At 9pm (2100 hours) Eastern Standard Time in the United States the one and only Vice Presidential debate will take place between Senator Joseph Biden (D) and Governor Sarah Palin (R) in St. Louis, Missouri. If you are in Saudi Arabia and interested in viewing this debate as it occurs your best option will likely be to watch the debate via Orbit News. However set your alarm for in order to view it live from Saudi Arabia, it will in fact air on 03 October at 0400 hours. In addition to Orbit News I am presuming that CNN (as well as other channels) will have coverage as well.
What should we expect from this debate? I, for one, certainly hope to see more decisive and definitive answers on where the candidates and the respective parties stand on issues of cirtical importance to the United States and rest of the world starting with the US economy and continuing to energy, terrorism, health care, social security, jobs in America as well as US policies concerning Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Korea, Russia and naturally Saudi Arabia too.
Why would Saudi Arabia be raised during a Vice Presidential debate you ask? I think energy is an important aspect of not only the United States but rest of the world and with Saudi Arabia as the key oil producer, the USA-KSA relationship will always remain a top priority.
And this debate also needs to be watched closely on how well-prepared these Vice Presidential candidates are and with a view as to how would either of them also appear as the Leader and Commander in Chief. Which one is truly representative of what America wants and needs?
I hope that the Vice Presidential candidates will not take digs at each other during this debate. I’ve no objection if they elect to take stabs at the parties and views that the parties stand for which may differ from their own as long as they back up their accusations or allegations with facts. I doubt that any concessions will be made for Sarah Palin because she is a woman. She will be expected to be prepared and able to respond coherently and decisively. Joe Biden will be expected to maintain his cool and deliver his responses with firm assurance.
So I for one already have my alarm set as I do not want to miss this debate. And of course after the debate has concluded, comments and viewpoints are eagerly solicited from the expat community in Saudi Arabia and from Saudi readers too. I think it is important to share the views and perspectives on what is in store for America with the upcoming election.
Filed under: America, Economy, gender, Health, politics, relationships, Saudi Arabia, terrorism, Uncategorized
I am interested in watching the debate, but I have a lot less expectations than you in terms of issues being discussed. It seems that the VP debate will be more about whom of the two messed up more than the other. Moreover, the debates are always about who appeared more “presidential” than any real substance. Finally, I must state that if a buffoon like George W. Bush gets the commander in chief post for two terms (8 years), then the US has lost any moral or ethical grounds for preaching to the world community.
Thanks for commenting Siwash.
I just finished watching the entire debate myself and I think overall it was a good debate. All the primary key issues were raised by the moderator and the candidates did a fair job of answering the questions. Yes, of course there was the usual finger pointing but I believe they also spoke in substance. Now my bias will show through for I do think Senator Biden spoke in more detail than Governor Palin although to her credit, Governor Palin was “less of a parrot” than she has been previously.
Yesss! For the first time in a long time I watched a ‘good’ debate!
Biden certainly did better, there’s no denying he’s more knowlegable and experienced than Sara Palin. There is of course no ultimate candidate, whether presidential or vice presidential, but in the case of these two, Biden gets my vote.
Governor Palin has a long way to go.
Thanks for commenting Tee. I enjoy reading your views.
A good Debate PLEASE That woman cant even do good interview. She is all over you tube with all her crap with Ms. CBS Katie. Everytime she opend her mouth she shows how much she does not know. SHe put the UPID in Stupid
Palin did better than I expected she’d do. The eyeglasses and old-fashioned hair style do not cover the fact that good, old-fashioned feminine charm goes a long way. I hope it does not carry her to the White House.
Though Biden fumbled a few words, he knows how to pronounce “nuclear.” On those grounds alone, he offers greater credibility!
Living life – I agree that there are many interesting youtube videos out there with many Palin gaffes. While I do not in any way believe she is an appropriate choice for the White House, I think she did much better in the debate in how she composed and maintained. Can you eleborate more on what specifically in the debate she stumbled upon?
Marahm – You’re right … she is a fighter and using every tool or talent she has to include feminine wiles and charm. What do you think about the beginning where she asks Senator Biden if she can call him Joe? Perhaps she did not think that would be heard by all?
I also liked the fact that Joe Biden showed equal emotion in response to Sarah Palin when she stated how she could relate to the “regular” people because she was just a regular person…a mom with a son in Iraq, a disabled child, concerned over health care, etc. He hit back and hit back hard in his own way speaking of the tragic death of his first wife, his grief and raising two children as a single dad…and now also having his own son in Iraq.
I liked Joe Biden’s closing remarks too which I think were much stronger than Sarah Palin’s.
Joe Biden is seasoned, knows foreign policy, knows economic policy and has a decent track record. Sarah Palin in some ways reminded me of the little girl playing dress up for a play but still struggling to remember all her lines.
I posted my reply BEFORE I saw the debate. My comments were in response to someone saything they wanted to see a good debate. I honestly didnt think it would be a good debate.
While she did do better. I feel this is only because she has been in a training session ALL WEEK. She had people spoon feeding her what to say and not say. So I dont give her any credit for that.
In the Interview those were here thoughts and words. They showed she is not ready to lead anyone. Those interviews on CBS showed she has little knowledge about things that are important to the American people and the world.
i didnt watch the debate but i heard clips on the news this morning: one where she said it is time to protect joe six pack and hockey moms, and their money, from the banks. Hasn’t it been the republicans the whole way who have always advoacted the deregulatory policies that led to this financail crisis? …I only got the single quote, not the context, but the hypocrisy had me snorting behind the wheel on my way to work.
PrObama!
Thanks for elaborating, Living life. Sounds like we are in agreement on our views and perspectives!
Mairead – In my view yes it has been the Republicans who have indeed strongly advocated the deregulation policies which have led us to today’s financial mess!
I’ve no doubt the news shows are going to give us plenty of fodder to chew on until the next Presidential debate…
Has anyone read the email doing the rounds called 545 People? I dont have a link…just the email my friend sent me so Im going to post it all here for those that maybe havent seen it….enjoy…real eye opener.
___________________________________
Charlie Reese is sort of a modern HL Menken. This supports my
throw the bums out feelings. Bill Kauffman
PLEASE take 2 minutes and read the following
This is the simplest, most understandable explanation of the woes of the nation and who
caused them, as well as how to cure them. This should be sent to every person in the
U.S., including the ’545′ people who control the government.
By Charlie Reese –
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign
against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are
against deficits, we have
deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and
high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don’t have the
Constitutional authority to vote on
appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy,
Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices -
545 human beings out of the 300 millio n – are directly, legally, morally and
individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by
the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound
currency to a federally
chartered but private central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal
authority. They have no ability to coerce a
senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking
thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician
has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the
legislator’s
responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they d id is
not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall No
normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the
President for creating deficits.
The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the
Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole
responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving
appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House? The leader of the majority
party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.
If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who
stand convicted — by present facts – of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think
of a single
domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people
exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is
what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in
IRAQ, it’s because they want them in IRAQ.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available
to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs
they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to
whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical
forces like ‘the economy,’ ‘inflation’ or
‘politics’ that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held
accountable by the people who are their bosses – provided the voters have the gumption to
manage their own employees.
We sh ould vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel
Very powerful coolred. I had not heard of this and appreciate your sharing.
American bedu -
As I have indicated in previous posts, I am clearly supporting Obama – Biden in the upcoming election, and the “debate” tonight only confirmed my thoughts on the matter. I very much thought that Palin was a parrot – oh so carefully programmed. She did her lines well, like a good actress, and she is attractive, which is not my highest concern for a Vice-President – to be able to actual THINK and articulate a solution to unscripted scenarios IS important, and she continue to fail on that score.
Consider:
I watched a Youtube take from the Letterman show. One of the excellent points he made after McCain canceled his appearance was this: McCain said he had a higher priority, race back to Washington, to solve the bailout problems. Is the correct response to suspend your campaign, or, if you have a VP candidate you felt was capable, wouldn’t you put her / him in charge?
On the debate itself, Palin flat told the moderator that she was not going to answer the question (on the economy)… and then she went off to the safe ground of what she was programmed to say about energy and what she did as governor of Alaska.
Another point she made concerned McCain – “he knows how to win a war.” He does? Less it be forgotten, he was in a war that America LOST. Recognition of this would make Americans a bit humbler, something we desperately need on the world stage. He also marched in lockstep with the neocons as he advocated the easy victory Iraq would be. There is STILL no end in sight, and there is only the encouragement to go back to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and of course, take on someone new like Iran.
She waved the old phony patriot flag, that only Republicans truly care about the country when she said that those who advocate withdrawal on a time line are: “waving the white flag of surrender.” A deeply ironic, and if one could take her seriously, it would be an infuriating comment, from one who has never been in a war to the many Democrats who have.
Why she spent so much time avoiding answering questions on the crisis du jour – the economy, and the bailout of over a trillion dollars (don’t forget the 200 billion for AGI), the Fed always “injecting liquidity into the markets” i.e., printing more greenbacks, et al. is that the Republicans have ZERO ideas now that so-called “free markets” are “The God that Failed” Her only mantra is to cut taxes, and “get government off our backs,” the precise ideology that has produced this disaster.
As you might suspect, I can make more specific points about the non-substance of what she said, and compare it to Biden’s substantial answers, that are sometimes criticized as being “boring,” but let’s close with the false deference of “may I call you Joe?”, yet another carefully scripted point to emphasize his age.
Yet due to McCain’s own age, if that ticket should win, we have a one in seven actuarial chance of having her be President, someone whose “handlers” are terrified of placing in any kind of ‘unscripted setting.’ A terrifying thought for all of us
John Paul Jones
Abu Taza,
As always your comments are so articulate and directly to the key points. I fully agree with what you have said. And I pray my faith in the American people to make a sound and balanced decision on which candidate is right for this country is not misplaced.
Palin’s initial request to call Biden by not merely his first name but the shortened form of it set the tone for all of what came out of her mouth afterward.
“Folksy” is the word I’ve heard used to describe her style.
I would not be so generous.
In addition to the repeated mispronunciation of “nuclear” she did not hesitate to use American vernacular such as “you guys” and “you betcha.” Her vocabulary alone– apart from any political naivete she demonstrated– brands her as an American who does not or cannot step out of her social affiliation.
America is a country of immeasurable variability, all levels and classes of people, immigrants and and native-born citizens. A political candidate for the highest office needs to appeal to all of them, not merely those from which she has arisen.
I like your comments, Marahm. Rather than have me feel as if I were a typical American being given a message by Sarah Palin, I felt like instead I was being patronized based as you pointed out on her choices of words. I mean come on… can’t the American people see that in many ways she is actually speaking down to them rather than with and for them?
Dawg-gone it, doncha’know we gotta wink, baby, wink, up there in Alaska, a state in which I am the governor of.
Al-so, I was in a beauty pageant and an inspiration to Miss teenage such as, al-so. Thank you Joe six pack and hockey mom, plz vote for our brand of unbranded mavericks.
Yours always from Wasilla main street,
SP
ROTFL! That is hilarious Tee… and now we just need Tina Fey to show us how it’s done!
“I may not answer the questions the way you or the moderator want….” was the best quote of the debate.
if mccain-biden win, we (americans) are doomed.
I’ve already told my office mgr back in the US that if mccain (and that woman) win she’s got to arrange to ship all my stuff over here, because I’m not going back. blech. But they’re not winning. period. GO’bama!!
Alas, I did not have the oppourtunity to watch this due to a late work night and tending to children. However, everyones comments have been quite helpful in seeing how the debate went. As always, one can only wait and see how the debates progress. I so far am in support of Obama and probably will not change. I’m just trying not to be so pessimistic and hope that changes and reforms that are discussed will actually happen………one can dream. Thanks for all your comments on the debate.
I enjoyed all coimments made.
Siwash: I am still not convinced the American people actually did vote for bush, so don’t want to blame them.
Coolred38: excellent! Thanks for sharing.
I always wonder a bit about this emphasis on candidates: It’s not just the candidate who’s going to get the job is it? There is a whole party behind it all!!!
Although in the case of Palin, I do look at the candidate and shudder! And I hate first-names in a serious business-context!
It’s denigrating and unappropriate. I dislike her choice of words, whatever she’s saying with those words, and I especially disliked her ”special voice” which she put on from time to time.
One of the quotes of the night I thoroughly enjoyed was Biden’s response to whether the position of VP should have more executive power as Cheney has sought and Biden responded “Cheney is one of the most dangerous men in the United States….” That comment won my heart!
Betty – I’m just a little confused by your comment that if “McCain-Biden” win we will be doomed. Was that a Freudian slip or are you not really for either team?
Aafke – yes; I disliked the “special voice” and the ‘not so subtle’ winks as well. In addition to the “may I call you Joe” comment I was not impressed either with her slipping in the personal message to her brother’s third grade elementary class. I felt it was a cheap shot trying to integrate herself with the “common” people.
Soon it will all be over and we’ll know which team makes it in.
I don’t know where to start but the debate was more interesting although I wished that both of them would stop going around in circles before answering the moderator’s questions.
Palin’s usage of first names and talking about “hockey mom’s”, “Joe six packs” and attempts to “connect” and “click” with the average Americans are at best, mediocre and patronising. Although I was impressed with her eloquence in the first 30 minutes and whoever coached her must have been good. Or is it my impression that she’s better at live debates than recorded interviews?
As for Biden, what I liked is that he remained cool and tried his best not to make verbal gaffes and that there was more details in his explanations.
Thankfully, both parties avoided making gaffes that would help Tina Fey more than the candidates.
Firdaus – thanks for your observations. I agree that Palin seemed well prepped and took advantage of the debate format to parrot her well rehearsed lines and topics … maybe more so than focus on the specifics of the questions asked of her!
I think we saw Biden at one of his finest moments.
“Until the Democrats start showing more spine, if you will, America is going to likely do worse, domestically and internationally. I keep wanting to believe that we can’t be so … yes, stupid; I am now believing that the Republicans will win — the better party at fighting.”
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Angelinjones
Connector
Anglinjones – welcome and thank you for your comment. We may agree to disagree in regards to parties but we are certainly in alignment it seems on the views of America both domestically and internationally.
Reuters picked up this post: http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/science?bbPostId=B6kcqoGH9Pf8Bzn7nRZ5sNNoB4H7w9jfASoOCz3KlFWuZPbeP