WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: VOLUME 4
Governor Palin "Ended Up Dominating" The Debate, As She "Seemed To Hit Her
Stride"
Politico's Roger Simon: "Sarah Palin was supposed to fall off the stage at
her vice presidential debate Thursday evening. Instead, she ended up dominating
it. She not only kept Joe Biden on the defensive for much of the debate, she not
only repeatedly attacked Barack Obama, but she looked like she was enjoying
herself while doing it. She smiled. She faced the camera. She was warm. She was
human. Gosh and golly, she even dropped a bunch of g's." (Roger Simon, "You
Betcha Sarah Palin Can Debate," Politico, 10/2/08)
Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody: "Combining a happy warrior
spirit with a home-spun style and some substance thrown in to boot, Palin proved
that she belonged on that stage with Joe Biden tonight." (David Brody, "Palin
Hurdles Over The Bar In VP Debate," Christian Broadcasting Network's "Brody
File," 10/3/08)
· Brody: "As for Palin, she seemed to hit her stride tonight. She offered
more substance on issues like healthcare, energy policy, taxes and even Darfur
by explaining how her role as Governor played a part." (David Brody, "Palin
Hurdles Over The Bar In VP Debate," Christian Broadcasting Network's "Brody
File," 10/3/08)
The Washington Post's Dan Balz: " In a fast-paced exchange about a range of
domestic and foreign policy issues, she was the aggressive campaigner who in the
first weeks of her candidacy had so energized the Republican faithful." (Dan
Balz, "Palin Delivers, But Doubts Linger," The Washington Post, 10/3/08)
ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "From the minute Palin walked onstage and said,
'Nice to meet you, Joe -- can I call you Joe?' she had her performance down. It
was very winning and very appealing and we saw that throughout the debate."
(George Stephanopoulos, "Stephanopoulos: VP Debate Report Card," ABC News,
10/3/08)
National Review: "Gov. Sarah Palin, once again, confounded her critics with a
strong performance. She did it at the Republican convention, and she did it
again last night in her debate with Sen. Joe Biden. She performed with poise and
charm. She effectively made the case that Senator Obama would be nave in foreign
policy and harmful to economic growth, and that Senator McCain would be a
common-sense reformer." (Editorial, "Palin's Triumph," National Review, 10/3/08)
· National Review: "She handled questions about Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran
well. She connected domestic-policy arguments to the lives of average voters.
Anyone who hoped -- or feared -- that she would fall flat on her face was proven
wrong." (Editorial, "Palin's Triumph," National Review, 10/3/08)
National Review's Byron York: "Palin delivered a strong and sure performance
Thursday night." (Byron York, "Sarah Palin, The Winner By A Wink," National
Review, 10/3/08)
New York Post: "Eight real-life 'hockey moms' plucked from the ice to watch
the vice-presidential face-off last night said their high-profile counterpart
from Alaska dealt her critics a bell-ringing body check." (Brendan Scott, "Sarah
Scores!" New York Post, 10/3/08)
New York Daily News: "Sarah Palin gave as good as she got in her televised
faceoff with Joe Biden Thursday night - and by that measure she shored up her
standing as John McCain's vice presidential running mate. Palin sailed through
the 90 minutes with none of the unsteadiness she had shown in TV interviews. She
was both assured and down-home folksy in arguing the case for McCain and against
Barack Obama." (Editorial, "Sarah Palin Scores," [New York] Daily News, 10/3/08)
Dick Morris & Eileen McGann: "Palin Wins Big With A Reagan-Like Flair."
(Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, "Palin Wins Big With A Reagan-Like
Flair," New York Post, 10/3/08)
· Dick Morris & Eileen McGann: "Last night was a big, big win for Sarah
Palin. She showed originality, charisma and sass - a style that is refreshing
and different in our politics. She didn't just win the vice-presidential debate,
she showed that she belongs with Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as among the
best communicators of our modern political times." (Dick Morris and Eileen
McGann, Op-Ed, "Palin Wins Big With A Reagan-Like Flair," New York Post,
10/3/08)
The Wall Street Journal: "A confident, folksy Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
attacked the Democratic presidential ticket Thursday over tax hikes and
partisanship, holding her own against her vice-presidential rival, Delaware Sen.
Joe Biden." (Laura Meckler, "Biden, Palin Clash On Taxes, Iraq In Sharp-Edged
Debate," The Wall Street Journal, 10/3/08)
The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes: "Was she capable of being vice president?
Based on her debate performance, the answer was yes." (Fred Barnes, Op-Ed,
"Comeback," The Weekly Standard, 10/3/08)
The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes: "She won because to a vast majority of
those who watched the debate tonight she likely came off as a plausible vice
president. And that was all that mattered." (Stephen Hayes, Op-Ed, "A Plausible
Vice President," The Weekly Standard, www.weeklystandard.com,
10/3/08)
Anchorage Daily News: "But Palin kept her cool, stayed on her game and lived
up to her reputation as a spirited debater. She played to her strengths -- her
ability to connect with people like a neighbor and her resilience. Despite the
contempt and criticism she's endured in recent days, she walked onto the stage
like a candidate on top of the world. She shook hands with Biden and said 'Hey,
can I call you Joe?' That opening line was friendly, down-to-earth and said,
'We're equals.'" (Editorial, "Palin Hits Her Stride," Anchorage Daily News,
10/3/08)
Denver Post: "This thing's not over yet. She held her own. In what was likely
one of the most-watched vice presidential debates in the country's history,
Sarah Palin went in as the underdog Thursday night and came out of it with nary
a scratch." (Editorial, "Palin Has Fun, Holds Her Own In Tepid Veep Debate,"
Denver Post, 10/3/08)
· Denver Post: "In her opening answer to a question about the troubled
economy, Palin spoke with clarity and confidence and got to the heart of the
matter with the kind of populist candor she displayed at the Republican National
Convention. 'Go to a kid's soccer game on Saturday and ask any parent what they
think about the economy, and I betcha you're going to hear about fear,' Palin
said. 'Our economy is hurting.'" (Editorial, "Palin Has Fun, Holds Her Own In
Tepid Veep Debate," Denver Post, 10/3/08)
Governor Palin Turned Biden's Words Against Him
New York Daily News: "Most effectively, perhaps, she turned Biden's past
criticisms of Obama's plans for Iraq against Biden, adding, 'John McCain knows
how to win a war.'" (Editorial, "Sarah Palin Scores," [New York] Daily News,
10/3/08)
New York Post: "Sarah Palin used folksy language, winks, smiles and sharp
elbows to try to put seasoned rival Joe Biden on the defensive in last night's
vice-presidential debate." (Geoff Earle, "Pit Bull Sarah Shows Her Bite," New
York Post, 10/3/08)
The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes: "Palin surfaced issues that put Joe
Biden on the defensive or, at the very least, made him uncomfortable. And she
had several moments where she scored clean hits on Biden and Barack Obama: on
clean coal, on the patriotism of raising taxes, on Obama saying one thing to one
group of voters and something different to another, on Biden criticizing Obama
for his vote on troop funding in Iraq, when she reminded Biden that he himself
said that he'd be privileged to run on a ticket with John McCain." (Stephen
Hayes, Op-Ed, "A Plausible Vice President," The Weekly Standard, www.weeklystandard.com,
10/3/08)
· Hayes: "When Biden complained that Republicans have taken to repeating the
'drill, drill, drill' mantra, she owned it and gently corrected him. 'I think
the chant is drill, baby, drill.' It was a clever turn, and judging from
virtually every poll on the issue, it was politically very smart." (Stephen
Hayes, Op-Ed, "A Plausible Vice President," The Weekly Standard, www.weeklystandard.com,
10/3/08)
Chicago Sun-Times' Steve Huntley: "Appearing assertive and confident in her
national debate premiere, Palin battled Sen. Joseph Biden on a broad range of
issues -- the Wall Street meltdown, taxes and spending, Iraq, foreign relations,
which candidate best represents change -- and more than held her own." (Steve
Huntley, Op-Ed, "Palin Eases GOP Jitters, You Betcha," Chicago Sun-Times,
10/3/08)
· Huntley: "On international issues, the area where she has been considered
to be weak, Palin appeared to get under Biden's skin when she criticized Barack
Obama for saying he would meet without preconditions with some of the world's
worse dictators. Biden's face turned grim, and he went so far as to deny that
Obama had ever said he would meet without preconditions with the president of
Iran, when in fact the Democratic presidential nominee said that during the
primary." (Steve Huntley, Op-Ed, "Palin Eases GOP Jitters, You Betcha," Chicago
Sun-Times, 10/3/08)
Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody: "Oh, and by the way, she
morphed into 'Sarah Barracuda' tonight by using Biden's past statements on Obama
against him. She had it all working tonight." (David Brody, "Palin Hurdles Over
The Bar In VP Debate," Christian Broadcasting Network's "Brody File," 10/3/08)
The Wall Street Journal: "The Republican nominee more than held her own on
foreign policy in general, and in our view won on points at least on Iraq and
Afghanistan. She didn't let Mr. Biden get away with interpreting the comments of
a U.S. general in Afghanistan as a rejection of Mr. McCain's strategy. And on
Iraq she exposed both Mr. Biden's change of heart on the war, and his change of
heart on Mr. Obama's views on the war. At times Mr. Biden even looked a little
frustrated -- as if he couldn't quite believe he had to share the stage with
someone who hasn't hung out with Dick Lugar or . . . Mike Mansfield back when
the Senate was still a civil place. Or someone who says 'doggonit.'" (Editorial,
"Free Sarah Palin," The Wall Street Journal, 10/3/08)
Joe Biden Gets A Key Fact Wrong
The Washington Times' Stephan Dinan: "Democratic vice presidential nominee
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. appeared to incorrectly outline the constitutional role
of the job he's seeking in Thursday's debate. In attacking Vice President Dick
Cheney, Mr. Biden said the vice president's only role is to support the
president and to preside over the Senate 'only in a time when in fact there's a
tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.' The Constitution, though, actually says
the vice president is always president of the Senate and legal scholars say he
has the right to preside at any time. Early vice presidents, such as Thomas
Jefferson, actively exercised that role, the vice president still keeps offices
at the Capitol, and scholars say it wasn't until the middle of the 20th century
that the vice president had an office at the executive office building."
(Stephan Dinan, "Biden Gets Veep Role Wrong," The Washington Tim es, 10/3/08)
In The Headlines:
Anchorage Daily News: "Palin Hits Her Stride"
(Editorial, "Palin Hits Her
Stride," Anchorage Daily News, 10/3/08)
Christian Broadcasting Network: "Palin Hurdles Over The Bar In VP
Debate"
(David Brody, "Palin Hurdles Over The Bar In VP Debate," Christian
Broadcasting Network's "Brody File," 10/3/08)
Denver Post: "Palin Has Fun,
Holds Her Own In Tepid Veep Debate."
(Editorial, "Palin Has Fun, Holds Her
Own In Tepid Veep Debate," Denver Post, 10/3/08)
National Review: "Palin's Triumph"
(Editorial, "Palin's Triumph," National
Review, 10/3/08)
[New York] Daily News: "Sarah Palin Scores"
(Editorial, "Sarah Palin
Scores," [New York] Daily News, 10/3/08)
New York Post: "Pit Bull Sarah Shows Her Bite"
(Geoff Earle, "Pit Bull
Sarah Shows Her Bite," New York Post, 10/3/08)
New York Post: "Sarah Scores!"
(Brendan Scott, "Sarah Scores!" New York
Post, 10/3/08)
The New York Times: "The Palin Rebound"
(David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Palin
Rebound," The New York Times, 10/3/08)
Politico: "You Betcha Sarah Palin Can Debate"
(Roger Simon, "You Betcha
Sarah Palin Can Debate," Politico, 10/2/08)
