The vice-presidential debate

Andrea Bernstein, who attended the vice-presidential debates, is on "The Takeaway" to help unpack what the two candidates said.

Republican vp nominee Sara Palin’s tone was all about linking herself to the problems of the ordinary Americans: "Let’s commit ourselves, just everyday, American people — Joe sixpack, hockey moms across the nation — I think we need to ban together and say, ‘never again’, never will we be exploited and taken advantaged of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars. We need to make sure that we demand from the Federal government strict oversight of those entities in charge of our investments and our savings."

Bernstein says expectations were low for Palin, and she presented herself well — she stood straight and tall, she looked straight into the camera.

Joe Biden on the other hand, seemed not to know exactly how to present himself — he seemed subdued, talking slowly, and talking to the audience, which meant he wasn’t looking straight into the camera.

However, when it came to the actual debating, he was disciplined in his responses, and kept on track about middle-class America: "The economic engine of America is the middle-class — it’s the people listening to this broadcast — when you do well, America does well, even the wealthy do well — this is not punitive. John wants to add $300 billion dollars in new tax cuts per year, for corporate America and the very wealthy."

Biden stuck to what he knew, and went into detail about policy; and while she came across as somewhat savvy, Palin only went into specifics when it came to energy independence, which was clearly a topic she liked.

"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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