Why is everyone saying Gov palin did good?

Expectations were set so low for her going into the debate that she all she had to do is keep talking to make an impression on her base. But you're right. The people who think she did well are not acknowledging that there are actual rules for debates and a pointing system. Palin broke rules big time by saying she wouldn't answer certain questions and by avoiding others. She was also factually wrong a few times and all those negative points added up to losing the debate. She also had too many canned, campaign stump paragraphs being passed off as answers.

She actually did do well. In fact, I'm surprised so many people think Biden did great.

Oh, he sounded great, but he told an awful lot of whoppers up there on stage. By last count, I've seen 20 different inaccuracies come out of him. Some were minor, but some were in the catagory of "what universe does Biden live in." The two biggest examples are when Biden said the US and France kicked Heabollah out of Lebanon. That never happened. And when he said Bush backed the West Bank election and that Obama warned not to do it because Hamas would be elected. Obama had barely just become a US Senator and never said any such thing.

Spin, spin, spin! The more the Liberal Democrats say Biden won and are confused that a lot of people think Gov. Palin handed Angry, Chicken Neck, Eyebrow Joe his hat, just confirms that she did win. I know that it is hard to accept, but she did not fail, as the Liberal Media told all the liberal democrats that she would. Liberal Democrats should not be confused today, they should be angry at the Liberal Media for lying to them about Palin. Talk about a "moose in the headlights" poor ole Joe looked confused all night. Face it, the woman is tougher than the media said. She ambushed Angry Eyebrow, plain and simple. Say it ain't so Joe!

My current favorite on this:

There are people--right now--who are convinced that Sarah Palin actually won this debates. In an effort to make sense of this, I quickly scanned the channel guide to make sure that I had just watched the same Vice Presidential that people are talking about.

Nope, only one VP debate on TV. Damn.

Hmmm...Ok, I now realize that Palin actually DID win the debate after I'd processed what had been said. She wasn't debating. She won based on the tried and true method of not answering the question, followed by the even more effective technique of 'repeat party talking points.'

It became comical how many times she has been asked to clarify a talking point, or something that the ticket stands for--and the answer was another talking point.

I suppose that answering the question isn't the purpose of a talking point. It's basically a simplistic phrase designed in order to resonate deep in the brains of the party core.

My favorite part of the debate was when Biden gave Palin a civics lesson on the role of the Vice President. This was after she said that she'd look to EXPAND the powers of the VP--something to which people paying attention should take offense to, especially after eight years of Deadeye Dick Cheney.

My favorite snapshot of how the night played out if you decided to avoid the circus:

Washington Post (Eugene Robinson): Exactly an hour into the debate, Joe Biden began an answer by saying, "Facts matter, Gwen." To him, maybe. To Sarah Palin, maybe not. The pattern, so far, has been one of Biden presenting facts and Palin countering with… saying stuff. Sometimes she throws in a fact, but mostly she seems to be offering a string of approximate policy positions, encomiums to the American spirit, disputed interpretations of Barack Obama's record and anecdotes from Alaska.

Perhaps the only people that the debates really matter for are the undecided. People who are diehard Republicans really don't care about what their common sense is telling them (along with the last few weeks) about Palin. They don't care that she doesn't seem to have a grasp on anything sustantive. She could have stood silent behind the podium tonight, drooled, then peed on herself and these people would still think she won. I do wonder how much of this is partisan loyalty, and how many of these people genuinly believe that Sarah Palin is what this country needs in the Nation's second highest office.

tens of millions of visitors of the optimum rated debate in sixteen years (Pres or vice chairman) could disagree with you. As many polls that suggested Biden gained, others confirmed Palins victory grew to become into extensive. you may no longer low value the numbers. Fox's numbers for Palin could have been bigger yet we found out right this moment that numerous folk have been texting in and the gadget crashed. Say what you prefer to, yet Fox is the optimum rated cable information channel. Watch your CNN and MSNobama and that i will watch Fox and hear rush and Hannity. via ways, her shout outs is why numerous frequent, everday people fell in love with a month in the past and could proceed to love her over the subsequent 4 years.

All she needed to do was not fail miserably. See, a tie goes to the republicans because they have all the oil money we've been paying in gas prices over the last 8 years. Plus the military contractors, war profiteering, etc. All that money power and influence will do the rest of the work of getting out the vote and crushing the Democratic platform. not to mention election fraud, cheating, blackmail, bribes, the works. I think McCain will win in November. sad but I think that may be the case.

HOw can you possibly say she is not bright.. She has been in washington politics 5 weeks and was able to go head to head with biden who has been there 26 years.. damn man give me a break.. I dont think there are many people in the world who could do that.. You give her a years experience in washington.. and I dont think any one in washington would be able to handle her in a debate..she proved that she is really smart and that she connects with the american working families.. I think she probably won the election for Mccain last night.. you will see in the polls in a few days.

Both Palin and Biden did a fair job last night. Palin's slip up was calling Joe "O'Biden" but at the same time, I feel embarrassed to be a democrat when my own party was proved wrong in the majority of the facts he pulled out were proven wrong. So, overall yes I do feel Palin did do a good job last night.

two words: low expectations

By any objective standards, you are absolutely correct. Palin's performance in the debate was downright miserable. Wooden appearance, flighty questions, changed subjects.

The only reason people say she did good was for the same reason that you say a third grader's art is good; people were expecting a train wreck, some major gaffe or botched line that would completely and utterly tear the McCain/Palin's chances for election asunder. It was good only in the sense that it wasn't the living catastrophe that people thought it was going to be

I would have to say it was a pretty lame debate that did not offer much to take away for either party. I'm still not convinced either way and may not even vote at this point.