Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Palin takes a dig at Biden's age, but it was obviously scripted

It's been a couple of weeks since I've written anything about Sarah Palin. Truthfully, there really isn't much to write.

But I have to question something she said last week to Katie Couric that was broadcast today, and which she also said at a rally in Ohio.

She said she has been listening to Joe Biden's speeches since she was in the second grade.

The original comments came at an Ohio rally Monday, when Palin told the cheering crowd, "I'm looking forward to meeting [Biden] too, I've never met him before — but I've been hearing about his senate speeches since I was in, like the second grade."

Hmmm. My kids are pretty politically in tune, but I can guarantee you that when they were in the second grade they did not turn on C-SPAN II so they could listen to Senate speeches.

And somehow Palin just doesn't come across as that wonkish to me.

So this line was obviously inserted. Palin, 44, is clearly trying to take a swipe at the age of Biden, who is 66.

But I don't see how she wins on that at all. For one thing, the vice President only becomes President if the President doesn't finish his term. And Obama is 47. For another thing, if Biden, at 66 is old, then what about John McCain, who is six years older than Biden?

It is true that Biden and McCain are statistically speaking more likely to not make it through the next four years than are Obama and Palin. But put it this way-- suppose that in the next four years McCain and Biden both go to meet their maker. In that case, would you rather have elected this year's Democratic ticket, or this year's Republican ticket?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't know Joe Biden was making Senate speeches that were worth noting in Alaska back in his first year in the Senate. Heck, I lived in Delaware, was in middle school when Biden won his Senate seat, and had a Biden button during that '72 campaign and I don't remember paying attention to any speeches Biden made in his first year in the Senate.

Zach said...

I think this comment has been blown out of proportion. I don't necessarily think that it was meant as a quip about his age. More likely, it was meant to be a dig at his status as a Washington insider.

At the same time, I think that either way, the running mates should take a look at their Presidential candidates before they dig into each other too hard.

Biden shouldn't dwell too much on Palin's inexperience, and perhaps age or length of political career is not the best place for Palin to be basing her attacks. Just saying...

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