VP Debate

Last night's debate was a little surreal. The expectations for Sarah Palin were set so low that anything better than a complete meltdown would have been hailed as a success. Everyone was talking about how Joe Biden has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth and waited for him to say something stupid. In the end, however, I think we got a really good sense about which of them was prepared to be Vice President. I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Sarah Palin.

Probably the most aggravating part about it was the Palin steadfastly refused to answer the questions posed to her. Essentially, she took every question and brought it back to her predetermined talking points. It troubles me that we are one month from the election, and we still have not had clear answers from her on a range of important issues. Her ridiculous attempt to portray the media as "out to get her" got even worse last night. Let me put it this way: we already have a "Joe six-pack" in the White House, and he's done a terrible job. Do we really want Sarah Six-Pack anywhere near the Oval Office?

I think Biden did a tremendous job overall. I've been trying to learn more about him lately, and I have found myself liking him more and more. Yes, he can say some ridiculous things, but he is a genuinely thoughtful and caring person. I didn't know he was a widower, and when he  brought that up, I thought he did so in a careful and respectful way, not the way John McCain keeps making a fool of himself by constantly talking about his experience as a POW.

The one thing I will say about Biden is that I wish he had called Palin out more. For example, when she called the US commander in Afghanistan by the wrong name. Or when she talked about reducing taxes in Alaska, when she in fact raised taxes in Wasilla to pay for a sports arena that is still losing money years later. Or when she cited Al Qaeda . . . AL QAEDA! . . . as her source for saying that the primary front in the war on terror is in Iraq. And I wish he had pointed out more forcefully that she was not answering the questions--questions that we need to have answered.

My favorite parts of the debate: when Palin used Al Qaeda as her source, when Biden challenged Palin to explain how a McCain administration would differ from the Bush administration, and when Biden gave his vision of the office of Vice President while Palin aligned herself with Dick Cheney. And who will ever forget Sarah Palin blaming climate change for affecting the activities of humans (she clearly got that backward). Palin did nothing to distinguish herself last night other than not completely falling apart. She added nothing substantive to the debate.

Overall, I think that the debate was a study in contrast between Joe Biden, who knew what he was talking about, and Sarah Palin, who once again demonstrated that she has no knowledge about some of the key issues facing our nation beyond some sycophantic talking points. The fact that Palin avoided a meltdown did nothing to dispel my doubts about her. The New York Times gave an excellent editorial on this today, and I agree with it wholeheartedly.