Joey from Scranton vs Sarah from Wasilla

In this classic battle royale, the scatter-brained, beauty queen mushmouth from Wasilla will take on the smiling, pompous windbag from the Hair Club for Men.

The conventional wisdom is that Biden will have to walk on eggshells to avoid appearing to be arrogant, condescending, or sexist.

I question that wisdom.

Did anybody listen to Governor Palin’s snide, whiny, sarcastic, nasty, shrill, cynical, extremist, trash-talking speech at the Republican National Convention in which she not only lied about her own record, but she also lied about Obama’s record and insulted the very idea of helping one’s own community?

Obviously, those weren’t her words, and all she did was read them, but they did come from her mouth. Amusingly, those were the last coherent words to come from her mouth during this campaign. Apparently, however, she’s known as a good debater in Alaska, which, I suspect is a lot like being the most accomplished pearl diver in North Dakota, in that the competition just isn’t there.

The real sexism here is that Senator Biden is expected to treat her with kid gloves.  The real sexism here is that Governor Palin was chosen purely based on her status as, ostensibly, a human female.

If Governor Palin is a rough and tumble, moose and wolf shooting, reforming, energy policy and foreign policy expert, why is a vigorous debate out of the question?

Why is a vigorous debate out of the question?  Because this is a sexist country, and that cuts both ways.  On the one hand, Palin is supposedly bright and experienced.  On the other hand, if Biden challenges her, he’s just a mean old man.  On the third hand sits poor Gwen Ifill, who the Republicans have prophylactically chided into a position where she has to treat their candidate with deference.

In the end, I suppose, Biden will have to brush off Palin’s attacks, ignore her ignorance, and focus on issues, as pundits much wiser than me are advising.  That’s the position the Democratic ticket is in right now.  The Biden/Obama ticket has a substantial lead, and is going to play a prevent defense the rest of the way.

If that’s the case, I must respectfully disagree with the tactics of my esteemed colleagues from the great States of Illinois and Delaware.

In politics, as in every other endeavour, you’re either on the offensive, or you’re on the defensive.

Fight on.

Tags: Alaska, Biden, Churchill, debate, Halcro, McCain, North Dakota, Obama, Palin