Would-be VPs Go Toe to Toe

BU blogs the campaign

By Chris Berdik

It was the wily veteran versus the folksy newcomer. Joe Biden, with 35 years of senatorial experience, and Sarah Palin, an upstart governor of Alaska for less than two years, spent 90 minutes debating topics from energy policy to how America should deal with the threat of nuclear proliferation. Asking the questions was Gwen Ifill of PBS, who'd recently taken some heat from conservative commentators because of her forthcoming book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

Unlike many VP debates from other recent elections, this one had garnered a lot of event hype. It got the BU bloggers up and posting "debate previews," including Bitter Pill, who wrote: "Tonight Alaska Governor Palin takes on Delaware Senator Joe Biden in a battle between the King and Queen of modern politics gaffes. Whether it's asking a paraplegic man to stand up and take a bow or citing geographic proximity of Alaska to Russia as a basis of foreign policy credentials this pair is unlike no other. We are in for a rollercoaster ride."

In the runup to the debate, the expectations for how Palin would perform had plummeted after interviews with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, in which she served up one eyebrow-raising answer after another. Biden, likewise, has a reputation for gaffes, and in recent comments caught on tape and highlighted in a McCain campaign ad, he hadn't disappointed.

But as the debate moved along, neither candidate followed the hype. Palin didn't transform into a policy wonk, but she made repeated, personal appeals that emphasized the fact that she and her family were regular folk, outsiders to Washington, and in line with the maverick reputation of John McCain. She describe the Republican ticket as "a team of mavericks." Then she attacked Obama for not supporting American troops and for wanting to "quit on Iraq." Palin also positioned herself as a reformer. "Americans crave that straight talk," she said in rebuttal to Biden's explanation of his 2002 vote to give President Bush authority to invade Iraq.

And contrary to Biden's rambling rep, the Delaware senator was crisp, repeatedly hitting McCain as George W. Bush II. "He voted for deregulation and that is why we are in the crisis that we are in," Biden said of McCain, and later, "he has been no maverick on the issues that matter to people's lives."

Here's how the blogger at This Is My Party saw it: "Biden clearly looked more confident and polished, but I think Palin beat the low expectations that were laid out for her. She did start out rough, but got comfortable quickly. Biden didn't seem to be taking it easy on her, either."

The contest had few killer one-liners, although The Whole Delivery clearly appreciated Biden's description of the McCain economic plan as "the ultimate bridge to nowhere."
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Biden with a great one, all time classic," wrote Whole Delivery. "That one will be remembered forever."

Actually, Biden may be remembered even more for getting emotional when talking about the car accident in 1972 that killed his wife and infant daughter. "I understand what it's like," Biden said, making his own case for personal connections with the struggles of everyday Americans.

So, with the spin still spinning from the would-be veeps, BU bloggers are gearing up for the next presidential debate, just a few days away. And here, I steal the words of Bitter Pill: We are in for a roller-coaster ride.

Chris Berdik can be reached at cberdik@bu.edu.

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