Vice Presidential Debate

I've been looking forward to the vice-presidential debate for weeks now. I confess that I was more interested in this debate than the presidential debates.

I was very disappointed. First, I was disappointed with Governor Palin. She didn't answer a single question posed to her. Secondly, I was disappointed with Gwen Ifill as moderator because she didn't seem to notice that Palin didn't answer any questions.

Tonight's debate wasn't really a debate. What I saw was Joe Biden answering the questions Ifill asked of him and Sarah Palin nattering on and on in a sadly obvious attempt to seem like someone who would be married to Joe Six-Pack and how she and McCain are mavericks. What is Joe Six-Pack? Is she talking about the guy who drinks a six pack of beer every night? Why is she reaching out to Joe Six-Pack? Is Joe Six-Pack supposed to represent the average American? She says she's a maverick, shouldn't she be reaching out to mavericks? I'm confused. Maybe Katie Couric should ask Palin who Joe Six-Pack is and if he's a maverick too.

Governor Palin's way of talking grates on my nerves. She seems to add random words to overly long rambling sentences in what seems like an attempt to sound homey, or Joe Six-Packy. The way she speaks reminds me of the way the Pillsbury doughboy or Aunt Jemimah speaks. Maybe she should be doing commercials. She could probably sell insurance if this job doesn't work out.

For me the best thing that came out of the vice-presidential debate is that I no longer feel sorry for Sarah Palin. Let me explain. After watching Katie Couric's interviews with Sarah Palin I had found myself feeling sorry for Palin as she was so clearly out of her depth. I had been feeling genuinely angry with John McCain for putting a simple woman through an ordeal she clearly has no business being involved in. Palin showed tonight, however, that she can memorize a script as well as any soap opera actress. And more importantly she showed that she can dodge a question as well as any of the Washington insiders she seems to hold in such contempt. So I no longer feel sorry for her. I realize she will survive all this and she can always do commercials instead.