The Joe Biden Show

By CHARLES M. BLOW
NYT

I expected Sarah Palin to perform well in Thursday’s debate, so I wanted to watch it with the most conservative crowd I could find. (In truth, after her horrendous performance with Katie Couric, anything short of her head spinning around and spewing vomit would have been considered an improvement.)

I went to the unlikely Jake’s Saloon in Chelsea in Manhattan where the New York Young Republican Club was gathering to watch (on Fox).

It was packed and festive. Fresh young faces (and a surprising number of old ones) swigged beer and sipped cocktails. People passed around hand-painted “NY ♥ Palin” posters. A man hawked Palin-as-Rosie the Riveter T-shirts from a shopping bag.

I knew that I had chosen the right place when I overheard the conversation of a couple next to me. The young man, pointing to his nametag, said, “my grandmother would have a heart attack if she saw me with this on.” A young woman across the table asked why. “Because she’s an old pinko socialist. She grew up on the Upper West Side,” he said. Nice. Right place.

I settled into the corner as the noise lowered and the debate started.

(Continued here.)