Comment: Palin avoids questions, draws debate
Friday, 03 Oct 2008 09:32
Sarah Palin (Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License)
The Republicans could be justified in claiming a draw in the vice presidential debate after Sarah Palin stuck to her script, but whether she participated in a debate is another matter.
"I want to talk straight to the American people – I may not answer the questions from the moderator or you," Mrs Palin told Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden at the start of their head-to-head debate.
As it turned out, she wasn't kidding.
The scene was set early on when the Alaska governor, who talked more about her experience in politics (two years) than her opponent (35 years), responded to a question on what promises the John McCain-Palin ticket could not keep in light of the economic turmoil blighting the US.
"I'd like to get back to the energy plan," the 44-year-old asked moderator Gwen Ifill as she reverted to pre-recorded lines.
"I took on the oil companies and they are not my biggest fans," Mrs Palin continued as she plugged her own expertise.
"How long have I been at this? Five weeks? There isn't a whole lot I've promised," she managed when pushed.
When the debate turned to subprime mortgages, one of the key reasons why Wall Street is in dire need of a $700 billion bailout, she was asked if she wanted to come back on Mr Biden's claims that Mr McCain was slow to realise the damage the market's collapse could cause.
"No, but that's just a quick answer," Mrs Palin said. "What I want to talk about is energy and my record on it."
And so it went on, with the self-styled hockey mom's voice going slightly hysterical as she addressed the TV cameras directly and largely ignored the debate going on around her.
There were moments of discomfort for the governor; she looked uneasy when asked on same-sex marriages and appeared off message when she said global warming was partly caused by cyclical temperature changes.
On foreign policy, an area that Mr Biden was viewed as being so far ahead of his rival that the Democrat fear was that he would appear condescending, Mrs Palin was, true to form, out of her depth, reeling off pre-written statements on Iran's nuclear programme, the tribal regions of Pakistan and the Middle East peace process.
Mr Biden did not only clearly know a lot more about the issues at hand than his Republican opponent but he
understood them as well, making a rational debate practically impossible as Ms Ifill failed to ask Mrs Palin any follow-up questions to her statements on world affairs.
But, Mrs Palin's appeal has never been about knowledge or understanding things.
Whereas Mr Biden waffled and frequently 'went off on one', even on topics he would consider himself an expert, Mrs Palin was concise and clear; her presentation and pitch both perfect.
While Mr Biden twice mentioned the "flashing light" that told him he was running out of time in his answers, Mrs Palin engaged the audience in her own inimitable homespun manner.
The McCain campaign has consistently painted the governor as a Washington outsider – something she directly referred to herself as – with Mrs Palin going as far as saying she was part of Main Street, not Wall Street.
On the issue of her inexperience she dismissed the question by insisting she was connected to the "heartland of America" on the grounds of being a mom, having a son fighting in Iraq, struggling to pay college bills and raising a child with special needs.
While this may qualify millions of Americans for the White House, it is exactly what Mrs Palin's many, many fans wanted to hear her say.
So when she reverted to script and started describing the US as the "nation of exceptionalism – a shining city on a hill; a beacon of hope", it didn't really matter, because she had survived 90 minutes of debate without making any mistakes and denying Mr Biden the chance to score a knockout blow.
"I like being able to answer these tough questions without the filter of the American media – I like to be able to speak directly to the American people," she said in her closing statement.
"We're going to fight for America – the average, everyday American family like mine.
"I know the hurts and the joys – we are so blessed."
Mr Biden may have let his flashy smile drop several times to reveal a sneer at Mrs Palin's attempts to paint herself as the Washington outsider, but from a Republican perspective, she did exactly what she had to do.
Such were the low expectations upon Mrs Palin that a no-score draw amounts to a victory for the McCain campaign... but the result may yet be declared void when match officials realise no debate actually took place.
Matthew Champion