That impression was reinforced in watching last night's debate, in fact, the characterization seemed appropriate on a deeper level than I had appreciated before. Palin, I thought, presented as an animatron: mention the keywords (pull the string) and get the pre-programmed response. Whoever Sarah Palin is and whatever she believes, I don't think the debate gave us a sense of that. We were presented with a Sarah Palin doll, beautifully dressed and displayed, and programmed by the McCain campaign for perky response. She did it very well, for the most part, but it's not what I want in a vice-president.
I am not so naive as to think Obama and Biden don't have canned responses to various typical questions, and maybe the real gift of experience is that they're just better at delivering them. But in their case some individual thought seems to have gone into the process, and they seem more emotionally vested in their positions.
However, in my opinion Palin's reasonably acceptable performance is good news for Democrats. Had she crashed and burned, stood there in nerve-wracking silence or fled the stage in emotional meltdown, I believe today we would be reading that she had decided to quit and "spend more time with her family."
And face it: anyone, even the execrable Joe Lieberman, would be better for the Republicans. But if Palin did well, as the GOP is claiming, they can hardly unload her now. She will continue to add her ineffable charm to the Republican ticket, and from my point of view, that's a very good thing.
If you act like an empty-headed bimbo, then don't be shocked if you get called an empty-headed bimbo.
Now, I'm not saying Sarah Palin has acted like a bimbo. At least, she hasn't purposely, or I'll give her the benefit of that doubt. I have said that her winking makes her look like a hooker, but I doubt that's her goal. I personally find the winking annoying and frankly beneath the office she's running to occupy. Her folksy mannerisms are frankly insulting to small town people everywhere. I am one of them, and I don't find her delivery the least bit endearing.
What I mean is this. If you want to get all folksy, talk like 'Joe six pack', drop your g's and talk with a hay stalk in your mouth, then don't be shocked if people call you Homer Hayseed and think you're dimwitted. The trick here is that you have to prove them wrong.
Caribou Barbie has yet to prove anything.
Biden played fair and did what he had to do.
But I kinda wish he would have blasted her a few times as I think there is a place for RAGE every now and again. To me I think it's outrageous that McCain Palin think they can just completely disassociate themselves from the Party and policies they've advocated for the past 20 years (why bother with the Republican convention??). All except for Drill Baby Drill .... which brings to mind that whole sexually innuendo thing of Caribou Barbies & being a whore.
LOL