Say it isn't so, Sarah

Sarah Palin exceeded everyone's expectations in her debate performance. She was, for the most part, reasonably articulate, capable of matching the right talking points to the right questions, poised and, by the end of the debate, confident. Moreover, in her winky, folksy, ya'll drawl, I'm convinced that she reassured those who want to believe in her that she is capable of not humiliating herself (and the rest of Americans!), given adequate time, powerful resources and strenuous preparation.

But has the bar for vice presidential candidates really been set so low that success is defined as "he/she didn't embarass us"? Moreover, is Sarah Palin's greatest feminist aspiration in life to prove that women -- working class mothers -- can be sufficiently mediocre as to pass the litmus test of "See, I can sound smart if I practice"? Has she drank so much of her own moose-flavored Kool Aid that she honestly believes 72 hours of cramming to avoid past confusion and misstatements can alleviate the need for thoughtful understanding and analysis of domestic and foreign policy issues? And does she have so little to offer that the best she can do for McCain is to portray an exaggerated caricature of a working class American, complete with scripted winks, ya'lls and "say-it-ain't-so-joe's"? Say it isn't so, Sarah.

Joe Biden, in contrast, was on his game. He was a skilled, effective debater. He was on point, on message, just "on". He was respectful, but in no way deferential to Gov Palin. He challenged her appropriately when she attempted to misstate his running mate's tax policy. He reiterated and reinforced Senator Obama's message on sitting down with Iran with or without preconditions -- backed by, in Senator Biden's words, "5 Secretary's of State, 3 of whom were Republicans as well as Henry Kissinger". And he assailed Senator McCain, repeatedly, using specific examples of McCain's voting record on the budget, the war in Iraq, health care reform, as well as McCains's reference to the "success" in Afghanistan.

Sebator Biden held his ground as a working class, single parent, with roots in middle class America, as a man who overcame immeasurable obstacles when, after being elected to the Senate, he lost his wife and daughter in a car accident and commuted between DC and Delaware to care for his 2 sons, both in critical condition. He asserted himself as an actionable leader on the forefront of foreign policy issues. He never used the word "world view" (Gov Palin managed to slip in the buzzword), but he clearly articulated his world view citing his record on intervention in Bosnia and (proposed) in Darfur, his condemnation of ill-conceived "preemptive" military action in Iraq and incomplete action in Lebanon, the latter which has served to dangerously strengthen Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East. More importantly, he was a real person, a bit slick perhaps, but certainly authentic and believable.

Did Sarah Palin redeem herself from an inarticulate and underinformed week of "what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the—it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy...."? Yes, she absolutely did. Did she reenergize her Republican base? I'm sure, after a week of waiting to exhale, Republicans are relieved. Did she successfully dispel the idea that she lacks the experience to be Vice President - much less President, should fate require it -- of a world super power? Woefully, no, she did not.

Did Joe Biden bond with working class Americans, including Independent voters? Quite frankly, I'm not sure; only time will tell. Did he effectively use his record, his 35 years of leadership in the Senate -- 26 of those served alongside John McCain -- to discredit John McCain and his attempt to reinvent himself as a "maverick"? Yes, he did. Did he give Independent and undecided voters fact-based cause to conisder McCain the candidate most likely to continue down the "road going nowhere" on economic policy, on the war in Iraq, and on the threats of nuclear proliferation? I believe -- and polling and focus groups held immediately after the debate suggest that -- he absolutely did.

Way to go, Joe.