The Vice Presidential Debate Presidential Politics

Governor Palin didn’t freeze in the headlights. Senator Biden didn’t ramble on in Senate-speak. Both candidates did a good job. Both candidates beat expectations. If you liked your candidate going into this debate, you liked your candidate at the end of the debate. Joe Biden was my candidate going into this debate, and I like him even more now. He is experienced, solid, and sober, yet passionate, thoughtful, and touchingly human.

You're very kind suggesting my only Achilles Heel is my lack of discipline.

Others talk about my excessive passion. I'm not going to change. I have 35 years in public office. People can judge who I am. I haven't changed in that time.

And, by the way, a record of change -- I will place my record and Barack's record against John McCain's or anyone else in terms of fundamental accomplishments. Wrote the crime bill, put 100,000 cops on the street, wrote the Violence Against Women Act, which John McCain voted against both of them, was the catalyst to change the circumstance in Bosnia, led by President Clinton, obviously.

Look, I understand what it's like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder what it's like if your kid's going to make it.

I understand what it's like to sit around the kitchen table with a father who says, "I've got to leave, champ, because there's no jobs here. I got to head down to Wilmington. And when we get enough money, honey, we'll bring you down."

I understand what it's like. I'm much better off than almost all Americans now. I get a good salary with the United States Senate. I live in a beautiful house that's my total investment that I have. So I -- I am much better off now.

But the notion that somehow, because I'm a man, I don't know what it's like to raise two kids alone, I don't know what it's like to have a child you're not sure is going to -- is going to make it -- I understand.

I understand, as well as, with all due respect, the governor or anybody else, what it's like for those people sitting around that kitchen table. And guess what? They're looking for help. They're looking for help. They're not looking for more of the same.

It was the man not in the room who is pulling the GOP ticket down, namely President George W. Bush, whose approval rating is reaching new lows. If we had found those supposed WMD’s in Iraq, if we had been greeted as liberators, if we still had the confidence of the world that we once had, if the Dow was hitting 16,000 instead of falling below 11,000, if the government was running the surplus it was running eight years ago, if we weren’t on the verge of a financial meltdown and a deep recession, then President Bush wouldn’t be the anchor around the ankles of the GOP that he is.

Given all that, the Obama-Biden ticket is on track to bring a welcome change to the country. I will sleep better when Barack Obama is President and Joe Biden is Vice President.

Leo Brown | October 2, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: The Vice Presidential Debate Presidential Politics

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