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Sarah Palin, Joe Biden Team Up for Record Debate Ratings

Rise Up, Joe Six-Packs / Daniel Carlson

Trade News | October 6, 2008 | Comments (24)

Thursday’s vice presidential debate was, in accordance with what can only be an evil prophecy, the most-watched vice presidential debate of all time. It drew more than 70 million viewers, which makes it the most-watched of all debates — presidential or vice presidential — since the Reagan-Carter meeting in 1980. 70 million viewers. The first Obama-McCain debate had 52.4 million viewers, and Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic convention drew 38.4 million viewers, while McCain’s acceptance speech narrowly edged that with 38.9 million.

But 70 million? Damn. That’s a lot of Joe Six-Packs and Hockey Moms and Blatant Pseudo-Christian Stereotypes tuning in to see if Sarah Palin would continue to stumble over her words or if she would, in fact, string together a coherent sentence. Some say she did well; she even gave Rich Lowry a big ol’ boner. But really, the best part of the debate was the “Saturday Night Live” parody 48 hours later, so let’s just all watch that:


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Comments

I realize now that what America REALLY needs is a ticket that emphasizes charisma, attractiveness and media appeal.

Zombie Newman/Heidi Klum 08!

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 6, 2008 3:06 PM

I laughed my ass off all during the debate (and enjoyed the real time comment thread on here as well). But the parody, oh the parody. That was amazing.

A friend of mine went to a theatre to watch the debates and many in the audience were playing drinking games and "Palin catchphrase bingo."

Posted by: Sharon at October 6, 2008 3:13 PM

Carter became president because he was an outsider, and everyone was fed up with Nixon and the rest. That really didn't work out so well.

Billy Beer, anyone? You can chase it down with a nice Palin Syrah.

Posted by: BWeaves at October 6, 2008 3:34 PM

Aw crap. I should have said "A six-pack of Billy Beer."

Posted by: BWeaves at October 6, 2008 3:35 PM

I was surprised impressed by the quality of the SNL parody. It would have been very easy to go over the top and turn it into a live-action cartoon, but I thought they managed to knock the quirks of both candidates quite effectively. Unfortunately, I've been burned too many times by the hint of rebirth of the SNL franchise for them to draw me back in...

Posted by: Che Grovera at October 6, 2008 3:36 PM

Is that Flower Guy/ Floyd as Joe Biden? Jason Sudeikis finally needs a leg up on that show and I can only hope this'll help him out.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at October 6, 2008 3:48 PM

70 million people?? That's a nucular number!

Posted by: Sofía at October 6, 2008 4:00 PM

How can you be an outsider and a maverick if you are part of the INCUMBENT PARTY!!????!!!?!?

Damn, she's already had 5 kids....someone kick her and her offspring in their collective cooters before they spawn again.

Posted by: Rubble44 at October 6, 2008 4:05 PM

GOLLY GOSH JIMMINY WILLICKERS! *wink*

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 6, 2008 4:09 PM

che- i'm with you! i was impressed with the SNL parody of the debates. they knocked it out of the park! queen latifah might have been the best thing... nah, it was tina fey, dummy!

and i don't want to be snookered back in...i've gotten burned too...but did you catch the lawrence welk parody? we played it for friends at a party on sunday and they loved it! i couldn't believe a room of smart (and not terribly drunk) people were holwing with laughter at a non-tina fey SNL skit!

Posted by: glittergirl at October 6, 2008 4:23 PM

Bitch can pronounce Ahmadinejad but not nuclear. Someone stab me in the fucking ears.

Posted by: MG at October 6, 2008 4:47 PM

At least it's (hopefully) 70 million people who realize what a dumbshit she is.

Posted by: wsapnin at October 6, 2008 4:49 PM

The SNL version was the only version I could take. Tina Fey's send up of Sarah Palin makes the whole thing (not just the debate, but the whole election process) less painful.

Posted by: tamatha at October 6, 2008 4:58 PM

Now did they take the ratings at the beginning of the hour?

Because that would skew the numbers a bit from the people that didn't know the debate was happening and thought their Thursday night TV would be on (like the Office).

Once my girlfriend and I realized this, we soon changed the channel to South Park reruns.

Posted by: Jim at October 6, 2008 5:56 PM

CNN says Palin's unfavorable percentage points have doubled in the last month:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/06/poll.of.polls/index.html

I can't help thinking that her performance (in both senses of the word) during the debate was a big factor in that drop. The shiny is wearing off fast.

Posted by: Jerce at October 6, 2008 6:20 PM

...so 70 million people got to watch Biden get teary-eyed then Palin completely ignore it to rehash another "gosh, we're mavericks" talking point? (Palin's non-response was COLD. Even if he were faking, it'd be appropriate — and I daresay "folksy" — to offer some form of consolation.)

Posted by: jeem at October 6, 2008 6:22 PM

I couldn't watch it; in addition to the fact that I loathe 95% of everything she stands for, the woman triggers my embarrassment squick like crazy. Honestly, she can't have any idea of how fucking stupid she sounds every time she opens her mouth or she'd give up and go back to shooting moose and watching the Bearing Strait for signs of a Russian invasion.

Posted by: telesilla at October 6, 2008 6:23 PM

way to go with that apathy, jim! the palin catchphrase drinking game was a glorious idea...until we realized it was way too easy and we had to go to work the next morning, damn.

Posted by: VeinsRHiways at October 6, 2008 6:28 PM

now, now Rubble44, i prefer "wallered-out vagooter" to the mundane drabness of "cooter"

Posted by: Soylent Green is Sheeple at October 6, 2008 7:03 PM

The biggest shock of the night for me was finding out Scott McClellan had gone on to be the commanding general in Afghanistan. Now that's a big step up.

Posted by: Cindy at October 6, 2008 9:18 PM

Would it be "Joes-Six-Pack"? You know, like "Attorneys General"?

Posted by: samantha t at October 6, 2008 10:22 PM

Would it be "Joes-Six-Pack"? You know, like "Attorneys General"?

I would go with "Joes Six Packs", because multiple Joes had to drink multiple six packs in order to dull the pain that is the Palin mindfuck.

Posted by: branded at October 6, 2008 11:25 PM

Well-put, Branded, well-put.

Posted by: samantha t at October 7, 2008 6:58 AM

'Biden Style' sounds wonderfully close to 'Cajun Style!'
and i miss 30 Rock, this has reminded me(as if I neede reminding) How insanely funny Miss Fey really is.
as you know I'm a brit so the the political stuff while important to me in a sense, doesn't effect me as a voter so I have more fun than you all watching this. I get to laugh at how funny your politicians are...I sort of pity you guys. How chilling must it be to watch this and realise how accurate it really is?

I'd go Gay for Fey.

Posted by: Nadine at October 7, 2008 3:29 PM