?

Come on bigshot, show everybody who you are. Come on.

The things you people do in the name of God assure that you will rot in hell, if there is one. You filthy fraud.

Nichevo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nichevo said...

Excuse me, Althouse, but:

"What's the difference between a black man and a nigger?"

"The nigger's the one that would even think of answering that question."

(From Deep Cover, 1992)

Excuse me, "integrity" (have I said how I admire your taste for irony?), but after wishing the deaths of your own employees (as if this tale were true), you think I should give you identifying information? I'm not sure you need to know my sign.

What is it that confuses you? What biographical detail will help you put me in a box? Do you want to know my religion? My tastes? My date of birth? SSN maybe? My SAT scores? I don't remember my IQ but it is high enough, not as high as my mother's.

I am a former IT professional for some of the big evil financial firms you probably like to sneer at, and current green technology executive for a mechanical engineering firm. Would you like to cut your HVACR cooling costs in half? Need some consulting on a global contact center rollout or implementation of a Web presence? Give me your contact information and we'll set up an appointment.

I am a New Yorker, born and bred and still here. I went to school in the South for a while so I am not accustomed to thinking of everybody who doesn't personally know Harvey Fierstein as Inbred Jed. I am probably whatever type you are not as you are kind of hyper for my taste.

I don't own a firearm, this being New York, but like them, and have friends who do.

I don't see why anyone (of either sex) who could choose between making love to women and men would choose men, but each one reduces the competition, so bully for them. However, it is hard to believe that LGBT marriages could mean what my parent's marriage means. As for civil unions and partnerships and sharing benefits and the like, well meh, one group of special pleaders is like another. Have fun.

As for abortion, my faith specifies that if a fetus endangers the life of the mother, it can be cut up and removed from the womb. So one may have difficult choices to make. But if and when you favor the taking of human life, which I often do, you should be forthright enough to say so, as Orwell advises. I don't see how it can be denied that a fetus is a human life. (My heart goes out to the Palin family - and attacks along that line are a sorry mistake, IMHO.)

The war is ultimately necessary, has great positive or negative potential for mankind, and is going about as well as can be expected, though it could be going better. We will win. If you wish to discuss issues such as the consulship of Bremer we can talk, but in your style it would likely soon become unpalatable with rancor.

Is that enough for you to start clawing, or can I help you out with anything else? Favorite food: at present, dim sum. Favorite tree: the nondescript apple tree in my great-aunt's backyard. Favorite author: at the moment, among many worthy candidates, shall we say Patrick O'Brian? It's difficult to commit. But I should hate to have you think me hedging.

You may fire when you are ready, Gridley. In fact, if you could step up your game a notch, I would be ever so much obliged. I do hate to be bored.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

A recipe for Professor Althouse to burn:

Ingredients:

2 pound cut of beef (skirt, rump, chuck or even brisket, it would be better if cut perpendicular to the fibers)
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Medium onion (red or white) chopped
½ green bell pepper seeded and cubed
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 tsp of dry oregano
1 tsp of cumin
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cups of water or low sodium beef broth (preferable)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

There are several ways to prepare the meat. This particular family recipe requires the use of a pressure cooker.

In the pressure cooker, place the beef and the water or broth, and cook on high pressure for 15-25 minutes depending on the cut. Vent the steam, and let stand for 3 minutes. With a fork, try pulling some of the beef. If it pulls easily, meat is ready. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes in high pressure. When ready, and cool, pull all the meat and place it on a plate or bowl. In a skillet, heat the oil to medium heat, and combine the chopped onion, the garlic, oregano, cumin and bell pepper. Add the tomato paste, and sauté it all for about 5 (five) minutes or until onion starts to turn translucent. Add the beef, combine all the ingredients, and sauté for additional 4 or five minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the skillet and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve with black beans and rice (combined or separate) and tostones, yuca or papas fritas (French fries).


This is my mother's own.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Oh, yeah, I forgot the name of the dish:

Ropa Vieja

(old clothes)

Expat(ish) said...

This comment is to document that I have heard my country-Althousians call for additional comments and am doing my patriotic duty.

-XC

I'm Full of Soup said...

I am hoping this is # 888.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Fudge!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

888 is a very bad number in Cuba because means "dead people all around"

In the Cuban-Chinese charade, 8 is "small dead" and 88 is "big dead", so 888 makes "dead people all around"

¡Solavaya!

Unknown said...

Chickenlittle:

You'd think someone as smart as yourself would have figured that out by now.

It should be:

You'd think someone as smart as you would have figured that out by now.

I (unlike you) don't like to point out typos, but this just seems like a failure to grasp English grammar. I suggest revisiting the use of the reflexive. Using the reflexive where it doesn't belong doesn't make you sound smart; indeed, the opposite.

Ron said...

Maybe the debates could be an episode of my new proposed sitcom:

Hitch 'n' Hank!

Christoper Hitchens and Henry Kessinger accidentally get married in California...and wind up back in the White House! Wacky Hijinks ensue!

integrity said...

Nichevo said...
Excuse me, Althouse, but:

"What's the difference between a black man and a nigger?"

"The nigger's the one that would even think of answering that question."

(From Deep Cover, 1992)

Excuse me, "integrity" (have I said how I admire your taste for irony?), but after wishing the deaths of your own employees (as if this tale were true), you think I should give you identifying information? I'm not sure you need to know my sign.

What is it that confuses you? What biographical detail will help you put me in a box? Do you want to know my religion? My tastes? My date of birth? SSN maybe? My SAT scores? I don't remember my IQ but it is high enough, not as high as my mother's.

I am a former IT professional for some of the big evil financial firms you probably like to sneer at, and current green technology executive for a mechanical engineering firm. Would you like to cut your HVACR cooling costs in half? Need some consulting on a global contact center rollout or implementation of a Web presence? Give me your contact information and we'll set up an appointment.

I am a New Yorker, born and bred and still here. I went to school in the South for a while so I am not accustomed to thinking of everybody who doesn't personally know Harvey Fierstein as Inbred Jed. I am probably whatever type you are not as you are kind of hyper for my taste.

I don't own a firearm, this being New York, but like them, and have friends who do.

I don't see why anyone (of either sex) who could choose between making love to women and men would choose men, but each one reduces the competition, so bully for them. However, it is hard to believe that LGBT marriages could mean what my parent's marriage means. As for civil unions and partnerships and sharing benefits and the like, well meh, one group of special pleaders is like another. Have fun.

As for abortion, my faith specifies that if a fetus endangers the life of the mother, it can be cut up and removed from the womb. So one may have difficult choices to make. But if and when you favor the taking of human life, which I often do, you should be forthright enough to say so, as Orwell advises. I don't see how it can be denied that a fetus is a human life. (My heart goes out to the Palin family - and attacks along that line are a sorry mistake, IMHO.)

The war is ultimately necessary, has great positive or negative potential for mankind, and is going about as well as can be expected, though it could be going better. We will win. If you wish to discuss issues such as the consulship of Bremer we can talk, but in your style it would likely soon become unpalatable with rancor.

Is that enough for you to start clawing, or can I help you out with anything else? Favorite food: at present, dim sum. Favorite tree: the nondescript apple tree in my great-aunt's backyard. Favorite author: at the moment, among many worthy candidates, shall we say Patrick O'Brian? It's difficult to commit. But I should hate to have you think me hedging.

You may fire when you are ready, Gridley. In fact, if you could step up your game a notch, I would be ever so much obliged. I do hate to be bored.

3:28 PM



Jesus Christ, calm down you freakin' hysteric. Your writing sounds like that of an insane pre-op tranny. How have my fellow New Yorkers put up with you all these years?

My jaw is on the floor, Althouse attracts the biggest right-wing nutjobs I have ever seen.

I do wish more American right-wingers would kill themselves, the world would be a better place.

It is very disturbing to think that a right-wing nutjob like yourself is very likely going to be unemployed soon and out on the streets. This is scary, you embody the modern maladjusted right-winger. What the hell is going to happen when you have all that free time on your hands. God help us(just an expression, not meant to be taken literally moron).

I'm Full of Soup said...

Still no reply from Alpha Liberal as to whether he wants to bet me Biden was full of soup on his Iraq/ Afghanistan funding statement..tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc Alpha.

Alpha, I don't want your money. But I am confident you will graciously offer a retraction on behalf of Slow Joe.

I was surprised that a smart guy like you regurgitated a Dem talking point that was so obviously false (and defied my law of reasonableness).

I'm Full of Soup said...

Integrity your name cracks me up.

Simon said...

krylovite said...
"A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found 51 per cent of those polled after Thursday night's debate in St. Louis, Mo., said the Delaware senator did the best job ... [with] a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points."

(Emphasis added.)

spool32 said...

Fabulous performance by Sarah. Biden doesn't know which part of the Constitution frames his own job and thinks we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon.

epic WIN for Palin.

Simon said...

Pogo said...
"I see expansion of the State at a rate to equal FDR and LBJ. Currently the government eats 36% of GDP. Add in finance and health care sectors, we'll be close to ruinous EU levels. ¶ Once these powers are taken, they are never ever relinquished."

As Reagan said, a government program is the closest to eternal life we'll see this side of heaven. That's precisely why those conservatives who used to argue for sitting out the election, that we can ride out four years of Obama backed with a supine Democratic congress were and are so profoundly mistaken: it may not be possible to undo the damage he will do.

Simon said...

899!

Simon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Triangle Man said...

Hey, is this where we post to get Ann to do an egg salad vlog?

I'm Full of Soup said...

I have always like burnt toast. Not burnt sauce though.

Triangle Man said...

Yesterday "An Edjamikated Redneck" accused me of being an "Astroturf farmer". Now I ask you, would such a person take the time to help out getting a comments thread to 1,000? I think not!

Simon said...

Triangle Man - oh, no. I don't want her to do that again. I still feel bad for encouraging it before - she looked so mad - so disgusted! - in the vlog!

Triangle Man said...

Simon said:
it may not be possible to undo the damage he will do.


That's exactly what the left says about W. It's amazing how these ideas get passed back and forth like a bad cold.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Althouse you could post a few comments yourself you know. Your fingers ain't broken right?

Simon said...

Triangle Man said...
"Simon said: It may not be possible to undo the damage [Obama] will do. That's exactly what the left says about W."

They aren't entirely wrong, either. Do you really see us purging ourselves of Medicare Part D? Of No Child Left Behind? Can the lingering budgetary effects of the decision to to into Iraq - for right or wrong - be undone?

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Egg salad vlog?? When did this happen?

chickelit said...

"Michael" wrote: chickendick: You think I want to "kill" Palin?

Try as you might, you can't kill Palin votes; you can't kill what's real. That would be like killing life itself.

You'd think someone as smart as you would have figured that out by now.

former law student said...

Egg salad is tasty! Like tuna salad, it makes a good quick emergency lunch.

Lorelei Leigh said...

Hitch 'n' Hank!

Christoper Hitchens and Henry Kessinger accidentally get married in California...and wind up back in the White House! Wacky Hijinks ensue!


I would absolutely watch this show.

Triangle Man said...

Interesting, blogger is now cutting the comments off at

Lem said...

When Bided says in man made - whatch your wallet!


I'm going to keep posting witty commentary to get the count up to 1,000 but I don't know what will happen to the posts now.

Triangle Man said...

More interesting. If I switch to Firefox, I can see all of the comments again!

Triangle Man said...

Oops sorry, that should be switch from Firefox, to IE.

chickelit said...

@mixalhs:

Thanks. I fixed the error.

Triangle Man said...

Simon said...

They aren't entirely wrong, either. Do you really see us purging ourselves of Medicare Part D? Of No Child Left Behind? Can the lingering budgetary effects of the decision to to into Iraq - for right or wrong - be undone?


The great thing about criticizing government is that everyone can be (partly) right!

former law student said...

Here's the official Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart for you haters out there:

http://tinyurl.com/5xqbfw

Simon said...

ElcubanitoKC said...
"Egg salad vlog?? When did this happen?"

Here. Ahh, I'm not going to watch it again.

Lorelei Leigh said...

I too had the strong impression Biden had "had work done." His eyes look Asian, too; with epicanthic folds. Down Syndrome?

Now that you mention it, there was something weird about his eyes. I couldn't put my finger on it, and I didn't notice it all the time, so I thought it was just me.

I also noticed the Palin's hair in her eyes, and that drove me crazy.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

simon said...
ElcubanitoKC said...
"Egg salad vlog?? When did this happen?"

Here. Ahh, I'm not going to watch it again.

4:25 PM


I...I...have...no words...

Anonymous said...

Biden is just your average guy.

Ya know, just normal like all the other average guys in America from Scranton.

Don't let 35 years of free $50 dollar lunches on linens fool you - he's still the same "champ" that he always was.

Nichevo said...

"integrity,"

Thanks. You have told me all I need to know.

BTW, green technology is just as hot as one would think. In fact I believe the bailout bill has some green pork (uh, mmm?) which I will have to read up on.

So thanks for your concern, but the crocodile called; it wants its tears back.

Chennaul said...

reader_iam

Thanks for the considered response.

I have a hard time looking back in threads if I leave something that I feel strongly about.

Like if Ann Althouse ever directly responded to me-I'd mess my shorts....

Anyways-so I am just reading this now.

When you tick off a litany of bad things that you think is hurting the middle class but you do it with a big smile on your face because you think you are scoring big points for yourself during the debate it comes of poorly-maybe even dare I say it....

{faux}

You know one of them did that....

I think you get which one.

Really disappointing.

Anonymous said...

922 or 923

Ron said...

My God, Ruth Anne, Pork and Crap? If Wendy's made a burger outta that it would be the BaconHater!

Ann, get some Palin glasses for the Vlog!

Lorelei Leigh said...

I will confess to being bothered by Palin's lack of response to Biden's show of emotion. That bothered me much more than all her other little missteps, which are to be expected in a debate.

Simon said...

Since we think Ifill was too bland, and we like John Lydon shilling for butter, maybe we should have a debate with John Lydon as moderator?

Chennaul said...

comes *off* poorly.

You know the guys I was watching that with last night-

They deserved better.

Simon said...

ElcubanitoKC - I think that in our defense, at the time the consensus was that, oh, it'll be cute. It's not like she's actually going to hate it or anything. Like I said, I still feel bad.

If you click on the "response" video, you can see me in a show of solidarity. ;)

XWL said...

Biden was Biden, and he suffered in comparison to Palin.

Palin was Palin, and her detractors will say she was a puppet pumping out programmed responses, while her supporters will say she was a folksy breath of fresh air and common sense.

Still won't matter, nobody votes for VP, so this will be forgotten before the weekend is through.

October 7th will be very important, it will be interesting to see if McCain (or Obama) tries ot adopt some of the strategies that helped Palin win convincingly in a debate she was assumed as being terribly overmatched.

blake said...

Loreleigh,

Why would that bother you? What did you want her to do?

Ron said...

Since we think Ifill was too bland, and we like John Lydon shilling for butter, maybe we should have a debate with John Lydon as moderator?

Good idea, Simon...I want James Hetfield from Metallica!

Triangle Man said...

Lorelei Leigh said...
I will confess to being bothered by Palin's lack of response to Biden's show of emotion. That bothered me much more than all her other little missteps, which are to be expected in a debate


I sensed that she was a little shaken by that. Clearly she didn't outwardly acknowledge him, but she seemed a little off track in her comments immediately following Biden choking up. I thought her reaction was a little odd.

Triangle Man said...

Bizarre, now IE is cutting off the comments too. Is this happening to anyone else? Not that I'll ever be able to see your replies.

Lorelei Leigh said...

Loreleigh,

Why would that bother you? What did you want her to do?


Well, I don't know exactly what I would have said if I were in her place, but I'm not running for V.P., either.

I just think it was strange, for her to go on talking about she and John McCain being mavericks after that. She should have acknowledged the personal things he said, at the very least, and expressed some admiration and sympathy for him before launching into her next talking point.

She had no problem being familar wtih him the rest of the night, so it was sort of odd. I'm sure it didn't bother Biden at all, but it did sort of play against her relatability. I think it's natural, human nature to have some kind of a response to such an emotional moment, even if it is in the middle of a debate.

I'm not saying it offended me or anything. She was probably just nervous, or focused on her next point, or whatever. Still, it was just a sour note for me.

sonicfrog said...

Did I comment yet???

redneck hillbilly said...

We need the Palin Family in Washington D.C.
Piper Palin can save this nation.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Simon, you are a brave man

Lorelei Leigh said...

Bizarre, now IE is cutting off the comments too. Is this happening to anyone else? Not that I'll ever be able to see your replies.

Both IE and Safari have been cutting off comments for me, when they get beyond a certain point.

I can't see them on the blog, but I can see them in the blogger page where you enter the comments...if that makes sense.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Simon said: Since we think Ifill was too bland, and we like John Lydon shilling for butter, maybe we should have a debate with John Lydon as moderator?

Maybe the next debate should feature Sarah and Obama wrestling in butter. I guarantee that it would be a ratings knockout. Nobody wants to see the two old white guys anyway.

Simon said...

Ron - it'd be questions like, "when was the last time you fired a gun at a live animal? Did you hit it?" "What is your favorite Thin Lizzy album?" "On a scale of one to ten, how willing are you to take your top off?" "Here is a bass guitar. I'd like you each to take your best shot at the intro to For Whom the Bell Tolls."

KCFleming said...

1000!!!

Oh, uh, nemmind.

KCFleming said...

1000!!!

Shit!

Simon said...

Bushman - I've analogized the media's reaction to Palin's nomination to the horrorstruck reaction of the elite to Jackson's victory in 1828. So instead of wrestling in butter, I propose Obama and Palin settle it the way Jackson settled things with Charles Dickinson.

Simon said...

Pogo, fifty or so to go!

Simon said...

ElcubanitoKC, it's less of a big deal for me because I like egg salad. It's called egg mayo where I was raised; I used to take sandwiches to school for lunch and my parents used to give me egg mayo (or tuna mayo) in a pitta bread as a treat sometimes.

Simon said...

If Sarah Palin becomes Vice President...
"Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson to replace "hail to the chief"

What else?

john said...

OK so now were continuing just so we could get to 1000 comments? How fucking lame.

All because we have 10 fingers.

I tried to post last night but blogger ate my incredibly insightful insight. Did any one else have this problem?

I would have reposted but I forgot what I had initially wrote. It was something about Palin hitting a grand slam home run, only to find out that the MSM told here the fences had been moved in to 125 feet so the infield fly rule applied and she was out anyway, but that McCain could have advanced had he not been napping.

Something like that, anyway.

Cheers, and a great happy hour to all.

Simon said...

Who will be the lucky 1000th commenter?

john said...

Who will be the lucky 1000th commenter?

We're so coy, aren't we?

Get it over with Simon and hit the publish button 50 times.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Probably not me

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Simon, it's hard to imagine the media being as over the edge in 1828 as they are today. Maybe it's just because they have so many more outlets (outhouses?) from which to fling their crap. At any rate, I'm with you. And my money is on Sarah...

John Kindley said...

I was very disappointed that my comment about not voting cause all those celebrities in that video told us not to cause they don't give a fuck and our votes don't mean shit anyway didn't get frontpaged by Althouse.

I'm hoping that my comment will be the 1000th, but I think the commentariat will poop out at the futility of it all before we get there.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

954!

John Kindley said...

The simon who asked "who will be the lucky 1000th commenter?" is not the real Simon.

KCFleming said...

1000!!!

Goddammit!

Simon said...

John, the commenter you're replying to isn't me, it's another Simon (note the lack of the Scalia picture). The answer to your question is that while I'd of course like to stake my claim to that small corner of Althouse blog history (and in due course will) I think it'd be devalued a little if it was bought that way.

Chip Ahoy said...

The prospect of blogging on sauces or egg salad fills me with hope for the future of blogging. It cheers me and caused me to produce fried rice using a pressure cooker. Which, if you're a rice cooking novice produces perfect white rice in five minutes under pressure with time allowed to depressurization. Brown and wild rice would be different, of course, as those types have husks and husks take more time.

I bet I can steam rice better than Sarah Palin or Joe Biden. <--- device to bring subject on topic.

john said...

That's just scurrilous. An imposter!

(What number am I now?)

bleeper said...

Just doin' my part.

blake said...

I just think it was strange, for her to go on talking about she and John McCain being mavericks after that. She should have acknowledged the personal things he said, at the very least, and expressed some admiration and sympathy for him before launching into her next talking point.

Well, sympathy, believe it or not, might have seemed disrespectful. Is this the forum for sympathetic reactions to personal tragedies?

I believe the moment was genuine, but also bizarre. Haven't politicians been sunk for stuff like that?

john--Blogger sporadically eats comments, I find. What I do is a Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C before hitting publish. Then, when Blogger chokes, I Ctrl+V...voila!

Ha! In fact it happened just now!

Probably Pogo and Simon racing to be 1000th. Lusers.

Anonymous said...

Biden was having to keep from looking at Palin.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of her

(what number am I?)

blake said...

Chip--

I dunno, that pressure cooker rice doesn't seem very...fried...to me.

How close is it taste-wise?

Simon said...

Quayle - you bet! Remember that story that floated around the leftosphere after he introduced Palin about how, like O.M.G. he's totally checking out her butt? Hell yeah he was! Him and every other red blooded male in the country!

KCFleming said...

I say it's 1000 and I say the hell with it.

Simon said...

Blake, Pogo talks a good game but I don't know if he wants it bad enough. ;)

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

This is a pretty decent place to shop for Cuban stuff. I was one of their first customers when they opened.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I'm ready to do my crazy Joe debate impersonation.

(enters trance)
BUSH McCAIN!
BUSH McCAIN!
BUSH McCAIN!
(exits trance)

OK, what number are we on?

bleeper said...

In honor of Paul Newman, the prize should be a recipe on how to best serve 50 hard boiled eggs.

That other, far-up-north Yankee food is just too awful to contemplate. Cheese with butter with fish that has been lyed to. I gotcher lutefisk right here! D'oh, that was Yankee talk!

krylovite said...

[with] a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

So?

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

From Taste of Cuba

Heaven's Bacon (Tocino del Cielo) recipe
from All About Cuban Cooking, courtesy of Josefina Alvarez
(posted with author's permission, repost with credit but do not reprint)

[webmaster's note: okay, so there's really no bacon in this recipe, and to be perfectly honest I'm not sure where the name came from so let me if you have its origin]

6 egg yolks
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil sugar and water for about 15 minutes until a light syrup is formed. Let cool. Beat egg yolks and add to light syrup, include vanilla. Follow instructions for flan (see recipe for caramel mold). using a double broiler, put in oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in caramel mold like flan.

serves 8

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

I have to sit down and write some of my own recipes at some point. I make a mean arroz con pollo.

Simon said...

Krylovite - so Biden's 51% majority could easily be, in fact, a 47% minority.

MadisonMan said...

971 comments about a Vice President! What was the gist of the commentary: What temperature should the warm bucket be at?

I realize some Republicans have a hard time swallowing McCain without a spoonful of Palin to help the maverick go down, but let me reiterate: This is the Vice President.

Sorry I've been away -- too much work!

Unknown said...

I don't find her reaction to Biden's grief strange at all. Probably the last thing she anticipated was him invoking the death of his family to counter her statement that she knows how families feel trying to make ends meet. "Look, I know what it's like to be a single father.When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder what it's like if your kid's going to make it."

That has what to do with economic issues?

blake said...

OK, Simon, I'll moderate the debate between you and Pogo as to who should be comment poster #1000.

Simon, you say your opponent just lacks the "fire in the belly" needed to post that 1,000th item, while his defenders point out that this thread died last night, and only an Althouse shill would continue posting in it.

Your response?

Anonymous said...

Obama and Biden keep saying that the war is in Afganistan, not Iraq.

So, does that mean that the bomb didn't go off in Bali and London?

And I keep wondering how you can "End the war!" when the other side keeps shooting.

The sad fact is that you can't end a war until the other side is completely dead or has lost the will to shoot at you.

But I guess Obama will charm the opponents of the west, because he's special.

I hope it won't be too much of a rude awakening to Obama and Biden (and all the other leftists) that the Islamic radicans don't like them any more than they like Bush.

And Chavez will still find reasons why America is the devil's country, even with Obama.

krylovite said...

Can any of the Althouse regulars give me an estimate of the percentage of Cedarford's comments that mention Jews?

MadisonMan said...

I feel I should do my fair share. But the topic is too dull. Sorry.

Have a great weekend everyone!

MadisonMan said...

krylovite -- I'm a regular, I guess, but I don't read cedarford's posts, so I can't help!

bleeper said...

The 1000th post should go to the Real Titus (tm). Just to induce him to come back out.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Actually, I would prefer Joe over Barry for president. I find myself feeling sorry for Joe when he has to stand up in a debate and regurgitate the One's talking points.

john said...

Amy, that would be 98.1%

What number am I?

Chip Ahoy said...

Beth, using search criteria you supply in your post I find several recipes in roll form but not in ferrymen or raft form. Might it be the same thing except flattened out instead of rolled up?

KCFleming said...

100% of Cedarford's comments mention Jews, even the ones that don't appear to.

KCFleming said...

i.e., they're always in the background, scheming, no?

Chip Ahoy said...

Also a similar thing with plantain chips.

blake said...

Just shy of a 100%, kry: Every now and again, he limits a post to some character or other's pulchritude and the evils of social conservatism in the pursuit of poon-tang.

Ever so rarely, he manages to just stick anti-corporation sentiments without mentioning the Joos.

(I really don't get how he's supposed to be right-wing: He's all about socialized medicine, anti-corporation and anti-social conservatism, but that's the popular meme.)

Why do you ask?

Roost on the Moon said...

Krylo:

About half. We all have our michigas.

Anonymous said...

(eating a piece of rasin bread.)

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Cedarford = Goebbels

There is no law for Goebbels, so bite me.

blake said...

scheming

lol@Pogo

krylovite said...

so Biden's 51% majority could easily be, in fact, a 47% minority.

Not easily. That's not how probability distributions work. What we know about the distribution is that he more likely had a majority than a minority.

The +/- 4% sampling error applies to Palin's 36% too, so it's possible (but not likely) that she had less than 1/3 of the uncommitted voters.

However, you break it down, Biden was a clear cut winner over Palin in these polls.

bleeper said...

Pork and bacon and ham for me.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

burp...

Anonymous said...

Did I win? What's the price?

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

five to go, people!

bleeper said...

Now?

Ok, how about now?

Are we there yet?

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Where is Tovarich Possum?? I would gladly give comment 1000 to him

bleeper said...

Dang.

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