Biden, Palin avoid expected pitfalls in face-off

In perhaps the most anticipated vice presidential debate in history, neither Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin nor Sen. Joe Biden (Del.) fell into the traps party and campaign officials had hoped or feared they would. 

Biden, with his reputation for verbosity or arrogance, avoided seeming condescending toward his opponent, focusing instead on hammering away at Republican presidential candidate John McCain's record, trying to the Arizona senator to the unpopular President Bush and largely avoiding direct engagement with Palin.

{mosads}Palin, who at one point asked: “How long have I been at this? Like five weeks?”, was forceful and aggressive as she went right at Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) records as she sought to refute any suggestions that she is not prepared to be commander-in-chief.

In their only debate, the two candidates sparred on a wide range of issues, from Iraq to energy policy to taxes.

For both, the debate was an extension of that between Obama and McCain, as the running mates served as surrogates for the presidential candidates’ records and arguments.

Palin did sidestep answering direct questions several times throughout the night, choosing instead to advocate the policies and attacks of McCain.

Biden found himself repeatedly defending himself and his running mate from charges leveled by the Alaska governor.

Palin’s goal throughout the debate seemed to try to connect with middle-class, average Americans. She appeared folksy from the start, asking the senator if she could call him “Joe.”

Discussing the Wall street bailout legislation, Palin challenged Americans to “commit ourselves, just every day American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars.”

Biden, on the other hand, focused on McCain, accusing him of voting against the issues Palin espoused and trying to tie the Republican ticket to Bush.

“The issue is, how different is John McCain’s policy going to be than George Bush’s? I haven’t heard anything yet,” Biden said. “I haven’t heard how his policy is going to be different on Iran than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy is going to be different with Israel than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy in Afghanistan is going to be different than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy in Pakistan is going to be different than George Bush's. It may be. But so far, it is the same as George Bush's. And you know where that policy has taken us.”

The candidates did spar on Iraq, where they both have sons either serving or getting ready to serve, with Biden arguing that “with all due respect, I didn’t hear a plan. Barack Obama offered a clear plan.” To that, Palin argued that the Obama-Biden plan is “a white flag of surrender in Iraq and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that’s for sure.”

Both campaigns were quick to claim victory after the debate.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Biden won "because he made a passionate case for change from the disastrous economic and foreign policies of the last eight years, and Sarah Palin defended them.

"While Gov. Palin blindly supports John McCain’s plan for more of the same policies that have devastated Main Street and let Wall Street run wild, Joe Biden spoke clearly and strongly about Barack Obama’s plan for a tax cut for the middle class, health care that is affordable, and an end to the war in Iraq," Plouffe said. "Tonight, the American people saw why Barack Obama chose Joe Biden, a statesman from Scranton who clearly has the experience and knowledge to be a great vice president."

McCain's communications director Jill Hazelbaker, however, said Palin "proved beyond any doubt that she is ready to lead as vice president of the United States."

"She won this debate, putting Joe Biden on defense on energy, foreign policy, taxes and the definition of change," Hazelbaker said. "Gov. Palin laid bare Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes, opposing the surge in Iraq, and proposing to meet unconditionally with the leaders of state sponsors of terror. The differences between the Obama-Biden ticket and the McCain-Palin ticket could not have been clearer. The American people saw stark contrasts in style and worldview. They saw Joe Biden, a Washington insider and a 36-year senator, and Gov. Palin, a Washington outsider and a maverick reformer. Gov. Palin was direct, forceful and a breath of fresh air."

The stage for next week’s presidential debate was set, as polls show Obama opening up a lead over McCain following two weeks of a dire financial crisis.