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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Politicians, like used-car salesmen, no doubt can be the most annoying of people. One might think Sarah would be different, but funny how she constantly regurgitates the single most annoying concept in this entire campaign…
The concept that they are “mavericks”. I am so sick and tired of hearing the word “maverick”!
I am a conservative, and I think I might be able to “tolerate” gay people for the next 4+ years more than I can tolerate these self-proclaiming “mavericks”. Gag me with a fork, please.
- Posted by DavidROFLMAO!!
October 2nd, 2008
10:52 pm GMT
Sarah Palin reminds me of my mom.
I love my mom very much.
My mom should not be in the white house.
- Posted by LMAO- Posted by VegasForTheVote
HEY Jeremy,
- Posted by Jermy MildBit of a gaffe on your part:
Biden…apparently erroneously referring to Hezbollah instead of Syria when he talked about the United States and France coming to the aid of Lebanon.
Biden right, Jeremy wrong.
Syria was already well out of Lebanon when Israel launched its war in response to Hezbollah raids. If Lebanon and Israel both lost that campaign there is a strong case that, because of a lack of international intervention, Hezbollah won a huge propaganda victory, and their raids continued.
Also missing Biden’s real slip up on the articles of the Constitution is 8th grade material. More work needed Jeremy
Biden actually answered the questions, did a good job reigning in his tendencies toward verbosity, showed patience and courtesy in dealing with his clearly underqualified opponent, and won by a gosh-durn-it mile. Now, can we stop focusing on this ridiculous choice for veep for the Repubs. I’m bored already. The joke was funny the first time, now let’s get on with some serious business and elect a president with a mind, for a change.
By the way, a maverick is a wayward calf, usually lost and in need of rescuing and being returned to the herd before the coyotes get it… not quite the image Palin had in mind, I’m sure. Doggone it!
- Posted by PhilLeave it to a Republican (”Brian”) sitting at his computer to fail to look up the facts and proceed to make a very public fool of himself and his party–Biden was right about the powers (such as they are,) of the Vice President being in Article One of the Constitution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One _of_the_United_States_Constitution
Joe Biden became a senator in 1972. Sarah Palin was 8 years old in 1972. It is surely no surprise that he knows more about the constitution than Palin-he knows more about everything relevant to running this country than Palin does.
- Posted by Tim DunnThe whole time I was watching the debate I wondered why Biden didn’t counter with the same tactic that McCain used against Obama about “lack of experience”, then I read about how he couldn’t attack Palin because it would be seen as “condescending”. And Palin was somehow allowed to talk about anything she wanted instead of answering the question (something the interviewers never let her get away with). And people are calling this a victory for Palin? Please, get real. The only thing Palin proved was she could be cute and folksy, things we already knew about her. What I did not know was that Biden is such a great guy AND he knows what he’s talking about AND he could show this while answering all the questions. Isn’t that how these debates are supposed to be measured?
- Posted by Get RealBig win for Biden. Sarah is cute, but that’s about it.
- Posted by M.E. LaineGovernor Palin won hands down. She attacked the vice-president and made him seem like the talking head bureaucrat Biden is.
- Posted by MattNobody has mentioned the gaffe of Palin saying “Nucular” instead of “Nuclear” about 10 different times. The first time I thought it was a slip…after 5 or 6 times, it’s clear she doesn’t actually know the difference.
- Posted by RODI only caught the last half: Joe sure gets long winded but he mostly stays on message.
And Sarah must’ve really worked hard to memorize all those talking points down at the Az ranch (Why do politicians all have ranches?) and then completely not answer the questions, always looking to talk about energy and Alaska.
Fox would, of course, call it a win for the GOP because, well, it’s Fox *vomit* But all in all, noone screwed up too badly and I think that is the main point.
Let the spin begin!
By the way, has McCain un-suspended his campaign yet? Wonder what his next stupid publicity stunt will be.
good bye GOP
- Posted by Japanese CowboyMany times I wanted Ifill to cut Palin’s rambling off and ask her to stay on point, or to elaborate and explain herself more clearly.
Unfortunately, because of time constraints, it’s often hard to press candidates for more adequate and satisfying answers. Press conferences on the other hand, are tailor-made for that, and it’s the one thing that Palin refuses to participate in.
Looks like we’re stuck with anecdotes, tangents and roundabout, going-nowhere-fast sillyness.
- Posted by MiriamBiden = Windbag
- Posted by Zippy TipHasn’t done a thing lately that he and the Big “O” are promising and couldn’t “Bork” Sarah!
He did a fine job spewing the voting numbers out of context. I won’t vote for the pork and favors injected into the best titled bill.
It’s obvious that there are 2 Americas represented here. Also, Reuters and the other socialist media outlets are blatantly in the tank for the Obama. What the Dems represent is an America that I surely don’t want to live in. Palin with her so called “inexperience,” easily out witted, out thought and out classed Mr. career O-Biden hands down.
- Posted by SSG Scott Fitzek, USAI did get a chuckle out of the Republican up there talking about how bad and greedy Wall Street is. Lot\’s of scrambling behind the scenes to say \”she didn\’t really mean it\” I suspect. Also enjoyed the maverick/reform pitch that seemed to smack of running against the Republican that is currently in power. But, heck, I say, doggone it, if you\’re going to vote against the Republicans, keep it simple and just vote for the Democrats. Now that\’s common sense.
- Posted by Suzypalin said..she tolerates gays..yes she said tolerates them…my son is gay..my vote for the other ticket is sealed
- Posted by ricPalin spoke more level headed and to the point than Biden. Sure She nailed it with straight talk about energy, taxes and big government. If middle of the road, working people were listening, they liked what they heard!
I’m pretty sure Article 1 of the constitution doesn’t have to do with the executive branch, but I guess that doesn’t qualify as a Biden gaffe to you..
- Posted by Peter BrownSarah Palin was still not able to answer the questions given to her. If she didnt know the answer she would talk on and on around it without giving an answer. This is something that in the Couric interview she was not allowed to do. The format of this debate allowed this to go on. But Joe Bidens answers were much more specific and to the point. This is a win for Senator Biden.
- Posted by robertSarah Palin is talking down to the people. We’ve already been fed this hokey “someone you can have a beer with” act with Bush - don’t fall for it again. How many different ways did she talk about the need for deregulation while we’re in the midst of an economic crisis caused by massive deregulation? Completely irresponsible.
- Posted by ellenJoe Biden is the salt of the earth. He’s someone who for his entire Senate career has gone home to Delaware on the train every night because he cares more about his family and home state than being a Washington insider. In tonight’s debate, his answers were truthful and clear. And most polls show that he won.
Senator Biden clearly won tonight.
Biden is an expert debater. He has mastery of a large range of topics and confidently argues his position. Impressive to watch.
Palin only offers folksy, rambling, memorized talking-points. She’s a sickeningly unqualified candidate for one of highest offices in the country.
To champion her as ‘one of us’ and ’someone who gets it’ is showing your opposition to intelligent, quality leadership.
- Posted by huh?Palin did a brilliant job. She avoided questions brilliantly, focused on saying the talking points she had prepared beforehand (Palin for Dana Perino’s job!), avoided being reprimanded for giving no specifics whatsoever, failed to mention that the town she was mayor of is four blocks long, and took full advantage of the fact that Biden could not criticize her since that would make *him* look bad.
I actually don’t think McCain would follow Bush’s footsteps. But Palin? She’s far scarier than Bush - she seems to believe what she says!
Can you please go and check if you gaffed up when you labeled Biden’s reference to Hezbollah in Lebanon as a gaffe?
- Posted by Dino