Thursday, October 2, 2008

What We Know, about VPs

Joe Biden and Sarah Palin do the VPFaceoff at 9 p.m. EST on various TV channels. You know the mantra: Biden's gotta be careful not to be condescending, Palin's gotta look smarter than she appeared on earlier interviews, the moderator is writing a book with a chapter on Obama, so she's suspect.

A word on the Gwen Ifill book on blacks in politics thing. The PBSer should have told the debate commission she was writing the book -- any reasonable journalist would instantly recognize this as a potential problem and bow out, but I guess it's something you can't pass up. Stupid stupid TV people, hungry for one more minute in front of the camera. Sheesh. Not that I think the book is a real conflict or she can't rise above it, but something they never seem to get is the appearance of conflict. That's all that's needed out there in the weird wild blogosphere.

Stupid stupid TV people.

So what we know about Sarah Palin, in particular, will be formed in the American mind tonight. For her supporters, they hope she keeps it simple, earthy, and doesn't ramble incoherently. I'm guessing she'll do fine.

Plus, the VP debate rarely matters. Even Dan Quayle getting ripped in his 1988 VP debate couldn't sink Bush Sr.'s presidential run, so if Palin stumbles I don't think it'll matter all that much. Obama has the momentum, so to me the pressure is on Biden not to screw that up, but even if he does I don't think it'll matter.

Let's face it. We're watching for the theater of the moment. Waiting for the crash.

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