I started a new post about 10 times during that excruciating 90 minutes last night, but each time, got more agitated than I was before and had to close my computer down. Seriously, I had a physical reaction. She talked, I squirmed. She winked, I threw up my hands and asked what the HELL is a Vice Presidential candidate doing winking during a debate on national television?
Here's a disclaimer... I've made it quite obvious that I am not a fan of politicians like Sarah Palin, and her in particular. And I absolutely love LOVE Joe Biden, and I have for a long time. Yes, he's prone to saying stupid stuff, but at least it's honest and earnest, which is more than you can say about 99% of his colleagues. Thus, I was totally pre-disposed to favor Joe over Sarah. But I tried to turn it off and to judge the answers independent of who was delivering them.
And can I just say that whatever "answers" Governor Palin gave were CRAP! She is the queen of wrapping winks and "doggones" and "darn its" and verbal diarheea in such a way that you think you're being handed a beautiful present, but when you open it, it's crap in a box. Nothing of substance, nothing that showed she'd done anything other than memorize sound bites. I was a teacher, high school and college, and do you know what this sounded like to me? Students who hadn't picked up a book all semester and had stayed up late the night before with a highlighter. In my classes, those students got Ds.
They're saying that she did well. She did well because she didn't throw up on stage or say anything completely stupid. Is that really the standard by which we want to measure our country's leadership? They're saying that this debate should assuage some fears that she's not ready to lead. Um, what??! Can you imagine her sitting down with one of our allies, trying to get them to support whatever war it is we're going into next? "Hey, Prime Minister. How ya doin'? I was thinkin' that you all might want to help us out there in Iran 'cause they're not nice over there. And, ya know, they've got a lot of oil there and a nucular weapon." Yes, I spelled nuclear wrong on purpose. Somebody should teach her how to say it right.
This is what I don't understand. The President is the most powerful person in the world, if he or she chooses not to turn him or herself into a blundering asshole a la GW. The most powerful person in the world should be the smartest, most honest, strongest person we can find, and his second in command should be just as smart, just as honest, and just as strong. John McCain is a good man who made some pretty awesome sacrifices, and has been a good representative. But he's chosen someone who can't function if she's not cutting someone down, has little knowledge of anything that matters in the world today, is an anti-feminist, and I'm sorry--she's not qualified.
I have a real issue with the usage of the whole "Joe-Sixpack" term. How incredibly patronizing. Yes, we all realize that there are a lot of folks out there who are average people just trying to get by. Calling them Joe Sixpack makes it sound like she thinks all of these people are just dying to get home to get a beer in their hands. They're SO average. They're SO middle America. Yeah, they're also not qualified to be Vice President. Feh.
The best part of the debate for me was texting back and forth with Ashie, who makes everything fun. Some highlights:
Ash: "I think if Palin was on Perez Hilton she'd have 'simple' written across her forehead."
Me: "I am literally shaking right now. Saying darn it doesn't make you sound Presidential."
Ash: "Does no one know that Alaska really doesn't matter? 'Of this great land' makes me want to braf."
Me: "Well, Joe is from Delaware... 'We've gotta clean up our planet.' God!"
Ash: "We gotta help our environment folks! 'Drill, baby, drill' doesn't sound too gentle to me."
Me: "I hate her."
Ash: "Tanked. Like a college girl. I actually really like Biden. He's kind of a dashing scamp."
Me: "If I wasn't married and was 30 years older..."
Anyway, all of that was probably unnecessary. I just feel upset.
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