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You can’t beat Gov. Sarah Palin for believing in a party line. She’s terrific, beyond all expectations, as an effective, energized, humanized version of the McCain party line.

Overheard at the podium - “I love you” - “Don’t touch me.”
On the other hand, she ” will not answer questions the way you [Senator Biden] or the moderator want me to. ” In other words, she won’t answer questions that show her frailties, or her Candidate’s hypocrisies – she’ll change the subject, and bite your heels while she’s at it.

She may be the best subject changer we’ve seen since Reagan – but she’s less charming, and more “always be closing.” She’s pushing something, like a door to door salesman – saleswoman. And you’re probably gonna buy something before you get the door closed.

She’s a torrent of words, on point – and the points are limited. The packaging is pretty, it’s very tough, it’s a new, interesting political strain, and I’m glad to see it – but her limits do show through her tightly sewn seams – good looking seams, that they are.

Sen. Joe Biden, showing his seams and stuffing a bit, and looking a bit ragged, held her to her evasions where he could.

He answered like a guy who knew his business. The business is one that gives most of us a weak feeling in our intestines – the business of the Senate, of Congress, of the absurdity that has been our putatively representative government for longer than we remember ( History tends to tell us that this IS politics, and every disappointment is only a reflection of our illusions ).

Biden holds McCain and Palin to Sen. McGrumpy’s ” Deregulate, Deregulate, Deregulate! ” crie de coeur-that-was, Before the last few weeks brought the rain down on the unregulated, and entirely corrupted lending business that is the banking system, and Wall Street.

Biden is strong throughout – and so is Palin. Those who love her, will only love her more.

But, I think more people will like and feel they can respect Joe Biden. Is there a Win-Win? I think there just was. So, it’s down to numbers, in 30 days, ladies and gentlmensches.

Topics Covered:

Fixing the Fed:

Biden: Regulate!

Palin: Regulate!

Energy

Biden: Comprehensive, “clean coal,” etc.

Palin: “Drill, Baby, Drill!”

Global Warming, Wetting, Raining, Temp. Change

Biden: “Man-made, completely.”

Palin: Not entirely.

Same-sex Marriage:

Biden: No, we do not support redefining marriage from the Civil side.

Palin: “I’m very tolerant. Nobody in the McCain admin. would oppose visitation rights, legal contracts, etc. But, I would tell Americans straight up that I would oppose defining marriage as anything between one man and one woman.”

Biden: Agrees, legal rights, but no redefinition of marriage.

Iraq

Palin: The surge works! The surge works! The surge works! It works! It does! We cannot afford to lose against al Quaeda, and the Shia.

Biden: “With all due respect, I didn’t hear a plan.” 16 months, pull out combat troops. “John McCain voted the same way [as Obama, on the troop ‘draw-down’]”. “Time for Iraqis to spend their own money. We will end this war, there is no end in sight. We Will End This War.”

Palin: “Your plan is a white flag of surrender. The surge works.” Can’t pull out, gotta keep it on, close to victory, etc.

Biden: “John McCain has been dead wrong on the fundamentals relating to the war.”

Iran and Pakistan – which is the greatest threat?

Biden: [paraphrased] ‘Pakistan already has nuclear weapons, can already hit Israel and the Mediterranean. Iran would be very dangerous, but is not close to having a nuclear weapon.’

‘John [McCain] keeps telling us that the center of the war on terror is in Iraq – No, it’s in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We need to deal with that, help them build schools to [gain] the hearts and minds in those regions – and that’s where bin Laden lives, and we’ll go after him there.’

Palin: [paraphrased]: ‘Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, period. Achmadinidjad has said Israel is a stinking corpse, wiped off the face of the earth – Achmadinijad, Kim Jong ill, the Castro brothers – Barack Obama has said he would meet [for discussions] first. We cannot afford [this policy].’

‘Those who want to destroy what we stand for cannot just be met with – diplomacy is what we would engage in, but it is hard work… sanctions would be in place, before any presidential summit would take place.’

Biden: ‘Absolutely incorrect, Barack Obama did not say he would sit down with Achmadinijad… All our allies are saying, “sit down, talk.” McCain said he’d [use diplomacy], but he wouldn’t “sit down” with them. [A few weeks ago], John McCain said he wouldn’t even sit down with the govt. of Spain, a member of Nato – how do you do that [and call it diplomacy]?’

Israel

Palin: ‘We support this peace-seeking nation, commitment is there to work with our friends in Israel.’

Biden: “[to moderator]: Gwen, nobody in the Senate has been a better friend to Israel than Joe Biden.’ But, he says, this administration has funked it all up. “Move Nato forces into [Lebanon],” but they didn’t. “The only thing on the march [not freedom], is Iran.” “We will change this policy.”

Palin: “I’m so encouraged that we both love Israel.”
“There have been huge blunders in the [Iraq] war….positive change is coming, reform is coming, we’re going to forge ahead, partisanship aside, etc, etc…”

Biden: “How different is John McCain’s policy gonna be than George Bush’s?” etc…

Nuclear, Afghanistan

Palin: Everything’s working, keep doing it!

Biden: Our general on the ground, said the surge tactic used in Iraq “Will not work in Afghanistan. Our general on the ground said – not Joe Biden, not Barack Obama.” He added, ‘John McCain has been opposed to arms control.’

Palin: “McClellan didn’t say [it wouldn’t work].”

Biden: “Well, our commanding general did say that.” He goes on – we’ve been saying we need more troops there, McCain says, “we’ve succeeded there.”

Interventionism

Biden: Intervention in Bosnia, which “I was the first in favor of, worked.” “With regard to Iraq, I voted for it, but…” “said if we were to go to war without our allies, it would cost us tens of millions of dollars; John McCain said, ‘it’d be okay.’”
“I’ve seen the suffering in Chad [in Darfur], we [must] stop this genocide.”

Palin: “It’s so obvious I’m a Washington outsider – you voted for the war. You’re one of those guys who were for the war, until you were against it.”
“Darfur – Americans are in a position to help. [Alaska has] a saving fund. We called for divestment [from Darfur, which hasn’t gone into effect yet.]

Biden: [Is there a line after which you must intervene, before you cannot]: “Yes, absolutely.” “But, I was never for John McCain’s strategy in Iraq. John McCain was lock-step with Dick Cheney, saying it would be easy.”

Palin: “I beg to disagree with you again. You can say what you want to say a month out [from the election]… John McCain, who’s been through a war, who knows what evil is, knows how to learn from the blunders, taking the politics out of these war issues – he’ll know how to win a war.”

A Heartbeat Away. How would you govern?

Biden: “God forbid that would ever happen, that would be a tragedy of historic proportions. But if it did, I would carry on his policies.” Energy policies, new jobs, kill bin Laden, bye-bye al Quaeda, be friendly with allies, reject Bush doctrine of pre-emption and regime change…

“This is the most important election any of you will have every voted in, any of you, since 1932″ (F.D.Roosevelt).

Palin: “What I would do, if that were to ever happen though, would be to continue to put gov’t on the side of the people. I think we need a little reality from Wassila Mainstreet brought to [DC, Wall Street]. “Gov’t, get out of my way,” [say the people].

Biden: Names a restaurant and Home Depot, where he “spends a lot of time,” and ask anybody where he differs with the president. “The middle class has gotten the short end of the stick. Walk with me in my own neighborhoods,” etc.

Palin: “Say it ain’t so, Joe.. you said you wouldn’t [attack the] Bush administration again.” “You’re wife’s a teacher, and God Bless her.. and here’s a shout-out at all those 3rd graders at [her sister’s?] elementary school. We need flexibility in no child left behind – we need to ramp it up and put more energy in that arena.”

What is the job of the VP?

Palin: “[I would support] if the Constitution would give a little more authority to the Vice President.” Mentions energy, teaching, kids with special needs.

Biden: “I don’t know any program that John’s [supporting?]” “I have a history of getting things done in the Senate. I would be the point person for the initiatives in the Congress. Barack Obama [told me] he wanted me there to help him govern – [He’s in charge,] not, be, I’d give him my best advice.”

Palin: “Our founding fathers were very wise there, in [giving flexibility to the postion of Vice president]. It is my exec. experience that…my experience as Governor, Mayor, Businesswoman..”

Biden: “V.P. Cheney has been probably the most dangerous V.P. we’ve had in U.S. History. The V.P.‘s job is to give the President [their advice] when sought. The only authority they have is to vote [when there’s a tie vote in the Senate]. Look where [Cheney’s policies] gotten us.”

Your Achilles Heel, what is it?

Palin: [She misunderstands the question] “My experience will be [important], also my experience as a mom, etc… but even more important is that world view, that says that America is that [place] of exceptionalism, we are that “city on a hill,” as Pres. Reagan said..” etc, etc.

Biden: “You were very kind, saying my Achilles heel is my lack of discipline. Could say it’s my passion. I’ll put my record of change against anybody’s. The Violence against Women act, which John McCain voted against twice.”

“When my wife died…children were severely injured…” “I’m doing well now, but to say I don’t understand what it’s like to raise two kids on my own, I understand… [emotionally, genuine]”

Palin: “Rah – Rah – Rah! Change! We’ve got to reform! Change is coming! John McCain is coming!”

Biden: “Let me say, he’s been a Maverick on some things, but not on.. [important things] – health care, education, tax cuts for school, not on the war, not on anything that genuinely effects people sitting around their kitchen table. He voted against people with oil prices going through the roof this winter.” [Bam, he connects].

WIll You Build Bi-Partisanship

Biden: [Tells story about bashing Jesse Helms, then learning that he and his wife adopted a child with leg braces, says he felt like a jerk, and since then]: “Never question the motives [of the opposite side of the aisle], question the judgment, that’s the fundamental change Barack Obama and I will bring.”

Palin: [What I did in Alaska, hiring people from all sides].

[A pleasure to meet you Joe, and closing statement]: “Freedom is always one generation away from extinction, we don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. We’ve got to fight for it. We will fight for it… ” Rah-Rah, John McCain.

Biden: [Pleasure to meet you too] “Progress isn’t … tax-breaks for Exxon-Mobile.” It is supporting soldiers overseas, health care. “‘Champ when you get knocked down, get up,’ my father told me. Time for America to get up, we’re ready… May God Bless all of you, and most of all, selfishly for both of us, may God protect our troops.”

Well…good effort from all. Now tear it to pieces.

See you in 30 days. We’ll all have a new man, or woman, in charge.