DEBATE NOTES:
BIDEN THRIVES, PALIN SURVIVES
There were viewing parties all over the country. Food and drinks were catered at some homes, at others it was pot luck. If I didn’t know I was going to watch Joe Biden and Sarah Palin in a Vice Presidential debate, I’d swear I was going to watch the Super Bowl. There were no surprises; there were no “game changers”. I didn’t think Sarah Palin would make any gaffs as embarrassing as the ones in the Katie Couric interviews. The intensely negotiated rules of the debate would not allow it. Unlike the first Presidential debate where Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain were begged to engage each other directly, the rules for Biden and Palin discouraged and essentially prohibited any “improvised” direct conversation. As a result, anyone who was hoping for a “Miss Carolina” moment from Sarah Palin was going to be sorely disappointed. What I expected was, for Sen. Biden to be well versed on all subjected and Gov. Palin to be well studied and well rehearsed and more or less that’s exactly what happened.
Gov. Palin used her “folksy” talk and demeanor to connect with voters. Judging by the reaction dials on CNN it seemed to work. I find myself looking for one of those airplane bags whenever she goes into that “schick” but I can’t ignore the fact that millions of Americans not only love it, but they will vote for her because of it. When it came to some of the details, like knowing the name of the commander in Iraq, she tripped up but no one except post debate pundits seemed to notice. With the exception of a few stutters, she spoke and answered questions confidently.
The biggest problem for Gov. Palin was she answered HER OWN questions, not necessarily the ones being asked! That was stunning to me. When asked to defend Sen. McCain’s record, she would just say “I disagree, but I want to talk about taxes” or whatever subject she felt she more prepared. That seemed far too wooden and evasive to instill the kind of confidence I believe independent voters were looking for. The worst answer of the night was when she was asked what promises a McCain Palin administration would have to cut as a result of the proposed economic bailout and she said “she’s only been at this for five weeks.”
Sen. Biden was very solid. The depth of his knowledge not only on questions asked by moderator Gwen Ifill, but in his rebuttals to Gov. Palin. When Gov. Palin cited Sen. McCain’s record on multiple subjects, Biden shot back with the authority of someone who was trying to be one upped with research on his best friend. Additionally, when it came to Biden’s bread and butter, foreign affairs, he was better than ever. He soared when pointing out Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn’t the true power or threat in Iran, that we spend more in a couple of days in Iraq than we have in seven years in Afghanistan and when asked to cite “a plan” McCain hasn’t said anything that distinguishes his world view from that of President Bush.
He also hit home authentically when he got choked up talking about the uncertainty of his son’s future in Iraq. Having lost his first wife and child in a car crash, he knows how fragile life can be and the effects of sending loved ones off to war wasn’t just talk. In the end, I don’t think too many minds were changed tonight. On the replays that will take place from now till the next Presidential debate, I think Sen. Biden’s performance will look better and better. Gov. Palin’s will look better than she did with Katie Couric, but not good enough to be President. Let me get my remote!
Darryl Bell is an actor and Chicago native, best known for his roles in classic TV series “A Different World” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze.” His unique television commentary is exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.
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