Thursday, October 2, 2008

VP Debate

I listened to the Vice Presidential Debate this evening and it was another big yawn. Both candidates did their very best to follow all the talking the points and to hit every single campaign slogan they have. I know that the polling shows that Biden was the winner but for me neither one said or did anything that was all that important or new. Lets face it people aren't going to make up their minds about president based on what the vice presidential candidates say. We vote for president not vice president.

The experience issue keeps coming up and it is a bogus issue. When Franklin Roosevelt picked Harry Truman as his Vice president it was not to round out the ticket or to cover a weakness FDR had. He picked Truman because he was a Senator and WW1 veteran and was younger than FDR's previous VP. Truman was told nothing and did nothing until FDR died. When he became president he didn't know about the Manhattan Project or much about the war plans that were being used. In spite of this handicap and lack of experience I believe that most Americans would say that Harry Truman did a pretty good job. So, boys and girls, lets put this bogus issue to bed and leave it there.

The candidates this evening spoke long and loud about the issues and what they would do. But other than break ties in the Senate the vice president has no other constitutional job unless the president gives them one or the president dies. That's it and Gwen Ifill didn't ask them any questions about tie breaking or being ready.