Who Won the VP Debate?

It's clear that Joe Biden won the vice presidential debate. Why did he win? Because he actually answered the questions. Sarah Palin is a very personable person and she did win in presentation. But Palin's responses were clearly rehearsed. She was "folksy" and tried way too hard to be "joe six-pack." Most importantly, she didn't answer the questions! She did anything she could to not answer them. She would find some way to bring up energy or reference her record as the governor of Alaska. When asked what her achilles heel is, she responds with what her strengths are.

Biden did hold back. You could see it in his face. He wanted to correct Palin so many times. For example, when she disagreed with Biden on his comments about the commanding general in Afghanistan saying the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan. Palin disagreed and said that McClennan did not say definitively the surge principles would not work in Afghanistan. It's true, General McClennan never made those comments because General McKiernan said that.You can actually hear Biden sigh into the mic as Palin is going on about "General McClennan." Strategically it was in Biden's best interest to hold back. If he had corrected her or was in some way condescending, they would have called him a bully or a sexist. Why is ok for Palin to say lines like "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again?" If Biden did that, the Republicans would go after him. I did love when he said this, "So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere." But Biden's main job was to talk up Obama and to let the American people know that a McCain administration would be like a third term of a Bush administration. I feel like he effectively did that. I think this Biden response will stick in mind's of viewers:

BIDEN: Look, past is prologue, Gwen. The issue is, how different is John McCain's policy going to be than George Bush's? I haven't heard anything yet.

I haven't heard how his policy is going to be different on Iran than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy is going to be different with Israel than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy in Afghanistan is going to be different than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy in Pakistan is going to be different than George Bush's.

It may be. But so far, it is the same as George Bush's. And you know where that policy has taken us.

Another thing, she kept slamming Biden for bringing up the Bush Administration. She even said, "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future." Is she forgetting that the Bush administration still has another 4 months in office? I think it's fair for the American people to know where the two campaigns stand in regards to the Bush administration.

Many people believe that Sarah Palin won the debate. She only "won" the debate because the expectations were incredibly low. If you look at facts and message, my final verdict is for Joe Biden.