Palin Avoids Blunders, Biden Gives Solid Answers

If you went into Thursday night's vice presidential debate favoring the Democratic side, you are still with them right now.

But the news of the big debate night, and perhaps the news of the entire 2008 presidential election, is that if you were even slightly leaning towards the GOP ticket, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin did nothing to make you jump ship. That's BIG news because the truth is the Republican vice presidential nominee was the story going into the night, not her adversary Sen. Joseph Biden.

Yes, she felt rehearsed. And yes, viewers could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she repeatedly veered from answering the questions posed by moderator Gwen Ifill and returned to the safe harbor of her notes.

When asked for meaty thoughts, Palin usually offered up cotton candy comments like when addressing the Middle East situation.

Biden called the Bush policy an abject failure. Palin conceded there have been failures by her GOP predecessors but scolded Biden for "too much finger-pointing backwards." Sounds good but can't we talk about earlier failures – especially since you have offered few specifics on what you would do better? ...

VP Debate Pictures

Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin went head to head in their first and only vice presidential debate in St. Louis on Thursday, clashing on the economy, energy issues and foreign policy. Here, the candidates greet each other at the start of the highly anticipated showdown.

Scott Olson, Getty Images

The debate at Washington University in St. Louis marked the first meeting of the vice presidential candidates. "Can I call you Joe?" Palin asked Biden, who approved.

Don Emmert, AP

The stakes were particularly high for Palin, who has served as governor of Alaska for less than two years. Polls show the public has become more skeptical of her ability to handle the vice presidency. Palin made only one obvious stumble, when she twice referred to Gen. David McKiernan, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, as "Gen. McClellan."

Rick Wilking, Pool / Getty Images

The pressure was less intense for Biden, a veteran of more than 35 years in the Senate.

Ron Edmonds, AP

The economy quickly took center stage, with both candidates weighing in on the financial crisis and the bailout bill awaiting congressional approval. "The economic policies of the last eight years have been the worst economic policies we've ever had," Biden said.

Rick Wilking, Reuters

Palin said one way to gauge the economic times would be to attend a child's soccer game and listen to parents. "I betcha you're going to hear some fear," she said.

Ron Edmonds, AP

Later, the tone became more heated when the topic turned to the Iraq war. Biden said that he and Barack Obama will be the administration to end the war and said John McCain had been "dead wrong" about the conflict. "For John McCain there is no end in sight to end this war -- fundamental difference," he said.

David McNew, Getty Images

Palin countered that Obama's exit plan was essentially "a white flag of surrender in Iraq" at a moment when victory was "within sight." She also said Biden had once supported McCain's view of the war.

J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Palin got some bad news just before the debate, when an Alaska judge threw out a lawsuit filed by Republicans seeking to stop an abuse-of-power investigation aimed at her. Here, Palin looks on from the side prior to taking the stage.

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Palin and Biden smile after the conclusion of the debate.

Ron Edmonds, AP

At another point, Palin expressed pride in teaming with the Arizona senator and hailed him as a man "who knows how to win a war."

Yes McCain served with honor while being taken as a prisoner in the Vietnam conflict. But can you tell me exactly which war he has won?

The comment, however, and several others Palin offered at Washington University in St. Louis, achieved their desired effect in a sound-bite craving world – they sounded somewhat convincing and seemed heartfelt.

That might not seem like a lot to have accomplished, but Palin wasn't exactly enjoying a banner week going into the contest.

For weeks, word coming out of the Republican camp was that she was failing miserably during debate preparations.

Then excerpts from her televised interview with Katie Couric shined a bright light on her dim understanding of how to impress as a vice presidential candidate.

Asked by Couric which publications inform her thinking, the former journalism student stammered, then babbled for a bit, but ultimately failed to name a single newspaper, magazine or news website she reads.

The bar was set low Thursday. And she managed to crawl over it.

For his part, Biden provided solid answers and generally avoided talking too much. He did from time to time get caught up in numbers or complex retorts that were far more accurate but far less pithy than Palin's. The only true passion of the night came toward the end of the debate when Biden choked up when talking about the auto accident that claimed his wife and seriously injured two of his sons.

Biden then launched into what should be a centerpiece of the Democratic message: while proudly claiming the tag of a "maverick" through the campaign, John McCain has consistently voted with Bush and against policies for everyday Americans even to expand children's health care coverage.

But by then Democrats who had been waiting for the big Palin blunder, the silly sound bite that would doom her candidacy, were feeling disappointed. She proved for her supporters that cotton candy is better than nothing at all.
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Paul Shepard blogs the Democrat side of the election for BlackVoices. He has been a journalist for 16 years; on the national urban/minority affairs beat for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and for The AP in Washington, D.C.

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