BY JOSHUA M. SMITH
Lions’ Pride Online Editor

Joe Biden and Sarah Palin

Both Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Delaware Senator Joe Biden delivered solid performances during Thursday night’s first and only Vice Presidential Debate, which was hosted by Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The media spotlight leading up to the debate was focused almost exclusively on Palin. As a relative newcomer to the national political scene, expectations for her performance were low going into the event.

However, the pressure on the self-described “hockey mom” could not have been higher.

After what many have called poor performances in one-on-one interviews with Charles Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS, Palin needed to show her ability to speak knowledgably and coherently on national issues. She was largely able to do just that in Thursday night’s debate.

Biden was also being watched carefully by media pundits. Many had suggested his characteristic knack for verbal gaffes meant he had to be more careful than usual with his words. Despite his propensity for such distractions in the past, Biden avoided any self-inflicted embarrassments during the debate.

Palin sought to emphasize her executive experience and her desire to reform Washington, which she likened to that of her running mate, Arizona Senator John McCain.

Biden focused on his decades in the U.S. Senate and the record of his running mate, Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Both vice presidential candidates took shots at each other during the course of the debate, though Palin’s tended to be sharper.

Early on, Biden made reference to the “Bridge to Nowhere,” a pork barrel project that Palin claimed to have opposed despite initially supporting the project. Palin did not take the bait, though, and the issue was never brought back up.

Palin hit Biden on his numerous criticisms of President George W. Bush, criticisms he tried to tie to McCain. “There’s a time, too, when Americans are going to say, ‘Enough is enough with your ticket,’ on constantly looking backwards, and pointing fingers, and doing the blame game,” said Palin.

Later, when Biden once again brought up the Bush administration, Palin pounced. “Say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You prefaced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future.”

Moderator Gwen Ifill, a senior correspondent and anchorwoman for PBS, had faced questions earlier in the week about her impartiality due to a book she is currently writing, titled “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.” However, her questions were for the most part substantial and never seemed fashioned to create a “gotcha” moment.

The next presidential debate will take place on Tuesday, October 7. It will feature a “town hall” format and will be hosted by Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.