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And the winner of the debate?

Insomniacs.

I hope you recorded it. Play it over and over when you need some sleep.

Mostly, nothing was learned. Well, we did learn one thing.

Sarah Palin is capable of speaking in complete sentences. She did a wonderful job reading her notes and regurgitating the talking points she learned in debate camp. Republicans will spend the next few days bragging about it. Will it affect the outcome of the election? It would be a sad day in America if it did.

If you believe the CNN focus group trend line, you may have learned something else. Men seem to like Palin more than women. All night the men scored her higher. Although, women seemed to respond to her folksy comments "at ya." Or, more likely, you learned that what 30 "undecided voters" in a room think tells us nothing.

There was one significant moment in the debate. Only one moment. But it was riveting. When Joe Biden talked about losing his wife and daughter and the meaning of being a father. When he talked from the heart about how you don't have to be a soccer mom to know the meaning of family. For a few seconds, I thought he might actually lose it. It was moving.

His comment about Dick Cheney being the most dangerous vice president in history came in a close second.

Now it's in the hands of the pundits. For the next few days they'll tell us what we're supposed to have seen and thought. Ed Rollins, Republican consultant, thought Sarah Palin won big. So big, in fact, that he suggested they don't let her do any more interviews. That's how confident he is.

Back to sleep....

Comments

[Schaz]

I think Biden had a third strong moment, and that was the repetition of each issue or policy on which McCain = Bush...he had a great rhythm going there, it was like a skilled carpenter hammering in a nail.

[mebble]

I was falling asleep there at the end of the debate. On both sides I heard too much verbiage and detail and not enough simple urgency. A bit perhaps from Biden. I liked the way he stopped twice or thrice to repeat himself.

Palin did better than I thought she would -- she's a quick study and seemed to even understand some of the issues being discussed.

There are one or two things I'll miss when I move back to Europe. Aside from a ready supply of hamburgers and generally good-humored positive people on that list will be C-SPAN, so I'm the kind of nerd who had already seen weeks ago the Governor in a gubernatorial debate from I guess 2005 or 2006. So the level of her performance wasn't that surprising despite the recent screen of interview buffoonery.

None of which to say I have any positive feelings about her, even sexually. I hate her faux folksy disrespectful and strident demeanor. She does not project any genuine or sincere feelings about wanting to help this Nation. She's talking-points ambitious.

No matter how well she did, or should I say competently, comparatively, thinking people's minds are set at this point and she's not going to win any new ones for the White Haired Dude. Her performance might staunch the hemorrhage.

Biden seemed tired but genuine and sincere. He scored big time when he guaranteed he'd do the Lyndon Johnson thing if tragedy befell us.

[Kim Mance - Huffpost Blogger]

Nicely put.

[RockyDB]

Bruce it totally right. She did a very good job in quieting the critics. She learned her lines well. It doesn't mean she has the slightest idea of what she was talking about. She may be attractive, perky, intelligent and committed. But, I can't get it out of my mind that she should be running for President of the PTA, not for Vice President. She did exactly what McCain needed her to do. Hopefully the American public is not stupid enough to believe that she is capable of being a heartbeat away from the Presidency. You never know, we elected Bush twice. I still can't believe that.

I hope she has a long career as Governor of Alaska. However, if history is correct, people that lose the election while running for VP are seldom heard from again. Sarah is having her 15 minutes of fame. But, McCain did her and the country a disservice by nominating her. He didn't nominate the person most qualified for the job, but the person who would help him win the election. I am offended by her candidacy. I would feel better about things if he hadn't had cancer a couple of times and wasn't so old.

Look, Biden is no bargain either. Only Ralph Nader ran for President as often as Joe. But, if he were forced into service as President, his experience will make it easier to sleep at night.