Well, Her Suit Was Really Pretty. Also.

On days when the ol' job gets a little bit crazy, I like to go for a quick walk down the street. Yesterday was just one such day, and it was Farmer's Market to boot, so I decided to stroll down Nicollet Mall and enjoy looking at all the fresh produce and pretty flowers.

Unfortunately, too mesmerized by the sights, I wasn't watching where I was going and looked up at exactly the wrong moment and made eye contact with the person I've been avoiding for weeks.

The eager voter registration volunteer.

I hate being asked the inevitable question: "Have you registered to vote?" I'm incapable of lying when asked a direct question, so I invariably mumble, "No." But I can't just keep walking. I absolutely must defend myself. I am not some apathetic 30-something who thinks her vote won't matter anyway, so why bother. So they look at me expectantly and I say with a sigh, "I can't vote. I'm not a U.S. citizen."

(And of course, I get back a look of confusion and outrage - how-is-it-that-you-are-here-as-you-are-clearly-employed-and-where-are-the-deportation-police-when-we-need-them - as they back away and nervously say, "well, heh heh, make sure you register when you become one," or "I guess that makes it difficult for you to vote....")

Except yesterday, the would-be-register's friend stepped forward and pulled me closer and said, "wait a minute."

"Has anyone ever told you that you look Just. Like. Sarah. Palin?!"

Which is kind of like saying to someone, "hey, your haircut makes you look just like Forrest Gump!" or "ooo, nice beehive, Peggy Hill."

Now I'll admit, I had my hair pulled back halfway and was rocking the sideswept bangs and rimless glasses, but, former beauty-queen notwithstanding, it wasn't my best moment yesterday. Although perhaps that means I also look like Tina Fey. Which would be okey-dokey by me as she is both smart and hot.

So anyway, the debate. I was actually more worried about Biden. That man is crrrrazy and his unpredictability had me very, very nervous. But Joe B came through - he was steady, reassuring, knowledgeable, and I had no fear that he wouldn't make an excellent Number One.

Palin, though. Well, I suppose it could have been worse. And in the whole "if you can't say anything nice" vein, I suppose I could say that it's the best I've ever heard her speak.

But I can't say the whole down-home-"G"-droppin'-winkin'-cutesy attitude endeared her towards me. Worse still was her maddening refusal to answer any question posed and substitution instead of the few talking points she was able to memorize.

What it really came down to for me was when both candidates were asked to detail a time when they changed an opinion or something they believed in (sorry, paraphrasing, too lazy to find a transcript).

Joe Biden recalled a time when he had judged someone prematurely and turned a former failing into a catalyst for personal growth.

Sarah Palin? "I've never compromised." (Again, paraphrasing.)

Realizing you were wrong is not a "compromise" and it's certainly not something to hide. It takes a lot of guts and real self-assurance to admit one's mistakes. Only arrogant fools truly believe that they have never (or, more tellingly still, have never been in a position where they should have) backed down.

And it is this arrogance and this refusal to acknowledge even the possibility that she could be wrong that scares me about her. America's reputation in this world is badly damaged, and it is exactly because of this arrogance. Her oozing superiority and sense of entitlement would be annoying in a tourist abroad; it would be potentially devastating if brought into delicate foreign relations.

So, as petty as it is, the best I can say is that I really liked her suit. I'll bet it would look good on me. Seeing as how I look like her and all.

(An aside: I'm very glad I wasn't playing a drinking game last night whereby I took a swig everytime she uttered the words "also" or "maverick." Or "Washington insider." Although maybe those words work better if one is halfway through a "Joe Six-Pack.")