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Sorry, no timestamps on my comments, will try to start looking at the clock going forward.

9:35 Palin sounding rushed and breathless.  I think she called Joe "O’Biden" and said something about "tiny footprints" WRT drilling.  And her cutesy-flirty facial expressions frighten and confuse me. (Eli)

9:33 What Scarecrow said.  Biden is rock-solid and totally on tonight. (Eli)

9:30 The details are flying by so fast they no longer matter.  Facts are now irrelevant.  We’re watching a very polished performance by Biden — competent, intelligent, knowledgeable and respectful.  From Palin, we’re seeing a cutesy performance with lost of twang — so the question is, how is that coming off?  To me, it’s like watching the Q&A segment of the Miss. America pageant — instead of a debate by candidates for VP of the US. (Scarecrow)

9:30  Those of you who picked "energy" as your Palin drinking word?  Stop now before you get alcohol poisoning.  (Christy)

9:30 Woops. She just totally blew off his answer about the bankruptcy bill to talk about her fight with the oil companies and teh evil of the east coast. (Julia)

"So when we talk about energy…" only you weren’t. Senator Biden was
talking about mortgages. You bunted. (Julia)

9:28 Folks here can’t figure out what Sarah just said – she’s running out of talking points to repeat. (Siun)

9:28 Obama warned about subprime crisis, McCain was surprised by it. (Eli)

9:27  Palin is controlled and on message.  The thing is, while that may help her beat back the blithering idiot jokes a bit, I don’t see how it is helping her establish real expertise through buzzwords.  That’s not just double standard sexism:  she’s earned the public’s suspicion and derision.  (Pach)

9:26  They have re-toned her highlights to a lovely caramel from that brassy color for the teevee lighting.  Makes that "ever vigiilant" line seem ever so sincere.  Especially given how many corporate lobbyists and money cronies prepped that line with her this week.  (Christy) 

9:26 Appreciate John McCain’s calls for reform, dammit! (Eli)

9:25: "Dawgone it, I think I’m just so cutesy that I can stand here and lie to your face and smile while I do it, and I actually believe that’s what you want in a VP." (Scarecrow)

9:23 Now new jobs are the engine of economic growth. Offshoring (a la Fiorina) is an unpatriotic tax dodge. (Julia)

9:19  Some speaking coach got Palin not to squeek through her speech.  Whoever that was earned his or her money.  When Palin gets more nervous and lost in a Homer Simpson brain, her vocal stress levels rise markedly. (Pach)

9:19 Palin slams how the federal government’s been running lately.  Has she noticed that Bush and Cheney have been running it?  GOP, you suck, luv and kittens, Sarah  (Christy)

9:17  Biden hits his passion and stride talking about middle class and working people.  Palin is actually speaking in sentences with a noun and a verb and an object.  She’s beating the Couric Curve.  (Pach)

Biden starts out gracious, Palin looks amped up and hyper.

Biden pointing out that when the middle class benefits, everyone benefits.

Palin saying that the best gauge of the state of the economy is to go to a soccer game and ask the soccer moms.

She sounds pretty cogent so far, speaking in complete sentences and everything.  McCain’s bipartisan efforts and suspending his campaign will lead to reform and oversight!

Palin: Fundamentals = American workforce = AWESOME!

Wow, Palin says Obama is too partisan and votes with the Democrats 96% of the time.

Ifill helpfully points out that neither of them answered the question about what they would do as veep.

Palin: "Predator lenders" deceptive and bad.  Joe sixpacks and hockey moms need to band together and say never again.  (Right, voting Republican would totally ensure that…)

Excellent, Biden is pointing out that Obama was the one warning against deregulation while McCain was the one pushing for it.  Biden seems completely poised and in control.

Hey, Palin almost said she agreed with Biden!

Obama campaign predicted that Palin would claim that Obama voted to raise taxes 94 times and that he’d raise taxes on people making $42,000 a year.  They’re, like, psychic.

Biden totally prepared for this one, points out that McCain voted the same way, and has voted to raise taxes 477 times.  Excellent.

Palin says she may not talk all fancy like Gwen and Joe, but she’s talking to the American people, not like those elitists.

Biden pointing out that the lower and middle-income people haven’t been getting the tax breaks, and Obama will fix that, while McCain will continue giving all the tax cuts to the rich and the corporations.

Palin saying that she and Todd are middle class, and that government is the problem, not the solution.  (So I guess she’s opposed to the $700 billion bailout, right?)

Biden says "We don’t call that redistribution; we call that fairness."  Points out that McCain will pay for your $5,000 healthcare credit by taxing your employer healthcare, and find a way to pay a $12,000 healthcare bill with that $5,000.  Throws in a Bridge To Nowhere reference.