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The Palin-Biden Debate: What to Expect
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(AP Photo/Palin Campaign)
Sarah Palin's role in John McCain's presidential campaign has been part attack dog, part cheerleader. She's largely been successful, given the rally among factions of the Republican base that have long been cool to McCain as well as the sharp uptick in turnout at campaign events.
Immediately after McCain announced he had chosen the largely unknown governor of Alaska as his running mate, it struck me that the pick was less about Palin's scant record and more about her ability to whip up excitement. The reason: Her voice.
It's different -- higher-pitched and more Midwestern. Having covered her 2006 gubernatorial run, it became clear that whatever real political know-how she possessed didn't matter anymore. McCain had been running a campaign we'd all seen before. (You know, in 2004). He needed to give the appearance that something was unusual and new -- even if at base it wasn't at all.
Compare the perky Palin of today to the somber Palin of 2006.
Anyone who's watched her increasingly distressing interviews with Katie Couric might be surprised by her relative command of issues in this debate. But for the most part they are parochial and won't be relative to her role as a potential vice president. So which Palin will show up to debate Joe Biden tomorrow?
Likely both. Palin has a way of giving non-answer answers. She's been cramming hard for tomorrow's debate with the help of top McCain staffers, so don't expect her to give those halting, almost nonsensical responses she gave Couric. There's an argument to be made that the Camp McCain has been playing the expectations game so that even a mediocre performance tomorrow night will look stellar. But it's impossible to believe that Palin performed so poorly in her recent interviews on purpose.
Much has been made of Biden's penchant for gaffes, but it's a bit overstated. Yes, he occasionally takes up five minutes to make a point that could have been made in one. And his jokes are hit or miss, not to mention occasionally un-PC. I, too, have been familiar with Biden since I was in, like, second grade, and he's both serious-minded and charming in candidate forums. Veep debates are mostly about attacking and defending the No. 1s, and Biden will do well to keep it that way. Going after Palin on her inexperience or platforms will be dangerous territory, particularly if he tries to make a funny while he's there.
Andrew Halcro, the independent in the 2006 race, warns Biden that he doesn't have this thing in the bag, despite the lopsided experience advantage. Halcro writes in today's Christian Science Monitor, "During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy."
Former aides tell the Los Angeles Times that Palin lacked the attention span to study the issues, leading to some wobbly debate performances and Q&A sessions. Not only does this explain why she hasn't given a press conference yet, it validates the suspicion that McCain tapped her with little thought to her ability to be commander-in-chief.
Ultimately, that's more McCain's problem than hers. But those expecting fireworks or even a train wreck tomorrow might be disappointed.
I'll be covering the debate live tomorrow night. Read along and send me your observations: shoutybear[at]gmail.com.
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