I’ll answer the question I wish you’d asked…

One of the most telling examples of how Palin represents more of the same “George Bush mentality” came tonight when she gave voice to the time-worn political adage: “I’ll answer the question I wish you’d asked, instead of what you did ask.” Usually, a politician doesn’t brag about the fact he or she doesn’t have to actually answer the question, but Palin brazenly staked out her claim to be non-responsive in a way that harkened back to Bogart’s Treasure of Sierra Madre.

‘Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!’

She did it again when she tried to circumvent global warming by saying she didn’t want to “argue” about it. That time, Biden called her on it, and to great effect! She did remarkably well tonight, considering that a “good” performance is probably one that doesn’t need substantial rewrite to wind up in an SNL script.

But Biden was excellent at the long, slow, deliberate process of remiding Americans why we’re where we are, and that McCain was instrumental in getting us here, and the instapoll numbers are bearing that out. Even on the Faux News website.