I thought Palin did well. She seemed nervous and scripted, but she still did fine. I think people who like her weren't given any reason to change their minds. However, I think a potential president should have more gravitas than Wally Cleaver.

I think Biden did well too. He had to meet a higher bar than Palin, but I think he did the job.

I though perhaps Palin's one really bad moment was when she was asked about the office of the Vice President being in the legislative branch. I felt that went right over her head.

Well, CNN [link] is saying that Biden won, but that Palin exceeded expectations which is totally in keeping what we were saying on here, that the bar for her was so so incredibly low, it wouldn't take much.

About what I expected. If you look at the recent interviews, she's generally fine giving a more-or-less on topic answer from her talking points. It's when she's called on something or pressed for specifics that she falls apart, and that wasn't really going to happen here.

I though perhaps Palin's one really bad moment was when she was asked about the office of the Vice President being in the legislative branch. I felt that went right over her head.

I think that piece is going to grow in significance. Not so much about it being over her head (which it was) but about the insight it gave into how in line she and McCain are with the power-grab mentality of the current administration. When she starts talking about the VP choosing to exert more control over Congress, you're starting down an ugly (an unconstitutional) road.

A comment posted on Gothamist.com on the debates - made me chorttle and then nod:

At one point Palin let loose with a tick of colloquialisms so wall-to-wall that it felt like she was about a quarter inch away from a 'ding-dang-diggity' or a 'well, whoopty-doo, fancy pants!"

She continues to strike me as not so intelligent, but certainly neighborly.

Sadly, this is all it's taken to woo American voters twice in the last 8 years.

At one point, I wondered if she doesn't know what an Achilles heel is, or if she was just ignoring the question on purpose.

brenda - I agree with you on that. Olbermann was already making much of it last night.

if she was just ignoring the question on purpose

I think that was part of her debate strategy.

I think that was part of her debate strategy.

Oh, absolutely -- and it's not a bad strategy! Biden gave a job-interview answer to that one -- didn't he say that people think he cares too much, is too passionate about helping the American people? But at least he opened with a reference to the Achilles thing.

I don't want a vp who has among his/ her main abilities "memorizes pretty well" and "great dissembler."

For those following along at home: am still unsure I will survive this project, have so fucked myself with lack of sleep and over-caffienation to the point I may never recover and am still dealing with the asshole throwing his weight around and stalling momentum on this project at every turn.

However, project lead is still in my corner, and Asshole has been so rude and dismissing to so many people on my team ( including my boss when she tried to talk to him) that the situation has been escalated to his superiors. Who commented that this wasn't the first time they were hearing this and he will be getting a talking to.

I about lost it on a conference call last night (at 10 fucking pm) when he started going on about bullshit that was 90% his doing.

If I get through this without cursing him out to his face I'll call it a win.

I think that was part of her debate strategy.

part?

I think that is THE debate strategy.