Tonight's debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden could be the most cringe -producing 90 minutes since Reservoir Dogs. We are about to be treated to a grudge match between Mr. T and Talia Shire. To quote Martin Scorsese, "Where's the antagonist? Where's the drama?"
Regardless of your political flavor preference, there are several facts that are not in dispute:
- Joe Biden has accumulated more foreign policy experience riding the Amtrak Acela than Sarah Palin has managed in ten years as a bureaucrat in Alaska.
-Having managed to look insipid and clueless in her few meager interviews thus far, we will all be amazed if Sarah successfully completes a recitation of the alphabet. There will be bonus points if she can recite the names and ages of her children.
It is impossible to write about Sarah Palin's abysmal knowledge of the world without sliding into a series of snide, sarcastic remarks. Unfortunately, my problem will also be Joe Biden's problem. Being a heavy favorite in any contest carries several disadvantages. He must be gracious at all times. He cannot laugh or snicker at her responses. Running up the score is verboten. He must be deferential without appearing patronizing. Considering Biden's reputation as a bit ham-handed, this will be a chore. Sarah Palin is likable. Attacking her will be tricky. Think panda. If you are in a fight with one, you'd better have a gun but, do you really want to be seen on national television shooting a cuddly panda?
Senator Biden's objective will be to attack the stated policies of John McCain. It's more comfortable to watch the decimation of an old man in absentia than the young woman at the podium. If Biden can establish early on that McCain's direction is wrong then he can be forgiven for shooting the messenger. Biden should answer the questions as asked and stand back. If recent history is any indicator, Governor Palin will launch into the talking point, non sequiturs that have provided Tina Fey with her barely edited SNL material. Biden should appear engaged, attentive, and deferential. All hysterical laughing should be delayed until after the mikes are turned off and the cameras go dark.
By the way, how would you like to be John McCain at 9:00 PM tonight? How's that unorthodox, maverick, outside-the-box management style working out for you? If he thought six years in the Hanoi Hilton was tough on the nerves, just wait until Gwen Ifill asks Governor Palin to explain how she thinks the financial rescue plan will help loosen the credit markets. If his heart survives this debate, I'll consider voting for him myself. It will be like watching your ten year old daughter dance Swan Lake at Lincoln Center with the NY City Ballet. You'd be delirious if she just manages to remain upright.
So everyone will watch tonight's carnage with one finger on the mute button. After all, everybody loved the "...you're no Jack Kennedy" zinger that Lloyd Bentsen hurled at Dan Quayle but if you saw it live it produced a world class wince. No one wants to watch a cow become a steak.
Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
...or is Joe Biden the last piece of the puzzle?
Unless you have been living under water with Michael Phelps for the last three days, you know that Barak Obama has chosen Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his Vice Presidential running mate. By all accounts, Biden represents an intelligent, thoughtful choice. Although Senator Biden will not bring a vital swing state into the blue column (think Kaine of Virginia or Sebelius in Kansas), the fact is, not since Lyndon Johnson has a VP delivered a state that the ticket could not otherwise expect to carry. However, to suggest that Senator Obama is merely following in the footsteps of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is a comparison without foundation.
Dick Cheney was a cantankerous, mean-spirited, agenda-driven, single-minded political hatchetman...and those are a few of his more endearing qualities. He was installed on GWB's ticket to add gravitas to a candidate who couldn't identify the location of most of the states that voted for him. The country was being assured that it was OK to vote for someone you wanted to have a beer with because Old Dick Cheney would be available to take the conn if anything terrible happened. Well it did and he wasn't.
It's true that, like Biden, Cheney wanted to run for the top job. It is also true that Cheney has such a poisonous public personae he wouldn't even vote for himself. Cheney brought more baggage to the White House than Paris Hilton brings to Vegas. As Secretary of Defense for Bush 41, he gutted the Defense budget and cultivated a reputation as an unpleasant autocrat. As VP he was determined to wage war with all of the countries he saw as a threat. He was not about to let the fact that he wasn't Commander-in-Chief stand in his way.
Biden, on the other hand, is considered the nicest guy in the Senate. Even the gang across the aisle likes him. As a long-serving member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden brings knowledge and experience to the ticket without all of the bile of the present VP. Think of him as the anti-Cheney. He has a style that encourages compromise. People want to work with him. This will be a welcome change from the "do it my way or I'll kill you...really, I'll kill you" method currently employed by the man who's only a heartbeat away from being President.
When all the foreign policy bluster is cleared away, the real problems in America are domestic. The Bush polarization policy virtually ensured that legislative gridlock would prevail, even when the Republicans controlled both houses. Joe Biden will be the perfect person to forge consensus and foster a sense of shared responsibility. He could hardly do any worse than his predecessor.
Obama needed a running mate with a little more ink on his resume and Joe Biden is the best man for the job. Who knows? He may even be able to keep the Clintons in line; and without a whip and a chair. That feat alone should win him a place in the hearts of Democrats.
Dick Cheney was a cantankerous, mean-spirited, agenda-driven, single-minded political hatchetman...and those are a few of his more endearing qualities. He was installed on GWB's ticket to add gravitas to a candidate who couldn't identify the location of most of the states that voted for him. The country was being assured that it was OK to vote for someone you wanted to have a beer with because Old Dick Cheney would be available to take the conn if anything terrible happened. Well it did and he wasn't.
It's true that, like Biden, Cheney wanted to run for the top job. It is also true that Cheney has such a poisonous public personae he wouldn't even vote for himself. Cheney brought more baggage to the White House than Paris Hilton brings to Vegas. As Secretary of Defense for Bush 41, he gutted the Defense budget and cultivated a reputation as an unpleasant autocrat. As VP he was determined to wage war with all of the countries he saw as a threat. He was not about to let the fact that he wasn't Commander-in-Chief stand in his way.
Biden, on the other hand, is considered the nicest guy in the Senate. Even the gang across the aisle likes him. As a long-serving member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden brings knowledge and experience to the ticket without all of the bile of the present VP. Think of him as the anti-Cheney. He has a style that encourages compromise. People want to work with him. This will be a welcome change from the "do it my way or I'll kill you...really, I'll kill you" method currently employed by the man who's only a heartbeat away from being President.
When all the foreign policy bluster is cleared away, the real problems in America are domestic. The Bush polarization policy virtually ensured that legislative gridlock would prevail, even when the Republicans controlled both houses. Joe Biden will be the perfect person to forge consensus and foster a sense of shared responsibility. He could hardly do any worse than his predecessor.
Obama needed a running mate with a little more ink on his resume and Joe Biden is the best man for the job. Who knows? He may even be able to keep the Clintons in line; and without a whip and a chair. That feat alone should win him a place in the hearts of Democrats.
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