Reflections on Palin

While I want the McCain & Palin to be elected, my enthusiasm for that ticket diminishes each time I see Palin in action. With the exception of her speech at the Republican National Convention, she has not been an effective speaker. Her prepared answers are shallow, and when flustered her remarks border on incoherence. Her gestures are awkward (please, Governor Palin, stop with the raised left hand!), and she doesn't give off an air of either confidence or competence. Obviously this is grist for the opposition's mill, but it doesn't help with independent/undecided voters and doesn't inspire the base, either.

So Palin needs, without question, to work on her presentation skills. That said, let me offer several comments in her defense. First, there's surely an accent bias at play. Those of us who don't live in the South or in certain rural areas - like Alaska - expect politicians to sound a certain way; namely, the way almost everyone on TV sounds. If someone has a different sort of accent or verbal style, it can grate or lead us to look down our noses at the person. Second, it's obvious that Palin has to catch up on lots of issues, and that will take a little time. Until she does, then she has little choice but to offer up these canned answers. That she needs to catch up on some issues doesn't mean she's incompetent; other skills and areas where her knowledge is up to snuff can compensate, especially if she's a quick study. And third, a tu quoque: Biden has been a "gaffe machine" for years, and he hasn't shown any signs of abating. (Here's a piece from last year when Biden was running for the top of the ticket; for more recent "accomplishments" here's another, and another.)

This Thursday's debate is Palin's biggest - and probably last - chance to make a good impression on the American voting public. It would be a pleasant shock to see her hit it out of the park, but at this point a demonstration of competence, both on the issues and as a public speaker, would go a ways toward reversing the Republican slide in the polls.