The key to Palin's "success" in Thursday's debate

The moderator, Gwen Ifill, explains how Sarah Palin appeared competent during last Thursday's "debate."



As Matt Corley at Think Progress explains it:

"During the vice presidential debate on Thursday, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced that she “may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear.” In fact, “On at least 10 occasions, Palin gave answers that were nonspecific, completely generic, pivoted away from the question at hand, or simply ignored it.” "

So Palin survived the largest test of her life and of her campaign for the Vice Presidency without committing one of her trade-marked "Moose in the headlights" ® moments.

But John McCain selected Sarah Palin to fill the job of Vice President of the United States if he is elected President. The debate was merely one roadblock Palin had to overcome to reach that job. Palin's debate performance does not indicate any competence for either becoming President or for casting the vote in the Senate to break a tie. Those are the only functions of the Vice President.

Do Americans really want someone as President who looks at a problem America faces, says "Hey! I don't want to decide whether to go to order a nuclear strike on Iran or not. But I'm an experienced Mom! I'll just decide whether or not to pack cookies in the kid's lunch!" or to break a Senate tie vote: "I don't want to vote on issue A. I'll vote (for/against) issue B because I understand it."

But the superbly coached Sarah Palin did pass the test of the debate (with no follow-up questions) without giving her right-wing extremist supporters another heart attack. She is now going to be an irrelevancy in the remaining 30 days until the election.

[ h/t to Steve Benen at the Political Animal. ]