Don't Count on Biden Winning Thursday's Debate Against Palin

The Republicans want us to believe a lot of things about Sarah Palin.

• They want us to think she is the victim of sexist attacks from the Left.
• They want us to think she has been unfairly scrutinized for her abysmal performance in Television Interviews. Again, and again.
  
• They want us to think the debate is rigged because Gwen Ifill, who is African-American and has a "pro-Obama" book coming out next year, is biased against Sarah Palin.

All of this equates to an overwhelming consensus of sympathy for Palin's plight. And Obama has maintained an admirable and respectable stance regarding Palin's qualifications or her personal life that has ignited the media firestorm.

We can't be so sure Biden will exercise the same amount of restraint. He is known for his long-windedness, non-sequitirs, and gaffes. He is also the designated hitter when it comes to attacking McCain and Palin.

Think of the Vice Presidential Debate on Thursday as a series of two-minute speeches Palin has been rehearsing with handlers all week. She shines in a scripted setting, and she is quite good at delivering a speech with charisma. So all she has to do is:

• Be informed and coached to stay on message (this could be difficult)
  
• Perform without a supportive crowd shouting "Drill Baby Drill!"
  

If Katie Couric is any indication of how a face-to-face interview unsettles Palin, we might see similar behavior in the way Palin reacts to Gwen Ifill as the moderator. But then again, she could be a quick study and learn from her mistakes and public ridicule.

We need to be sure that the empathy, pity, and sympathy for Sarah Palin does not result in lowering the bar so low that she walks away from Thursday's debate with an easy victory. We have endured eight years of the lowest bar possible for someone in the oval office, and it is time we demand more from our leaders. We are teetering on the edge of a global economic crisis, and we need vision and leadership now more than ever.

If Biden's handlers are wise, they will coach him to stay scripted on the economy (Obama's strong suit), as well as foreign policy and experience (Biden's strong suit). He should stay away from attacking Palin or her character in any way, shape, or form, and instead focus on taking McCain down on the issues where McCain is weakest: the economy, links to Bush-Cheney, the bailout, energy policies, and so on.

So Thursday's debate could be a lot more favorable to Palin than the media are predicting. I do not think it will be a "blowout" because of the lowered expectations of how she will perform. But we shouldn't let the bar get so low that we open the door for McCain/Palin to coast their way into a free ride to the White House.

Further Reading

• This article is a little old but it has good insight and reassurance that Presidential Candidates win Presidential Elections--not Vice Presidential candidates.
• A Newsweek article arguing that the VP debate does matter.
• Zombie Feminists of the RNC...