The Non-Answer Answer

I watched the debate last night. After the CBS interview with Palin that went so horribly wrong how could you not? And as circumstances happened I was pet sitting for a neighbor and went there to watch it on a real television.

And this morning I have been up reading the early media comments and blogs on the subject. Most put Senator Joe Biden as winner but some say Palin won in that she did not fall flat on her face.

She has obviously been heavily coached in the last couple of weeks and spent a lot of time reading from her notes on the podium. She also fell back on the non-answer answer that politicians have so mastered. When she did not have an answer to the question posed by the moderator she substituted an answer to a question not asked. In a college debate forum she would have lost points. Seriously lost points.

As it was she did lose points with CNN's panel of likely voters for her colloquialisms. I frankly would have slammed her for the winks and those cutesy little wiggles of her head that teenage girls do when trying to curry favor with the boys. But she is not a laughing stock of YouTube like she was after the Katie Coric interview. But she also did not provoke Biden into attacking her even when toward the end she resorted to giggles while he was answering the questions. I frankly would have slapped her and said, "Grow Up. This is serious business." I hate women that want to play on a level playing field with men and then resort to female tricks that should be beneath us even when dating.

But what was really interesting in the analysis afterwards is that most people thought she hurt McCain. Not satisfied with the Mayor-Governor-Vice President accession she was trying to position herself for a 2012 run for President. God Save the Queen. We may need to throw ourselves on the mercy of the Brits again. "Sorry, your majesty, we apologize for that tea party thing a couple centuries back. Just take control again, please."

But Joe Biden made me proud. He gave answers to the moderator's questions and stayed on subject. But I was especially for his closing statement. While Palin fell on canned campaign rhetoric (much stolen from the Obama campaign) the Senator spoke from the heart. I almost stood up from the couch and waved the flag.

Please Excuse Johnny from School

I, and all the late night comedians, cannot believe that John McCain has canceled his campaign because of the economic crisis. He asked for the meeting with Bush. He also only caused havoc with the bailout plan once he got involved. Currently it looks as if he is willing to deep six a bipartisan agreement in both houses just to prove he is not GW Bush. Or to take credit for the bill that is finally passed?

Or could Johnny just be totally unprepared for the debate? It was suppose to be on foreign policy his strong suit but when he canceled Obama maintained that this was the time Americans needed to see their future leaders. And any future leader ought to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. So why not change the topic of the debate to economics? Something McCain knows little about per his statement but enough he has to run home to Washington to shape the discussion. Or protect his fat cat friends like he did Keating in the Savings and Loan debacle of the previous Bush?

He said he was canceling all campaigning because of this crisis but all his negative smear ads are still running. He canceled Letterman but did an interview with Katy Curic. He wanted Obama and him to make a joint announcement about the suspension and then jumped the gun and did one on his own without waiting for a reply. In that he said he would continue the debate if an agreement was in place by Friday and it could have been. It looked like it yesterday afternoon. McCain screwed the pooch.

If this whole thing is a campaign ploy or trick because of falling poll numbers it is ill conceived and even the Republicans don't understand what he is doing. And risking the world's financial stability because of a few points in the polls sounds very GW Bush. Very egotistic.

But could there be another explanation. Is Johnny sick? Walter Reed Hospital is in the DC area. I imagine his doctors are either there or in Arizona. Going back home during a crisis plays even less well then going to Washington where until he had Bush call the meeting he was not needed and not even wanted.

Given the concerns about his age and health he cannot call the campaign and the debate off just to stay home sick for a couple days. And while Obama can go to DC to meet with he President and leave Biden to his campaign appearances, John cannot let Palin off on her own. So he obviously does not have confidence in her stepping into his shoes on the campaign trail. How can we believe in her to step into the presidency?

And how is Johnny's health? I think not good.

Would you trust this Woman?

To be the coach of your child's soccer team? Never mind President of the United States. And if you elect John McCain that is what she could be in a heart beat.

The even more pivotal question here is do you trust the man that picked her? Do you trust him to pick other really key players in the running of our government like Secretary of State. Maybe Brittney Spears? Madonna for Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare? Paris Hilton for Homeland Security?

I definitely don't trust McCain's vetting staff. They missed a pregnant and unmarried 17 year old family member. And they are suppose to be the party of family values. Remember they want to eliminate most forms of birth control, all abortions, and have kids be celibate until married. Well, Bristol Palin failed that one. An Mummy clearly cannot manage five kids. She is going to keep our country safe from terrorists?

And how compassionate is she to accept this nomination that has thrust her 17 year old daughter, 5 mouths pregnant and unmarried, into the national spotlight. Or leaving the care of a 4 1/2 month old child to a pregnant teenager while on the campaign trail.

So do we really want this woman as Vice-President of the United States: A heart beat away from leader of the free world? John McCain in 72 years old and with a history of health issues. And let us not forget he was a prisoner of war. Yes, he has a distinguished service history, but on the whole prisoners of war don't live as long as people that were never imprisoned, starved, tortured, deprived of exercise. And there is the melanoma. But I don't think he is thinking straight.

This is what I would expect of Groucho Marx not someone that is running for president of the United States. Maybe he is just grooming his third wife? But the really, really, really scary part of this whole Palin business is nobody in his staff could talk him out of it. Richard Nixon was a loose cannon that did what he wanted even when it smacked of the Third Reich. And GW Bush has invaded any country he has wanted to (though in all fairness I think some of his key staff wanted that too - did they think they were playing a war game). Are we going from cowboy diplomacy to playboy diplomacy?

Should the worst happen and we lose a president to assassination or natural causes I would much rather Joe Biden than Dick Cheney or Sarah Palin. You?

This is the ticket

This is just the ticket for me. I really liked Senator Biden in the debates and would have endorsed him as the Democratic nominee but he was one of those very talented men that fell to the wayside in the primary process. So having Joe Biden on the same ticket with Barack Obama just seems perfect for me.

And he has all that experience that McCain keeps saying that Obama is lacking.

I was so afraid Obama would be pressured into picking Hillary as a running mate. We have had too many years of Clintons and Bushes in the White House. We do need a change. The political dynasties have gotten us into this mess. We need a new approach to get us out of it. And both of them have such great smiles.

After eight years of watching the current sour puss in office I need smiles. And people that speak proper English. I want nice manners and leaders willing to talk and not bomb us out of our problems with the rest of the world. So after my bottom of the barrel mood of last blog I am now feeling more optimistic. I look forward to the news coming out of the convention in Denver. And let's hope for a good jump in the poll numbers.