Saturday, Oct. 04, 2008

Our View: Veep debate meaningless

Biden, obviously, could step up if required; for Palin scripted responses give few clues.

The nation's first vice president, John Adams, once noted that the vice president "is nothing, but may be everything."

And indeed, one in five presidents has died in office or resigned, leaving the vice president to succeed him.

As Americans weigh the vice presidential candidates, the important question is: Can I see this person as a president?

Thursday's debate leaves that question pretty much where it was before the debate.

Few people doubted that Sen. Joe Biden, the vice presidential pick of Sen. Barack Obama, could step into that role. And nothing in the debate changed that. Biden is substantive and experienced on foreign policy and has thought deeply about the role of the vice president.

But from the time that Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, the question of her as a potential president has been at the forefront for people of all ideological stripes.

On what issues of national importance has Palin given deep, substantive thought? This debate did not answer that.

Palin is smart, a quick study and has the discipline to stay on message, qualities important for the ceremonial role of the vice president as a president's emissary.

But she has yet to offer deep insight on any substantive issue or to indicate what she would hope to do as vice president. Her scripted responses last night gave few clues about the qualities she brings as a possible president.

And Palin made it clear that she would simply not answer questions she's not comfortable with, saying early on that "I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also."

Normally, people don't vote for a president based on the vice presidential candidate. But McCain's candidacy raises the stakes.

The oldest presidents in American history have been William Henry Harrison, elected at 67, and Ronald Reagan, elected at 69. McCain, in good health today, is 72 years old.

So, what is always at the background -- in the selection of a vice president, Americans are choosing a possible president -- comes to the foreground this year.

Americans still must weigh their comfort level with the vice presidential candidates. The only vice presidential debate this election season didn't change that.

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