Biden vs. Palin: Comparing past debates
Posted: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 9:27 AM by Carrie Dann
Filed Under:
Joe Biden, Sarah Palin
In twin articles, the New York Times looks at Biden’s and Palin’s past debate performances. For Biden: “A review of Mr. Biden’s debate performances shows him to be deeply knowledgeable across a range of topics, reflecting his nearly four decades in Washington, where he is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee… One danger for Mr. Biden on Thursday is that his habit of speaking authoritatively, of saying he possesses the truth, will come across as overbearing or condescending, particularly toward someone like Ms. Palin, who lacks his credentials. To try to guard against sounding sexist, he is sparring in practice sessions with Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan, who is playing the role of Ms. Palin.”
For Palin: “Her debating style was rarely confrontational, and she appeared confident. In contrast to today, when she seems unversed on several important issues, she demonstrated fluency on certain subjects, particularly oil and gas development. But just as she does now, Ms. Palin often spoke in generalities and showed scant aptitude for developing arguments beyond a talking point or two. Her sentences were distinguished by their repetition of words, by the use of the phrase ‘here in Alaska’ and for gaps. On paper, her sentences would have been difficult to diagram.”
The LA Times also talks to former rivals about Palin’s debate skills -- which appear to be better than the expectations right now are indicating.
"Trudy Mason, a Democratic activist from New York, said his [Biden's] warmth nicely balances Obama's cooler demeanor. 'He speaks from the kishkas,' she said, using the Yiddish word for 'gut.' But speaking from the kishkas can get a politician into trouble, and as Biden prepares to debate Sarah Palin tomorrow, some Democrats are worried. On the trail last week, the downside was on full display, as Biden mangled historical facts and twice contradicted his own campaign. The gaffes piled up at such a rate that Republicans dedicated a website to tracking them. His emotional reactions sometimes appear to drive him to fudge answers."
"In the Marist survey, 45 percent gave Biden, Delaware's Democratic senator, the edge, while 36 percent said Palin, Alaska's GOP governor, will shine. By a better than 2-to-1 ratio, voters believe Biden will have a better understanding of the issues than Palin. But 65 percent think Palin will come across as more appealing, compared to 23 percent for Biden."
The Right looks to pre-but a poor Palin debate performance by calling Gwen Ifill biased.
