Palin's Pumps Missed a Step

Managing Editor

 
   As if her interview with Katie Couric on CBS Evening News was not embarrassing enough, Sarah Palin noticeably displayed her lack of experience during the vice presidential debate Oct. 2.

   With 3,100 media personnel present and millions of American television viewers watching, Palin started on a better foot than her previous interviews. After about 30 minutes, her short improvement slowly took a nosedive. 

   Important questions asked by Gwen Ifill, moderator of PBS Washington Week, clearly left Palin with a goofy smile on her face. I must add she smiled the entire time, a feat only pulled off by an experienced beauty pageant contestant. When not repeating herself time and time again, Palin looked down at her notes each time Biden spoke.

   Ifill asked the candidates about the failing economy and who they felt caused the economy’s decline. Biden informed viewers of McCain’s desire for deregulation and how McCain voted over 400 times to raise taxes for the American people. Palin blamed moneylenders for talking people into buying houses too expensive for their budget; yet she never declared an answer after she claimed she lowered taxes in Alaska.

   On the issue of taxes, Biden assured to raise taxes for people making over $400,000  a year. Biden talked about a tax cut for those making less than $100,000 a year, giving middle-class Americans some much needed relief. In response, Palin spoke of small businesses closing because of higher taxes when most small businesses actually make less than $100,000 a year.

   Palin’s tiara started to tilt to when Ifill asked a question about the candidates’ proposal for health care. While Palin explained McCain’s $5,000 health care credit to help uninsured Americans to purchase health insurance, Biden displayed a perplexing look. Biden blew up Palin’s proposal by stating how McCain’s health care policy ended up giving Americans $5,000 for a $12,000 insurance plan. Apparently, Palin missed elementary math classes more than once. I figure Palin played hooky to buy a new tube of lipstick.

  When Biden explained the Republicans ludicrous $100 billion tax dodge by upper-class Americans, Palin’s nervousness took control. Palin simply stuttered how greedy Wall Street caused America’s huge deficit.

   On the topic of causes for climate change, Biden said mankind caused the polar ice caps to melt. Palin reminisced about "good ol’ Alaska" once again. Palin’s monotonous tone and poor coaching reminded me of a small-town news anchorwoman reading from a teleprompter.

    I knew both tickets opposed same-sex marriages, and I respect their choice; however, Biden encouraged more rights for homosexual couples. Palin explained the Republican ticket also encouraged rights, but used the word “tolerant” when speaking of couples in same-sex marriages. The word “tolerant” and “rights” makes no sense when speaking about non-traditional unions. Palin fell short by making such a discriminatory statement.

    I felt no need at this point to take many Republican derived notes, since Palin’s message dwindled to repetitious blabbering of the “Maverick McCain”, corrupted Wall Street and the fact she governs Alaska. I completely gathered these points from the multiple times Palin stated them throughout the debate. However, I felt compassion for Biden’s emotional account of the loss of his wife and 13-month-old daughter in a car accident involving a tractor-trailer rig in 1973. Palin’s perky soccer-mom attitude shrank in my eyes next to Biden’s account of single parenting after his wife and daughter’s deaths.

    Palin’s appearance takes attention away from her inexperience for some Americans, but sound resolutions to the present economy crisis outweighs her vanity. Biden’s experience includes over 30 years on the U.S. Senate. According to www.gov.state.ak.us, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as the mayor/manager of Wasilla, Alaska, before becoming governor. Please take note, the estimated population of Wasilla, Alaska, stands at 9,780 people. The United States Census Bureau estimates Monticello's population as 9,327 people.

    While other Americans may only look at age, race and gender to decide their vote, I see past the librarian glasses and well-kept hair. After this debate, the moose-hunting momma from Alaska only reminded me of former Vice President Dan Quayle when a sixth grader corrected him for misspelling “potato.” And who, at that time of Quayle’s blunder, served as president? B-U-S-H, the first! I think by now, we see the name Bush is synonymous with failure. Pathetic Palin and war-crazed John McCain promises to give Americans the same crap we have now, so think before you cast your vote Nov. 4.

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