Just listened to the debate on xm radio, not watching it. Many of Palin's comments just didn't make sense and didn't even try to answer the questions or even Biden's attacks.
On the other hand, Joe Biden, seemed ready to be President on day one and probably gave one of the best debate performances of any candidate in any of the primary or general election debates I have seen in thirty years.
I know that most people watched the debate. I did not, I listened to the debate on CNN via Xm Radio. I really found Palin's remarks to be simplistic and canned. Her followup comments didn't really counter Biden's points.
On the other hand, Senator Biden made thoughtful, fact based, articulate arguments that both explained what he wanted to say without being an egghead.
Afterwards I watched a few minutes of the debate and perhaps Palin's visual confidence offset some of unclear wording of her statements.
Historians and political scientists have written that people listening to the 1960 Presidential debates thought Nixon won while people watching the debate thought Kennedy won.
Of course, the CNN and CBS polls of people watching shows that more views thought Biden won than Palin. So Palin is no Kennedy. But I would argue that if you just listened to debate, it would be even a higher percentage of people concluding that Biden won.
Senator Biden was excellent, sounding very Presidential. While I voted for Obama in the primary, I am really pleased that he put Biden on the ticket.
On the other hand tonight's debate still proves that McCain made a huge mistake in judgement in picking Governor Palin.