VP Debate: What Sarah Palin Didn't Do

The camera loves Sarah Palin -- darn right it does! You betcha! The microphone? Not so much. Folksy is nice. I like folksy. But a little folksy goes a long way with me. With most people. It's fine if you're putting on a revival of "Li'l Abner." Hey! Golly!

For running a national government in difficult times? That's a different matter.

And it's no substitute for...for... What's that word I'm looking for? For knowledge. For knowin' stuff.

And watching Sarah Palin over these last five weeks -- from her great convention speech, to stumbling around with Charlie Gibson, to imploding with Katie Couric, to surviving a debate with Joe Biden -- you had to notice:

She still hasn't given any sign that she actually knows anything about anything. I take that back: She knows something about energy. Or at least about pipelines, and drilling. Which is why she kept trying to turn the conversation to energy every chance she got. (Regardless of the question she'd been asked.) The rest of it was just talking points. Memorized. And only one answer deep. That just doesn't cut it. Not for a vice president. Certainly not for a possible president.

"She came across like everybody!" -- that's what someone said on one of those post-debate panels of uncommitted voters. "She sounds just like me!" -- how many times have you heard that about her? "She sounds just like me!" That's nice. Maybe she can be Secretary of Next-Door Neighbor. But -- no offense -- I don't want someone who's "just like me" to be Vice President of the United States, any more than I'd want somebody who's "just like me" to be my dentist, or my heart surgeon, or my air-traffic controller. I'd want somebody who's qualified, unless you think that all the problems we're facing are so simple that anyone can solve them.

You don't really think that, do you? I didn't think so. That's not elitist. And it's certainly not sexist. There are plenty of highly talented, highly qualified women out there -- in government service, in community organizations, in business, in the media. Women who absolutely know their stuff. Sarah Palin -- perky, feisty, folksy Sarah Palin -- just doesn't happen to be one of them.

Read more reactions to the Biden-Palin Vice Presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[Ceasar]

This article is excellent: funny, witty, and spot on! Well done Horowitz!

[Bushwillresign]

She kinda sounds like Elizabeth on the "View". No real talk, just talking points. No real answers just one-liners with no substance. When Elizabeth goes to Fox (fair and balanced), then Sarah can go on the "View". Wouldn't she be perfect? She knows just as much as Elizabeth after 2 weeks of learnin.

[JustLynn]

Im sorry, but she DOESNT sound just like me....Im a H E L L of a lot more intelligent than she is...I raised 4 children by myself after divorce, put myself through school and now hold 3 degrees (from 3 schools, NOT 5) and can find I*R*A*Q on a map... S H I T ....maybe I should run for VP...

[BigSid]

You're smarter than Governor Palin? Really? Look at all your typos!

[JustLynn]

Typos? you are pathetic....OMG...I forgot the apostrophe on doesn't...I dont't see anything besides that....M O R O N ....

[Pacojam]

Her lines about energy are all memorized too. Same lines over and over. "Billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of clean grean natural gas for very hungry markets". I have never heard her say anything else about energy except that it is a "fungible commodity".

To say that she is an expert on energy maybe a joke.

[BigSid]

Wow...you can't give this lady an inch can you? She governs our largest oil producing state and you can't even concede that she may know a thing or two about energy? It's that stubbornness that's dividing this country.

[Bushwillresign]

We will concede that she knows about Oil. What does that have to do with energy? We are trying to do energy "without" Oil. That's the whole problem, don't ya know?

[JustLynn]

Would you be so willing to defend her if she was a man?? Start thinking with the right head for a change and you will see what we see....

[Katherineo]

Thanks, but no thanks, to another eight years of this embarrassing nonsense.

I can hear the hysterical laughter throughout the world.

[Nonpartay]

I still don't know why anyone insists on calling her convention speech "great." It was NOT great! It was snarky and mean-spirited, and it didn't say a thing about what their plan for the country is. Saying smarta$$ things about Barack Obama, which aren't even true, doesn't consitute a great speech, imho.

[lemonyashes]

And the speech was pre-written for her and they snuck in her folksy, pit-bull, rifle shootin mama personal story which she read off the teleprompter., no intelligence needed only teleprompter talent and I think she's got that talent.

[cosmo86]

When Palin speaks that she eliminated the "personal property tax in Alaska" exactly what she is talking about? Is she talking about real eastate taxes, clothing, household items? I have been hearing her say this a lot but it is not clear to me.

[tmartin1]

I believe she got rid of the real estate property taxes, however raised the sales tax; effectively eliminating taxes for wealthier homeowners in the town, while raising taxes for everyone trying to buy necessities for their families.

[taddles]

The single most important thing Sarah Palin didn't do during the debate: produce a single original thought.

[BIG JOHN]

I'M NOT GOING TO LET THEM CHANGE THE SUBJECT, ECONOMY, ECONOMY, ECONOMY, ECONOMY, ECONOMY ECONOMY, ECONOMY, ECONOMY.
BUT I'M A REFORMER-IT'S THE ECONOMY
BUT I'M A POW-IT'S THE ECONOMY
BUT I'M A HOCKEY MOM-SO, IT'S THE ECONOMY
BUTT I'M SIX PACK JOE- IT'S THE ECONOMY

[rsdavis]

If John McCain wants a town hall meeting why not put McCain/Palin up with Obama/Biden in a series of "town hall" meetings. Call John out on this one and if he accepts (doubtful) everyone will see the difference between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden and if he doesn’t it will reflect accordingly.

[Bitsko]

Too late.

[chillingaz]

Anyone that believes the McCain-Palin ticket are worthy of the two highest positions in the US and the world are the most ignorant people on the face of the earth!

[nostalgia]

Yesterday my husband and I tried to do the role playing, he the questioner and I, Palin. Initially the tough questions scared me but soon I learnt the ropes ie how to talk like Palin.
Questioner: "please state the reasons why the bail out might not work?"
Me as Palin: "I will go after the greedy, corrupt Washington insiders. The corruption may affect our lives and I have always been the reformer in my job as mayor and governor. I am a hockey mom and I know what it is like to sit down at the kitchen table every night worrying about my children's college funds. Senator McCain and I are mavericks and change is coming to Washington, change is coming."
The same question was posed and I was supposed to be Biden. I could not give an intelligent answer as an economist and I froze in silence...not even bothering with 'blah blah" like Palin.
Lesson learnt: It is easy to talk like Palin. Been there, done it!

[Ave-Gabrielle]

If McCain is declared the winner this country will show EVERY country how truly foolish we are. Suckers. Stupid. Fools. Are we brainless? Do you want your VP or president to be just like you? Regular folks? I want my president to be so smart, that I'm not sure what he said but I know that HE knows what he's talking about. I know I'm not spelling her name right--but catch CNNs war correspondent Christine Amaunpour on HBOs Bill Maher last night. Hear her talk. Catch her show with foreign dignitaries and diplomats who sat around with her and spoke about WHO should be in charge and what it takes and what he or she should know. A governor who knows about energy? How come Gore didn't get voted in? Oh, that one was stolen from him. Note he didn't run again. And you think Barack will run again? Hey men like that come around every 40 years.

[schlobodnick]

There is no evidence that Sarah Palin is an expert on energy. She has not been allowed to answer questions that would ascertain if she is truly an "expert". That said, I am pretty suspicious of an self-proclaimed energy expert that can't pronounce "nuclear".

[chillingaz]

schlobodnick, you are truly right about what you say!

[tmartin1]

as well as doesn't really know the amount of energy Alaska provides to the lower 48.

[lemonyashes]

I asked my 16 yr. old daughter what is ___________bomb, what is the word? She said Nuclear! Phew I thought maybe after a president and now VP nominee keep saying nucular that that was going to be passed down. My 16 yr. old smart enough to be VP!

[Miravanguild]

Biden played it about the best that he could. I saw the Alaskan debate, she didn't have the figures that time either.. When the man she was up against in exaspeation said, "let me repeat the question more slowly for you..." Because yeah she did seem that dumb.. She was quick to attack him as a sexist, and still didn't answer the question... She doesn't play fair and plays both the sex card and the sexism card when it suits her... The last thing Biden needed or wanted was sympathy for Palin and anger towards himself...