The VP Debate: Tracy O'Neill Weighs In

So much was scintillating about the VP debate last night, from Joe Biden’s gorgeous set of teeth to Sarah Palin’s use of “doggone it” to both number twos telling each other how very much they enjoyed meeting, though it appeared that both needed to take number twos what with the constipated smiles strung across their powdered faces.

Palin’s manifest preparations left us all a bit shocked, as she skillfully parlayed the debate topic to her old standby, energy, when unable to address statements made by Biden. Indeed Palin relied heavily on a hit parade of catchphrases and keywords, most notably “maverick,” though also including the afore-mentioned “doggone it,” “darn right,” and the notorious “Joe Six Pack.” The republican VP hopeful tripped up on her statement that, “Israel is our strongest and best ally in the Middle East. We have got to assure them that we will never allow a second Holocaust, despite, again, warning from Iran,” which implied an allegation that the Iranian state wishes to begin a Holocaust (hardly a contention to be made lightly)and that her political adversaries would not attempt to prevent a second Holocaust ( hardly a contention to be made lightly.) Overall the impression left was one of carelessness or perhaps lack of awareness as to the import of particular foreign affairs.

Yet possibly her worst blunder followed Gwen Ifill asking if it is true that her Achilles Heel is her lack of experience, when Governor Palin said because she is a mother with a son in war that she can better connect to the heartland of America. This led to the climax of the debate, when Joe Biden got choked up discussing family, in particular, the death of his wife and daughter and raising his two severely injured sons as a single parent. Truly at that point Palin was in between a rock and a hard place (then again, she got herself wedged in there), so she reverted to Old Faithful, by which I mean to say, referring to John McCain as a maverick.

Biden made mistakes too, often becoming too mired in recitation of figures, which led to lapses in approval, according to the CNN approval monitor. Yet this presentation of facts also lent great strength to Biden, particularly when his explanation of vice presidential duties trumped that of Palin considerably in eloquence and clarity, assuming a professorial tone which seemed to be meant for the young governor’s education. So who won? Biden, doggone it!

Highlight: Palin practically communicating as a caricature of herself by saying, “One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let's commit ourselves just every day American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation.”

Lowlight: Gwen Ifill?