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Tonight's Vice Presidential Debate: Three Predictions, One Recommendation


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Just to set the table for tonight's one and only vice presidential debate between Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden, here are three predictions... and one recommendation...

PREDICTION ONE: This debate will end up drawing the most viewers of any vice presidential debate in history. Not only that, it'll outdraw the first John McCain-Barack Obama debate, and the two others to come, as well.

PREDICTION TWO: No matter what happens, Biden will be criticized in some quarters of sexist behavior, charged with being either too condescending or too harsh towards Palin.

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PREDICTION THREE: No matter what happens, moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS wil be criticized in some quarters of sexist behavior of her own, charged with being either too gentle or too harsh with Palin or Biden.

RECOMMENDATION ONE: As soon as the debate is over, run through the channels like you're playing a video game. Speed counts. Listen, and listen fast, to what they have to say at the broadcast and cable networks -- and at BBC America. It all matters, and it all will be, at the very least, interesting.

But whatever you do, watch this damned thing tonight. TV doesn't get much more important than this...

2 Comments

Of course, the audience would be just about guaranteed to be larger than that of last week's Friday night debate simply because it is scheduled for Thursday night, when the television audience is larger. But yes, it could be huge!

Comment posted on October 2, 2008 3:59 PM
Susan said:

No television series could possibly have a more improbable story line than we have seen in this campaign. Cracking the glass ceiling, a war hero, an idealistic reformer, family drama - and a great new Saturday Night Live character parody is born!

What will happen? I don't know the answer - can I get back to you on that?

You can bet I'm watching tonight!

Comment posted on October 2, 2008 7:01 PM

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David Bianculli

Behind David in the picture is the first TV owned by his father, Virgil Bianculli, a 1946 Raytheon. (The TV, not his father. His father was a 1923 Italian.)

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air, occasional substitute host for that show's Terry Gross, and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His most recent book is 2009's Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' and he's at work on another.

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