In my post-debate wrap-up yesterday, I mentioned a threat that had been flung across the aisle at one point, caught in full by few except Biden, himself. He understood the threat perfectly and it evoked one of his wildest, most unhinged responses of the evening. Most people probably assumed he was just taking the opportunity to lash out at Cheney for whatever reason, but he and Palin were sharing a very different message.
We'll review the transcript first, then we'll go to the video and you can watch how easily this shotgun-barreled threat flows from her lips, and how easily the import of what she's really saying would be lost on anyone except those tuned into the buzzwordspeak of politics, and why it evoked Biden's somewhat deranged response.
Clever post title, eh?
The first volley:
PALIN: Of course, we know what a vice president does. And that's not only to preside over the Senate, and we'll take that position very seriously...
Yoicks! In Washingtonese, that's a real slap in the face because everyone (who's anyone) knows that the 'preside' part is merely figurative, yet she gives the impression to the nation that 'preside' means just what it says; the person wielding the gavel. If you asked people right after the debate was over:
"If Sarah Palin is the next VP, do you expect to see her presiding over the Senate every day with a gavel in her hand?"
Probably half of them would answer 'yes'. She's got 'em primed.
The next volley:
I'm thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it
Biden must have almost wet his pants. There are some rules the Old Guard plays by, and "The VP keeps his hands off the Senate" is one of them. If Palin takes office, we might see more than just a glass ceiling being shattered.
A few minutes later we get to the heart of the matter:
IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the Constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?
PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise-
Screeech!
Washingtonese Lesson #2: When the opposition refers to the Founding Fathers, do something! Anything! Quickly! Change the subject! Ponder aloud whether it's worth four hundred and eighty godzillion dollars to bring back more valuable moon rocks so we can penetrate the mysteries of the universe. Turn to the moderator and say, "But what about global warming, Jim?" Anything!
And that brings us to the crux of the issue:
-in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility...
Using the words "Constitution" and flexibility in the same sentence? Biden's internal warning bells must have been clanging like crazy.
Now pay particular attention to the use of the word "we" in the following, and what outside entity she then refers to, and the import of that initial exclusion:
...there in the office of the vice president, and we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that [Constitutionally-flexible] position, ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda...
Note how she's distancing her office from McCain's. In the above, for perhaps the first time in the campaign, he's not part of "we." She'll be happy to work with him on this or that 'agenda', but otherwise — look out. She's a busy gal with things to do, and she'll be delighted to use these new-found (not to mention flexible) vice-presidential powers to do them with.
What she's ultimately saying to Biden is that he'd better watch his step or Mama Palin just might start exercising some of these Constitutionally-flexible powers in that precious Senate of his. The message was clear:
You think Chaney was bad, Joe? Watch this.
And Biden's strong response?
While this stuff just rolls off their tongues like it's the most natural thing in the world when they speak it out loud, look how extreme it appears in print:
BIDEN: Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history.
I can only think that his political survival instincts kicked in at the last second so he could slip that awkward "probably" in there, but when you call someone who could very well be sitting right there in the same room "the most dangerous" anything, that's known as coming unglued. And to say such a rude and disparaging thing about a sitting vice president of this great country of ours, regardless of political persuasion?
Say it ain't so, Joe.
And on to the video. Again, watch how delightfully this stuff dances off Sarah's lips. You can picture the average viewer thinking she's just droning along with more "I'll fix everything" chatter as his mind drifts from this to that, but phrases like "Constitutional flexibility" and "if one so chose to exert it" are 500-lb bombs being lobbed into the enemy's camp. That Biden stopped just short of calling for Cheney's assassination was indicative of how seriously he took the whole thing.
The full exchange is here, about 9:40 in.
Exit question:
If you were the vice president of the United States and you heard that some two-bit senator had called you one of the most dangerous vice presidents in history and you decided that you might as well prove him right, how would you go about it?
"Vice President Cheney! Vice President Cheney! Why are you personally overseeing the FBI's raid of Senator Biden's office?"
"I'm here to assure the American public that this is the land of liberty and that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, no matter what the overwhelming evidence says."
"Can you be more specific?"
"No, I'm afraid releasing any more information regarding Senator Biden's mob connections would only hurt his day in court."
"Thank you, Vice President Cheney!"
"You're very welcome."
Well, one can always dream.
