Newswise — There have only been seven vice presidential debates in U.S. history, starting in the 1976 presidential campaign. Thus, as Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska approach their debate on October 2, 2008, history offers few firm "rules" to guide them. They will only meet in one debate, unlike the three presidential-level debates, so this is their one joint performance before a national audience.
Past vice presidential debaters have gained audience applause and wide praise when they have spoken quickly to attack a claim they considered exaggerated or insulting. In 1976, when Senator Bob Dole said that Democrats had started all the wars in the twentieth century, Senator Walter Mondale said that Dole had a richly deserved reputation as a "hatchet man." In 1984, when Vice President George H. W. Bush said he would try to be helpful and explain a point in foreign policy to Representative Geraldine Ferraro, Ferraro said that she resented his "patronizing attitude." In 2004, when Vice President Cheney said that Senator John Edwards had a thin record in his one term in the Senate, Edwards turned to Cheney's record as a Congressman from Wyoming, reporting that he had voted against a long list of beneficial and popular programs, such as Head Start and Meals on Wheels.
The vice presidential debaters can also learn from the presidential debates, as the face-to-face exchanges have much in common. In both situations, the candidates benefit from studying the prior debates and speeches of their opponents, so they can anticipate their words and strategies. Mondale said he was ready for Dole's statement about "Democrat wars," because Dole had used those words before, and thus he prepared an answer. In 1988, vice presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen knew that his Republican opponent Senator Dan Quayle had compared himself to President John Kennedy in earlier speeches, and he was ready with a stinging reply.
Comparisons with the 1984 vice presidential debate (the first with a woman candidate), and the 2004 vice presidential debate (which had the same moderator as in 2008, Gwen Ifill of PBS), may be instructive. In 1984, Representative Ferraro reported that as she prepared for the debate, she felt enormous pressure to represent women voters, as she was the first woman to run for vice president. She also realized that she needed to introduce herself effectively in the debate, as she represented a New York Congressional district and was not well known nationally. There are parallels to Palin in 2008, who is only the second woman nominated for the vice presidency, and until her nomination in late August, was not known to most Americans. She has referred in speeches and interviews to her appreciation of earlier women leaders such as Ferraro, and her own desire to speak effectively for women.
In both 2004 and 2008, the vice presidential debate took place less than a week after the first presidential debate, and that sequence of events shaped expectations. In 2004, the Democratic candidate, Senator John Kerry, was seen as the winner of the first debate against President George W. Bush. That win gave hope to Democrats that Kerry might overtake Bush in the polls. Edwards, a first term U. S. Senator from North Carolina and former trial lawyer, had been one of the top three candidates in the Democratic primaries. However, he was not as well known nationally, and there were doubts about how he would handle questions on foreign policy and national security against Vice President Cheney. His debate performance was judged in the polls as sufficiently strong that he did no harm to Kerry's momentum.
In 2008, most polls show that Senator Barack Obama gained support after the first debate. Thus, the Democrats hope that Senator Biden can maintain that momentum in the vice presidential debate. In contrast, Senator McCain did not win as much positive reaction as Obama in the first debate, and has recently slipped in the polls. Thus, the Republicans hope that Governor Palin's debate performance will help to reverse McCain's decline.
The typical vice presidential campaign role is to promote the campaign agenda of the presidential candidate, and particularly to attack the opposition. That role was certainly evident in the 2004 debate, when Cheney and Edwards attacked each other's records and policies, with Cheney having to defend the Republican administration as well. This attack role is likely to be evident in the Biden-Palin debate, particularly by Palin. The McCain campaign, for example, has said that Palin will attack Obama's liberalism, trying to put Biden on the defensive.
Finally, in 2008, the recent short and intensive scrutiny of Palin in television interviews has led to many news stories and columns and comedy show parodies questioning whether she is ready to be president. While voters generally make their choice based on who is running for president, not vice president, the extensive publicity, curiosity, excitement, and criticism about this candidate guarantee a large audience for the debate. Both of the vice presidential candidates need to be perceived as having adequate leadership qualities. They have been working hard to prepare for the debate, and hope for a strong performance. But their main goal will be to do no harm to their campaigns.
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