How’d They Do?

The debate that everyone had been waiting for is over. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin didn’t commit any foibles and Sen. Joe Biden didn’t go off half-cocked. Overall, a good, but slightly boring debate if you were looking for fireworks.

Here’s what the pundits and press had to say about the debates:

Los Angeles Times: “But she spoke of foreign policy in the broadest of strokes, adopting rhetoric about spreading freedom around the world that is the core of the so-called Bush Doctrine that, in

one of her network interviews, she did not seem to understand. And on Iraq, she hewed to years-old attack lines of painting war critics as quitters and accusing Obama of trying to deprive the troops of funding.”

Associated Press: “Given Palin’s performance, the debate begged one last question: What does Tina Fey do now?”

New York Times: “Sen. Biden did well, avoiding one of his own infamous gaffes, while showing a clear grasp of the big picture and the details. He left Ms. Palin

way behind on most issues, especially foreign policy and national security, where she just seemed lost. It was in those moments that her lack of experience – two terms as mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb and less than two years as governor – was most painfully evident.”

Chicago Sun-Times: “The time Palin spent in debate boot camp probably helped, but she was still not convincing when she had to give detailed answers, or the answer wasn’t in her study sheets.”

The Dallas Morning News:

“Sarah Palin more than survived. Given how poorly she performed in her network TV interviews, expectations had drifted awfully low. Yet with so much on the line, she didn’t commit a single gaffe and came across as surprisingly confident and spirited. No moose-in-the-headlights moments.”

BBC News: “Who won? In the end, anyone hoping for a moment of train-wreck television would have been disappointed. Mr. Biden and Mrs. Palin were both competent, if not exactly sparkling.”

FoxNews.com: “Both presidential campaigns hit the trail Friday claiming victory in the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, but it was Palin’s cool and confident performance that prompted analysts to suggest that after more than a week of bad news for Republicans, John McCain can ride a new wind into the final month of the race.”

READERS: Did you watch? Was the debate what you expected? Who won?

Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director of BlackEnterprise.com.