Failin'

CNN:


Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate Joe Biden or Sarah Palin?

Biden 51%
Palin 36%
Neither 2%
Both 11%



Some people were surprised that she talked smoothly and handled the camera well. I'm not sure why.

The problem, of course, is that Palin didn't actually answer any questions, and the results above are a response to that. When asked a question, she gave maybe a three word answer and then talked about something else. And in the second half, she just kept saying the same thing over and over, because that was all that there was in her talking points.

She knows how to handle the camera, and she rehearsed it well: "Listen to question, look at Biden, count to three, look at camera." It started well, and got VERY old by the end.

During the debate, you could see the audience response on the screen instantaneously - they had those little push-button things they give focus groups - and, for the most part, they did not respond to her well. And the reason is obvious:

These are SERIOUS TIMES. And she was PLAYING GAMES. Like people were stupid. She didn't answer the damned questions. That's insulting to the audience This country is in TROUBLE. People are angry, people are furious, and they want some DAMNED ANSWERS. Not some 40-something ex-beauty queen flirting with a camera.

Clowning around when angry people have serious questions makes them angrier.

And - despite some people being surprised that she wasn't actually babbling and incoherent - that appears to be the reaction to it.