COMM 386: Palin as debater

Former Alaska state Rep. Andrew Halcro, who ran against Gov. Sarah Palin when she was elected governor in 2006, has an article at http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.html in the Christian Science Monitor. His head and subhead say it all:

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DEBATE SARAH PALIN
I know firsthand: She's a master of the nonanswer.

Halcro tells two little stories that capture what it's like. The first:

On April 17, 2006, Palin and I participated in a debate at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks on agriculture issues. The next day, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner published this excerpt:

"Andrew Halcro, a declared independent candidate from Anchorage, came armed with statistics on agricultural productivity. Sarah Palin, a Republican from Wasilla, said the Matanuska Valley provides a positive example for other communities interested in agriculture to study."

Note that the paper didn't list any of Halcro's specifics. The second story is even more telling:

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.

"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

Palin's question is a good one for us all: Does any of this really matter?