Restateing the role (or lack there of) of the Vice Presidential candidate

While some (Including William L. Benoit and David Airne) argue that Vice Presidential debates have some impact on the election we must remember that, as Dr. Pimpare has states numerous times, people don't vote for the name that is second in line when it comes time to step into the booth, they vote for the name at the top of the ticket.



Today's New York Times recalled the scene of Matthew Dowd (President Bush's chief strategist in 2004 who was working for Senator Lloyd Bentsen in 1988) sitting between Al Gore and Dick Gephardt watching the debate between Vice Presidential candidates between Bentsen and Dan Quayle.
Dowd recounts:

“We were sitting in the audience, I was sitting between Al Gore and Dick Gephardt, and everyone was like ‘Oh that’s, great, great, but it didn’t matter anymore. You’re 30 days or so out and people are stating to look at the presidential candidates. The race had formed.”

Although I do agree with the general rule that these debates, and vice presidential candidates in general, don't have a huge impact on the ultimate outcome of the election, sometimes the candidates have an opportunity to have an impact, and Sarah Palin had, and lost, a golden opportunity last night. As Barack Obama continues to widen the gap between himself and John McCain, Ms. Palin could have helped the Republican ticket greatly and simply didn't take advantage of this great opportunity.
As Mr. Dowd stated:

"You’re in a race right now that is beginning to solidify into a five- or six-point Barack Obama lead, and each day forward with lead holding is not a good day for McCain. It doesn’t contribute to what they really need to do. They have just a little over 30 days to start to make up some serious ground, at a time when people are already starting to vote.”

It is because of this ground that must be made up that an "adequate" performance by Ms. Palin just wasn't good enough. Many people (myself included) were bracing for the worse because there is always potential (see Katie Couric interview) for Ms. Palin to do something catastrophic, and she didn't do that last night, but she also didn't perform like the Republican Party needed.

With the hole the Republican Party is in right now it will be a long and tough month for McCain and Palin and it seems that they need to start making up ground soon. I think that the turning point could come at the next presidential debate, and I hope that Mr. McCain doesn't dig a deeper hole so that we have some sort of race come election day.