Palin Dissenter Backpedals

Opinion | Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 4:03:08 pm PDT

Following Sarah Palin’s debate performance, Kathleen Parker has crow for dinner: Bridge to Somewhere.

What did they do with the other Sarah Palin?

I mean the one who bases foreign-policy experience on the proximity of Russia to Alaska and who speaks cutely about Vladimir Putin poking his little head into American airspace. Where did they put her?

The Palin who performed so miserably in one-on-one media interviews was nowhere to be seen during Thursday night’s debate with Joe Biden. Instead, the affable, tough, determined pit-bull-hockey mom presented to the GOP convention was back with a jaw-jutting, happy-warrior vengeance.

So, yes, I am relieved. I had been concerned that she would stumble badly and humiliate herself. No fair-minded person wanted that. In fact, she managed to control the debate in many respects by bridging from the question asked to the talking point she wanted to hammer.