Program Note:
It's the showdown everyone's been waiting for.
Sarah Palin and Joe Biden face off on the issues.
Join the best political team on television for your front row seat!
Debate Night in America: Vice Presidential Debate
Tonight, beginning 8p ET
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Suzanne Malveaux | BIO
CNN White House Correspondent
I talked to Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass who just arrived at debate site. Nothing surprising regarding Joe Biden, just some points:
- Biden is feeling “pretty relaxed.”
- He has lots of family members coming to the debate (he’s got famously big family.)
- “Biden will make a clear convincing case that the Obama-Biden ticket will bring change from the last 8 years of the failed Bush policies.”
- “Will provide a sharp contrast to the McCain-Palin ticket, and argue that the opposing candidate is more of the same.”
- They “expect Palin will deliver strong sharp, pointed attacks.”
- Biden will respond by “trying to stay connected to voters. He’ll do his best to avoid getting drawn into game-playing.”
- “He’s going to be substantive and meaty. There will be a lot of meat on the bone.”
- Biden will talk about how “US has frayed alliances around the world,” that Iraq was a disaster.
- Biden will make the case this election is going to be about “core issues,” how people live their lives-pay for their homes, take out loans, educate their children, tend to their health, etc.
- “Biden will not go after Palin’s experience” or lack thereof.
- “Biden will not get personal.”
- As for the issue of debating a woman, Biden has talked with female senators about the sensitivities but Douglass says “he’s not that concerned about that.”
“He’s gone head-to-head debating strong, smart women; Feinstein, Mikulski, Kay Bailey Hutchison…”
“His wife has a PhD and is one of his closest advisors. His top staff in his campaign is women. He’s comfortable with strong women.”
- As for the expectations game-Douglass continues to play, saying “Palin is a formidable opponent,” “very tough, very effective communicator,” “very polished communicator.”
"She does especially well with prepared remarks, as we saw at the Republican Convention,” Douglass said.
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You asked, Anderson answers
joe biden completely shut down palin on every single question and thus proved her lack of any quality whatsoever a vice president needs to be a part of running this country. nearly everything she said was completely bogus and had no meaning, just a carbon copy of a weakly written mccain poster phrase. please stop now while you are behind, mccain and palin.
signed,
16 year old male american
Yes, I loved Sarah's comment about being able to speak to America with out the liberal media editing the clips. She did great tonight. She has such a likeability factor to her. She is real – What you see is what you get, and I love that.
I love the honesty of joe biden and he did not have to go to debate camp in the last week to learn a dang thing.....
Terri – how can you say out with the old and in with the new? VPs are window dressings. You are voting for someone who really deserved your party's ticket back in 2000. You should really be ashamed of your party's treatment of him back then. Don't forget the smear campaign done to McCain – accusing him of an affair, producing a bi-racial baby during the N. and South Carolina primaries. His chance has passed.............seriously! Dems are not to blame for that!
If I had not already made my choice of Obama, I sure would have now.
Palin is very insenitive & showed that tonight. She act's like a puppet..almost not human. Dianne, Michigan
Anyone who believes Palin has one tonight's debate is absolutely delusional.
No filter of main stream media? How about the filter of the McCain campaign? Please America.......vote this election for change and for candidates that truly understand the struggles of the American People. Joe Biden just said "it's the most important election you can vote for in your life" I couldn't agree more.
Is she speaking in English? It appears that she has a script and keeps trying to bring every question back to the script, even if it means that she doesn't make any sense.
Stop dreaming Ken! We cannot afford another four years of Bush
John McCain does not understand the little people because he has always lived on easy street with the money of family or his wife.
Ken!!!! What planet are you on and what debate are you watching!!!
Why can't Sarah Palin answer questions without using sound bites or talking points? She basically did not answer the faciliator's questions.
If any of us were up there lying likr that ..The crown would throw rock's at us....this lady is an idiot
It is so humiliating to see a woman who can only say "energy" to every single question. I expect a vp candidate to answer a direct question and not say energy...It will be excruciating to see such an ignorant person bordering on bigotry becoming the VP of such a great country specially after the tortures of Bushism for eight years...Someone should call her out on Talibani..what is talibani..Does she not know that there is no country called Taliban-they are all people from Afganistan...!!! I cant stand her calling herself a maverick when she is a fundamentalist & conservative..
Hi, i have been awake – its 7 morning in my place – Joe is experienced – Sarah is text book style – America needs experience to get it out – Good morning
Ok, hmm...I think DC would chew Palin up and swallow her. She is so golly gosh gee that she is in way over her head. I think looking back on this election, this nomination for VP will be judged as a HUGE mistake.
she did just pronounce infrastructure without choking on her tongue
In watching this V.P. Debate it strikes me as funny how Gov. Palin has danced around the issues. Only stating how McCain is a "Maverick" and how awesome she is at Energy reform in Alaska. Please answer a question already. Biden is ready to help lead. Clearly the Democrats have the better ticket.
Ok... with the way these two seem to be admiring each others personal views, seems to me the winning ticket would have been a Biden / Palin ticket..
Biden won hands down! Palin looked like a simple poor sorry thing!
I felt sorry for her!
All the LIBERALS are JEALOUS! THEY are so weak minded and conditioned by Obama they can't see she is blowing him away and she was in second grade when he first entered the SENATE, OUT with the OLD and IN WITH THE NEW! Obama is a JOKE, even BIDEN has said so! HOW can he get past that! Biden is great friends with John McCain and SAID he WOULD be FINE being on the TICKET with HIM! HOW can you Liberals get around that? Why do you spin it the way you decide instead of the reality! John McCain will fix this country and KEEP us SAFE, Obama will PUT us MORE IN DEBT and AT RISK with NATIONAL SECURITY!
Sarah is using a lot of metaphors and similies.
Maverick – John McCain – Soccer Mom, Alaska, Betcha, wink wink –
As a professional woman and a republican – What was John M. thinking when he picked her?
C'mon Joe! Show your stuff!!
What a great moment when Joe discussed his personal loss, raising sons, etc. He scored points!!
Ken -are you watching the same debate that I am?
Who does Biden think he is. He keeps saying... LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN!! How erogent can you get. You dont talk down to Americans
Looks like Palin is holding her own. You go girl!
I wonder if Rollins is a Republican????
Palin rocks !! but you probably won't post this due to your bias on this entire election process.
Oh, my Lord. This Palin woman is a puppet! Not one original thought came out of her! She keeps saying she is just a mom so she understands everyones problems and she and McCain are mavericks, mavericks, mavericks . Chatter, chatter, chatter.
As Joe Biden talks about being a single dad after his wife and daughter were killed, he has shown the only real passion of any of the candidates of both of the debates so far.
He comes across as a decent and genuine human being that will do what in his heart is best for this country.
God bless you Joe
Palin's little town experience is not helping her against Biden's experience and the numbers he has prepared.
well Andy, Narrow minded people grasping at straws because their guy is getting his butt kicked
Sarah Palin is using her talk points again. Can she please be original?!
Can I get extra credit to
....funny she should mention credit at a time like this.....she makes me feel warm and fuzzy, you know last week at the presidential debate they also knew what there questions were going to be, why do you think Obama did so well! people lets get real here they know what the questions are going to be! why do you think she sounds like she is reading from a script, Joe is better at it because he has been in more debates, we all know why you want the democrates to win it means more freebee's at the middle class tax payers expence!
Johnny, I'm sorry this lady hasn't answered a question. I wouldn't ask her any more either! lol. Biden is actually in command of the issue and trying to stay on task. Palin keeps going out in left field. Good try. she is pitiful.
Palin was awsome ....flustered the "know it all" seriously. Only thing Biden could do was the fake smile!!! HAHA He was right when he said Obama is not ready for the presidency! Nor is the 12 debate Biden who lost to a girl!
Frank, I believe the war started in Iraq because of irresponsible people like you.