World News Story

08 January 2009 23:52 BST

Analysis: VP wannabes happy to play second fiddle

Tonight's VP debate had been hyped as the most monumental to ever take place, but as it turned out both the callow governor and wily, but gaffe-prone, senator were happy to let the other name on their ticket take centre stage.

That aforementioned unprecedented interest in a vice presidential debate was largely down to Sarah Palin, who had resembled the deer in the headlights she is so fond of hunting during TV interviews in the build-up to the debate.

Since being a shock choice for Republican nominee John McCain's ticket, the Alaska governor saw her stock soar at the party's convention thanks to her now famous hockey mom/pitbull reference, but public opinion had appeared to be turning against her in recent weeks amid accusations she was out of her depth.

That left Democratic nominee Barack Obama's running-mate Joe Biden in an awkward position in Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, with the veteran Delaware senator anxious to avoid appearing condescending over his less-experienced opponent, who last week struggled to name a newspaper, any newspaper, and believes Alaska's proximity to Canada and Russia qualifies as foreign policy experience.

Mr Biden managed to steer clear of accusations of sexism or patronisation by largely ignoring his opponent, preferring instead to concentrate his considerable energies on Mr McCain.

The attacks came thick and fast against the Arizona senator, with Mr Biden accusing him of being out of touch and his healthcare insurance proposals representing a "bridge to nowhere".

He scorned the "drill, drill, drill" attitude of the Republican nominee and said the "fundamental difference" between Mr Obama and Mr McCain was that the White House administration of the former would see an end to the war in Iraq.

"With John McCain as president there is no end in sight," Mr Biden intoned.

A main line of attack against the McCain campaign has been his association with the Bush administration, which both Mr Biden and Mrs Palin were more than happy to deride.

Mr Biden's repeated references to the 72-year-old rather than Mrs Palin represented nothing more than a continuation of the Democratic nominee's tactics.

On her part, Mrs Palin spoke of her deep respect for Mr Biden, although often the statements were pointed; she respects the senator for doubting Mr Obama's ability to lead the country when the men were rivals for the Democratic nomination.

While she had her own distinct game plan, Mrs Palin's main line of attack was also upon the other man on her opponent's ticket.

She repeatedly voiced Mr Obama's apparent decision to vote against extra funding for troops in Iraq, and although Mr Biden corrected her on the circumstances of the vote (Mr Obama voted against the proposals because they did not include a timetable for a withdrawal) the damage was done.

Mrs Palin also went as far as warning Mr Biden to "stop playing the blame game".

"There have been huge blunders," she said of the last eight years, but continued to claim there was "too much finger pointing" going on in Washington.

"Ah, say it ain't so Joe?" Mrs Palin drawled when Mr Biden, perhaps unwisely, returned to the subject of the mistakes of the Bush administration.

So after 90 minutes of rapid but not heated debating, pre-debate worries from the Republicans over Mrs Palin's inexperience and Democrat fears about Mr Biden's penchant for waffling largely proved unfounded as both candidates stuck to their campaigns' well-worn lines.

Ultimately, neither Mrs Palin nor Mr Biden achieved any spectacular lasting damage, relegating their status and impact as running-mates upon the November 4th elections.

All eyes will therefore be on the second head-to-head debate between Mr Obama and Mr McCain next Tuesday in Tennessee.

Vice presidents may be a heartbeat from the White House but the old adage that they don't win elections looks likely to hold true in 2008.

Matthew Champion