Palin Comparison - To What?

Remember Teddy Ruxpin? Or all the versions of Elmo, the Muppet? You know, the toys on which you'd pull a cord and they'd talk? Or CP3O of Star Wars fame where all his knowledge came from implanted chips? That's what Sarah Palin reminded me of last night.

Giving credit where credit is due, her handlers deserve an A+ for preparation. When told she was formidable as a debater, it was believed with good reason. She raised the bar for herself.

Yet, as in the now infamous Couric interviews, she either speaks a volume of words without saying anything or she skillfully turns a question she doesn't know the answer to into one on which she can expound without saying, again, anything. She was well rehearsed and rote. I can just hear her coaches exhorting her to, "Drill, baby, drill!"

All my snarkiness aside, I'm still left with the uneasy feeling that there is no there there unless it's planted. She is no orator, she drops all her "g"s and her folksiness may wash with those who elected her mayor but I don't see it playing well on the world stage.

I think it was unfair that Joe Biden had to restrain himself for fear of appearing sexist; beating up on the poor girl. That he did to the extent he did was most admirable. He addressed her as Governor. She addressed him as Joe. It reminded me of the folksy Bush and his "Yo! Blair!" comment.

They say the Vice Presidential debate is basically inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. I hope that is true. I'm aware of lots of attractive young women who are personable and quick studies who are not Vice Presidential material. Sarah Palin is one of them.

I'm hearing from more and more women that they have a feeling of having been betrayed. Insulted, actually, that with all the able women to choose from that this woman was the Republican candidate's choice.