Palin bombs in St. Louis

I have been wracking my brain all morning trying to think of what it was Sarah Palin reminded me of during the debate last night.

A. One of the Stepford Wives, the one with the bad wiring that showed up in a continuous eye twitch.
B. A toy one of my kids had that uttered about twenty phrases when you pulled a cord in its back, and that finally wore down to the point that it said only the same four things over-and-over-and-over again.
C. A character on a recent TV show that was all superior brain and regurgitated so much data in such a rote and precise manner that another character reached out and touched his cheek saying, "Oh, you feel just like a human".

Then it came to me. Toastmasters. She reminded me of a woman I was in Toastmasters with years ago. The same glib, facile, breeziness which utterly avoided the questions. The same tin ear to nuance and shifting focus and rhythm of the debate. The same brittle, I'll rip your heart out and stomp on it, but be so sweet and cute while I'm doing it that you will think I'm just adorable. Wink, wink.

I think that woman managed a small-loan company that eventually went bankrupt because she embezzled all its money through fake loans to herself, family and friends.

That's it, toastmasters. It was like I was watching an accomplished, poised and polished, professional leader of world-class stature dispose of an annoying amateur put forth by the local Jaycees to debate adding a swimming pool to the community playground. No, it wasn't a train wreck, "Fer sure!" It was more like watching the Globetrotters dismantle one of those pick up teams of stiffs they use for props in their games. Swish from half-court. An upside down, hook-shot off the rafters, onto the bleachers, off the wall and nothing but net! Swish! Swish! Swish!

The wing-nuts are all over themselves today because the poor hapless woman managed to string together several simple declarative sentences without drooling down her chin or swallowing her tongue. Never mind that everything that came from her mouth was memorized, and rehearsed, and quite often thrown in gratuitously without any reference to the questions from Iffil, or statements, or responses from Biden.

It was as though she had learned it, "By Golly!", and she knew it needed to be inserted somewhere, and "Heck!" right now is as good a time as any. Nevermind nuance, debate flow, or relevance....I'm supposed to say it, and I'm saying it now before time runs out or I forget it.

Biden, as did Obama in the first debate, came across as smart, knowledgeable, in command, poised and a decent, warm, and caring person. He allowed her enough tether to wrap herself in a Gordian Knot of mis-applied accusation, untruths, and vituperation.

Overnight and early polling and focus groups declare Biden the winner. But, beyond that, the debate moved many undecideds towards Obama/Biden. McCain/Palin were not helped.

Biden treated us to a master class on debate last night. I can hardly wait to watch SNL and see how Tina Fey treats it.

"Oh golly", it will be funny. wink, wink.