When most columnists, talking heads, even bloggers watched Thursday's debate, there was a laser-like focus on Governor Sarah Heath Palin of Alaska.
Would there be a moose in headlights moment? No. Did she mollify some of her allies terrified of a repeat performance of the Couric interview? Yes. Did she disappoint some of her foes, hoping for the same? Yes. Her gaffes and her unsureness on policy were relatively minor compared to what some expected, feared or hoped.
But did she impress? Not exactly. Clearing the low bar set by the soft bigotry of expectations perhaps retarded her slide into political oblivion. But no one came away thinking she was an informed policy wonk or a strong leader.
But this was a debate that garnered 73.4 million viewers. And Sarah Palin wasn't the only candidate addressing those tens of millions.
There was also Senator Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. of Delaware on the stage.
Did he need to reassure the pundits he had a grasp of the issues? No. They already knew his almost encyclopedic base of knowledge. Did he need to remind him of his working class credentials? No. They already knew of them. Were some perhaps waiting for a gaffe that never came? Yes.
But Joe Biden wasn't just speaking to the pundits. On Thursday addressed what was likely the biggest audience he has ever had in his life. How did he do?
How did he do? Sen. Biden gave the best performance of his life. He did better than even that.
Joe gave the best debate performance in all of presidential politics in the past couple of decades.
Far better than McCain, Bush, Cheney. Better than Obama, Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman.
And an MSNBC poll bears that out. While this articlefocuses on Sarah Palin's improvements among women and her small uptick overall, her favorability rating rose from a pathetic 36 to a meager 41.
And Joe Biden's favorability rating? It went from a respectable 53 percent to an incredible 67 percent. About one in eight people who previously had no view or an unfavorable view of now have a favorable view of Joe Biden.
Two thirds of the American public now have a favorable opinion of Sen. Biden. That's right. Joe Biden is now the anti-Bush when it comes to favorability ratings. As many people now have a positive impression of Joe Biden as have a negative impression of George W. Bush.
The Diego/Hotline poll started with a much lower number, 41, but it shows a similar improvement, 12 points, once again, about one in eight Americans, up to 53.
How did he do it? Besides speaking strongly, forcefully and confidently, without any of the errors he's perhaps known for, he managed to convey two seemingly incompatible things.
He reminded people of his working class roots, his everyman status, his struggles as a single father and his constant trips to Home Depot to improve his biggest investment, his home. The kid raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania who still commutes to Wilmington everyday who has, incredibly, become an Elder Statesmen in the most exclusive of clubs, the United States Senate.
That's right. An Everyday Joe who is an Elder Statesman. An Everyday Joe who has met world leaders all around the world, not just for photo-ops but for meaningful discussions. An Everyday Joe who understands Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Sudan, the whole world community, and understands them as well as or better than just about any American. An Everyday Joe who understands tax policy, constitutional law, health care, criminal justice, the Supreme Court, and understands them as well or better than just about any American.
Is Joe Biden ready to be president and will he make a great vice president? There can be no doubt. None whatsoever. Senator John S. McCain III, erratic gambler, rolled the dice yet again on his vice presidential selection.
And after assembling the best campaign seen we've seen in along time, Senator Barack Hussein Obama has demonstrated his impeccable judgment yet again by making Senator Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. the first hire for his administration.