There's been plenty of talk about how Sarah Palin creates a potential minefield for Joe Biden in the Veep debate. The expectations game is considered unwinnable. There are fears that a well-rehearsed GOP outrage squad will find something 'offensive' in one of Biden's answers.
The way to avoid all this? Debate Cheney.
Unlike the presidency, the Veep's job is built around the powers devolved to that office by the president, and the skills (and personality) of the person occupying it.
'Vice President' is a title, not a job description, and the worst mistake Biden can make is to think that Sarah Palin is competing for the same job that he wants within the Obama administration. If he does that, he elevates Palin, and that's a mistake.
The ideal lead-off in any debate:
The vice-presidency has two constitutional duties: be there to succeed to the presidency, and preside over the Senate. Beyond that, the responsibilities are what the President chooses them to be: no more, no less. What John McCain and Governor Palin have in mind, I'm in no position to judge. Governor Palin can talk about that tonight. I'm going to talk about what I hope to bring in support of Barack Obama.
Instead, Joe Biden needs to debate Dick Cheney. Lieberman* and Edwards had problems doing it in 2000 and 2004. This time, Cheney's malign presence isn't going to be onstage. But his shadow is, and Sarah Palin is, and forcing her to debate Dick offers tremendous upside for Democrats.
Why? Man-Sized Safe's approval ratings are significantly worse than Bush-- unless you're a rock-hard member of the GOP base. They still love him with a deep, burning, shoot-em-in-the-face passion.
Over the past couple of months, Cheney has been the dog that didn't bark in the campaign. For better or worse -- and I think we agree that it's worse -- he's changed the nature of the vice-presidency. Does Sarah Palin agree that the Veep is a 'fourth branch' of government, neither legislative nor executive? Does she plan to keep the OVP at its current staff levels? Does she think the OVP is beyond congressional scrutiny? What about those energy task force meetings-- would she follow Cheney's example? How much advice would she take from Cheney and Cheney's key staff members? What does she think about Scooter Libby?
Biden needs to turn every question in the Veep debate back towards Cheney, and force Palin to embrace, reject or prevaricate about his legacy. She's on the ticket because of her red-meat conservative orthodoxy, and while the mavericky choice would be to throw Dick under the bus, will she feel able to do so? Isn't that awfully... presumptuous?
Regardless of her answer, forcing Palin to discuss Cheney will foreground a contrast that, though equally disturbing for Democrats in terms of the presidential succession, will also force Republicans to discuss Palin as a successor to Cheney. Somehow, I don't think they're going to like that.