I was really nervous before this debate because I knew Sarah Dolittle could do much better than she did with Katie Couric, and as the media reminds us relentlessly, Biden is a gaffe machine.
The first half hour I was mesmerized by her ability to spit out attack lines and memorized talking points. She managed to command the bulk of the attention at first with her almost manic energy. But after 40 minutes, it got real old with me. I have never liked listening to her nasally Minnesota - North Dakota type accent, with its "you betchas" and "doggone its." But her disconnected style of speaking, using six words when three words would do, her refusing to really answer any questions, and her snarkiness and sarcasm and quiet little nasty digs really got to me. I found myself disliking her even more than I did before. She increasingly sounded like a "Chatty Cathy" doll and her demeanor reminded me of a snotty next door neighbor who is nice to your face but gossips about you behind your back.
Before the debate was half over my mind went numb every time she spoke, as she really wasn't saying anything anyway, and I started listening to Biden. He did great! And in contrast to her, he was statesmanlike. He was also quite gentlemanly, mentioning that they both had sons going to Iraq, never trying to lord anything over her.
And then came a moment that really showed who these two people were. Palin had been talking constantly about being a maverick, a hockey mom, a person in touch with ordinary people, a person who struggled to get health insurance at one time, and Biden seemed to have had enough. After his dedication and devotion to his family, after all he had endured, he wasn't going to let the audience think she was the only one who understood real life. He spoke up about being a single father and not knowing whether his young son would survive the accident that killed his wife and daughter, and he choked up.
Since I knew - as did everyone paying attention as he had said it earlier - that his son was going to Iraq the next day, I am sure the emotion he was feeling was partly because of that. He almost lost his son once, now his son will be in danger again. I don't even know how he got through the debate. Since Sarah Palin's son was also leaving for Iraq, you would think she would have empathy. You would think she might be silent for a moment and let Gwen ask a question, or look over at Joe and say "As a mother, I can only imagine what that was like for you." But she didn't.
As if she didn't even hear what he said, or it didn't register because she couldn't relate, she just went on talking about how she was a maverick. I wanted to reach through the screen and shake her and say "What the hell is the matter with you, woman, do you have no emotions other than "perky?"
A lot of pundits appreciated her folksy just regular folks schtick, but it only annoyed me. Perhaps that's because I think the woman is unqualified for the job she seeks, perhaps because I disagree with her on almost anything. Maybe she could win a Miss Congeniality contest, but she should never be let anywhere near the White House.
Tonight I really think I saw who this woman is - and I didn't like it. In addition to the sarcasm and snark that she showed tonight and has shown before, and to the random firings she does in Alaska when she gets her panties in a twist, and the way she lets her nine year old carry that baby around, and the way she indicated her pregnant daughter is going to have to grow up, and the fact that she does not believe in abortions even when young girls have been raped, she also could not show one ounce of compassion for Joe Biden. I'm beginning to think she is just a good actress, and really has no deep feelings.
She is not a nice person and I don't want her in charge of my country.
