Thursday, October 02, 2008

VP Debate Thoughts

So, at the end of this weirdly high energy debate, just a couple of thoughts:

--I'm shocked that I actually come out of this thinking more highly of Biden than I ever have before. He came across honest, though far too middle, and tersely answered the questions asked of him. The issue of his understanding of single parenthood did him a lot of service coming across as somewhat sensitive and not his usual hardliner self.

--Why can Sarah Palin not answer a question? She utterly negated the question of her Achilles heel with talk of all the "great" things about herself. When asked if there was an issue that her views dramatically changed on, she only admitted to having "caved" on some budgetary issues that she didn't agree with, but her essential answer was, "No, my beliefs have never changed." This is not what we need in an administrator. Now, I can't say that Biden answered this question satisfactorally either, but he at least acknowledged the possibility of his lack of discipline. Does it help Palin to never answer a question--even a yes or no--or will people see through her folksy double-speak? My guess, unfortunately, is that it helps her.

--We've already had eight years of administrators who say "nookyouler," does it help her to not have the ability to pronounce words?

Biden most certainly won the debate, but I wish Palin would have sunk herself. She is a strong politician, if only from the perspective of personability and, as a result, I see the whole thing as a wash.