Despite most polls finding Biden won VP debate, Brzezinski asserted, "I think people overwhelmingly thought [Palin] won"
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SUMMARY: On MSNBC's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski asserted that "people overwhelmingly thought [Gov. Sarah Palin] won her debate," while Willie Geist suggested that Palin won by a smaller margin than Brzezinski claimed. However, most polls conducted on the days following the vice presidential debate found that Sen. Joe Biden won. In fact, a Media Matters review of polling sites did not find any national polls that found Palin won the debate.
During the October 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Mika Brzezinski said of Gov. Sarah Palin, "I think she's fabulous. I can't help it." She later asserted: "I think people overwhelmingly thought she won her debate." Co-host Willie Geist then commented, "Not overwhelmingly," while host Joe Scarborough stated, "Not the flash polls." Mark Halperin, Time magazine's editor-at-large, added, "There were some pundits." However, contrary to Brzezinski's assertion that "people overwhelmingly thought she won," and Geist's suggestion that Palin won by a smaller margin than Brzezinski claimed, most polls conducted on the days following the October 2 vice presidential debate found that Sen. Joe Biden won. In fact, a Media Matters for America review of polling sites did not find any national polls that found Palin won the debate.*
Brzezinski made her remark that "people overwhelmingly thought she won her debate" shortly after Geist reported that an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that respondents thought the Obama-Biden ticket was doing a better job in debates than the McCain-Palin ticket, 50 to 29 percent. The poll was conducted October 4-5, from among 658 registered voters. Other polls, both those conducted immediately after the debate and in the days following it, found that, by fairly wide margins, respondents thought Biden won or performed better than Palin. They include:
- A Zogby Interactive poll of likely voters nationwide conducted on October 2 (after the debate concluded) through October 3 found that voters picked Biden over Palin, 50 to 41 percent.
- A Rasmussen Reports survey of likely voters nationally conducted on October 3 found that 45 percent of respondents thought Biden won, 37 percent chose Palin, and 18 percent were "not sure."
- An October 6 Diageo/Hotline Daily Tracker Poll, "based on combined data from October 3 to October 5," found that, among likely voters from a "random, nationally representative sample," Biden won the debate, 47 to 28 percent, while 20 percent called it "a tie."
- An October 3-5 CBS News poll of a random sample of adults nationwide found that registered voters who watched the debate chose Biden over Palin, 50-31, while 17 percent said it was a tie. Among all registered voters polled, including those who did not watch the debate, 41 percent also thought Biden won compared with 28 percent who picked Palin, and 14 percent who called it a tie.
Additionally, at least two snap polls (or flash polls) also found that Biden won or performed better than Palin:
- An October 2 CBS News and Knowledge Networks poll conducted "[i]mmediately after the vice presidential debate" found that, among a nationally representative sample of uncommitted voters, defined as "voters who are either undecided about who to vote for or who have a preference but say they could still change their minds," 46 percent said Biden won, while 21 percent chose Palin; 33 percent called it a tie.
- An October 2 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll among adults nationwide who watched the debate, found that 51 percent said Biden "did the best job," while 36 percent favored Palin.
From the October 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:
BRZEZINSKI: She's a mother of five who's pulling this off quite well. I think she's fabulous. I can't help it.
[...]
GEIST: A lot of people thought Sarah Palin did well last week. Well, look at these numbers here from NBC News: Who does a better job in debates? The respondents here, at least, thought it was Obama-Biden by a large margin 50 to 29.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, of course, it didn't help that John McCain was as stiff and awkward --
BRZEZINSKI: So, Joe --
SCARBOROUGH: -- as he was in these debates.
BRZEZINSKI: -- what's the disconnect here --
SCARBOROUGH: What do you mean?
BRZEZINSKI: -- seriously?
SCARBOROUGH: What do you mean?
BRZEZINSKI: I mean, is this poll Obama and Biden -- they're both doing debates together -- or the Biden-Palin debate? I mean, because I just -- if everyone thinks that Palin didn't do so well --
GEIST: That's with McCain.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, that's with both of them.
BRZEZINSKI: That's with McCain. OK, all right.
GEIST: Now, let me show you --
SCARBOROUGH: McCain's dragging her down.
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
GEIST: It's like tag-team wrestling.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, exactly.
GEIST: You gotta count them both. There's always a weakness.
BRZEZINSKI: 'Cause I -- I think people overwhelmingly thought she won her debate. No?
GEIST: Not overwhelmingly.
SCARBOROUGH: Not the flash polls.
HALPERIN: There were some pundits.
BRZEZINSKI: Not the flash polls?
There must be a Maxim or FHM poll somewhere that favored Palin. MMFA just needs to get off their tookus and look harder. :-D
I think people overwhelmingly thought that Palin beat the spread -- is that winning?
in bubblehead land palin won, which is where brzezinski lives.
Did Rush have a poll on his show on this issue?
What freaken debate did Mika watch?
And I believe the New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football...although the headlines of Tuesday's New Orleans Times-Picayune said the score was 30 to 27 in favor of the Vikings. Reggie Bush returned two punts for touchdowns and Drew Brees passed for 330 yards. The Saints won...right? ;>)
Leave Reggie out of this I won in my fantasy football league due to his point production.
I think Palin won smiple by not calling for Alaska to suceed from the Union. Which interestingly enough would disqualify her for the VP position.
It the liberal media's fault. For once they came through for the good guys!
I am watching.....well..... its on but the volume is muted Morning Joe....
They have some 'hot' little number talking 'entertainment' news.....
She's wearing silver colored short shorts and shiny black boots nearly up to her knees..... while supposedly talking 'news'
Wasn't Palin wearing a short skirt and black boots that went above her knees the other day?? Is she running for VP or the cover of a soft porn magazine?
Is this the future of women? Having to dress 'hot' in order to be taken seriously for a position of power?
My three teenage daughters are way better than that!
No you see, when you 'oveerwhelmingly think' something, that's completely different from having a rational opinin.
There are, in fact, people who 'overwhelmingly think' that Sarah wwon her li'l ol' debate.
Similarly, Rich Lowry 'overwhelmingly thought' that Sarah was winking at him, and that sparkles were flying about the room.
I stopped 'overwhelmingly thinking' when I quit taking mescaline. Sometimes I miss the sensation.
This might be slightly credible if Palindrone Twit had actually PARTICIPATED in a debate. All she did was deliver carefully rehearsed talking points that were marginally related to the questions asked, and sometimes didn't relate at all.
The woman is an airhead and a phony who succeeded in the unsophisticated, corrupt world of Alaskan politics on her charm and good looks. I think the press needs to look into the allegation that James Dobson's Troglodyte Political Committee pressured Grampy into choosing her.
That's the main difference between this years' election and 2000 or '04--the pundits can't steer the discussion. Sure, they can (and do) try, but with blogs and YouTube and such they can't get away with their lies for very long.
i thought she won
As long as Brzezinski limits her input to newsmax and FoxNews, she can continue to argue that "people overwhelmingly thought Palin won." Notice she doesn't define which people. "People who never tell me anything I don't want to hear" thought Palin was brilliant is what she's really saying.
BRZEZINSKI: She's a mother of five who's pulling this off quite well. I think she's fabulous. I can't help it.
I somehow fail to see that Mika is considering the ability to be vice president. Can Palin deal with the 3am call? Would YOU want to depend on her to keep your family safe? Mika sounds like a fan, not a journalist - or even credible commentator. Fabulous - in what way???
That fact was true long before the night of the debate.
"U.S military massacred a famliy of over 10 in Iraq , but you won't hear that on NBC or ANY real news . Yet they have time to create so much menucha over these rediculopus polls they banter about 24/7 . We more commentators like a hole in the head, enough already REPORT THE NEWS .
" She's a mother of 5 pulling this off " SO WHAT , she's a politician and a slick one at that , and a former jounalist , she didn't just walk out of a PTA meeting and become a politician . And in this age of media and fixation over performances , and the rigfht wing spin , she's made into a " star" . And McCain is " dragging HER down " , are these idiots serious , what parrallel universe are these numbnuts living in, SHE'S the one that lied about TrooperGate, SHE's the one that lied about Selling her little plane on EBAY, She's the one that supported victims paying for rape kits, Bridge to Nowhere etc etc.
They are BOTH DRAGGING each other down , because BOTH are dishonest , misleading , and desperate POLITICIANS ! "- Kahoneez
Polls don't matter if you have truthiness. Mika wants to believe that Palin won the debate and no mountain of polling data to the contrary is going to change her mind.
Shaggles, as I said earlier, Mika' a lying right wing Republican hate hag, and Liar Mika wants Liar McCain-Liar Palin to get elected. So does GOP-GE-NBC/MSNBC.