The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Picking Up the Pieces

10.6.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 2 of 6)

Senator Biden reminded debate viewers that the so-called "maverick" voted for George Bush's budgets, which piled up over $3 trillion in debt. McCain voted for Bush's exclusion of 3.6 million children from the S-CHIP health care plan. He supported Bush's war in Iraq from the beginning, and voted billions of tax breaks for the most wealthy corporations and CEOs.

But even if Palin really does believe that McCain would bring change, he couldn't do it single-handedly. He'd have to use many of the same Republican operatives and lobbyists that are so deeply entrenched in Bush's administration. These are the birds he's flown with all his career, from Alaska to Arizona, to K Street in D.C.
-- Bruce Joffe
Piedmont, California

I wish Governor Palin had presented a biting comeback to Senator Biden's "Fairness" doctrine to justify the government's robbing from the rich (those who earn more than $250K), keeping 67 percent for service charges, and giving to the "poor" (those peasants of Sherwood Forest will vote to keep the Sheriff of Nottingham in power). Something along the lines of: "When a career politician mentions 'fairness,' make sure that your wallet is still in your pocket."
-- David Shoup

The issue last night is not whether Sarah Palin is an embarrassment. It has to do with whether she is qualified to be Vice President, and the most important issue there is her readiness to serve as President.

There are tens of millions of hockey moms and real Americans out there who could appear on stage and read cue cards or memorized notes, be charming and folksy, and show they are in touch with issues facing people every day.

That does not mean they are qualified to be Vice President.

Last evening Sarah Palin gave no indication, on any question, that she had more than surface knowledge from cramming. There was no nuance, no thoughtfulness, and any of her responses would have run into serious trouble given a modicum of follow-up questioning and discussion.

Joe Biden offered this. See his response to the role of the Vice President versus Sarah Palin's, and very simply ask yourself who grasps the position more clearly.

Otherwise, you are participating and contributing to the dumbing down of America, that turns elections into a Survivor Like reality show.
-- Charles Baum

You write: "It's puzzling to see, however, that the moment a person does walk onto the stage with that genuine, down-to-earth flair, she's dismissed as gimmicky and stupid."

She is dismissed as gimmicky and stupid because she is gimmicky and stupid. Down-to-earth flair can't conceal ignorance. You give the common man no credit.

Palin is gifted with phenomenal memorization and beauty pageant skills, but your use of the adjective "genuine" to describe Palin's "flair" is oxymoronic.
-- C.B. Gilman
Tucson, Arizona

She was chipper; she was smiley. She dodged the questions she couldn't answer, and she stayed on message. And, gosh darn it, she sounded sincere. Sarah Palin would be a perfect Presidential Press Secretary. Too bad she got bumped up to a responsibility she's not ready for.
-- Bruce Joffe
Piedmont, California

Pete Freire does a fine job recapping the Palin -- Biden debate from several nights ago. The Governor strode out looking confident and fashionable and, after a slightly slow start, took on Biden and applied some serious body checks to him.

"Gaffe-Master" Joe (sounds like a third-rate rapper) then proceeded to pile on the mis-statements, fumbles and outright lies during the course of the debate. Now, most of these have been covered at length in other places (see Amanda Carpenter at Townhall.com, Investor's Business Daily and Michael Goldfarb of the McClain -- Palin campaign), and some have been real doozies. Biden mentions inviting anyone to join him for a beer at Katie's Restaurant in Wilmington, DE, a place that's been out of business for years, and also spoke of talking to people at his local Home Depot. In spite of the fact that the huge, glowing orange building that houses the business is virtually impossible to miss, I
doubt Biden would recognize one if he drove his car through it.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Transportation, Foreign Policy, Education, Health Care, John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Economics, Business, Religion, Islam, Hollywood, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Iraq, NATO, Socialism, Alaska, Oil