It didn't seem to me the moderator made Palin stick to answering the questions that were put to her. When it was her turn she always wanted to talk about something else and rambled on and then if she did answer the question posed to her after that, it was with curt and short answers. Much of what she said was not surprising since it is what she says every day on the campaign trail. She was confident, that's for sure, but what was with the winking and all the folksy stuff? It annoyed me to no end, and did not make me feel like she was my neighbor next door. If my neighbor next door constantly winked at me like that, I would have her commited.
Biden got to ramble on as well and I think he should have been made to hone his answer on those programs that might have to be cut in light of the bailout bill's price tag, instead of being allowed to wax on about what the Obama administration would will not cut. Palin's retort that nothing would be cut from the programs McCain is proposing would have surely brought up a follow-up or two in a more free-flowing enviornment. 
Of course the responsibilty for steering these candidates toward substansive matters and away from the canned delivery, fell to Gwen Ifill, the moderator. (I hear the LA Times loved the job she did. Love this country we can voice our opinions.) Some of the blame has to go to the campaigns themselves, especially MacCain's who lobbied for strict rules that imposed very short response time limits on answers and did not allow follow-up questions. I had hoped that she would have pressed the candidates some.
Well, what did we actually learn about the cnadidates then? Palin did not have one moment of lack of confidence. We saw Biden get emotional when talking about the death of his first wife and daughter. Biden would not pattern his his vice presidency after Dick Cheney, but Palin just might, considering she also believes Cheney's office is not part of the Executive branch.
Palin gave mixed answers on the role of government. On the one hand we need government to bail out the financial sector, on the other she wants it to get out of people's lives. When it comes to full civil rights for homosexual couples, she again gave mixed answers. Biden was more consistent in his answers, but no more surprising. In short, we were given a debate where we didn't learn anything we didn't know already. I felt that Palin was a bit sarcastic at times and upset that Biden talks about the past. But we learn from the past and the past is the footprints for the future. I felt Biden was a gentleman and respectful of Palin, especially when he could have jumped all over her for naming the wrong General three times in a row. He was a gentleman and left it to the pundents. Well, I will say I enjoyed this debate much more than the first presidential debate, even though I thought the candidates should have been made to reveal apspects of their views we don't get when watching their infomercials. But hey, that's just my take.
"I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians."- Charles De Gaulle
Grateful this week - for my family and the time I was able to spend with Deb, Erin and Mackenzie. I love them dearly and Erin is like a daughter to me. To be able to spoil them and help them relax in a stressful time.
-- for my husband, who even though is still on crutches tried hard this week to help me do things I needed to get done, and even ran some errands on his own. I love him so much; he is my best friend and soul mate.
-- for the expertise of the doctors and surgeons at Stanford Medical Center beimg some of the best in the world. I know that Erin will be in the best of hands during her surgery Wednesday.
-- To live in a country where we have the right to vote for our leaders, listen to open debates, have freedom of speech, and live in freedom.
-- for the rain we have been promised later today, through the night and tomorrow morning.
Have a great weekend!
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