More on the debate (what debate?)

Given that American politics seems to have a world-changing or at least a game-changing event about every 24 hours, the vice presidential debate of Thursday evening may already seem like ancient history on Saturday morning. But, for anyone who is interested, here is a collection of mainstream conservative commentary on the debate, which we previously discussed here and here.

1. David Brooks’s lively column.

2. Richard Lowry once again demonstrates that he belongs in a college dorm, not in the editorship of a major political magazine:

Projecting through the Screen [Rich Lowry]

A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It’s one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O’Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I’m sure I’m not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, “Hey, I think she just winked at me.” And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can’t be learned; it’s either something you have or you don’t, and man, she’s got it.

3. In 2005, Sen. Biden supported Bush’s democratization policy:

4. Jonah Goldberg has an incisive observation about Biden:

… I’m kind of surprised no one else made this point (and if they did and I missed it I apologize).

What struck me the most about the debate—and it probably helped having quintessential Obamaphiles in the room—was how Biden’s “gravitas” is derived almost entirely from the fact that he can lie with absolute passion and conviction. He just plain made stuff up tonight. I read a long list tonight in my debate with Beinart here at Wash U, we can visit the details tomorrow.

Just a few: Flatly asserting that Obama never said he’d meet with Achmenijad; that absolute nonsense about spending more in a month in Iraq than we’ve spent in Afghanistan (“let me say it again,” he said as if he was hammering home a real fact); the bit about McCain voting with Obama on raising taxes; his vote in favor of the war etc.

It’s amazing how the impulse to see Biden as the more qualified and serious guy stems almost entirely from his ability to be a convincing b.s. artist. I’m not saying Palin was always honest or unrehearsed, but when she offers up a catchphrase or a talking point, you can tell. When Biden spews up a warm fog of deceitful gassbaggery the response seems to be “what a great grasp of the issues he has!”

His ability, nay his eagerness, to fake not only the “facts” but his sincerity is so shameless many pundits seem either mesmerized by it or scared to call him on it. I’d call his fakery passive aggressive except it’s actually just aggressive aggressive. Beyond being a tool of trial lawyers, I never saw much similarity between Biden and John Edwards, but tonight I was really struck by how alike the two are. Edwards fakes being an everyman, and Biden does too. But his real fraud is intellectual seriousness. He talks like an intellectually mature person, but that’s all it is—talk.

5. A video of Peggy Noonan saying that “Palin killed.” Meaning she killed Biden.

6. A disagreement between Stephen Spruiell and Andrew McCarthy over the propriety of Gwen Ifill being the moderator of the debate.

7. Scott of Powerline writes:

Grand Slam

That describes the first half-hour of Sarah Palin’s performance against Joe Biden tonight. She was calm, commanding and articulate. She repeatedly knifed Biden with a smile and showed why she is one of the most effective communicators in American politics. I’ve been watching Presidential debates since 1960, and I can’t recall a more one-sided matchup than the first 30 minutes of tonight’s debate. It was all Sarah Palin.

After that it equalized a bit, and by the last half-hour I’d guess that television sets were turning off across America. But there is no doubt who prevailed in tonight’s encounter: the Sarah Palin we loved at the convention is back. In fact, she was markedly better tonight. There were a number of good moments. One of my favorites was her “shout out” to her sister’s third grade class back in Alaska, who got extra credit for watching the debate. This was one of many reminders that, to the average television viewer, Palin is one of “us” and not one of “them.”

Given Governor Palin’s performance, Biden had an impossible assignment. He made things worse with his inappropriate grins and grimaces while Palin was speaking, much like Al Gore in 2000, only worse. Palin, in contrast, kept a steady demeanor while Biden was taking shots at her, like a pro. Throughout, she commanded the stage and displayed more poise and confidence than her opponent.

Neither candidate committed any notable blunders. The closest were Biden’s reference to “Bosniacs” and his risible claim that he likes to hang out at Home Depot. I don’t think the subject of who actually knows how to carry out home improvements—Joe Biden, a Senator since age 29, or Todd and Sarah Palin—is one that Biden really wants to get into.

Toward the end, Loree and I were puzzling about how the Associated Press can try to spin the debate. It’s a tough problem for them. There is no way they can pretend that the evening was anything but a triumph for Governor Palin. My guess is that they have a team of people “fact checking” every word that Palin uttered, and that starting some time tomorrow they will crank out articles that in effect continue the debate, taking issue with one or two things that Palin said.

But that won’t be very effective; certainly not with the tens of millions of people who saw the debate. The McCain campaign badly needed a triumphant night from Palin to get momentum moving its way. Palin delivered. Now it’s up to McCain to keep it going. It’s also up to the McCain campaign to make better use of Governor Palin, one of its best assets.

With very little adjustment to her schedule, she could do talk radio every day. Earlier this week, she did a ten minute appearance on Hugh Hewitt’s show. It was, I believe, the first such talk radio interview she’s given. This is madness. Every day, she should be talking with Rush Limbaugh, Hugh, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Jim Vicevich, and so on. Wherever she goes, she should do fifteen minutes with a local talk radio host. If she went on with people like Jason Lewis and Scott Hennen, to name just two out of many, she would cement her relationship with the Republican base and bring the McCain campaign immeasurable good will.

It also wouldn’t hurt if she sat down for interviews with significant conservative web sites. Hey, we’re available! And, while the campaign’s focus at this point is naturally on “earned media,” I’d like to see a few television commercials featuring Governor Palin speaking directly to voters. As she reminded us tonight, she can do it very well.

It remains to be seen whether tonight’s debate marked a turning point in the campaign, but Governor Palin did about all she could to make it happen.

8. A video with clips of Palin campaigning for Alaska governor in ‘06.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 04, 2008 10:44 AM | Send