Gail Collins joked in her New York Times column today that McCain's V.P. pick is such an obvious attempt to pander to Hillary fans that Joe Biden is probably dusting off the old Lloyd Bentsen line already. I imagine the debate exchange between Palin and Biden would go something like this:
Palin: "... Hillary Clinton is groundbreaking... blah blah blah ...historic candidacy... blah blah blah... the highest glass ceiling... blah blah blah..."Genius. I don't care if the line is recycled. In fact, that makes it better because it compares Palin to Dan Quale (and Hill to JFK). The Bentsen line: (1) allows Biden to attack Palin without seeming like a sexist jerk, (2) reaches out to Hillary fans, and (3) highlights Palin's inexperience without overtly saying it.
Biden: Governor, I know Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton is a friend of mine. And Governor: You're. No. Hillary. Clinton."
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Oh man... what a great thought :)
ReplyDeleteOn that note, it does worry me that Palin is the perfect person to put up against Biden in the debates since he's got that attack dog reputation. It was probably considered a great positive to the campaign that he would dish out a solid beatdown in the debates but now people are saying he's going to look like a giant asshole if he goes for the jugular.
I understand that the populace gets a bad taste in their mouths when someone is negative about the opponent rather than proactive about the issues (sort of, maybe not) but if distaste toward an attack-dog Biden in the debates has ANYTHING to do with Palin being a female or mother or inexperienced politician then I will cry foul...
Of course that will be about as effective as you would imagine... me pacing the house yelling, "Foul!!" until my throat hurts and I go make myself a snack and watch the History Channel.
Presumably -- or, judging by the Democrats' history as abysmal campaigners, HOPEFULLY -- the Dems are coming up with safe attack lines for Biden as we speak (err...type). I agree that it's suicide (not to mention just plain sexist and low-class) to attack her decision to leave a newborn or to attack her in any way that remotely relates to her being a woman. Unfortunately and almost ludicrously, talking about her experience is also a bad strategic decision.
ReplyDeleteSooo... I think that leaves McCain and Bush --- or McCainandBush as the Obama campaign would like to characterize them. In addition to pulling out a can of Bentsen whoop-ass if Palin says a damn word about HRC, I'd like to see Biden ranting about the Iraq war, the Bush administration, McCain, the economy, and so forth, rather than Palin herself.