Biden's Big Night

It's the biggest night of Joe Biden's life and he's getting lots of public advice, much of it bad. Here's hoping he has the good sense to ignore conventional pundit wisdom, which goes something like this:

Ignore Palin and aim instead at John McCain. People don't vote for vice president anyway; Palin's a woman and any hint of the condescension to which you're sometimes prone could be lethal; we're starting to put this one away so let's not take any chances.

This is mostly bad advice. Recall Lieberman/Cheney, wherein Dick Cheney, a certifiable megalomaniac and right wing fanatic, managed to come off like a friendly neighborhood pharmacist against Joe Lieberman, who was more into burnishing his bipartisan image than scoring points for the team.

Cheney was for cop killer bullets and letting Mandela languish in jail but no one found out because Joe devoted his 90 minutes to spotlighting their shared values. Thus Cheney, whom the country had previously regarded with deep suspicion, got rehabilitated.

So did George Bush, on whose judgment the Cheney selection had so poorly reflected. Before the debate Gore led most polls. Soon after, Bush got close enough that he was eventually able to steal the election.

Joe Biden is no Joe Lieberman, praise the Lord. But the parallels are striking: a lead in the polls, a Republican nominee taking a hard hit on a vice presidential pick vulnerable due to extreme views and a lust for cronyism and cutting corners.

Palin's views are as extreme as Cheney's and Alaska is her Halliburton. Palin's defiance of subpoenas in "Troopergate" echoes Bush, Cheney and Rove in the Scooter Libby/Valerie Plame Wilson fiasco, the U.S. Attorney firings and a score of other dark dealings.

As an ex Judiciary Chair, Biden can go after Palin's stonewalling of subpoenas and ask if she still claims to know nothing of the bullying calls her husband, attorney general and top staff placed to her embattled Public Safety director. (It's clear she did know and spent months lying about it. As soon as her staff admits it, she's toast.)

Biden is equally well credentialed, and well positioned, to question Palin's extreme social views and of course, to expose her pathetic ignorance not just of foreign policy, but of the world at large.

Condescension is always a bad idea and especially so when mixed with apparent sexism. Biden must watch his tone. But if he wants to attack McCain the best means of doing so will be standing right there on the stage with him. He can make a strong case and still be disciplined and civil.

Winning also requires a positive message. After the polite but complete deconstruction of Palin, Biden must reaffirm the Democratic Party's commitment to working people and its willingness in times like these to stand as their tribune. For a relevant lesson on this score he can look to a more recent debate, last Friday's matchup between Obama and McCain.

We all had our takes on it. My sense was that Obama lost the first segment, the one devoted to the financial crisis, but won the rest by enough to walk off with a narrow but measurable win.

Like Palin, Obama is better when scripted. In the primaries he did better reading from a teleprompter on election nights than debating Hillary. He may have opened poorly against McCain simply because he'd rehearsed a different show, one about foreign policy. (It may also be that 45 minutes into the debate, he realized he was behind on points and started punching harder.)

There is another explanation; that Obama's message on domestic policy remains somewhat unclear. Whether opposing mandatory health insurance buy ins or backing Bush's energy bill, he shows a taste for incrementalism just where the country most desires transformation. A Capitol Hill rumor has him preemptively conceding mortgage workouts at that useless White House summit. I hope it isn't true. The problem is that it's believable.

Joe Biden's record has some hits and misses but it falls squarely in a tradition that traces back to the Democrats' glory days. For this night to rank among the best as well as the biggest of his life Biden need only do two things: Tell us who Palin is and remind us who he is. Then Obama can prepare for round two by watching him.

Comments

[USA1776]

Check it out, almost twice as many people live in the St. Louis metro area where the debate is being held than the state of Alaska.

[teacheng]

I think your statement about teleprompter Obama really shows how far that lie has penetrated into popular culture.

He didn't 'do well' against Clinton, because she's really good at debating! And he did great against McCain - who is also a seasoned debater with many scalps under his belt.

[scottman1085]

Democrat's glory days?? Dude, the best is yet to come with BO in charge. My God, no more worries about health care, food, energy, and we will all love each other too.

No more wars. I just can't wait until he gets elected.

[Paul]

And no more Republican-stoked fear mongering.

Remember Big, Bad Saddam and his WMD? Remember the terror alert colors?

What a bunch of crap that turned out to be.

Republicans are incapable of governing in the absence of an existential threat to the country.

Because they naturally run scared.

[scottman1085]

Thanks again Paul for setting us all straight. I agree with you Barack should have picked Michael Moore as his running mate.

[ProudLiberalDan]

Biden doesn't need my advice, but hey, it's free anyway.

Just focus on the American people on their concerns, not Palin. She'll self-destruct or not on her own. The media wants the debate to be about the circus around Palin. The American people want to know the election is about them.

The bar is so low for her and there are no follow-up questions. The media needing a close race again will declare her a winner or at least far better than expected. Don't even worry about "winning the debate". Keep the focus on winning over voters who are anxious about the American economy, constitution and foreign policy.

Go Joe!

[Paul]

This will not be a good night for democracy.

The US economy is about to go into the tank big-time and the political process looks more like a Brittany Spears video distraction than any sort of serious debate on the issues.

How we gonna fix this mess if all that matters is decorum?

[scottman1085]

Paul, we need more and bigger government to take care of all the people. Socialism and Obama. That's what the country needs. I just can't wait until the Feds take over the oil companies. I just know they can do a better job.

[Paul]

You are exactly correct.

Look at Europe: Higher taxes and more government - the two great Republican bogeymen.

But Europe has:

Better healthcare system
Better Educational system
They work fewer hours and get higher pay
Better mass transit
Better environment
Six weeks vacation

In short, a better standard of living.

Republican free-market capitalism is swiming against the tide of history. A bigger, better government is needed in today's world and the most successful societies have it.

We don't.

Less government = more exploitation.

More government = higher standard of living.

Electing Obama is a start.

[jojojo]

My dad said he was a life-long Democrat because they took care of the people who needed help, while the Republicans took care of the people who DIDN'T need help.

Biden needs to remind us of this point of view. And he's just the guy to do it.

Go JOE!

[cobobs]

Best advice so far. Be merciless, while being courteous.

[concern4civility]

Joe Biden has a difficult situation. Your comments are worthy of consideration. However, to make a blanket statement that Obama