Fighting On
Sarah Palin delivered a more-than-solid, shockingly-fluid performance tonight. From Iraq to global warming to taxes to Israel, she seemed to have a greater grasp of the facts - or at least her ticket topper's standard views - than she has in prior interviews.
Did she stop the bleeding? Yes. Likely.
Her folksy tone -- "doggone it," "there you go" -- trumped Joe Biden's Washington speak. "Average working class family." Mother of a special needs child. And this not-unpredictable dig at her chief adversaries: "I like being able to answer these tough questions without the filter of the Main Stream Media telling people what they just heard."
Mommy-in-chief? Do we need one?
"John McCain and I are going to fight for America, we're going to fight for the middle class, average everyday American family like mine," she said.
The lingering question tonight, much as it was last week after John McCain offered a forceful first debate performance, is if Palin managed to energize indy voters, swing voters in the swing states that will decide this election.
Biden stuck to his guns in defining the GOP's team as an extension of George W. Bush's policies and values -- his play for those centrist voters.
"No one can deny that the last eight years we've been dug into a very deep hole," he urged in his closing statement. Biden said that he and Obama don't measure progress toward change by whether they've cut additional tax breaks for the wealthy or oil companies.
Biden was Biden. Strong of opinion, deep of knowledge, emotional at times. A forceful advocate for Obama, going so far as to pass up a question about how he'd govern, if anything happened to the IL senator, an inquiry that his ego would previously have allowed him to answer. With gusto.
These two should face off again. They were both more likeable than the nominees for president, more accessible even. The mingling at the end, kids talking to kids, small talk, handshakes, was more endearing, more inspiring than the chilly eye contact-free debate between Obama and McCain last week.
Flashes of humanity, even flawed, even coached, are more attractive than grand sweeping language or gritty war hero irritability. Palin and Biden are both hungry. She, for having just arrived on the scene. He, for having lingered on it beyond his expiration date.
Game on in the veep race. If it matters.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
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