The vice presidential contenders Joe Biden and Sarah Palin offered their share of zingers and even a couple gaffes during their one and only debate on Thursday in St. Louis.
Biden tried to link the health care plan offered by Palin and presidential hopeful John McCain to Palin’s past support of a now-famous congressional earmark to fund a bridge to a small island that was labeled the “Bridge to Nowhere.”
“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,’” Biden said.
Meanwhile, Palin corrected her rival about the offshore drilling for energy resources when Biden said “drill, drill drill.”
“The chant is ‘drill, baby, drill.’ And that’s what we hear all across this country in our rallies because people are so hungry for those domestic sources of energy to be tapped into,” she said.
Biden, who is known for his verbal miscues, managed to only have one major gaffe, 
apparently erroneously referring to Hezbollah instead of Syria when he talked about the United States and France coming to the aid of Lebanon.
“When we kicked — along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said, and Barack said, ‘Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don’t know — if you don’t, Hezbollah will control it,’” Biden said.
Meanwhile, Palin had a couple mistakes herself, calling the U.S. commander in Afghanistan Commander McClellan when his name is David McKiernan.
She also got her words mixed up when talking about the financial crisis, which has been criticized as a bailout for bankers on Wall Street and doing little to help Main Street Americans.
“It’s a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that’s affecting Wall Street,” Palin said.
She also referred to her opponent as “O’Biden” at one point, combining her opponents’ names.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young (Palin winks during the vice presidential debate), Carlos Barria (Biden laughs at the debate)
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[...] I would have to admit that neither candidate made any serious gaffes other than those listed here. However, what did I really learn from the debate. I am afraid the answer is, “Not [...]
- Posted by Post Debate Analysis: What did we learn? | Political Now[...] Reuters thinks he meant to refer to Syria, but I still don’t think it would be accurate to say the U.S. kicked Syria out of Lebanon. The Lebanese kicked Syria out of Lebanon. [...]
- Posted by Small Whispers » The Biden Error/Lie/Hallucination List (UPDATED to 22)I think Biden meant the PLO as France never kicked Syria out of Lebanon (Syrian troops remained in lebanon years after the end of the 1982-2000 war). Biden also made another gaffe when he incorrectly stated that Hamas is in control of the West Bank.
- Posted by Jonnie BlazePalin ignored the questions and gave a speech. She didnt counter Biden’s slams on McCain. She basically just spit out memorized talking points and ignored everyone.
I didnt see anything to change my opinion of her. Who comes to a debate and says they dont feel like answering questions? Shes just trying to hide her ignorance and stick to lines she memorized.
- Posted by bubbathe article says biden has only one major gaffe — and that one was a doozy (I still have no idea what he was alluding to — when did the US and France do anything even remotely like kicking Hezbollah out of Lebanon — what was he thinking of?) — but, in fact, he had a bunch of fairly inaccurate statements.
He said we spend more in Iraq in one month than in Afghanistan since 2001 — but in fact, we’ve spent some 170 billion in Afghanistan vs. 10 billion/month in Iraq. Maybe this is just hyperbole — nobody takes his figures seriously, right? — I suppose if he has said more in Iraq in one YEAR, then it would still be false, but at least close.
He got the duties of the vice president — the job he’s running for — wrong.
He said Obama *never* said he’d meet unconditionally with
Ahmedinijad — but not only did he say it in a debate, but Biden attacked him for it at the time!
This aside from the usual distortions (on both sides) of each others record, description of the consequences of their tax plans, etc.
- Posted by TMAI loved the O’Biden rib - how could it have been a mistake.
- Posted by Cassandrina“Hilary” has given a deeply negative take on Palin’s knowledge and understanding on this blog - How are you Hillary Clinton and are you blogging for Obama on Reuters now?
This is hilarious. Biden was a gaffe fiesta. He was wrong on the Constitution and the VP (see Article I [the Article that defines the legislature], Sec 3, where the only role of the VP is specified as a contingent legislative role; and Article II, Sec 1, where the VP is spoken of with no role in the executive branch (read the first line), until the president cannot serve; and Amend 25, where the VP can, with other exec officers, declare the president incapable).
He was wrong on Iraq and Afghanistan spending. Current montly spending in Iraq: ~$12 billion. Total spending in Afghanistan to date: $173 billion. And he said “I’ll say it again,” and restated the same falsehood.
He was wrong on Palestinian elections: Obama had been in office less than a week when they happened, and said nothing about them.
The US did not kick Hezbollah, or even Syria, out of Lebanon.
He was wrong on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. All but one Republican voted against ratification, not just McCain. And for good reasons.
He was wrong about a restaurant in his home town; it’s been closed for over two decades. How often does he really mix with the people? Better check that Home Depot too.
That’s just skimming the surface, and not even getting into his misrepresentations of regulation of the secondary mortgage market, supposed deregulations that he blames the credit crisis on but which did not happen, falsehoods about the McCain health insurance plan, the Bridge to Nowhere (which he voted for every time he got the chance, as did Obama), and on and on.
The only thing uncharacteristic about Biden’s gaffomania this time is that none of them was funny. But any two of them, had they been stated by Palin, would have the media clucking over her ignorance, incompetence, inexperience, and confusion. Biden didn’t make two gaffes. He’s over 20. Good god. And this man is supposed to be competent to be vice president? It’s laughable.
- Posted by DavidBoth were remarkably well “prepared.” One was prepared for years through service and experience and the other prepared through intensive cramming session in a debate camp. Biden showed an excellent grasp of the issues in general and specifics which influence these issues. His answers were based on well documented facts, some garnered from McCains own website (which amuses me to no end). Palin was incredibly put together, focused and charming. She seemed warm, passionate and vibrant. Overall I think both sides accomplished a lot more than was expected of them.
- Posted by Amber