While change and the middle class were the focus of both candidate's attentions, Biden spoke of tangible change, while Palin refused to concede any ground and linked herself and her running mate further with the Bush administration. When asked if there were any promises McCain had made during his campaign that he could not keep today, Palin replied with a resounding no. Biden willingly admitted to needed work, indicating to the public a level of flexibility and readiness to work with the changing times that the McCain campaign lacks.
Both candidates touched on a variety of different topics towards which they have fundamentally different viewpoints, including the financial and energy crises, the war in Iraq, and gay marriage. Palin, for example, emphasized drilling in Alaska as McCain's solution to the nation's dependance on foreign oil, citing the public's chant of "drill baby drill" as proof of the need to do so. Biden looked beyond our own borders and what our country alone has to offer, pressing instead the need for alternative energy investment.
The war also carried weight within the debate, giving Biden more opportunity to link the McCain/Palin campaign to the Bush administration and refute the Republican Party's claim of bringing change to Washington. Palin stated the "we don't need early withdrawal" while Biden criticized McCain's "no end in sight" plan.
Palin's attempts to appear colloquial and appeal to the middle class came through in her repeated references to "soccer moms," her small business in Alaska, and her use of informal, conversational language. Her positions were argued better than was expected, but Biden's passion and informed nature won the county over.
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