Doggone it; Sarah Palin did pretty well in the first and only vice presidential debate.
She did not commit a gaffe, was clearly well rehearsed, and said a lot of the things she needed to say, portraying herself as the hockey mom she is, representing the Main Street folks in Wasilla, Alaska.
So why couldn't I take her seriously?
Perhaps it was because she was too well rehearsed, repeated the same phrases again and again, or it may be that the very innocence she presents as a political outsider -- one of her strengths according to Republicans -- is also what makes it so difficult to envision her as a political insider, an equal partner with the United States president, and wielding the gavel in the United States Senate. The gee whiz quality of her presentation made it clear that she actually was thrilled to meet Senator Joe Biden, was "honored" to be there. A warm smile, a perky voice, and yes, a certain likability are attributes, but these qualities are not enough to project her into the vice president's chair, and possibly, the president's.
I continued to feel that she was acting the part of the candidate. Fake it until you make it is what women are often told to do in many challenging circumstances. She faked it well, but I'm not sure she made it. At times she seemed like Pygmalion who was taught to pronounce the words correctly. It worked on one level, but if you were to uncover it, there would be no second layer.
Joe Biden, I confess, also did better than I expected. He treated the Governor with utmost respect, calling her Governor in every instance. His remarks were hardly ever directed at Sarah Palin herself -- instead he focused on John McCain, the real target in this election. No gaffes, no long windedness, for which he's famous. If the debate were based on substance, he would win hands down. He has a clear mastery of the issues, having served in the Senate for more than 30 years. No amount of coaching could allow Palin to compete with that.
When I try to put partisanship aside, and that's not easy, I ask myself, in whom would I have confidence to make the tough decisions that any team will have to make in the next administration? There is no doubt, that Palin looked downright flimsy in comparison to rock-solid Biden. She looked good, she often sounded good, but could she actually govern this country in a time of economic crises? Her answers were often campaign slogans -- "cut taxes","get government out of our lives." We've heard these phrases for the last eight years, and where have they taken us?
The good news is that much of the country was riveted to this vice presidential debate, which in itself is news. Palin recovered from her disastrous Katie Couric interviews, and Biden proved himself to be a wise man. It seemed as if Gwen Ifill's questions prompted Palin to say everything she knew. She was fortunate that no follow up questions were allowed. Biden only had time to give us a small proportion of what he knew. Depth, after all does make a difference in a complex and dangerous time.
Madeleine M. Kunin is the former Governor of Vermont and was the state's first woman governor. She served as Ambassador to Switzerland for President Clinton, and was on the three-person panel that chose Al Gore to be Clinton's VP. She is the author of Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead from Chelsea Green Publishing.