Jonah Goldberg has Joe Biden pegged:
What struck me the most about the debate – and it probably helped having quintessential Obamaphiles in the room – was how Biden’s “gravitas” is derived almost entirely from the fact that he can lie with absolute passion and conviction. He just plain made stuff up tonight. I read a long list tonight in my debate with Beinart here at Wash U, we can visit the details tomorrow.
Just a few: Flatly asserting that Obama never said he’d meet with Achmenijad; that absolute nonsense about spending more in a month in Iraq than we’ve spent in Afghanistan (“let me say it again,” he said as if he was hammering home a real fact); the bit about McCain voting with Obama on raising taxes; his vote in favor of the war etc.
It’s amazing how the impulse to see Biden as the more qualified and serious guy stems almost entirely from his ability to be a convincing b.s. artist. I’m not saying Palin was always honest or unrehearsed, but when she offers up a catchphrase or a talking point, you can tell. When Biden spews up a warm fog of deceitful gassbaggery the response seems to be “what a great grasp of the issues he has!”
Along those same lines, read Amanda Carpenter’s column about Biden’s 14 lies.
Update: I loved it when Sarah Palin said “I watched all those debates” basically telling Biden in not so many words that she knows what he said in those primary debates and what he is saying now is not true. I smiled when she said that because I know she probably watched “those debates” this week in preparation for this debate and almost certainly remembered more of what Joe Biden said in them than he did.
Update II: I watched some of the morning shows. On ABC’s Good Morning America a news summary of the debate went something like this “Sarah Palin used folksy language and winks to connect with the audience while Joe Biden tied John McCain to President Bush.” I hope I just missed it, but I didn’t see anyone pointing out all the mistakes Joe Biden made. Last night Chris Matthews was ridiculing Sarah Palin for what she said about the Vice President’s role, but it appears she was more correct than Joe Biden on that point. Heh, Victor Davis Hanson has some fun with Joe Biden.
Update III: More Joe Biden fact checking — Michael Tottenon Biden’s comment about kicking Hezbollah out of Lebanon. More evidence the media lets Democrats slide even on the stupidest mistakes and downright lies.
Update IV: Well, you don’t have to look at video of Barack Obama’s primary debate to find that Joe Biden was wrong about Obama saying he would meet with Iran without preconditions, it is still on the campaign website! I am sure the media is going to be all over Biden’s many mistakes (lies) from last night. Someone please let me know as soon as it happens.
