VICE-PRESIDENTIAL ROLE – U.S. CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE I

While I was listening to the debate, I was surprised to hear Biden mention that Article I states the role of the vice-president. His statement was in response to Ifill’s question as to the role of the Vice-President. As anyone who reads the Constitution knows, Article I sets out the structure of the legislative branch and its duties and obligations.

So, I thought maybe he made a misstatement – after all he did make an incorrect statement recently about FDR. But, the role of the vice-president is set out in Article I, Section 3 states:

The Vice-President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they are equally divided.

While Ifill may have been asking what the candidates felt the role of vice-president included, I was surprised to learn that, indeed, the role of the vice-president is established in Article I.

WINKIN’ – BLINKIN’ – AND NOD – PALIN’S PERFORMANCE

Last night’s debate was unique for several reasons not least of which was Sarah Palin’s stage demeanor and performance. I didn’t realize that winking was a method of communicating valid answers to direct questions, but apparently Palin thought it was a great way of getting comfy with the viewers and avoiding direct answers. Mind you, the audience probably was not privy to the winks unless they were picked up on large TV screens.

But to TV viewers the winks were, of course, very obvious. I thought at first it was a twitch – it happened so quickly. With the cameras focused on Palin’s head and upper torso, she combined a snappy, tart response style dripping with -isms of all kinds. Then, quick as a wink – pardon the pun – she threw in a wink.

“Say it ain’t so, Joe”, “You betcha”, “Darn Tootin”, “Joe Six-Pack”, and “Doggone it” among other colloquialisms peppered her non-answers. The first time she threw one of her cutesy phrases into the mix, I was startled and thought “what the heck?” After all, this was to be a debate between two candidates for the office of vice-president not a rootin’, tootin’ rodeo competition.

And that was another one of her annoying habits – she kept dropping the “g’s” in a continued attempt to keep that folksy tone to her speech. After all, you can only wink so many times and come up with snappy little sayings so often.

Biden, on the other hand, did not have to resort to theatrics. He had a great command of the facts, and he stayed on task. And his task was to make sure that the viewers understood who John McCain really was rather than the persona McCain likes to think he is.

Biden called into question McCain’s constant droning on about his “maverick” status by highlighting McCain’s lack of divergence from the Bush administration and his lack of acting on behalf of the folks “sitting around the kitchen table.”

And, in response to Palin’s comments about how worrisome it was to be the mother of a special needs child and a son about to leave for Iraq, Biden succinctly and emotionally talked about his parenting of his two injured sons after his wife and infant daughter were killed in an accident. Parenting is for fathers as well as mothers, which Biden effectively conveyed to the audience.

On topic after topic, Biden answered in a serious vein aiming at McCain and his policies while Palin answered with scripted blurbs interspersed with folksy comments. After all, Palin herself said she had only been doing this for “five weeks now.”

I have to hand it to her though, she did not make any gaffes as anticipated. She held her own even if there was little substance to her scripted answers and she kept incessantly parroting the stolen Obama theme of “change.” Biden as well did not make any gaffes. There were those who thought he might ramble or talk down to Palin, but he was focused, informed, and articulate.

The debate is now over, and the Republicans can breathe a sigh of relief that Palin managed to get through the 90-minute debate without any serious missteps. But that sigh of relief has to be turning into a gasp for air, especially with the polls showing Biden handily won the debate and Obama is now approaching a double-digit lead over McCain.

GWEN IFILL ACES HER DEBATE PERFORMANCE

Ah, shucks. I bet those edgy right-wing Republicans who were trashing Gwen Ifill’s role in last night’s debate are totally disappointed. For those who are not familiar with Ifill, she is the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Photo Credit: PBS.org

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She also supports Obama and is releasing a book, “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.” Republicans questioned her selection because of those reasons and screamed that she couldn’t possibly show any professionalism and neutrality in moderating last night’s debate. Local right-wing blog rags were off the wall with outrage and derogatory comment.

Well, guess what. She came through just fine.

Ifill was charged with preparing the questions, and, as she stated last night, no one had pre-approved the questions or even knew what the questions would be. Her handling of the entire debate process was above reproach. She was attentive and respectful to both candidates. She addressed both candidates by their titles – Senator and Governor – and she never showed one bit of partiality.

So now the vindictive right-wing bloggers and Republicans have nothing to whine about. Their vice-presidential gal was treated professionally, and she was given ample opportunity to make clear her and McCain’s positions on a range of issues. Too bad Palin didn’t take advantage of the occasion.

Photo Credit: AP – Boston-Herald

POLL SHOWS CLOSE GOVERNOR’S RACE – DANIELS’ CAMP PLAIN PUZZLED

I am not sure Mitch Daniels and his camp quite get how his campaign has spent millions – I say millions – of dollars, put his face on TV in a kitschy “Mitch TV” program, and his face in commercials ad nauseum and still see polls that show a close race.

What Mitch doesn’t get is that Hoosiers tend to remember past actions. Although the toll-road lease and the time change issues are well in the background, what still lingers in Hoosier minds – at least those impacted – is Daniels lack of consideration of what Hoosiers wanted.

At the time of the decisions, Daniels’ party controlled both chambers of the General Assembly; his wishes were their commands. They followed like sheep and gave him what he wanted, and some of them paid a price later by losing their bids for re-election.

Add the continuing down slide of the Hoosier economy to his apparent disdain for listening to the people, and you have a bunch of unhappy Hoosiers. Perhaps Daniels’ lack of understanding comes from his over-exaggerated sense of self and just how much he has “done” for Indiana.

Photo Credit: Nate Smith – Washington Times-Herald