The VP Debate - Realtime Blogging from Dallas

I'm 650 miles southwest of the debate in St. Louis but am actively tuned into it, like tens of millions of others!

8:01pm - And so it begins . . . like many people who don't trust the MSM, I'm paying special attention to everything that the moderator, Gwen Ifill, says.

8:03pm - The candidates came out. Sarah Palin asked Joe Biden if she could call him "Joe". He said "Yes".

8:04pm - Biden started talking about the current financial situation. I would have too. Though if one were to dig below the surface, it's clear that the Democrat Party and their buddies in Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, are at the very heart of the problem. That's hard to explain in a 30 second soundbite though, and Obama & Biden are counting on that.

8:06pm - Palin is reminding America that two years ago John McCain tried sounding the warning bell about the forthcoming economic crisis but that Biden & his colleagues weren't willing to listen.

8:09pm - Gwen Ifill just made a joke at Palin's expense about her not answering a question. I wonder if she'll extend the same discourtesy to Biden?!

8:11pm - Biden is lying (or stretching the truth) about Barack Obama warning 2 years ago about the sub-prime crisis whereas McCain was apparently mystified by the same. I'd LOVE to see the facts on that!

8:12pm - The crux of the divide between the two parties has just come out. Biden has insisted that middle-class people don't have enough money. Palin agreed but then pointed out how many times Obama increased taxes.

8:14pm - Palin just let both Biden and Ifill have it by saying, "I might not answer the questions that you [Biden] or the moderator want me to, but I will answer them."

8:16pm - Another split has arisen: Under Obama's tax plan, will families over $42,000 per year or $250,000 per year be effected? Palin says it's the former, Biden says it's the latter.

8:17pm - Palin is chastising Biden for his stupid statement that paying more taxes is patriotic. Bravo!!!

8:18pm - Palin has just outlined McCain's health care plan of giving every family a $5,000 tax credit and then contrasted it with Obama's plan of a federalized health care plan ... welcome to Canada's mess - egad!

8:19pm - Biden is smiling a lot less :-)

8:20pm - Biden just tried to spin McCain's plan in a negative light and added a little joke about the Bridge to Nowhere. Facts?!?

8:22pm - Biden just promised that he & Obama will cut lots of spending. Surrrrreeeee!!!

8:23pm - Palin is sharing her history about breaking up the monopoly of the oil companies in Alaska.

8:25pm - Biden is once again painting McCain as part of Big Oil. Effective rhetoric.

8:30pm - Palin is addressing the issue of Global Warming. She's talking about McCain's "All of the Above" approach of Energy Independence.

8:32pm - Biden believes that Global Warming is all man-made. Too bad he's wrong. But facts never stopped Al Gore so why should they stop Biden & Obama. This guy sounds like an American version of Stephane Dion.

8:34pm - Palin is talking about the importance of energy independence. God Help Americans if Obama & Biden get elected and actually follow through with their energy policies!

8:39pm - They're now talking about Iraq. Palin used Biden's own words of condemnation against Obama's initial refusal to fund the soldiers in Iraq & Afghanistan.

8:41pm - Biden is now talking about the Obama timeline for drawing down the troops in Iraq. I know this greatly appeals to the Daily Kos Kooks but it makes no sense. Whenever in history was there such a timeline way ahead of time during an active military operation? Not in Germany, not in Japan, not in Korea.

8:44pm - Biden is now trying to painting himself and Obama as being right about what has occurred in Iraq. What a pile of B.S. Does 2 + 2 now equal 7?

8:49pm - The whole issue of how to deal with countries like Iran is now being discussed. Obama-Biden wants to sit down with the leaders of Iran ... much like Neville Chamberlain sat down with Adolf Hitler. It didn't work then and it won't work now. But I fear that many on the left simply won't accept that there are some people with whom you can't break bread, sing Kumbaya, and resolve all problems.

8:53pm - Palin has just chastised Biden for keeping on trying to connect her & McCain to the Bush Administration.

8:57pm - She just quoted Obama's horrendous quote about American troops aerating villages and killing civilians in Afghanistan. Such quotes the Far Left love because of their hate toward the American military but I doubt that the average American appreciates such words.

9:00pm - Palin is talking with great detail about military policy in Afghanistan. It's going to be hard for Obama's MSM buds to HONESTLY paint her as some kind of dopey hick. Sure, some still will, but I doubt that the average voter will buy it anymore.

9:03pm - Palin just took a great shot at Biden about For It Before Being Against It Or Vice Versa and relating how Americans are fed up with Washington Insiders not talking straight about any issue.

9:07pm - Biden made a comment that he would carry out all of the same policies as Obama.

9:09pm - Palin made an interesting contrast, stating that she doesn't agree with every policy of McCain but that a healthy debate is a good thing.

9:10pm - Palin: "There you go again, Joe, pointing fingers back again!"

9:13pm - Ifill just opened the door for Palin & Biden to explain their past comments about the role of a vice-president. Palin explained that her earlier rhetorical question about not knowing what a VP actually did was a lame attempt at a joke. We all knew she was joking, of course, though the pathetic dregs on the left tried to tar her with it. Perhaps that'll end now. Nahhh, I shouldn't get so optimistic that hate-filled liberals can ever rise above their patheticness.

9:16pm - Biden just stated his belief that Dick Cheney was the worse vice-president ever in the history of the U.S.

9:18pm - Palin just made a beautiful speech about her view of America and how she connects with Americans. I need to get a copy of that video clip!!

9:20pm - Biden just stated that his & Obama's record should be compared side-by-side with that of John McCain. I sincerely would be interested to see that. I bet many Americans would too.

9:21pm - Biden just spoke about his children and almost broke out into tears. It was a very touching moment. I sincerely mean that. In fact, I think he's a very good speaker. I just don't happen to agree with his world view.

9:22pm - Palin came back that her & McCain are not "more of the same" but are true reformers.

9:23pm - Biden is directly attacking McCain's record, saying that he is not really a maverick on "the important issues that effect people around the kitchen table".

9:27pm - Biden just spoke about his track record of bi-partisanship. This may very well be true but it is NOT TRUE for Obama. He is an leftist ideologue who is not willing to work with those on the other side of the aisle in any substantial way.

9:30pm - Closing arguments. Both were rock solid. Only on November 4th will we learn how the American people decided.

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Post Debate Analysis:

Peggy Noonan:


Michelle Malkin

Andy McCarthy

Mark Levin

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