Moment of truth

I concur with those who thought Joe Biden getting choked up during the VP debate was the highlight of the night. Here's a link with a transcript excerpt and video clip.

So why was that such a moment of truth? Because Biden was clearly overcome with unrehearsed emotion and spoke so compassionately about his family, his history and what the American people long for, throwing into sharp relief the alarming fact that the smiling, winking Sarah Palin brand is a heckuva dangerous, buzz-word-driven work of fiction that would only further the damage that the Dubya thugs have done.

Americans have had eight years of folksy talkin' that dropped its G's as easily as it dropped its lies. The Bush brand was built on W's Texan-ish drawl and sixth-grade level vocabulary (e.g., "hard work" and "bad people"). That kind of talk helped disguise one of the most sinister agendas of any White House, leading our nation into a war as costly in dollar signs as it's been in human life and global stability. Yes, we've had our fill with just one cowboy shootin' from the hip. The last thing we need following in his footsteps is a self-anointed maverick with seven houses and his six-packin' helicopter huntress masquerading as everyday folks. We're onto ya, GOP, and, gosh darn it, the act's just not cute anymore.

Even McCain's "Straight Talk Express" has derailed in depots as lowbrow as The View, where he sat on a couch with Whoopi and Joy, pointing an oily finger at Obama over the lipstick on a pig analogy. More like lipstick on a red herring from a campaign desperate to disassociate itself from the fact that McCain voted with lame duck Bush 90% of the time.

What a relief that post-debate polls showed that undecided voters weren't swallowed up by "Sarah being Sarah" in their living rooms. People are now seeing past the hockey mom moxie and realizing that this woman with her ill-informed worldview and right-wing beliefs would turn America into an international joke.

I have to admit, when Biden was announced as Obama's running mate, I felt lukewarm to the idea. Personally, I would've liked to see a Obama/Clinton ticket, but realize that too many people hate her for that match-up to win. But the more I hear from Biden, the more impressed I am. He's smart, seasoned and sincere. Once again, Obama proves his instincts are true.

In the final anaylsis of the VP debate performances, despite some word fumbling early on, I think Biden did an admirable job representing himself, Obama and the Democrats' platform against Palin's flash card flashdancing and false eyelashes.

That said, I also appreciated my friend Matt's critique of Biden in the one and only VP debate of '08. Matt, I think you're on to something with this "You can't have it both ways" refrain. The Obama/Biden staff should take a note from you:

"Did Biden not miss a huge opportunity to put the dagger in last night? I know they're saying he 'won' and I understand that he has to guard against being condescending and 'insider' and all that, but I don't mean mock her. I mean, call THEM out on what THEY would call 'flip flopping.' Since these exercises aren't debates at all but topic starters for canned speeches, why can't he turn to the camera and say:

"Are the people, like the Governor here, who do nothing but talk about smaller government, deregulation and the power of free markets REALLY going to police a runaway and reckless Wall Street? You can't do one thing all your life and now, when it's opportunistic, say another. You can't have it both ways. Are the same candidates who lead chants of 'Drill Baby Drill' today really going to take the climate crisis seriously and harness the power of renewable energy sources for the future? You can't have it both ways. Is the party that won't put timetables on withdrawal from Iraq and says we'll have bases there 'for a hundred years' now saying that a victory and end to the war is just around the corner? You can't have it both ways.

"Is the party that prides itself on conservatism—that is, holding onto the way things are—making 'Change' THEIR campaign slogan? You can't have it both ways. These guys will say anything to get and stay elected. Yesterday's 'Compassionate Conservative' or 'Mission Accomplished' is today's 'Country First' and 'pair of Mavericks.'

"The American people are in a tough spot and they need strong, wise and focused leadership to galvanize them to get out of our current situation. They're buying bread, they're buying gas and they're buying homes. What they're not buying is a Republican platform in 2008 of peace abroad, regulation at home and clean energy for all. I'm not buying it and the American people aren't buying it either." -MG