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I try not to listen to the pundits. I really do. I watch the debates, check the facts (see below), and make my own decision. That said, the polls are in, and the pundits and bloggers are screaming: Biden won the debate, hands down. I would tend to agree with them.

In my last post, I opined that Palin killed it in the debates last night, and she did, but from a personal level only. She showed that she can coherently answer/dodge questions. However, as good as she did, it still felt like she was reading from a script. On a national and/or international level, I don’t think she could shoot from the hip if her life depended on it. I could be completely wrong, but it really seemed like both candidates got the questions in advance. We’re told they didn’t. Whatever. Palin may have been able to convince people that she doesn’t fold in the face of a relatively simple question, but she said nothing substantive, nothing that convinced me that she can lead the nation.

Let’s be clear: last night was just as much a job interview as the Presidential debates are. To remind us of this, Gwen Ifil brought up the “heartbeat away” question. Honestly, do you really think Palin can handle it? I think not. The thought of her asking Putin “can I call you Vlad?” makes my skin crawl.

Anyway, on to the facts. I’m a factcheck.org guy. Below is factcheck’s summary of the lies and half-truths from last night; click here for a full report.

• Palin wrongly claimed that “millions of small businesses” would see tax increases under Obama’s tax proposals. At most, several hundred thousand business owners would see increases.
• Palin mistakenly claimed that troop levels in Iraq had returned to “pre-surge” levels. Levels are gradually coming down but current plans would have levels higher than pre-surge numbers through early next year, at least.
• Biden incorrectly said “John McCain voted the exact same way” as Obama on a controversial troop funding bill. The two were actually on opposite sides.
• Palin repeated a false claim that Obama once voted in favor of higher taxes on “families” making as little as $42,000 a year. He did not. The budget bill in question called for an increase only on singles making that amount, but a family of four would not have been affected unless they made at least $90,000 a year.
• Biden wrongly claimed that McCain “voted the exact same way” as Obama on the budget bill that contained an increase on singles making as little as $42,000 a year. McCain voted against it. Biden was referring to an amendment that didn’t address taxes at that income level.
• Palin claimed McCain’s health care plan would be “budget neutral,” costing the government nothing. Independent budget experts estimate McCain’s plan would cost tens of billions each year, though details are too fuzzy to allow for exact estimates.
• Biden wrongly claimed that McCain had said “he wouldn’t even sit down” with the president of Spain. Actually, McCain didn’t reject a meeting, but simply refused to commit himself one way or the other during an interview.

Yep. It would seem that politicians lie. Whoulda thunk it? Well, all I can do is implore you to consider the facts, really think about the candidates, and decide who you think is best suited to exact real change. Because we need change.

Well, I have to admit, Sarah Palin hit a home run. Like, outta the freakin’ park 3-run shot to center field. I think I can safely say that we all expected her to fall flat on her face. Given her performance in the press (what little we actually saw) over the last few weeks, I think our collective assumptions were fairly justified.

But she came out firing. She was confident, direct, and passionate, and she did a great job. I think she did her party proud. Whatever McCain’s paying the Debate Camp folks down there in Arizona, it ain’t enough. I liked the way she spoke to the camera, and even though her “folksy” manner grates my nerves, I have to admit it’s a refreshing change of pace in a politician.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t the Sarah Palin Power Hour. Biden did a great job, too. He was clear, lucid, and he didn’t ramble on too much. I appreciated the way he repeated points. A lot. Unfortunately, people need to be told something repeatedly before they really hear it. (one of my clients is a PR firm that uses the term “1×6″: You have to tell people one message six times before they finally get it). He only referred to himself in the third person twice, and his teeth are wicked white. If you’ve never seen his choppers in HD, you’re missing something truly special.

Anyway, the next step (for me) is to do some fact checking and filter out the lies and half-truths to find some semblance of reality. At the end of the day, though, I think McCain is going to be more of the same, and Obama’s going to rattle cages. Keeping it in the realm of this debate, though, my gut tells me that Palin – while she did an excellent job tonight – is not ready to lead the country. Biden, on the other hand, I think is ready for the job.

More of the same and inexperience scares me to death. You?

Remember the drinking game “Hi Bob”? It’s the game where everybody fills up with their beverage of choice and plops down in front of an episode of The Bob Newhart Show (the old one, not the one with Larry, Darryl, and Darryl). Every time someone on the show says “Hi Bob”, everyone playing the game shouts “Hi Bob!” and takes a drink. Trust me, this happens often enough for everyone in the room to have a real good time during an average episode. The Bob Newhart Show marathons have been known to cause a spike in alcohol sales to the point of creating temporary shortages in some areas, particularly Wisconsin.

Anyhoo, I was tag surfing the other night and found a great blog that’s soliciting us all for rules to a drinking game centered around the presidential and vice-presidential debates. The VP game is under construction, and the Presidential game is finished and – how shall we say – for experienced drinkers only.

Bottoms up!