BRIDGE TO SOMEWHERE 1: The Campaign Trail
Oct 07, 2008
Four more weeks of nail biting and backbiting (an ongoing weekly summary of the presidential campaign).
BY BEN WESTHOFF
October 6, 2008 - dizzy with spin: If you've talked to a white person in the last couple weeks (white as defined by "Stuff White People Like" blog, i.e. Wes Anderson-appreciating types), you can be sure he or she babbled, at length, about how annoying Sarah Palin is. Palin's shtick absolutely appalls them, for sure, as does her stance on the issues and catch phrases like "drill, baby, drill." The only thing greater than these folks' dissatisfaction with Palin is their love for Tina Fey's impression of her.
It's a unique moment in time when the recently-obscure vice presidential pick of the candidate trailing in the polls can dominate both politics and entertainment news. Palin's sharp looks, saucy attitude and tenuous grasp of policy ensured that not just white people, but also penitent supply-siders, extra-credit seeking school kids and frat boys all tuned in to last week's high rated VP debate. (The latter were largely in it for the Palin drinking games; sadly she never said "fetus," which, in my version, would have required imbibing ten pitchers of Long Island Ice Tea.)
Expectations were high for the theater of the debate because expectations were low for the candidates themselves. After her deliciously Quayle-esque interview with Katie Couric, Palin bunkered down for three days of cramming in Arizona with the hopes she wouldn't embarrass herself and create further distraction for the McCain campaign. Biden, meanwhile, had the two-fold goal of (A) not appearing to bully his opponent a la McCain at the first debate or Gore in 2000 and (B) not asking any paraplegic state officials to "stand up," as he did in Columbia, Missouri in early September.
Predictably both candidates met these goals, but they were annoying in their own ways. Biden smiled at inappropriate times, and his eyes often appeared barely open. He dubiously compared the importance of this election to that of 1932 (why not just hold up a sign that said, "Bush = Hoover"?), and, in an attempt to sound connected with regular folks -- ie Great Lakes state residents -- only ended up sounding like the Beltway wonk that he is. "Look, all you have to do is go down Union Street with me in Wilmington or go to Katie's Restaurant or walk into Home Depot with me where I spend a lot of time and you ask anybody in there whether or not the economic and foreign policy of this administration has made them better off in the last eight years," he said. "So walk with me in my neighborhood, go back to my old neighborhood in Claymont, an old steel town or go up to Scranton with me." Sounds great, Joe! What time should we meet up, folksy o'clock?
Palin ratcheted up her shtick by pronouncing her words like a Fargo cast member ("blunder" became "blender" etc.) and throwing out a few zingers. ("Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again.") For perhaps the first time in the campaign she sounded like Hillary Clinton, by claiming she had been joking when she said she didn't know what a Vice President does. (She then noted that McCain has "tapped" her, which may have won somebody's bingo card.)
Much was made of her avoidance of moderator Gwen Ifill's questions, with good reason. When Biden spoke of letting bankruptcy courts adjust principle costs for distressed homeowners and suggested McCain didn't support the idea, Iffill asked Palin if that was so. "That is not so, but because that's just a quick answer," she said, jibberishly. "I want to talk about, again, my record on energy versus your ticket's energy ticket, also."
Substance is never particularly important in a VP debate, and it was even less important this time around; neither candidate had any serious answers or dramatic policy ideas concerning the credit meltdown, but that's because nobody in the world has any idea what the hell to do about this gigantic mess. (White folks may soon no longer be able to afford their pea coats.) Similarly, almost no one watching knew anything about Kosovo or Bosnia, so when Biden monologued on them be was judged simply on his ability to appear knowledgeable and confident.
Both sides claimed victory - and I'm not talking about Democrats and Republican, but rather cable news pundits, who immediately began giving those at home IMAX-quality impressions of "spin alley." Viewers are likely more aware than ever of media bias this time around, however, and during the debate Palin did her best to break down the fourth wall of the "mainstream media." The McCain campaign has done this throughout the camping, aping what Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity - ironically, the highest rated pundits in the media - have been saying for years. Though this line of reasoning drives leftists/white people bonkers, it will likely be out of date by the next election cycle. Cable news, for one, has become increasingly, admittedly, partisan. Witness with the rise of MSNBC red-state-baiter Rachel Maddow, who has won great ratings with her new show following Keith Olbermann, another well-watched left-wing answer to Bill O'Reilly.
CNN now looks like the only stodgy, ostensibly impartial "mainstream media" news channel left. That will probably change once MSNBC starts beating them in the ratings - say, after Larry King dies next week (or whenever). Perhaps, in the meantime, they should start calling themselves "fair and balanced."
blog comments powered by Disqus
More Photos
