Past is Prologue

I came into work late this morning because I stayed in to watch the much anticipated Biden-Palin show off.  That, and to watch the Cubbies continue to frustrate their fans.

Anyhow, like most things political in the U.S. these days, I don't see this debate changing the landscape must.  As Denny Green said in a different context (coincidentally also in reference to a Chicago team), "they are who we thought they were." Folks' opinions are entrenched and it won't change - I thought Palin was under-qualified before and this performance just furthered that narrative in my mind.  

I'm not really a Biden fan, but I appreciated his homerun (or at least a triple) performance.  The media will latch onto things, like Palin's odd multiple winks to the nameless Americans behind the camera lens, and Biden's retort of "Past is prologue."

You'll likely hear that line quite a bit in the media analysis of things - the funny thing is, I would gather 75% of Americans don't exactly understand it.  I certainly don't.  I mean, I understood his intent given the context of the debate, and I've probably read more prologues than the average American, but such usage of the term "prologue" is wholly uncommon.  

The media will love it because most journos believe they are great writers trapped in a more pedestrian position.  To me, it just sounds like someone speaking over the average informed person's head.

On the flip, Biden spoke about his family some and paused a bit in the middle, due to the sadness in his heart, when he recounted the tragic death of his wife and two (?) children in an auto accident.  I paused a bit while listening to him.  

And yet again, I didn't know such personal history - but I sure know the background on Palin, her husband, her kids, and her in-laws.  The Dems really need to work harder at personalizing their candidates.