I think we need to have a talk about your numbering skillz.

Who says I have to go in order?

That element of the debate fascinated me a bit. I believe the "down home woman" routine is an embellishment. I believe it is part of the republican strategy to relate to a greater part of the population.

It really doesn't work for me, though, because in all of my public speaking endeavors I have never spoken the way Palin does. It insults me a bit as a professional woman. Then again, I am not a hockey mom, so I guess I am not a part of the targeted cohort.

But I digress. The thing that fascinated me about that part of the debate was Biden's response. While I don't begrudge Biden his experience and pain, I would guess he never would have brought that up in the debate until he needed to counter Palin's approach to relating to the average American family by talking about the discussions she has had around the proverbial kitchen table.

I would guess that Palin realized her bet got called and instead of raising, she folded by changing the subject and going in a new direction. That's her inexperience showing again.

She was out debated and this exchange was a good example of it.

I agree that as a(n) (almost) professional woman myself, that her choice of words and phrases when speaking insults me a little as well. Maybe that's my sticking point with her - I just don't understand why we would want her to be an example of American women to other nations. She certainly doesn't represent me. I like to believe that I sound a little more professional when I speak in front of people - and she is speaking in front of the entire country.

Should I, as a professional man, take offense if a man of power spoke the way Palin did? I don't believe I should and I don't believe you should be offended when the Republican pawn is begging for votes.

If said professional man was speaking that way deliberately as a way of relating to the perception he has of you, then yes, I think you should be offended.

There have been plenty of men in office who have spoken/speak like nitwits, so your point is well taken. I just think the difference is that those men weren't trying to imitate their perception of you at the time.

I guess I am more concerned about how she will represent our country to the world if in fact she did become vice president. Maybe she will change after all the votes are in ... I'm really not sure.

I never thought to consider the perception the rest of the world would gain of American women, if she were to become the vice president.

I now have reason #19.

She's pandering, no doubt. I think that has become McCain's m.o. as well in the last few years in terms of policy, because he wasn't like that before. I would still argue that the McCain of 2000 was someone worth voting for.