What the Palin-Biden Debate Really Told us

Who won the Palin-Biden debate? Barack Obama, I suspect.

Who was the big loser? In an historic fortnight that had already underscored his erratic nature, John McCain.

The fact that Palin was able to string her sentences together last night - which she couldn't manage to do in her unscripted interviews with Katie Couric -- shows only how low McCain has strapped his presidential quest.

Sarah Palin's task was an impossible one: to demonstrate that she is ready to be president of the United States. McCain put her in that impossible position; and her performance -- all prep and no depth -- demonstrated the bind he has put himself in.

Yes, he "energized the base" with his Hail Mary pick of Palin as a running mate. But he also demonstrated cynical disregard for the requirement of stable governance were he to be elected president, and then -- through his incapacitation or death -- Palin be called upon to exercise the powers of the presidency.

Just how scary a notion that is went on full display last night: She appeared to lack any semblance of the requisite depth, knowledge, or sense of history we should expect in a president or vice president; then she sought to excuse it by saying, "I've only been at this for five weeks."

Yes, she could wink, she could tell Biden, "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again," and she could remind us again and again that she is a hockey Mom from the land of Joe-Six-pack (as if Western Republicans don't swill Pinot Grigio with the rest of the country at their fund-raisers). She seemed incapable of thinking through the American condition and responding to it except by scripted answers, theatrical gestures, and tested buzzwords -- and by announcing at the outset that she would decide which questions from the moderator to answer and which to ignore.

Yet Biden's performance (deeply knowledgeable, sensible, and generally responsive to the questions) was perhaps the best evidence that -- considered non-ideologically, but rather on judgment and temperament -- Obama may be ready to be president, and McCain -- who ought to be ready -- is not.

Time after time, Biden had to tell Palin what John McCain's real record is -- as instance after instance -- she misrepresented it (or misunderstood the legislative process), repeated easy slogans and bromides and, for the most part perhaps, offended the intelligence of voters who are not already die-hard, ideological proponents of right-wing Republicanism, creationism, or simplistic solutions to tough problems.

"Maverick," "Maverick," "Maverick," she kept repeating about John McCain and herself. Perhaps Biden's best moment in the best night of his career as a candidate (and I have heard him at his awful worst -- i.e., being his own worst enemy) came when he challenged McCain's constant claim to the Maverick title.

The tactical and intellectual deficiencies of the McCain campaign have been best analyzed by conservative and Republican commentators, and even politicians. George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Peggy Noonan, Chuck Hagel, come quickly to mind. (Hence, Krauthammer, following last night's debate: "You can't blame McCain. In an election in which all the fundamentals are working for the opposition, he feels he has to keep throwing long in order to keep hope alive. Nonetheless, his frenetic improvisation has perversely [for him] framed the rookie challenger favorably as calm, steady and cool.")

As a former White House (Republican) chief of staff said to me, "Palin is evidence of desperation; she is an embarrassment." That is the bottom line. (I generally check in with Republicans -- not Democrats -- to assess how the McCain campaign is doing.) He noted, "She wasn't vetted, really; it's an open secret in Washington, but the details of the negligence are better known to Republicans than Democrats." That doesn't mean she doesn't have a future in the Republican galaxy, lacks star power, or couldn't be a fine Secretary of the Interior in a McCain administration.

It's too bad. Earlier in his career, until the presidency finally seemed within his grasp, McCain had demonstrated a real willingness to seriously and thoughtfully take on both his party and the Washington establishment when he thought they were wrong -- albeit mostly on one issue: pork, an issue he has been heroic on.

But his real opportunity to show independence of his party's reigning dogma and cultural-warrior-infantry was in his choice of a vice presidential running mate. Instead, McCain, who has lectured us about duty, honor, country first, has left many independent-minded voters who might want to vote for him at an impossible, dangerous impasse: an unprepared vice presidential candidate running on a ticket with the oldest presidential nominee in history -- a 72-year-old with four cancer surgeries and medical records he has ordered sealed.

Conventional wisdom has almost always held (JFK-LBJ being a notable exception) that a presidential nominee's choice of vice president makes no difference in the outcome of the election.

This time it is likely to be determinate, because it tells us so much not only about Sarah Palin, but also John McCain's state of mind today, and the promise that his political career once held and now appears to have been left behind.

This post originally appeared on CNN's AC360 Blog.

Comments

[robbep]

Are you saying that you cldnt relate to Palin's grannie Clampet routine? You are such a elitist.

[taitafalcon]

*chuckle* No robbep I don't... I'm sorry to come off so angry but I will admit to being passionate about how I feel - I just don't want to slam her in any vulgar way... I don't want to be like them... thanks for calming me down a bit...

[taitafalcon]

I'm angry...

First, the people who really need to hear this won't - they're neo-cons and they wouldn't be on this site.
This rant is with the American people, not the politicians. Mistake 1 is just that- a mistake. The second time, it's a trend, the third time and you're doing it on purpose. Go ahead and vote the McCain/Palin ticket.

When your loved ones die in Iran, I won't hear you sob at the funeral. When your house floats away, have a cheap beer in your FEMA trailer - wishing Sara Palin was there to share one with you. When your 401K evaporates, collect your pittance at some social program. Go ahead and blame it on the Clintons, the illegals, the dark people, the Iraqis but whatever you do, don't blame it on yourself. You pull that lever for McCain who voted to move our wealth offshore, kill our kids, and not fund the health and mental care of the survivors. He helped deregulate the bank that just foreclosed on you and took your money to pay the CEOs

Look around you, this is not a football game where you root for your team no matter what. You're voting for your life - if you don't like what you see you better get used to - because we're becoming Mexico, Liberia, or the broken Russia you claim we're so much better than... When you come to hate the America you voted for, I won't hear you...

[bellepepper02]

Great post, taitafalcon, expressing the anger and alarm that I've been feeling for so long! This is why education matters so much. This situation wouldn't have happened if we'd focussed on giving Americans, one and all, a solid education instead of getting into needless wars. What we've got now is the triumph of illiteracy. If Obama gets into the White House, he will do himself and the country a big favour by giving top priority to education.

[kbmath]

Thank heavens for some like minds. I feel lost and forsaken in the place that I am. Since W was elected the first time I have felt that we have been on a slow drift toward third world status - at least those of us outside that top 5% of the tax bracket. John Edwards - though I never really like him, always thought he was just a bit phony, oddly like Sarah Palin in some ways - picture of two Americas really spoke to me. I've been watching it happen. The irony is - and what has made me most frustrated - that the very people who are being destroyed are the ones voting for their destroyers. People like Karl Rove and Tom DeLay and Newt Gingrich really knew how to game the system - they used the crazy televangelists and religious right pontificators to bring the culture warriors into the arena. Even though most of those people are average hard-working Americans who love their country and who really believe in programs like Social Security and Medicare. Those slimy politicians latched onto their fear of moral lapsing and ran with it - so they took up the mantle of anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, pro-gun, etc. and lead those sheep to slaughter, laughing all the way to the ballot box. They couldn't care less about any of those social issues.

[mskttylttr]

I LOVE this post. You said everything I've been thinking and feeling since 2000. Thank you!

[SpeakFreely]

Give this person a blog!

[08politicaljunkie]

Please publish this in other places. Please.

[Phalanxman]

You are correct that Mr. Bernstein's commentary probably will not be seen by rank-and-file McCain supporters. But even if it were -- even if we could ensure they read every word of it -- it would not make any difference at all. And the reasons are complicated. Many of them don't even have a 401k to have it evaporate. For others, getting a FEMA trailor after their "house"washes away will be an improvement. Rural Americans are voting based on who they can "relate" to as individuals -- they don't want the best educated or the most qualified, they want "people like them." Others vote based on their "idea" of America, which is why slogans such as "Country First" are so effective with them. They just never stop to ask, "What exactly does that mean," or to acknowledge that Democrats also put their country first. This is the result of "dumbing down" America.

[jazzman]

News flash! Bleeding continues. Obama continues to rise in the polls after the debate. She didn't stop the bleeding. In fact she opened the wound wider. The pundits who declared her debate performance a success need to go back to the drawing board and create a new narrative. The American people have spoken and they're saying, "No she didn't win the debate and now we're deciding...for good governance, competence, and steady leadership; i.e. Obama and Biden.

[SpeakFreely]

Don't get excited just yet. I think there will be a delay to the debate's effect.

[BlowHardPatrol]

how can you feel sorry for such arrogance? her face is filled with mock and contempt towards anything that isn't her extremist viewpoint. she has nothing to say about anything, literally. just memorization of the republican mantra of their 2008 election, whatever that is........i find her voice unbearable, and it is a sad day in america when we are actually discussing the possibility of this woman getting into the whitehouse. i wouldn't trust her to baby sit my children (religious lessons) let alone speak for this country. i've had enough of this phony from alaska and i want her to go home. i need her to go to home.

[Nomccain]

In a way, I feel sorry for this woman for being thrust into a role she is obviously not suited for or qualified for just because of a lame attempt by a desperate man to secure the female vote. For someone who is so concerned with national security, he chose a woman who would be, if he died, our commander in chief. That scares the Hell out of me and should scare intelligent people all across this country AND show what poor judgement McCain has.

[solid]

Don't ever feel sorry for Sarah Palin. She could have said no, but she didn't. She is narcissistic and power hungry. Nevertheless, she has free will, and should have declined the invitation.

[ESerafina42]

Don't forget vindictive - another reason not to hand her any more power. I would guess that her enemies list rivals Nixon's.

Hey, Sarah - maybe you should have listened to Nancy Reagan - "Just say no."

[kbmath]

I don't feel one bit sorry for her. Part of self-awareness is understanding when you are out of your depth and either doing something about it or passing on the job. She should have passed on the job when it was offered to her. If she really loved her country more than herself and her own ambitions, she would have turned him down flat. She would have thanked him and explained that she didn't really feel ready to hold this office.

She didn't though. She sat with him and thought to herself - I can bluff my way through this just as I have everything else in my life. She couldn't resist the opportunity to jump over the bodies of all the other accomplished women in the Republican party to the top spot. Her ambitions outstripped her judgement - and that is dangerous. As said of Cassius - "he hath a lean and hungry look". That's exactly what she has.

I'm also tired of people deferring to her area of expertise on energy. I've seen no evidence of it. She may know the bottom line profits of the oil companies in Alaska so that they can tax them to bribe Alaskans with those yearly payoffs, but if she can't explain the cap-and-trade system, she is no energy expert.

[Phalanxman]

That's a good point. What exactly -- and I mean EXACTLY -- did she do to "oversee" the energy industry in Alaska? Was she out there on the drilling rigs? At the control panels? Did she have something to do with planning and execution of new wells, transportation, or marketing of the product? Production levels? Did she develop technology? Did she even ever negotiate or write a contract? I suspect she was just a "figurehead". It's like, if you've been a wooden carving on the front of a ship, that must mean you ran the ship, right?

[Mr T n NC]

To paraphrase Dirty Harry a bit, a man (woman) has got to know his (her) limitations. She obviously does not. Her "didn't blink" line may have just been an attempt at showing confidence ... as if confidence equals competence ... but it displayed an ambitiousness that has been reinforced by a successful run. We can only hope that at least a small majority of Americans outside of Alaska won't be taken in by a string of "betcha's" and "doggone it's."

[sphinxy]

I agree with the pundits that Palin was successful in that she stopped the bleeding of the McCain campaign. But I'm hearing that a lot lately. The same phrase was used this week by McCain to describe the bailout package. "It does nothing to solve the problem, but at least it will stop the bleeding." Why do so many things, that are the result of republican misjudgments, require stopping the bleeding? This country is bleeding in so many ways, from a thousand cuts. Once and for all, we need to stop the bleeding, followed by a full transfusion of new blood. I think the country knows it. And I am very curious to see the results of the election, not just the presidential but the congressional results too. The election is now only a month away. The sunrise is peaking over the horizon. Depending on the results, I will either return to being the happy, mentally balanced person I was eight years ago, or move to Canada. I threatened to move to Canada four years ago, but I swear to god I will do it this time. I'm getting too old for this sh_t.

[peacegurl48]

Brilliant article, Mr. Berstein, thank-you.
I would add Palin's frightening diplay of Cheney-like ambition and disregard of the Constitution. Lastly what does it say that a person running for the Vice Presidency is ignoring legal subpoenas in her own state?
I "betcha" that is without precedence.

[CintiBlue]

Sarah Palin's lack of professionalism was seen around the world in that debate. She is inappropriate.

No matter what she displayed on Thursday night, Katie Couric's interviews showed us the real Sarah Palin. I consider Katie's work to be pubic service announcements.

As people praise her freshness, spunk, and oh yeah, she's a mom, plenty are insulted by her lack of respect for the job to which she aspires. One would think she could at least speak intelligently in response to the obvious question she would get concerning VP duties.

When I think of the McCain/Palin ticket, I think: Clear and Present Danger

[Whinger]

As we all know she's hopeless in a spontaneous Q&A session, she needs her crib notes because she has no depth to her knowledge of the more complex issues, she's an empty head!

[vat6948]

Someone said that "Sara is a mile wide, and a inch deep"? McCain's poor choice of Palin reflects his blind, and desperate desire to become President. Dear John, this country deserves better.

[themodernleader]

Carl Bernstein appears insightful on both Democratic and Republican players. He judges the content of their ideas rather than the propaganda techniques, such as Palin's insulting stunt of calling Senator Biden by his first name even though this was their first acquaintance.
Americans who watched the dabate were moved to the Obama column because the ideas of Biden were rational and based upon empirical data and historican knowledge. Palin's ideas were set propaganda pieces with specious or otherwise limited support.
The repeated shocks of incompetence in international, national affairs---now economic collapse--- has awakened our citizens to the possibility that we are not exceptional people as claimed by obsequious and demigoguic leaders. Therefore, they are voting for leaders that challenge and demand more than blind trust.

[BottomLine2008]

Palin didn't know much of anything. That's why she dodged half the questions.

[Phalanxman]

And answered the other half incorrectly.

[john44]

Relax everybody. Obama's going to win. The cynic in me says the press will then hound him like they hounded Bill C; sniffing and howling after the next big ratings grabbing, paper selling , career making rumor, or rumor of a rumor, mistake or mis-step, or just plain nonsense. Will Obama be distracted and sidetracked? I hope not. Somebody has got to figure a way out of this catastrophe before we become the land of the perpetual floating migrant camp. At least the poor Okies could afford gasoline for their overloaded jalopies. But these days, California is full up. The central valley has more workers than it needs, and today's victim of collapse wouldn't last a day doing a real day's work the sun. We'll look like Europe after the war. Pushing wheelbarrows. Selling blood for food. Fighting over a crust. Living in zones. The polls are solidly in Obama's direction, and he's got the wind at his back. It looks from here like it's going to be Obama, and may God help him. God help him. Forget the politics hate and pray for Obama. This is one all net long shot he has to make.

[simkmer]

I agree, yet I would hope that Palin’s career is over. I don't believe that she has star power.

[Cuulmann]

Amen to that! Palin should have never amounted to anything, not even mayor, she is the worst thing I ever saw in politics, besides Cheney and Bush!

[JestMe]

Just another pretty face. Too bad she's a zero. There are many more qualified women he could have chosen, if he really cared about gender. He just picked the one who caught his eye. Maybe she winked at him?

[soldiergirl]

I don't see the star power, either. I don't even think that she's cute, let alone beautiful, as some of the pundits and bloggers say. Maybe it's just me. I do think that if McCain and Palin win, we are all in trouble. He's unstable and she's just, well, dumb. She can easily make a speech slamming Obama and Biden, but she cannot make a single statement that is factual and actually makes any sense, even to the dimmest of voters. But, they'll vote for the republicans anyway, just for the sake of party solidarity, if nothing else. I'm a democrat, but believe me, if the candidates were reversed, there is no way in hell that I would vote for them. I don't care home much beer you can drink, I'll tell ya, that does not make you a good candidate to lead the greatest country in the world. I resent those two, McCain and Palin, being so cavalier with the future of our country.
Lastly, an important trait for any goodleader is that they know themselves and their capabilities. Apparently, Palin is not a good leader.

[simkmer]

I agree, except that I would hope Palin’s career to be over and that she totally lacks star power.

[renatam]

John McCain has demonstrated CONTEMPT for Americans at-large, and women - in particular.