Biden-Palin debate
A few notes:
Those who loved Palin will be relieved. She wasn't absolutely stupid. She had a few good lines: "white flag of surrender," for example, and a folksy style. Those who like folksy will love her. Granted, if I were writing her responses down, I might find them a bit... vague, but I think they demonstrated an ability to convey agreement with those who already think like her.
Biden wasn't condescending and stayed on target.
Palin completely threw George Bush under a bus. In fact, when it came to gay unions, she was practically a liberal.
I think her body language conveyed energy. And I do think she felt confident relying on her sex appeal. Men in politics have manipulated sex appeal in their own way. She's not much different. Except that she's a lady.
Biden was direct and clear. Most of the time Palin was vague, but convincing. She had me thinking she wasn't an ideologue, but someone who was reformist in their sensibilities.
Granted, I'm an "establishment" conservative, rather than a populist. So I find her demeanor either duplicitous or irreverent. The formality the office requires is there because it is difficult, challenging work that goes beyond the intuition of provincial sensibilities.
But as her neighbor has said, she is smart.
I can't say who "won" but it wasn't a "game changer." Biden remained the more serious candidate....