"Hey can I call you Joe?"

Recently, on October 2, 2008 I tuned into NBC to watch the Vice Presidential Debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin. This is the first ever political debate that I have watched, so it was a good learning experience for me. It shocked me that Governor Palin asked the question, “Hey can I call you Joe?” I think she did it to be humorous or folksy, but it came off to me as unprofessional.

I thought that Gwen Ifill, the moderator of the debate, did a good job and was fair and equitable on both sides. It was interesting to me that she was the only person that knew any of the subjects and questions, and that they were not shared with anyone dealing with the campaign or the commission on debates.

As for the specific questions that were asked, those brought up were good, but there were a lot of issues that were not even touched on. I would have liked to hear from the vice presidential candidates on issues concerning social security and more about solving the gas prices. Given the time constraints, I am sure Gwen Ifill had to think carefully and prioritize the list of questions. The first question asked was a good one to start on though. Gwen Ifill asked Senator Biden about the bail out bill, which was still currently being dealt with that night in the House of Representatives. Many people would ask what does this have to do with me, or how does this effect me? For years, some think that because the government has not regulated the amount of loans given out or who can receive loans, we are now being affected and punished for this not being watched more closely. Senator Biden responded with a good point that, “it’s neither the best or worst of Washington, but it’s evidence of the fact that the economic policies of the last eight years have been the worst economic policies we’ve ever had.”

This Vice Presidential Debate helped me realize how the media impacts our opinions on politics as well. I had not directly seen or heard anything from Governor Palin until I watched this debate. The only impression I had from her was the hype about her glasses and Tina Fay’s impressions of her on Saturday Night Live. After having an opinion put in my head from the media, it changed how I viewed her while I was watching the debate. Instead of having all biases put aside, I saw her as the soccer mom.

I do not believe that there was a clear winner or loser in this debate. Although Governor Palin often dodged the questions and did not directly answer them, I thought both sides made great points and responded well. I went into watching this debate with an open mind; I had an idea who I wanted to vote for, but was not sure. This Vice Presidential Debate taught me a lot and cleared many issues up, but it all comes down to the Presidential Candidates. After all, we are voting for our next President of the United States, not Vice President.