John McCain uses Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden's very own words to go after an Obama presidency in his latest TV spot.

As reported on CNN.com, the ad invokes Biden's statements last week where he said that the United States would be tested  very early in a potential Obama presidency "like they did John Kennedy".

The ad plays heavily edited clips of Biden's remarks over images of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as stock videos of tanks, terrorists and a crying child.

"Listen to Joe Biden, talking about what electing Barack Obama will mean," the ad begins before introducing Biden's words from Sunday: "Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama. ... The world is looking. ... We're going to have an international crisis ... to test the mettle of this guy. ... I guarantee you it's going to happen."

The ad concludes, "It doesn't have to happen. Vote McCain."

Check out the TV advertisement, which will be airing in 14 key battleground states below:

Now... back to that CNN article that makes mention of the John McCain ad.  You know the ad that is entirely worded by Barack Obama's very own running mate?  The ad that describes a very doomy and gloomy scenario for the United States based on an Obama win?  So, since when has it been considered "Mud Slinging" to air an ad that actually uses a candidate's very own running mate's statements about him? 

Well, note the screen capture from the CNN.com report on McCain's new ad ...

Interesting editorial decision on the part of that fair and unbiased journalistic outfit over there at CNN to place a link to a video report  on "mud being slung" at that particular point, considering that it was such a very long article detailing several different subjects, is it not? 

Some early television ratings are coming in from last night's debate between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden.

The early numbers seem to indicate that the viewership for last night may have actually blown the ratings for the McCain-Obama debate right out of the water.

In the very preliminary ratings returns, Thursday's debate between Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Delaware senator Joe Biden is looking like strong performer.

The four broadcast networks airing last night's debate totaled a 28.1 overnight meter-market household rating.

That's 33% higher than last week's morning-after returns for Friday's presidential debate, which scored a collective 21.4 rating among the major networks.

Of course, consistently, Thursday night has the largest television viewership of the week, which could go to explaining some of the increased interest in the debate.  Certainly, a huge number of Americans could hardly contain their enthusiasm, awaiting the chance to view the very rare political debate that features the Senior Senator from Delaware, Joe Biden.  And, yeah, sure there was likely sooooooommme interest in that Governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin. 

In all seriousness, based on Governor Palin's stellar performance Thursday evening, the greater these numbers seem to be coming in, the BETTER for the Republican Ticket.

Well the debate everyone was waiting for is over, so now we can get to the tale of the tape and see what everyone had to say about it.

(by the way, my live-blog of the debate is here)

On to the feedback...

* Malkin says "Sarah Rocks!" 

She was warm, fresh, funny, confident, energetic, personable, relentless, and on message. She roasted Obama’s flip-flops on the surge and tea-with-dictators declarations, dinged Biden’s bash-Bush rhetoric, challenged the blame-America defeatism of the Left, and exuded the sunny optimism that energized the base in the first place.

McCain has not done many things right. But Sarah Palin proved tonight that the VP risk he took was worth it....

Pause to reflect on this: She matched — and trumped several times — a man who has spent his entire adult life on the political stage, run for president twice, and as he mentioned several times, chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* Ed Morrissey: "Palin hits homerun"

Sarah Palin demonstrated both the wisdom of adding her to the ticket and the folly of the McCain campaign’s press bubble for the last four weeks.  Palin was confident, assertive to the point of aggressive, knowledgeable, and open.  She repeatedly went after Biden, which is not usually a tactic seen much in VP debates (candidates usually attack the presidential nominees), and Biden had no answer for Palin.  On foreign policy, she offered good answers, made only a couple of rhetorical stumbles in segues when she wanted to change the subject, and delivered an exceptionally fine performance. ...

Will this boost McCain’s standing in this race?  I think it will, and I thought that even before I saw the Frank Luntz focus group.  McCain needed this debate victory tonight, and it may restart the Palin phenomenon, just in time for the final stretch of the election.  This time, though, the McCain campaign has to get Palin out in press conferences, interviews, and contact with the people.  She’s sharp, able, and energetic, and she could win this election for McCain if he would just let her.

* The Next Right: "Sarah is back" 

Tonight, Sarah Palin was sharp, articulate, and connected with the middle class. The #1 political effect tonight will have is an important one for the McCain campaign: she shut the doubters up, and then some. In this important sense, she stopped the bleeding. I suspect that a very tough couple of weeks ends tonight, and it will be up to John McCain to get the comeback going next Tuesday.

Conservative weak sisters like Kathleen Parker and David Brooks can turn their pens in another direction. Tonight, they've been silenced. ...

Palin can no longer be defined as a liability in any meaningful political or analytical sense. Her claim to leadership in the next Right stands stronger than ever.

* National Review: "Palin's Triumph"

Gov. Sarah Palin, once again, confounded her critics with a strong performance. She did it at the Republican convention, and she did it again last night in her debate with Sen. Joe Biden. She performed with poise and charm. She effectively made the case that Senator Obama would be naïve in foreign policy and harmful to economic growth, and that Senator McCain would be a common-sense reformer. She handled questions about Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran well. She connected domestic-policy arguments to the  lives of average voters. Anyone who hoped — or feared — that she would fall flat on her face was proven wrong.

* Roger Simon (via the Politico):  "You betcha Sarah can debate"

Sarah Palin was supposed to fall off the stage at her vice presidential debate Thursday evening. Instead, she ended up dominating it.

She not only kept Joe Biden on the defensive for much of the debate, she not only repeatedly attacked Barack Obama, but she looked like she was enjoying herself while doing it.  ...

Criticizing Obama for saying he would meet with some foreign leaders who are hostile to the United States, Palin said: “Some of these dictators hate America and what we stand for. They cannot be met with. That is beyond bad judgment. That is dangerous.”

* Powerline: "Grand Slam"

Given Governor Palin's performance, Biden had an impossible assignment. He made things worse with his inappropriate grins and grimaces while Palin was speaking, much like Al Gore in 2000, only worse. Palin, in contrast, kept a steady demeanor while Biden was taking shots at her, like a pro. Throughout, she commanded the stage and displayed more poise and confidence than her opponent.

* Even the NY Times had to say something nice and not completely ignore reality:

Gov. Sarah Palin made it through the vice-presidential debate on Thursday without doing any obvious damage to the Republican presidential ticket. By surviving her encounter with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and quelling some of the talk about her basic qualifications for high office, she may even have done Senator John McCain a bit of good, freeing him to focus on the other troubles shadowing his campaign.

You just know it hurt those guys to write anything like that....

More: 

* The Luntz focus group, (showing an overwhelming opinion of Palin as the winner) is here. 

* K-Lo: Doggone-it, She Winked!

* Gateway Pundit has some nice photos from the Palin debate "after party", featuring about 10,000 people

* Byron York: "Sarah Palin, the winner by a wink"

* Stop the ACLU: Peggy Noonan and David Brooks eat crow

* Polipundit: Hockey mom Palin scores the hat trick

* Wizbang: WOW! Palin shock and awe

Liveblogging the debate.

9:04: here we go...

Palin asks Biden if she can call him "Joe".  I'm sure she knew the mic was open.  Nice move.

1st question to Biden...about the "rescue plan", as Biden calls it.  "gonna focus on the middle class"...

On to Palin...took as shot at "others in the Senate", (looking at Biden), who didn't go along w/McCain's desire to do some financial and regulatory reforms.  Good move.

9:10: Second question....slow ball over the plate..."what caused the current financial mess"..."who's at fault"...to Palin.  OK answer, but she didn't go for the jugular on the liberals that caused this w/failed housing policies.  (They HAVE to tie this around their necks!)

Biden blames McCain's desire for "de-regulation"...and "he want's to do for health care what he did for banking".  Please.

Palin comes back...they "voted for the largest increases in American history".

So far, I'd say she's blowing away the expectations.

Biden lies and says Obama didn't vote to raise taxes.  Has this guy not heard of the Congressional Record.

9:20: Palin gets a shot in about the Dems wanting to take over health care.

Biden goes back to defend their "redistribution of wealth" policies.

Next questions: In light of economic problems, "what promises may you not be able to keep?"  Biden says "foreign aid".  Shheessh.  Light's blinking...he's still talking.

Palin goes back to hit on the energy plan...that Obama supported...that gave oil companies the big tax breaks Biden hit McCain on.

9:30: Back to Palin on the crisis...she's going after the problems at Fannie and Freddie now.  She's on.  Excellent so far.  Biden, not so much.  And she's doing a better job connecting w/people...and the camera...looks energetic.  Is Biden sleepy?

Next question: Energy...to Palin.  She zeros in on the need for energy independence as key to economic and national security future.

Now Climate change...to Palin.  She reminds everyone she's the governor of the country's only arctic state.  Something to be said for climate change...but don't want to argue about causes...but rather focus on cleaning up.  First gov. to form a climate change division of cabinet.  Need an all of the above approach to energy...and that will deal with climate change.

Biden.  It's "clearly man-made".  Pretty much tries to say Dems have the market on chasing clean energy...says McCain votes against finding clean energy sources.

Palin causes Joe "Senator O'Biden"...  Heh.

Next up: Granting same sex benefits to couples...to Biden.  "Absolutely"...no distinction between a same-sex and heterosexual couple.  (just lost some votes there...)  Sounds like an endorsement of gay marriage to me.

Palin...not if it goes closer to redefine marriage.  Good answer.  "I don't support defining marriage as anything but one man and one woman".

Biden..."no" we don't support redefining marriage.  Huh??

9:40: Next: on to Iraq policy.... to Palin  Tells Biden she respects him for "calling Obama out" on his vote against the surge.  Nice.  Did I mention that she's doing absolutely fantastic?

Biden: "with regard to Obama..."  Says McCain voted against funding the troops.  Oh, please.  Not even the folks at Daily Kos would buy that.  "we will end this war".

Palin: "your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq".  "you guys opposed the surge...  we'll leave Iraq in victory.  Reminds Joe he said he'd be honored to run on McCain's ticket.  She's rolling Joe bigtime.  Says she respects Joe...but not the O.

Biden comes back to trying to convince people that McCain opposed funding the troops. 

Palin says Iran "cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons".  Reminds people what Iran's President has said about destroying Israel.  Just realized she pronounces nuclear the same way W does.  The folks at the NY Times must be cringing.

Says "those who want to destroy what we stand for cannot be dealt with" by people who just want to sit down and talk to them.  Biden gets jumpy...says O didn't say he would sit down and talk to Iran.  ????

9:50: Next: what has Bush Admin done wrong re: Palestine?

Palin, "two state solution is the solution".  "Israel is our strongest and best ally in the middle-east"  "we will support Israel...and move our embassy to Jerusalem".

Biden: "no one in the US Senate has been a bigger friend to Israel than Joe Biden". 

Palin: "there's gonna come a time when Americans will say enough is enough with your ticket and the fingerpointing".

Biden rambles that a surge won't work in afghanistan...our general there says it won't work.  Palin comes back and busts him...the general didn't say that.  Of course the same "kind" of surge might not work there...we have to account for differences on the ground.

Is it just me, or is he talking more now?

10:04: Palin..."not used to the way you guys in Washington operate"...you say you're for it...then vote against it, vice-versa.  Say's McCain will "know how to win a war".  Goodl

Next: how would administration's be different?  (is that really a queston?)  Biden runs through a laundry list.  He's delivering better now.  Says this is the MOST important election voters will have ever voted in...

Palin: what do you expect with a team of Mavericks?  But I'll keep pushing him on drilling in ANWR.  Work to put govt. back on the side of the people.  Need some reality from Main St. brought to DC...  Gov't get out of my way...  "you've got a choice in a few weeks....lower taxes and win war...or increease taxes and hurt our economy".

Biden...does his best to tie McCain and Bush at the hip.  Goes thru the laundry list again...

Palin: "Say it ain't say Joe...there you go again."  Got to increase standards in education...more emphasis on profession of teaching...

10:14: Next: what is the VP worth/do? 

Palin: supporting the President's policies...working to lead in areas of expertise...

Biden: Cheney's been the most dangerous VP in history...

Next: what is your achillees heel:

Palin: skips that and moves to strengths, (good...don't go for the dumb question)

Biden: I've been here 35 years...people know me...I'm not gonna change.  Biden says he's knows what it's like to raise kids...start to choke up...(this will be the talk of the media tomorrow..."it connected", they'll say...unlike w/Ed Muskie).

Biden: starts to trash McCain's rep as a "maverick"..."he's not been a maverick in providing health care..."  "He's not been a maverick when it comes to education..."  "he's not been a maverick on the war..."  (going thru the laundry list again).

Next: can you think of a single issue where you were forced to change your view due to circumstances?

Biden: yes, changed mind on judicial nominees...that their ideology matters...that's why I fought Judge Bork.

Palin: Wish I would have issued more vetos.  But no, no major changes on principles.

Next: how do you change the tone as VP?

Biden: I have been able to work across the aisle on the most controversial issues...not question peoples motives.

Palin: walk the walk...I've appointed people from both sides of teh aisle...but the policies have to speak for themselves.  She takes more shots at O for wanting to raise taxes.

Closing statements:

Palin: Like being able to answer these questions to the American people...not be filtered by the media.  We'll fight for the middle class...I've been there, know what the challenges are...been blessed...proud to be an American...we have to fight for our freedoms.  RR said freedom is always one generation away from extinction.  Only one man in race that has fought for you, and that's John McCain.

Biden: Look folks, this is the most important election you have ever voted on in your life...we measure progress in America based on whether we can pay the mortgage...whether we have the best health care and education...O is ready to be the next president of the USA...

*** 

Analysis:  Palin, hands down!  Very, very good performance.  Overwhelmed the expectations.  She was energetic.  Biden was tired.  She delivered well and connected w/the viewers well.

The gaffes just continue to flow from Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden.

Considering that the following clip is only a mere 20 seconds in length, I find it hilarious that you've actually got to ask yourself "Which of his moronic statements is the funniest?"

So, again, I ask... What is the funniest comment?

Was the best part where Biden says that when the stock market crashed in 1929, the president at the time was Franklin Roosevelt; when FDR didn't come into office until 1933?  Or was the real knee-slapper of the clip, the part where he says "Roosevelt got on television"?  

The gift that keeps on giving, I tell ya.

I guess to really appreciate just how much of a gem this clip is, you truly have to take the video in it's entirety.  I mean, the whole point Biden is trying to make is that leaders need to communicate to people, instilling confidence in the public by letting them know the leader knows what he's taking about!

Biden: Part of what a leader does and to instill confidence, is demonstrate that he or she knows what they're taking about and communicates to people, "If you listen to me and follow what I'm suggesting, we can fix this".  When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the Princes of Greed, he said, "Look, here's what happened".

Admittedly, this is the only segment I have seen from this interview with Katie Couric.  But, my money would be on her not following up these absurd statements, at all.

Here's what I have learned from the American media:

1. Barack Obama should be the first black person elected to the presidency - that's good. It's destiny.

2. Barack Obama has plenty of experience to be president. His "community organizing" and less than 1 term in the Senate has thoroughly prepared him to be president despite his lack of foreign policy experience.

3. John McCain is going to die in the next 4 years. Count on it.

4. If John McCain is elected president, Sarah Palin is going to assume the office in the next 4 years. That's a catastrophe.

5. Sarah Palin is totally unqualified to be president. She has only 13 years in elected office as Town Council Member, Mayor, and Governor of Alaska.

6. Sarah Palin has too many scandals in her life. She has 5!!! (oh my god!) children. She did not get an abortion but had a baby with Downs Syndrome. Her unmarried daughter is pregnant. Her husband had a DUI 22 years ago. How can we possibly elect a person with so many skeletons in her closet?

7. Barack Obama is friends with a terrorist, a Catholic priest who preaches against America and a con artist. His minister for more than 10 years is a racist. So what? That should not be counted against him. After all, he left the church after defending his preacher many, many times. And the terrorist bomber actually did the bombings when Obama was a kid. Ignore those closeted skeletons.

8. Joe Biden is a foreign policy expert. He was for a nuclear freeze during the Cold War, voted against the war to liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein, voted for the second Gulf War, voted against the surge, and said that we should split up Iraq into 3 parts. What a genius!

9. Barack Obama's claim to fame is that he was against the Iraq War even though he had no vote. He says that because McCain supported the war he should be disqualified from holding office. Biden voted for the war and is Obama's running mate. No problem.

Here is what I have actually learned. The American so-called "mainstream media" is nothing but a corrupt, immoral, agenda-driven, liberal propaganda tool for the Democrat Party. Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler would admire the work of this group of gutter snipes.

There's no doubt - Joe Biden is going to be the "gift that keeps on giving" to the Republicans this election.

Here's a nice nugget from Meet the Press which aired April 29th, 2007.

Seems, these comments about the need to remove Saddam Hussien from power were about the only parts he got right about Iraq during this visit to Tim Russert's Meet the Press.

For laughs, we can see see just how incredibly wrong the man turned out to be with the perspective we have been given through the history of just one single year by looking at the related Youtube clips of his 9-9-2007 appearance on Meet the Press (Part One and Part Two).  He turned out to be be totally wrong on how the Iraq war, the troop surge, and the development and stability of that nation's government was to eventually turn out.

Certainly, the folks over at John McCain's campaign already had this one 'in the can' before Obama decided on Senator Joe Biden's selection for the ticket.  But, this new commercial they have just begun airing is only the precursor to the good stuff that is surely yet to come regarding the Delaware Senator. 

If this was the generic, conditional ad they had prepared for the airwaves, dependant on Biden being selected, imagine what is later to come when they actually put all their resources and focus on Biden's long history into the ads!

The only way they could have improved on this initial ad regarding the Joe Biden selection is if the narrator would have stressed Biden's statements by using, "In Joe Biden's very own words...".

Indeed, we should be on the lookout for a lot more good stuff like this, which is certain to come.  I am thoroughly positive this morning that conservatives all across America could not be any happier with the Veep selection by the Democrats!