VP+Analysis

Going into one of the most intriguing Vice Presidential debates of our era Thursday night between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden, both sides were concerned as much with the image of their candidate as with the content of what they were to say. Coming out of the debate, it became clear that both candidates were conscious of their image as well, especially in the sense of what impact it would have on the election.

The biggest question mark coming into the debate was whether Sarah Palin, relatively inexperienced compared to Biden, could relay her thoughts eloquently enough to compete with her counterpart. Thanks to some [|less than flattering interviews] with Katie Couric and Tina Fey's infamous [|portrayal of Palin on Saturday Night Live], the American publics image of Palin had hit it's low point in the campaign. However, in the debate, Palin came out firing, going after Obama's tax and spend policy, and repeatedly calling herself "[|Six-Pack-Joe]" and the term that has come to define the Republican ticket this election, a "Maverick." However, as the debate went on, Palin's points became less and less intriguing. Whether this was the nature of the debate topics becoming "tired", or as many others have alluded to, Palin's answers being "scripted", remains to be seen. When in doubt, Palin continuously fell back on her and McCain's stance on energy policy, even at times when it was seemingly irrelevant. In all, Palin did prove what she sought to prove going into the debate. She showed that she can go toe-to-toe with one of the most experienced Senators in the nation, whether she "won" the debate or not. However, while Palin was attempting to save her image in face of the American public, she neglected an obvious key to "victory" in the debate: strengthening the McCain/Palin ticket by relaying McCain's stance on the issues, rather than focusing mostly on her own well being in the image of the American public.

Unfortunately for Palin, this was an aspect of the debate that Biden was particularly strong in. While many viewers and prognosticators were focusing solely on Palin pre-debate, Biden's strengths as a debater were forgotten and Biden became a "non-factor." However, much like Palin, Biden came out in the beginning of the debate in strong fashion, and unlike Palin, did not falter later in the debate by repeating points from the earlier portion of the debate in places where they would seemingly be non-sequiters. One possible concern coming in was Biden's [|unwieldy debate style]. This notion was not fully prevalent, as Biden kept within his "boundaries" and conveyed his points concisely and clearly, in many cases repeating key points to get them across fully. There were times that Biden "rambled", venturing into the nuances of "Washington Insider" speak, however this can be interpreted both positively and negatively, as it can either show insight into the topic at hand or a sense of being "out of touch" with the American public. Biden, in similar fashion to Palin, had an agenda in the debate: To strengthen Obama's stance on issues with the American Public as well as prove himself to be a stronger candidate for Vice President than Palin. Biden did both by attacking John McCain on the issues and referencing his experience in the Senate as legitimacy.

One of the biggest questions coming into the debate was the [|role that gender would play] in the interaction between Palin and Biden. This was thought of as a potential negative for Biden, in that he would perhaps have to lay off attacking Palin as strongly as he would have were she a male candidate. Biden handled this pressure well, referencing Palin directly sparsely and attacking McCain on the issues. Palin hoped to build on this perceived strength at one point in the debate by essentially telling Biden he didn't know what it was like to be a mother. Biden responded in what, to me, was his strongest point of the debate, by choking up and explaining to her that by raising two of his children following the untimely death of his wife and child, he knew a lot more about being a mother than she had considered when she made her statement.

As far as style is concerned, Palin found her niche by utilizing many terms and nuances that would better relate to the average American. Palin almost unnecessarily used terms such as "you-betcha" and "darn right" in place of more sophisticated ways to convey her stance that may have been, as mentioned earlier, "out of touch." Biden, on the other hand, didn't meddle with his usual debate style, going for his conventional and straightforward approach from the Democratic Primaries.

As both candidates completed what they accomplished despite, in my opinion, one clear "winner" in the debate, the outcome of the debate shouldn't be considered anything more than a tie. The results of the debate on the American public are not clear, and the upcoming Presidential debate on Tuesday will likely overshadow what was considered a more "[|important]" debate at the time. However, as the "one heart beat away from the presidency" tag will perhaps diminish as the election approaches, maybe the American public will realize what little role the Vice President really plays in governing and this "most important" debate in the election will become an afterthought.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/02/debate.transcript/