and spounting facts that she had memorized. She was taken off-stride a couple of times when the question was out of her comfort zone but then just started talking about any issue she wanted, or had prepared for. As a high school and college debater I know that that is no one to win a debate. In fact, in a real debate format, she'd have been laughed off the stage. Cute and folksy shouldn't make us all stand up and clap.

As Gov. Palin so eloquently put it during the VP debate on Thusday: Sen. Obama wants to “waive the white flag of defeat” in Iraq. I think most Americans, right of left of the aisle, do not want that to happen. Regardless of whether or not you supported the war at its onset, not to mention the debacle it transitioned into before Gen. Petreaus got there, we are clearly winning now. The terrorists are on the run, safety is improving, and if we don’t get it right this time, we’ll probably have to go back 10 years from now to fix it anyways. It’s like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Iraq has been doing well lately and it would be crime to let the lawlessness that has reigned for the last 3 years loose once again to ravage the country and its people.

Palin is a very much needed breath of fresh air.

Talk about on the job training ,,!! Imagine Palin was the only one on the ticket .. would you vote for her as president of this country ?? Nice lady but no VP.

Obviously, the good folks in Utah prefer style over substance. Americans only have to think a little about the disastrous Presidency of George W Bush, to understand what it means to elect a smiling, know -nothing to the US leadership. Palin tries to differentiate herself from Bush by claiming to be part of "a team of mavericks"; a contradiction in terms worthy of Dubya himself.
It's true Palin presents as a pleasant enough person;
apart from her penchant for guns, killing animals
and an overt religiousity which non-americans might regard as somewhat over-cooked.
But the US has global responsibilities. Americans need to remember that they are not inviting Palin to a barbecue. She could become the leader of the democratic world, and therefore needs more than a wink and a smile to get by.

With his selection of Sarah Palin, John McCain has disqualified himself for the office of President. This is either:

a) A purely political move.

b) Extraordinarily bad judgement.

In either case, it isn't "Putting country first".

Refusing to answer questions during a debate is cheating. Ignoring questions and choosing to answer only the ones that one has rehearsed well is not really debating. It's reciting a speech one 90-second stretch at a time. It shows a lack of respect for the debate, for Joe Biden, for the moderator, and for the American public who is watching.

By not respecting the debate, she lost the debate.

Other ways she showed her lack of respect for the debate was by grinning incessantly, winking, and excessively using folksy expressions to try to "connect" with the watching public in ways that some people have deemed seductive and manipulative.

When someone resorts to these tactics, it's usually to make up for a lack of substance. She is clearly lacking in substance. When she did speak she often mistated facts (lied is the right word). For instance, she asserted Obama would cut taxes on people making less than $47,000 (not true - substitute $250,000). She said the Alaskan pipeline was up and running - not true, since that won't happen for 10 years (see CBS video).

How could anyone say she did well is way, way beyond me.

Gov Palin is what America needs this November!
Hope the rest of the US see how smart people from Idaho & Utah
Can be! Yes She Can! Yes She Can! Yes She Can!
Barricuda!

Palin can not even pronounce the g's in when she speaks. Where did she learn to speak English? Why does she think that she represents women? She does not represent a woman's right to privacy for her body and with her doctor.

Palin to us, the people, while Biden talked to Gwen Ifill. She looked the camera square in the eye from the beginning, Old Joe was slow to look into the camera, once in a while I saw his polished white teeth.

Never Again!

Iraq will play out for a long time to come and you should be careful in declaring victory just yet. It has become fertile ground for future terrorists; give it about 12 - 15 years and the kids growing up there will be full to grown and ready avenge the deaths of loved ones, etc. Then this whole cycle started with GWB will likely continue to repeat itself with guys like you standing ready to wave your flag.

Everyone is so concerned about people giving Palin a hard time. Do you honestly believe that the real world is going to handle her with kid gloves? It is quite likely that she will be eaten alive; is this a risk that we should take?

She clearly studied hard to prepare for the debate and should be given credit for that, however memorization and careful scripting cannot be a replacement for wisdom and depth of knowledge and understanding that is required for such a high office.

Yea, a breath of fresh air, sure. Well she does seem air-headed, if that is what you mean I aggree

It appalls me that we have sunk so low as a society that we actually think someone like Gov. Palin deserves to help run this government. Did we learn anything from the Bush fiasco? This was Bush in a dress on stage. Republicans need to take the rose colored glasses off their eyes and see what is actually before them. Before my mission I was a staunch conservative. Living out east, I was known as the class conservative. However, as a student of foreign policy, I find the damage that this anti-intellectual administration has caused impossible to ignore. The founders themselves would be appalled at what out public policy climate has become. Since when has being "folksy" been a requirement to running the country. Will all due respect to my friend's parents, who are also soccer and hockey moms, I would not want some "regular joe" determining the fate of my nation. Lets leave it to the people who actually have a clue and believe in reasoning their ideas out. Enter Obama/Biden....

Biden choked on tears over his wife's death that happened 30 years ago. In another moment, his fingers jabbing at ya on the screen; his hands up in the air; then put on his nasty and hard looks. We saw him dull and pale, stunned and controlled,with up and down moods like a bi-polar.

What experience, what knowledge? what was he doing in the past years sitting on that foreign policy committee and now trashing the current administration and foreign policy? Flip-flops.

At least he should own up some mistakes of foreign policy when President Bush took all the media attacks like a superman. Candidate Biden is part of a BAD government.

Biden’s talk was no substance, i don't get any answers. The childish low blow was when Biden tried to draw a close, he repeatedly mentioned McCain: he's not, he's not, as Gibson of ABC counted it was a total of 81 times in the VP debate. That’s a very ambarrassing Biden performance.

Gwen Ifill said in the Washington Week on PBS that she hoped NOT when Jeff of New York Times expressed the wish of another VP debate.

Thanks, but no thanks Sarah and John.

A breath of fresh air? Oh, yes, and a maverick, too. I just love to see the English language used so creatively.

Hey, I write from Wasilla, Alaska, my home town, and I'm voting for Barack Obama.

One would need rose colored glasses three inches thick to see Palin as the winner here. Anyone who has participated in debate knows this was a blowout. I give her props for a spot on impression of Francis McDormand in "Fargo," but that character was actually intelligent. This woman is embarrassingly shallow, and, if elected, would actually make Dan Quayle seem normal. Truly frightening to imagine her in any position of power, let alone the Vice Presidency.

Palin performed better than I expected...she had her script memorized very well, except for the few times she had to repeat her previously given answers--due, I guess, to a lack of confusion on which lines she was to say or a wink that caused her to lose her train of thought. Okay, I still feel sorry for her... as she must be extremely humiliated for her many blunders and her "nucular" disasters at grammar. Palin is a scary person to have anywhere near the White House...unless, of course, she's just there to put on her lipstick before joining her Joe 6-pack friends for a hockey game.

Of course she was better in the debate. She was reading off cards, and ignoring questions she hadn't prepared an answer to. Couric didn't let her do that.

The idea that she refused to answer Couric's questions because they were somehow unfair is daft. She thought she'd get clobbered for answering a question about what newspapers she reads (she's since said she reads the NYT, WSJ, and the Economist), so she refused to answer it? Please.

It's pretty obvious she only gives prepared answers, and if she can't do that, she sticks to one rule: say nothing specific.

Not a breath of fresh air at all. That air is getting very stale indeed.

How could Sarah Palin have won the debate when she never actually answered any of the questions????

All her cutesy little words, folksy lingo and eye winks did nothing to help the debate either.

She never explained what her and McCain's plans were for Iraq, the economy, health insurance, social security etc.

Joe Biden won this debate hands down! He was knowledgable, informative and fully explained his view on the issues and the plans that he and Obama would implement after winning the election.

Sarah Palin's personality may be different than many politicians, but keep in mind that Palin 100% supports the failed policies of George W. Bush on the economy, the war in Iraq, and the loss of civil liberties. Apart from her image, she is just four more years of the last eight years.

Hmm, once again trying to include EVERYONE in this UTAH LOVE.. Please recalculate your figures.

We are living in times that require great deeds and what we get is nothing but pettiness. Most people in the debate are foolish and have opinions that don't really matter. Calling Palin a this or a that means absolutely nothing in the face of economic, environmental and other Armageddons never mind China poised to take control of of the world. So all the haters and their mean little character attacks will have the smirk wiped off there faces by reality very soon.

Americans need to be very careful or lest they put Palin, a female equivalent of Bush, in the White House again. The bar of the debate was placed too low so that she could barely pass. She avoided questions and talked about other issues she found more congenial to her intellectual level. This would not be allowed in real contest or in examination. A candidate will have to ANSWER the questions asked. Yet all we read now is that "She has done well". Is that enough to face Putin, Merkel, Brown, the Chinese leaders etc? Winking at them will simply not do.

Biden looks like a car salesman with a bad haircut. Same stuffy old type from Washington.

Palin was an embarrassment in the debate side stepping the real important questions because of her lack of knowledge.

Is this the best this country can come up with?

please.
Palin was a couched airhead.
She added nothing to the debate except showing the ability to NOT self destruct.
He does not have the qualities needed to be a VP of the USA.

She would not directly respond to the question given her. How can she be judged as to what she knows, if she just gives an arbitrary response. What would she do as president if she can not stay on topic, or respond in a meaningful way? She does not have enough capacity to stay focused to create meaningful dialog. She seems to just flip every question into sassy sound bites... Hockey Mom, 6 Pack Joe. How would she dialog talking to the UN? Or a head of state with a serious matter? I would be worried if she was running my kids high school let alone the USA.

Wow, How can we even consider her at all?

Sarah Palin is the ultimate media creation. She "performs" rather than debates or discusses, and the media is her foil. Competition in the media to get audience-attracting guests and to play up drama has resulted in the "softest" public information field in the history of this country. The result is the amazing fact that the vast majority of the media-trained populace now elects personalities, not platforms. The tragedy is that no one really pays much attention to the result: shadow governments. Who can deny that -- with the possible exception of Bill Clinton -- it has been the people BEHIND the president who have been running this country; people we don't even know, people whose motives and mindsets we are totally unaware of, people who shape everything the president does but who need respond to the people of this country only in election years. The media allows candidates' "handlers" to have enormous political power because the media does not force candidates to show that they can stand on their own two feet and LEAD.

In Iraq, I think we need to wave the flag, whatever colour it is, of reality. We weren't supposed to be there to begin with. Iraq is not 'terror', nor are we waging the war on terror in Iraq. We don't know what winning looks like, and the government we created seems willing to let us continue to spend lives and obscene amounts of money to keep them on vacation. Yeah, we love palin and the war, but those are becoming vacuous, illogical pursuits.

she gave a canned speech and did so because she couldn't think on the run to answer the questions. when she did try to, she was rambly and off subject.
and though joe biden was put in a position of having to noT appear bullying, she because she is a women could be sarcastic and planned to be. at the outset she asked can i call you joe, then said such as " there you go again joe" i think women should be embaressed by her having to be partronized.

As a lifelong Republican, I find Palin's candidacy for vice president an embarrassment. It astounds me that she could ever have become governor of Alaska, and someone needs to sit down and take a long, hard look at how it happened. But Alaska is one thing...the idea that she should be a heartbeat away from the Presidency is utterly terrifying. I don't want the Republican Party to be vilified for the next fifty years because of the many crimes and mistakes someone like Palin would invariably commit. It pains me to say it, but I hope we lose this election and then comeback in 2012 with two candidates who are actually qualified.

Sweet, folksy, charming and NOT QUALIFIED to run the country. She presented her twinkie vague responses with good conviction. Since when do we need to LIKE the President? Personally, I'd prefer a no nonsense person to come in and clean up "W's" mess. I'm quite sure if someone has the courage to clean it up, they'll be disliked by all for some reason because we're not going to get out of this without everybody complaining about something. Getting out of this mess is going to HURT. As admirable as she is for her accomplishments, McCain could have done far better than this.

Fred D: don't be fooled. The terrorists have run right into Pakistan/Afghanistan. They haven't been 'defeated'- just displaced.

Now you see why she was elected Gov.
The media thought they had destroyed her and were fooled. NOBODY could of walked away from those trick questions, without looking foolish.

Thank God for Tina Fey. If we still have a country in the future, it will be thanks to her.

Paulin seemed like a bright real person; Biden like a Washington insider of the highest order. His grandstanding & blame gaming was typical of the stuck in mud clean up to the car frame - no cooperation between parties & no progress forward mess we are used to seeing all the time in Washington.

In that debate his room temperature, thinly disguised, self aggrandizing conceit was almost palpable.

A bit like a sip of very expensive and very spoiled cup of three day old tea (complete with the green fungus on top).

Insipid, urp!

Give me Paulin.

Yes, she will mess up (but clear as day, so will he) & she is likely to be much easier on the eyes & stomach (LOL) for the next 4 years. Besides its time to let a woman have a shot at the White House...

Everytime Joe Biden spoke it screamed 'white male in Washington for 35 years.' How is that change? Good for Palin to be on the same stage with a man that should know how to speak on the issues! Forget the low expectation media nonsense--Palin is what the future is going to look like for politicians because that is what the average American can relate to. Not career lawyers in Congresss. And lets be just as proud of her as we are of Obama--this is the greatest country in the world, and though it's cliche, if you work hard, go to school, you can be president someday. And can we stop cutting people down just because we disagree with their policies?

Just wait a few years, when she can combine that charisma with some national political experience! If McCain loses, you've just met the new Ronald Regan to Barak's Jimmy Carter!

All she did was shuck mud and regurgitate memorized talking points. She has no ethics or honor. We don't need her. The country will be much better off if she goes back to Alaska and pays for her ethics violations there.

Not a surprise in a predominantly Republican state. It could have been anyone, as long as the R came after their name.

Now she says Obama is not fit to serve as Commander and Chief because he accused American soldiers of atrocity's in Afghanistan.
Bombing villages and killing civilians!

Good on you Sarah-

Keep Obamas feet to the fire-
you looked lovely in those red high heel shoes.

What a woman- Sarah for President!

she will be the next president.

She was like a trained monkey - albeit a perky, well spoken monkey.

Biden made a mistake in letting it go when she used the old, insipid argument of "waving a white flag" in Iraq - the simple fact is that the Iraq government is asking us to start drawing down so that they can take over governing & protecting themselves. How this can be interpreted as "waving a white flag" is something that can only be understood by someone whose logic and intelligence are well below the median average.

John McCain has insulted the intelligence of all American women by his VP choice. It horrifies me to think of her sitting down with world leaders, representing the "best and brightest" America has to offer. Please.

To "she was robotic", You may have been a debater, and the world may look at who won as far a how to debate, but the real winner is who can put into effect the will of the American people and stay within the constitution. I really don't care who "won" according to the rules of debate, this isn't a game,when it comes to leading America, I want someone who will do what they say they are going to do and not fall into the old "Washington ways". I don't really like to make comparisons, but look back at the old movie "Mr Smith goes to Washington". To me Palin is Mr. Smith, learning on the way but with the true heart of the everyday American. According to your way of looking at the debate maybe we should have them play some sporting event and the winner gets to be the one to lead America and its people. She may be a little raw, but I think she will learn and keep within the laws of rules of the constitution more than others.

According to newspapers from around the world, there is SHOCK that a person of such limited knowledge could be considered for an important public post in developed country. We are glad that we spotted the dangerous drift of the U.S. government and culture several years ago and got OUT.

Now, with the 'bubbly brainless bimbo' a candidate, we get FLOODS of inquiries from friends and acquaintances -- many of whom we have not heard from in YEARS -- about how to emigrate to Canada.

Unfortunately, the rules have changed and it is now not only much more difficult, but the new laws have not yet been made fully public. Those who are interested should watch the web, where all rules are promptly posted.

Palin danced around questions and skipped over answers like a ballerina pursued by a Bengal tiger.

Palin didn't have to win or be perfect. No one expected her to know as much as Biden. She just had to show that she can learn quickly and hold her own. She did that and we feel better about her being able to learn the ropes as VP and take over, if need be. What she is lacking in knowledge can be overcome because of her intelligence, determination, and wisdom to choose competent people as advisors. What this whole election is about is who do you trust to choose the next couple of Supreme Court justices? Do you favor judges with political agendas that match Obama & Biden or those who uphold the constitution without political consideration? Biden made it clear in the debate that he & Obama believe it is very important to find justices that have the same "judicial philosophy" as them, in other words, willing to legislate from the bench to correct any social ill they perceive.

Imagine President Palin and Putin in a debate and she has no notes!!!
With notes Sarah is TV-actor smart but without the real Sarah is a clueless!

Sure, no one wants to ever admit defeat. But at what cost do we continue a war that had nothing to do with Sept 11th (as we were meant to believe)? 1 trillion dollars for a war that diverted resources from the real war on terrorism. WE created the terrorist network there. Our presence ALONE, after invading, was the reason it BECAME the "front line". Yes our troups are doing amazing, no one is ashamed of that and no one will think differently when they come home. But the Iraqis want us out and the majority of americans want to leave. But most importantly, as a New Yorker, Osama is still out there. His network, the one who ordered the attack, is still alive and stronger than ever. Our economy is in ruin. The real victims here, the people who have no where to live or no jobs to pay for gas or groceries. So, YES I support bringing our troops home. And Republicans can call it whatever they want "defeat" or "surrender". But I will call it, a "change" for the better, "hope" for the future, and most importantly a "win" for Obama.