Dressed debates

Even as she winked at me, Sarah Plain did not brag about dressing a moose last night. She has shot and killed a number of these large beasts and assures us that she has dressed – that is, butchered - them, but last night she killed and butchered the American Presidential Debates as we’ve known them since 1960. In front of what will be the most people ever to watch the vice presidential candidates square off, she ended these hokey dog and pony shows for all time, and nobody seemed to care. Certainly, I don’t give a moose’s butt.

While the demise of the debates looked like just one woman in a moose blind, it was the cynical McCain campaign that held the beast as spunky Sarah put one between its eyes.

Ever since the nation was transfixed as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon battled it in an overheated TV studio, candidates have worked to undermine the system and deliver their messages de jour. But always these corruptions of the system could be written off as gaffs, unintended mistakes or lapses. Last night was different. Sarah Palin flat out said that she had no intention of abiding by these silly, hoary rules.

Governor Palin told her opponent, `Joe’, moderator, Gwen Ifill, the live audience in St. Louis and the mega-millions watching in TV land that: “I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I’m going to talk straight to the American people.” AND SHE DID for ninety minutes – and effectively at that.

Sarah Palin had no intention of debating Joe; she was going to check off her talking points one by one and the debate system be damned. AND SHE GOT AWAY WITH IT.

Actually, if she hadn’t killed off the system, she would have been a joke, but as she blasted away, it became clear that this was a successful strategy. Obviously, the dam has failed and whenever it suits the purposes of future candidates for president or VP, they no longer have to even pretend that they’re in a debate. Just let it rip and to hell with the commission that runs those silly talk shows anyway.

Both candidates satisfied their bases – draw. Back to the top of the tickets for the main event.

I had only one quarrel with Palin’s talking points. Her rant on global warming was completely ridiculous, illogical and stupid. I would hope that whoever wrote this element would try again, but it’s not likely since she got away with that one too.

The governor acknowledged global warming was real. She then said that it might well be simply a product of normal cyclical climate factors. So far so good; this is the normal argument for those who do not acknowledge the human impact on warming. After stating her reservations about human impact, she then said that we had to do something about carbon emissions. Why?

If our power plants, cars, furnaces, etc. and their obvious emissions are not adversely impacting global climate change, why on God’s green earth would you care how many tons of CO2 we’re blowing into the sky? Isn't it harmless? And why would you spend trillions to stop the emissions or clean up coal or whatever? So if the handlers are among the tens of thousands reading this electronic rag, please re-write that little section of the speech. It would help me sleep. Thanks.

Frankly, these debates don’t serve much of purpose, and after last night, they’ll e even less useful. No heroic resuscitation efforts, please.

And I ain’t b.s.n’ ya.