Biden/Palin: Two Things

In regards to tonight's debate, two things to think about:

1) The only people for whom this debate has significant meaning is for the undecideds. A good number of people have decided to vote for McCain/Palin, and a good number of people will support Obama/Biden. It's only a small number of people who haven't made up their minds yet. It's safe to say that for most of those undecideds, the issues aren't as strong a concern as the candidates themselves. If the issues were factors, those undecides would have decided by now. No, it's definitely not the issues. Probably, it's the candidates. Demeanor, personality, command of information. Who is more presidential? In those cases, the debate can only have swung for Biden.

2) The top three Palin gaffes, in no particular order:

a) Sarah Palin suggested that perhaps Dick Cheney doesn't have enough power, and she suggested that she and McCain might try to find new ways to make the VP more powerful. Really? Did you really just suggest that you want to be MORE aggressive than Dick Cheney?

b) Sarah Palin tried to get a sly vote-for-me-cuz-I'm-a-woman jab in there by suggesting that only she knew how hard it was to balance work and raising a family. Of course, she probably forgot that Biden is a widower, who lost his wife a long long time ago. So, Biden choked up a bit. Way to go, Goverrnor!

c) When Ifill asked Biden about how a Biden administration would differ from an Obama one, Biden said that they would be more or less the same. When Ifill asked the same question of Sarah Palin, Palin basically said that she disagrees with McCain a lot, and that if she were in charges, she'd veer significantly in a new direction. Here's her quote: "As for disagreeing with John McCain and how our administration would work, what do you expect? A team of mavericks, of course we're not going to agree on 100 percent of everything."

Really? McCain, really? You appoint a no-name to be your VP candidate, expect your supporters to tow the party line and support her, and then, when she's asked what she'd do if she were the number one, she basically says 'whatever I want?' Really?

See you next Tuesday.