The much anticipated Vice Presidential Debate took place yesterday in Michigan. The first and only VP debate was between Democratic Nominee Senator Joe Biden and Republican Nominee Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. In one of the most watched elections in the history of America, the VP debate drew almost 70 million viewers, Nielsen Co. reported.
Why was it so heavily watched? Biden has been in the senate for 36 years with a track record ranging from foreign policy to tax reform is known for being a little short tempered and a bit long winded. Sarah Palin, a 20 month Governor of Alaska, who's stance on hot button issues is virtually unknown to the American public and after many shaky interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson have left the many American questioning her ability to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
In all fairness, I felt that the debate was almost a tie. Biden, in my opinion, won the debate by a small margin because of his knowledge and experience on major issues. Palin held her own with her shining personality and loose grip on the concepts of the major issues. Major issues being foreign policy, the economy, health care and the war in Iraq. At best Palin portrayed a person who is not afraid of challenges and has an acute ability to connect with the average American.
I believe that Palin was able to live up to her abilities as an affective debater but not a person I would feel comfortable running the country.
1 comment:
You provide an excellent synopsis of the debate and its outcome, but you do not specifically identify the news values that make this story newsworthy. Since that's the point of this assignment, you get only partial credit.
See "What Makes a Story Interesting to Readers" on p. 17 in the Harrower text to review news values.
5/10
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