VP Debate Wrap-Up

If you watched any of Sarah Palin's Alaskan debates, you pretty much knew what to except from her. Folksy, vacuous, memorized answers with absolutely no substance or depth. If she didn't feel comfortable with a question she ignored it, otherwise she simply spouted off with a cloud of words to fill the time.

Did she beat expectations? Of course, it would have been almost impossible not to. In fact, considering the awful performance by moderator Gwen Ifill, who asked no follow-up questions and never pressed either candidate for specifics, it was impossible for Palin to screw up. She didn't have to answer the questions, so she didn't. She didn't have to get specific, so she didn't. None of the questions were in the least bit difficult or challenging. Ifill shamed herself with a pathetic performance.

And let me just say this right now. Because she is a woman, Joe Biden was constrained from destroying her on the spot. He wasn't allowed to do like Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 and put her in her place. It would have been a risky move, it would have seemed mean or condescending, it might have garnered sympathy for poor Palin. Palin is a crass and devious politician, she might have responded to any put-downs by playing the victim card immediately and that would have been risky for Biden.

But in my universe, I do wish Biden had laid into her. Here are some examples of what he could have said:

BIDEN: Why don't you drop those GOP talking points and answer a question for once? You think that during negotiations with Putin or Wen Jiabao you can just spout memorized lines and think they'll take you seriously? These are serious time folks, two wars and an economy headed into recession brought to us by George W. Bush. And as we can see tonight, John McCain and his running mate have no clue how to fix things.

Or maybe:

BIDEN: Who are you to question Barack Obama's patriotism, or his love for our troops? He's visited the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's been to Walter Reed. He worked to pass the new G.I. Bill, which by the way John McCain opposed. Go ahead and discuss our policy issues, if you even know them beyond these memorized talking points and cue cards, but don't question the character of my friend and running mate.

That said, I think Joe Biden did a great job. He didn't make any serious gaffes, he didn't come across as mean, and he demonstrated both real humanity and a command of the issues. He looked like a master, while Palin looked like a performer in a spelling bee (as Chris Matthews pointed out).

I give this to Joe Biden all the way. Most of the insta-polls agree. But I also believe that Palin did herself some good by avoiding any epic cringe-worthy moments and thus assured her rabid right wing base. I don't think McCain will have to drop her from the ticket -- yet. Troopergate's findings come out on October 10th, and that should be quite interesting. The rest of the news we hear about Sarah Palin will be bad news.