Palin-Biden VP Debate at Washington University
What to Expect from Sarah Palin, Female VP Candidate of 2008
Oct 1, 2008
Before his selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate, a successful reach for swing voters may have seemed a moderately dismal proposition for Senator John McCain. Despite Palin's decidedly conservative leanings, she has managed to breathe new life into a Presidential campaign that may eventually involve more of her sway than some are comfortable with.
Reviving interest from middle class women of almost every stripe and rallying partisan voters to new heights at the Republican National Convention this year, Alaska's Governor is intriguing, if not exactly palatable.
Sex, Politics and Palin: An Unavoidable Discussion
Governor Palin's gender has arguably become as politically charged in the 2008 election as Senator Obama's status as an African American. The election of either would be a groundbreaking, unprecedented event in U.S. politics. This fact is both a boon and a bane for Joe Biden--who rides on a ticket with a man who has the potential to be the first African American President in American History--and who must also clear his throat for a one-on-one debate with Palin, nascent Governor of Alaska who could potentially be the first female Vice President and U.S. Senate leader.
Some Obama-Biden supporters have voiced concern over the potential for the part that perceived mysogyny might play out during Thursday's debate.
When asked whether or not he felt obligated to "pull his punches a bit" during the debates because of the fact that he would be confronting a woman about foreign and domestic issues, Senator Biden replied, "Maybe it's a generational thing, but I don't start this thing saying, 'oh my God, this is a woman, I'd better treat her differently.'"
Vice Presidental Showdown
As the civil confrontation between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin draws nigh, commentators are firing shots at both VP candidates for their perceived respective propensities for making frequent public gaffes. Biden has proven, for many political junkies of the Democratic persuasion, too honest for his own good.
Case in point: During a Sept. 24, post-convention interview with Katie Couric, Ohio Senator Biden admitted to making fun of Senator McCain's inability to use a computer (an incident for which he expressed regret) and to an embarrassing incident on the campaign trail during which Biden asked Missouri Senator Chuck Graham to stand up to be recognized by the crowd. Graham is disabled and could not rise from his wheelchair.
Slip-ups Could Spell Demise
For Palin, such public mishaps might result in political death for her ticket, and she has endured plenty such problems already, not often successfully. Speaking with CBS correspondent Katie Couric, Palin was unable to name a specific Supreme Court decision with which she disagreed, apart from Roe v. Wade (a red-hot button issue for female voters). Palin also faltered noticeably while answering a question about which newspapers she regularly read to inform herself about domestic and international issues. "I’ve read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media,” said Palin, who holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. "Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me all these years.”
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