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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Some Kind of Record

posted by on October 4 at 1:43 AM

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sarah Palin’s televised showdown with Joe Biden drew nearly 70 million U.S. viewers, far surpassing last week’s John McCain-Barack Obama face-off and ranking as the most watched vice presidential debate ever.

Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, and Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware, also drew the biggest audience of any nationally televised political debate in 16 years

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1


My suggestion is that in the next debate be Obama vs. Palin, then Palin vs. McCain.

Posted by John Bailo | October 4, 2008 1:58 AM
2

America watched because we hoped that Palin would have a spectacular meltdown on live television.

In that way, she failed to live up to her billing.

Posted by doctiloquus | October 4, 2008 2:14 AM
3

The Colfax vs Blair Jr debate had at least 80 million viewers.

Posted by Chris in Tampa | October 4, 2008 3:02 AM
4

That's because politics and reality television have finally and completely merged.

Posted by flamingbanjo | October 4, 2008 3:32 AM
5

Good thing he won, then! *snicker*

Posted by Seajay | October 4, 2008 8:42 AM
6

Facts matter, Seajay. Biden won *all* the post-debate polls, excepting "the exception proves the rule" Fox.

But by all means, live in denial. It makes our job easier.

Posted by Big Sven | October 4, 2008 9:33 AM
7

People find it tough to look away from car crashes. And we all thought it would be a car crash.

Posted by Julie in Chicago | October 4, 2008 9:49 AM
8

#6

Don't be so silly and coy. It does not become you.

There were totally different standards for each person. EVERY Democrat with any sense knew Biden would be fine. In fact he was at his best. Biden established to newly politicized millions why he is on the ticket once and for all. Important to Dems.

Palin was the unknown. The suspense factor and the DRAW. In her little tug of war with media, with some the current media crop - lots of supposed questions swirled.

The gullible wondered and wondered and wondered. Why beats me. She is made of steel, bright, charming and used to work in TV. Add days of priming and primping by experts - she had a lot of back up. So did Biden by the way. Palin simply exceeded completely. Just wonder what she would be like if she had 30 years in the Senate at her back?

Sarah Palin is now established in her party at the top, GOP Super Lady. A long term contender for national office and power. She exceeded ALL expectations by wide - wide - margins. Polls said Biden did better on substance, of course, but people liked her better.

Over time her TV efforts will be among the very BEST.

You can hate her right wing politics, but she is an ace at this point and will only get better.

By he way, she drew lines of difference over and over between her and traditional R.s and esp. the Bush years.That shows some courage and smarts and that she is aware of her own bright future in American politics. Here in Washington we should relate a bit - as we sent the mom in tennis shoes to the Senate, where she has done very well.

Too bad Hillary and Palin are not on the same side. Think of Palin running the House instead of deadwood Pelosi.

IF OBAMA IS BRIGHT HE WILL GIVE HER A ROLE IN HIS ADMINISTRATION, SAUF HE FEARS STRONG WOMEN.

The R. talk for 20012 will be Palin for president. Mid the Great Depression and the collapse of order in the big cites of the world as well as massive hunger and several added wars and more problems related to global climate change ...

I have little faith in the coming years.

Posted by Ferry Boat Jerry | October 4, 2008 10:11 AM
9

@6; My snicker was at the media who drum up expectations that there has to be a 'winner' and 'loser' in these so-called 'debates,' which have about the same real competition content as Big Time Wrassling. If people want to see a winner and a loser, the candidates would be better off on a court shooting free throws. Or darts, or seeing who can do the most beer bongs and remain upright.

Posted by Seajay | October 4, 2008 10:22 AM
10

You're on crack. Strong woman? She knows absolutely nothing about any topic whatsoever, and is the least intellectually curious person I have ever seen. Her debate answers were laughable; they get WORSE the clearer her syntax gets, because the utter vapidity of the ideas she's trying to parrot becomes clearer.

Strong woman my ass.

Posted by Fnarf | October 4, 2008 10:25 AM
11

That's a fact, Jack.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | October 4, 2008 10:40 AM
12

A stupid flavor of Doritos.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | October 4, 2008 10:41 AM
13

fnarf

if you said strong woman, my cunt, you would be more convincing, just sayin'

and of course you are expert on giving birth too

need to stick to you own expertise a bit, what YOU know

Palin knows a lot about being a strong woman, trust that, even as an avid right R.

no crack ever for me, but, coffee and brunch sounds good

Biden gave her glowing credit for getting some money for Alaska from windfall oil profits, did you miss that while waiting for her Harvard Thesis stuff? Or is Biden stupid to credit such a vapid political feat? It was her game after all.

I remember him saying the Federal Govt needs to follow her plan, to that effect.

I think a lot of overly partisan Dems missed a lot in that 90 minutes, said and non verbal.

Posted by Ferry Boat Jerry | October 4, 2008 10:55 AM
14

We all tuned in to watch Palin and what other hilarious things she would say or do. She is better than any of the players on this years Survivor Gabon or Project Runway. When she loses I think some smart cable network will scoop her up for her own reality TV show. Now we just need an angle.

Posted by Mrs. Y | October 4, 2008 11:06 AM
15

The angle - Alaska - it is totally unknown to most of America, and even in Seattle with all its links it is still a random topic of little knowledge, without Palin even these conversations would not be on the radar.

I lived near Anchorage for about 6 years - loved it - you all have no idea how much weed, sex and booze goes down in the long winter.

And the scenic beauty is astonishing, not just pretty, awesome beyond belief.

And there is a real distain for the snot nosed idiots who we meet from the East Coast - two very different types of people.

If Alaska could, they would buy their freedom from America and be a province or allied state of Canada, makes real sense in fact.

Yep.

Posted by Frank | October 4, 2008 12:12 PM
16

70 million people tuned in hoping for a train wreck or a huge smackdown. We got neither.

Palin recited her talking points reasonably well. Few people bought the line, but she didn't completely derail like she did during the Katie Couric interviews (damn it!).

Biden did surprisingly well. He didn't get long winded like he can, and he didn't make any of his infamous gaffs. He performed a very competent, if not especially exiting, debate.

All together, very disappointing.

Posted by Reverse Polarity | October 4, 2008 12:32 PM
17

"The three-way debate in October 1992, like the Palin-Biden contest on Thursday, pulled in 69.9 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said."

heh

Posted by lorinyc | October 4, 2008 11:32 PM

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