Thursday night’s vice presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. John McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, was highly anticipated. That being said, it was very important for both candidates to appear well-educated on the issues are important to them and their party, and make a good personal impression to the American people.
PBS’ Gwen Ifil moderated the debate, in which the candidates were given 90 seconds to answer each question, followed with a two-minute discussion period. Palin’s campaign lobbied hard for this structured format, which kept Biden from giving his traditionally long winded answers.
Both candidates were generally well-versed in their answers to questions about issues ranging from the war in Iraq, to their stance on gay marriage, to their feelings about the Israel-Palestine conflict. They were also cordial throughout the debate, despite distinctly different views about nearly everything.
Sarah Palin answered most strongly around the issue of energy independence and how she is perfect for the vice presidential position because she brought tax breaks to the people of Wasilla. She didn’t mention, however, that she actually bumped up taxes by two cents a couple of years ago to build a huge sports center in the middle of town. She said that in order for America to get out of the rut that we’re in, we must focus on “lowering taxes on businesses and workers, creating infrastructure and lowering government spending.” Her inexperience showed, despite the fact that she spent three days holed up in McCain’s ranch in Sedona, Ariz.,
preparing for the event.
But that was blatantly obvious when she was asked questions about foreign policy, energy and banking. Despite Palin’s claim last night that Americans want to hear straight talk, she practically never answered Ifil’s questions. When asked about global warming and the serious issues facing the environment, she said, “I’m not one to attribute every man – activity of man to the changes in the climate. There is something to be said also for man’s activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet.” Biden called her answer out immediately when he said, “You can’t fix the problem if you don’t know what the cause is.” Although Palin spent a significant amount of time attacking Obama, Biden countered her on nearly every argument she made. Palin won viewers over with charm and a folksy, I’m-just-one-of-you demeanor, winking at the camera multiple times. And, of course, she praised Ronald Reagan, demonstrating the continual love affair Republicans have with the late president.
On the contrary, Joe Biden shone with his answers. Though he is notorious for being a long-winded respondent, he did an excellent job of staying on topic. His experience quickly became glaringly obvious when juxtaposed with Palin’s incompetence. Biden answered foreign policy questions with informed answers to which Palin responded with sometimes incoherent, often jumbled sentences in a futile attempt to disguise her ignorance. At one point, she even called her opponent “Obiden.”
Both candidates exceeded expectations. Whatever she lacked in knowledgeable answers, she made up for in charm; often it was too much to handle. But at the end of the night, Biden was the obvious winner. Some sources said it was the best debate performance of his life. The American people now must decide whether they want charm or experience in the White House.
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