Have we evolved:

Last Thursday the one and only vice presidential debate for 2008 took place. What a let down it was to me, as well as most everyone who came over to my house to watch the performance. It came across as rehearsed and placid. It should be the case that the greatest nation on the planet could produce more engaging, high-flying and informative debates than what occurred. Relating directly to the vice presidential debate, have we evolved?

“You betcha we have not. Gosh darn it Joe, I didn’t even have time to blink on stage up there! I had too many gosh darn notes to scour through in order to dodge all those gosh darn questions,” Sarah Palin might say if she could respond to the question posed above.

What would Joe say about last Thursday? I couldn’t tell you really, just that he would mention his hometown Scranton about 47 times. I imagine he would probably tell me that people who own guns are mentally ill.

Which would be interesting, because I didn’t even ask him a question about Scranton or guns.

One of the primary issues with the debate was how frequently the candidates maneuvered around the questions. Which is fair enough, they are politicians after all. While that is the case, they are in a setting external to a press conference. They are there to discuss issues and to dig into policies and just as importantly, to dig into each other.

The purpose for the vice presidential debate has effectively diminished into nothing more than a dog and pony show. The prospective vice presidents get to hop up on stage and prance around like happy little monkeys.

You can go back and watch the early vice presidential debates. Watch specifically the debate between George Bush Sr. and Geraldine Ferraro. Bush debated against a female candidate. He attacked his opponent, he ridiculed his opponent and the best part was that she fired back. They argued about policy and they argued about issues. Hey, they freaking debated!

The biggest difference between the two “debates” was Bush and Ferraro argued, while Biden and Palin spoke at each other.

The 2008 debate was to show which candidate could appeal more to Middle America. Joe was nice to Sarah and he talked about his middle-class upbringing. Sarah was adorable and used a bunch of gosh darn rhetoric that appealed to the “average Joe six pack.” So, in terms of the vice presidential debate, have we evolved?

Verdict:  What do you think? Go to arbiteronline.com and voice your opinion.

BOB BEERS
OPINION EDITOR

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