The 2008 Vice-Presidential Debate

The 2008 Vice-Presidential Debate
St. Louis, Missouri, 2 October 2008

There were no major gaffes, and no major advances, but there was no contest: Joe Biden soundly beat Sarah Palin during the Vice-Presidential Debate on Thursday night.

There were, of course, incredibly low expectations for Alaska's governor, and to be fair, she didn't utterly fail, but that does not excuse her for her terrible performance, which ultimately reflects poorly on McCain's capacity to make sound decisions.

Joe Biden did an excellent job: he did not ramble, he made a concerted effort to attack McCain and connect him to the failed policies of the Bush Administration, and he made a compelling case for Barack Obama – in short, he did exactly what he needed to do. He only stumbled on a question regarding gay marriage. He told the moderator Gwen Ifill that he fully supported gay rights, but then, after Palin said that she only supported the “traditional” definition of marriage, he conceded that he and Obama also didn't believe in gay marriage. It was a wish-washy moment that arose from Obama's admittedly feeble compromise regarding gay marriage – he doesn't support it, but believes that it is up to the states to decide – and it conceded too much to Palin's position on the matter.

As for Palin, her performance not only proved how unqualified she is to become a vice-president, but also confirmed that she is an idiot. She almost never answered questions directly – at one point, she actually switched subjects entirely from when it's appropriate to use nuclear weapons to using the surge strategy in Afghanistan. And she always reverted to talking points that had obviously been drilled into her by advisers the week before. I'll list a few moments that were incredible in their utter stupidity:

1) After Biden's nuanced view on the Iraq war, she paused for five seconds and shakily exclaimed, “Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that's for sure!”
2) She repeatedly said that Obama wants to raise taxes; this has already been discredited.
3) She repeatedly stated that the War on Terror is in Iraq; Al Qaeda wasn't even there before the U.S. got involved. Biden rightly said that the crux of the terrorist organization is located between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
4) Her constant attempts to display her “folksy” appeal to viewers at home was sickening: she assumed that Americans are so stupid and close-minded as to want to vote for someone who is just as “average” as they are; she was obviously avoiding answering the questions; and I hate that she exploited her special-needs child for her “down-to-earth” cause.
5) Quote: “Oh, yeah, it's so obvious I'm a Washington outsider. And someone just not used to the way you guys operate.” Wow. Also, she feels that McCain having fought in a (losing) war and that he knows what “evil” is make him qualified to “win” in Iraq.
6) Biden gave a touching speech about how troubled the middle class is. Palin, in a horrid, faux-shocked manner said, “Say it ain't so, Joe! There you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future!” What?
7) In her closing statement, she said that she wanted to have more opportunities to talk to us viewers without “the filter of the mainstream media.” Oh, please. She – and the McCain campaign - are the ones who have been avidly avoiding the media.

So Palin, by not failing drastically, did what she needed to do. But this debate only confirmed her idiocy, her dangerously simplistic worldview, and John McCain's utter contempt for Americans. One particular moment irks me: she stated that we need more government regulation for the economy, and then, in her rant against Obama's “mandatory” health care plan, she said, “... unless you're pleased with the way the federal government has been running anything lately, I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the feds.” This is a terribly pessimistic view that does not inspire any confidence in her ability to run the federal government and to lead Americans.

As the New Yorker has said, McCain's pick of Palin for vice-president was a cynical decision, done only for his political benefit, rather than as a means for effective leadership. Obama and Biden, on the other hand, have presented themselves as politicians who would not maintain the status quo, who would not treat Americans with such contempt as the Republican ticket has. Instead, they would challenge Americans to rise above the squalor of the last eight years, because we do have the potential to achieve great things.

The same night as the debate, the McCain campaign announced that it would withdraw from Michigan, a surprising turn that increases Obama's chances for the Presidency. And, if Palin's performance is any indication, this trend will most likely continue through the next four weeks.