Ready for the big chair?
Biden and Palin didn’t get to this debate by winning primary votes; they got picked by the guys who did. They still have to pass the “commander in chief test” with voters and that can be decided, in part, by their debate performance. There’s a reason voters should want to know: Nine vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency because of the death or resignation of their political patron. This is where Palin may have the most difficult task. She hasn’t held a news conference since becoming McCain’s running mate and has done interviews with ABC, CBS, Fox News Channel, People and Alaskan news outlets. Her sit-down talks with TV networks did little to shore up her credibility on policy issues. Palin hedged when ABC’s Charles Gibson challenged her on the Bush administration’s policy of pre-emptive strikes known as “the Bush Doctrine.” In the CBS interview, Palin haltingly told Katie Couric that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gave her experience in foreign policy — an exchange skewered by
