Sarah Palin was the focus. Would she falter and sputter or would she rise to the occasion. All the pundits, the media and the people were looking at Palin. They ignored biden, expecting him to give a decent showing and hope for a gaffe or two to add excitement. No question on his knowledge, sarah had the attention.
The real surprise of the VP debate was Biden's stellar performance. It went way beyond just stats and figures. Way beyond knowledge on external and internal affairs.
Joe Biden rose to the occasion in a way that was not expected. He did not just recite knowledge, he didn't just show his senate history and experience at debates. He opened himself up to the american people emotionally while keeping on message and making the contrast of the obama/biden ticket with the palin/mccain ticket.
He never faltered but he gave more than expected. Perhaps because the expectations for Palin were so low, we forgot that he needed to prove himself as well. He delivered but he delivered with passion and tears and love of the country. He spoke to the middle class, he spoke to the poor and he even spoke to all those doing well financially. He spoke to the single moms, he spoke to single dads and he spoke to the millions of couples trying to give the best life they can to their kids.
More importantly he showed he can cry with all those who struggle. He showed that he cares.
Now i knew this about Biden but the reason its the biggest surprise is the media (read public for low info voters) only concentrated on Palin. Biden was the afterhtought who would do fine.
Instead he outdid himself. Best performance i have ever seen him give. Far better than the pundeits expected because they had focused it all on Palin.
No one will every forget him choking up and saying "don't tell me i don't know what it is like to have a child you dont know will live. dont tell me i don't know the struggle of the single parent"
maybe im idealistic but Biden was the surprise of the night. Not that ther4e was doubt he could deliver. The surprise was that he delivered everything ms hockey mom was expected to have a lock on and all the rest too.