MY TAKE:
Biden: he did good. He did real good. Perhaps i'm not used to the man, but he was very clinical and matter-of-factly about it. 'this is what i'm gonna do, that's number one. Number two, this is what we will also do." You may disagree with his policies, but you CANNOT deny that he spelled out what his policies are. However, straight talking your policies - which is what biden just did - does not necessarily triumph over charisma, and identity politics, As we all kjnow. His rebuttals were often but not always awesome. His 'maverick BS" rebuttal was great, as well as a few others. He stumbled on some, as well.
In short, Biden was expected to be clean and articulate while laying off of head on bulldozing of Palin, which is what wwe all ideally woudl've wanted to see. He was given expectations, and he delivered them - not in spades, but delivered them somewhat resoundly.
Palin: She excelled. Palin jsust excelled. I did not expect her to do this well. Lemme explain: After the Couric interivews, I expected - hoped - her debates performance would be at least somehwat like her Couric ones. i.e. stumbling, rambling, incoherent, muddled, nervous, clueless.
But one thing more important than command of knowledge is perception. Perception is king. And she demonstrates that dictum on here tonight. Yes, she did falter sometimes. She made some mistakes - repeating 'maverick' too many times. But she DID NOT embarrass herself. Her delivery is leagues above Couric ones. Her content is somehwat better than her Couric ones, but still vastly improved. She cited 'you voted for this' and 'mccain voted for this' and 'obama voted for this shit'. It DOES NOT matter the facts. What matter is how she DELIVERED the supposed facts. How she ennunciated herself. She had a number of 'small town/cozy' mannerism and dialects to warm up to some of the stupider undecided voters out there. She was never anywhere as clear and clinical as Biden, because she used "PR words" like maverick, against the troops, change change, etc quite a lot. But that matters less than what she DID NOT do, and that is stumble badly.
the MOD:
A fucking shame, and apathetic moderating job, but can you blame her? The rules practically chain her, and she was [justifiably and legitimately, in myopinion] accused of possible pro-obama bias. Alas.
Conclusion: Biden won on spelling out his positions. Palin won on regurgitation of Mccain's 'PR words" through a Palin filter of endearment, motherlyness, and whiteness, and small townness, and Alaskaness. Biden met expectations very firmly and ably. Palin absolutely exceeded them.
It's effect on Voting:
moderate, but minimally moderate. With two prez debates and an entire month of potential bombshells lying in wait to go, I give PALIN the WIN. But a very marginal, minimal WIN.
Pundits:
Fuck them.
