VP Debate and Disillusionment

I watched the debate between Biden and Palin from beginning to end. What a waste of time. Media hacks and the producers of Saturday Night Live did get what they fervently hoped for--a gaffe of historic proportions by Palin. For 90 minutes I saw two politicians put on act when I had expected a debate. I knew the format was made for TV sound bites and prevented the candidates from providing any answer in detail. Yet I hoped, as I always do, for answers that contained substance. I also hoped that the issue of disability rights would be raised but it was only mentioned once in passing. Gosh, I am hopelessly naive.

Over coffee this morning one thing struck me: the debate last night was not a debate. The moderator asked some good questions that were rarely if ever answered. Palin and Biden acknowledged the moderator question and quickly produced a statement that had nothing to do with what was asked. These pre-packaged and scripted replies have been uttered hundreds of times and were ever so safe. No emotion, feeling, or passion was evident. The end result was the debate was boring, devoid of meaning and a waste of time. This only highlights what I wrote yesterday--our political system and elected officials are a class apart unaware, unable, or unwilling to address the pressing issues that affect most Americans.