Here's a quickie.
If you've been watching cable news today no doubt you've noticed their obsession over how the vice presidential candidates will perform this evening, especially whether Joe Biden (D) will make a gaffe and whether Sarah Palin (R) will give us another 'moose in the headlights' moment.
But what's a little odd is how they keep running footage from past VP debates as examples of how not to behave, or how to attack.
We're told that George H.W. Bush's (R) condescending behavior towards Geraldine Ferraro (D) during the 1984 debate is an example of how not to behave. Conversely, Lloyd Bentsen's (D) smack-down of Dan Quayle (R) in 1988 ("you're no Jack Kennedy") is precisely how to nail your opponent.
Yet, as is so often typical of the media, they conveniently omit one salient point: Despite Bush's condescension, Reagan-Bush won in 1984, and despite being smacked-down, Bush-Quayle won in 1988.
So...what exactly is the media's point? Don't do these things because history tells us you might win? This election season can't end soon enough when it comes to the quality of media coverage we've been forced to endure...
Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base.
Follow Mark Nickolas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mnickolas
Biden sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
Palin made you wonder about McCain's judgment.