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• Sarah Palin winked many times during a debate with Democratic hopeful Joe Biden. Palin's style in the October 2, 2008, debate was described by some as "folksy." The Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee used several colloquial phrases, including ""doggone it," "I'll betcha" and "darn right."Reuters: Winking Palin survives debate with folksy style (October 3, 2008) BostonHerald.com: Smilin' Sarah Palin sinks with winks (October 3, 2008)

• Fast Facts

  1. Sarah Palin winked numerous times during her debate against Joe Biden
  2. Debate was held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 2, 2008
  3. At least one pundit said Palin winked a total of six times during the debateNational Review Online: Sarah Palin, the Winner by a Wink
  4. Some analysts said the winks were distracting and seemed programmedPostPartisan (Washington Post): The VP Debate: She Won Fersure, Also National Review Online: Sarah Palin, the Winner by a Wink
  5. Others thought the tactic was extremely effective at setting a tone of confidence and optimismNJ Voices: Kathleen O'Brien: Sarah Palin's wink
  6. Palin also winked during her acceptance speech at the 2008 Republican National ConventionNJ Voices: Kathleen O'Brien: Sarah Palin's wink

• Columnist Quotes

  "...I had the uneasy feeling throughout that I was witnessing a data dump from a very appealing droid. Even the winks and jaw juts seemed slightly programmed."--Kathleen Parker, Washington PostPostPartisan (Washington Post): The VP Debate: She Won Fersure, Also

  "Somewhere in between that blizzard of winks, smiles, 'You betchas,' 'doggone its' and 'Gee whiz, I'm just a hockey mom, Joe Six-Pack kind of American,' I started to wonder if Joe Biden might go into a diabetic coma."--Peter Gelzinis, Boston HeraldBostonHerald.com: Smilin' Sarah Palin sinks with winks (October 3, 2008)

  "After enduring weeks of derision, Palin didn't just beat the low expectations for her performance; she ran all over them. But how? Superior debating ability? Commanding logic? A winning manner? No, not at all. If you listened to Team Obama after the debate late Thursday, you learned Palin accomplished her impressive performance by . . . winking."--Byron York, National ReviewNational Review Online: Sarah Palin, the Winner by a Wink

  "Maybe winking has worked so well for her for so long that now she can't stop herself. Maybe she'll wink at Vladimir Putin -- and wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall to see that! Maybe it will make Putin weak at the knees in a way that a Ronald Reagan never could."--Kathleen O'Brien, The Star-LedgerNJ Voices: Kathleen O'Brien: Sarah Palin's wink

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Sarah Palin | Biden Palin Debate | Joe Biden | Sarah Palin VP | Palin Debate Camp | Sarah Palin Beauty Pageant | Sarah Palin Convention Speech 2008 | Presidential Debates 2008 | John McCain | Washington University Debate | Palin Turkey

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