Who won the vice presidential debate?

I was glad to hear Joe Biden say that they would re-negotiate the principal on my mortgage. My principal is too high. Thanks Obama and Biden.. Was he serious?

Joe -
Oh my god, are you serious or are you an idiot?
Palin won this hands down.

Biden won this without a doubt! Palin isn't even close to being in the same league! Palin did better than expected, but only because she was rehearsed. Biden is polished by nature.

Gary...grow up with the name calling....everyone has their viewpoint. Are you twelve years old or something?.....Calling someone an idiot since they have their own opinion is very narrow minded and is not very intelligent.

When Obama announced his running mate, I wasn't wildly impressed. After tonight, I'm beyond impressed - I'm thrilled. Joe Biden was fantastic. Despite all the prattle about Palin's supposed 'connection' with voters, here in Harpswell as I sat with my children watching the debates, it was Biden who had the heart-centered moments. Palin strikes me as phony, and quite frankly, mean-spirited. I had an element of female-sympathy for her, but that disappeared tonight.

Tonight, I heard her compared to a Wolverine latching onto Biden's pant leg. I saw something else. A vicious, spoiled Yorkie, complete with a red bow, yapping and biting, but simply without the teeth to do any real harm.

Thanks, Senator Obama! Once again, I'm proud to place my trust in your good sense.

What I want to know is what kind of person changes their political views only when they are elected vice president? I do not want someone in office who is that easily persuaded. He even stated that "Obama was not fit to lead." If you are going to back someone, at least make sure no one has heard you bad mouth them.

Senator Biden was exceptional. His years of experience came through. I would be proud to have him as my Vice President.
Unfortunately, Ms. Palin demonstrated that she had received extensive coaching and did not come across as being sincere. She was able to make a little more sense than in the past, with the aid of her extensive note cards. A couple of times she nearly dropped them and I had the feeling it was all over for her at that point.
Later in the evening I listened to the debate once again on Radio. Unfortunately, she did not come off as well in this media.
As an independent voter I have now made my choice.
The youth, experience, programs and policies as presented by Senators Obama and Biden will get my vote.

Palin thinks that she lost the VP debate.
Watch this interview here: http://tubedirects.net/index.php?q=Palin-Fox-interview

Joe Biden showed that he is ready on day one to step into the presidency should the need arrise. He also did a great job talking about the middle class, kitchen table issues and what a total failure the Bush/McCain/Palin policies have been and would be for the vast majority of the American people.

Sarah Palin came across as hyper, insincere and over coached. If you removed the words Joe Six Pack, Hockey Moms and Maverick from her debate performance you would be left with a bunch of cutsey smiles and winks. She obviously isn't ready for prime time and the "she's one of us" crowd needs to wake up and realize that this woman is not remotely ready for the most powerful job in the world.

The fact that McCain and the Republicans think they can sell this simple minded stuff to us in really an insult to the American people.

Biden and Palin both distorted some facts, however, Biden won easily -- he actually answered the questions. Palin was downright scary, especially when it came to her response about the role of the VP. She made Cheney look like an angel. It would be a horrible mistake to elect her to any position of responsibility in the federal government. All the cutesy little winks and earthy expressions cannot hide the fact that she is short on substance, vapid, and an extreme right-wing, creationist goof who did little more than recite GOP talking points.

Palin clearly won this contest hands down. I counted that she winked 5 times to Biden's 0. This was a congeniality contest, right? Biden acted like he was participating in something COMPLETELY different...like a vice presidential debate...with all that boring mastery of names, figures, and the truth.

All party lines look through "rose colored glasses" for their respective party. This is a dominently democratic state which reflects this pole. National poles are showing Palin --88% Biden---12% Being an Independent, I feel Palin won 60/40

It is obvious that Gary knows nothing about debate. My experience is extensive in that area and I can tell you that by every stringent standard of competitive debating Joe Biden won. Palin pandered to the audience-she was stylishly folksy(for her that is not contadiction in terms)she didn't answer some questions because she couldn't-her answers were obviously "borrowed" from some of McCain's campaign speeches. Her lack of knowlege and especially experience clearly demonstated that she is not ready to lead this nation much less assume the mantle of champion of the free world. We need our bightest and our best -she isn't it. Clearly-Joe Biden is.

According to PC Jordan Palin won the debate- 88% for Palin and 12% for Biden. There were actually 3 national polls taken and every one of them showed that Biden won the debate by a wide margin. Jordan may be a registered Independant- when in fact- he is a republican in sheeps clothing. You need to come out of the closet-Peter.

Biden laid out the Marxist agenda pretty clearly with references to "fairness." I was wondering why the OBAMA-BIDEN signs looks so "Muslimy." Then it hit me -- OBAMA-BI"NLA"DEN?

Mike, You are a little man.

Tell me what a vice president or president does. Think about it. Do they have any input into policy? Isn't that why they have advisors? The majority of public opinion of any candidate is how they are perceived at speech-making; barring any blatant social faux-pas like pronunciation or spelling mistakes; and the real issues are so complex the average voter hasn't a clue as to the proper policy to follow. So what is the majority of the voters looking for in a candidate?
Having successfully completed the International Toastmaster's course in public speaking and currently enjoying Competant Toastmaster status I know what pleases and audience. The speaker must look good and speak with confidence. A good speaker does not have to tell the truth. If truth were necessary the most powerful global political machine in Washington would be a ghost town.
Whether we like it or not we are voting for a good speaker to be president and vice president. Having said that I expect the Democrats to have their way this year even though I am a staunch conservative. Remember the Clinton-Bush debates? Who was the best speaker? The one who became president! Remember the mess he made of the office? He was impeached (even though congress repealed the actual event; the impeachment is still a matter of record.) The Democrats don't care about morals as long as they have control. Arguably there many Republicans in league with that philosophy. There are few honest men in politics (or is that spelled pollute-ics?). So; I am not impressed with the issues as they have been presented. The leaders do not set policy. While their advisors forge suggestions behind closed doors; that is the job of Congress...and if we vote a Democratic president in; I expect the Republican Party will regain control of Congress. It's all about checks and balances, folks; and a good speaker at the helm to direct the course of the Good Ship America in the Future International Waters with words from competent advisors who have the best interests of everyone at heart. Anyway; that's what the writers of the Declaration of Independence had in mind when they penned that document. I hazard to guess most voters have not read that document and if the have most likely don't understand it's meaning. Like they say; you had to be there. 250 years changes a lot of things including the people this country is made of. Who knows what the corporate thinking of almost 300 million Americans holds? We will find out in November.

What a sad world we live in when one's ability to "not mess up" is equated with victory.

So Palin dodged questions, and talked about 1. being mavericks, and 2. how Alaska has oil, while talking like a yokel.

THIS is the person you want in the White House? Since when is it a bad thing to be able to speak articulately in a professional manner?

As a woman, I am insulted and embarrassed by her behavior.

i don't want an ordinary person for VP. I want an extra-ordinary person

Palin didn't answer the questions. She just repeated the same old tired lines over and over. She has very little substance to her. Joe Biden really answered the questions. As an independent, I am going to voet for Obama?Biden. It would be nice to have someone intelligent in the white house again. Something we have not had since President Clinton who left us with a huge surplus that Bush squandered and now is leaving us with a gigantic deficit!

I can't believe anybody would think that Palin won the debate. She didn't answer any of the questions, but rather regurgitated the lines she's heard her handlers say to her over the past week of debate practice. It was obvious that anytime a question came up that she didn't know the answer to, she'd go into "saftey mode" and start talking about "Six Pack Joe" and "Soccer Moms" and crap that matters to NOBODY. This election is about saving our economy and not about, "Aw, shucks, aren't I such a folksy lady?"....please everyone! Wake up!

Maine native, California resident here. Granted I was sitting in a living room in San Francisco with a bunch of Berkeley liberals, but I was, like Mark, shocked that anyone would think Palin won. Even the GOP has to admit that she was all winks and snark, and no substance. Why didn't you answer the questions, Governor? If Gwen Ifill had pushed her a little bit harder (and more fairly) on her non-answers, it could've been a big mess. But then, Ifill would have been accused of bullying on the part of the "leftist media."

I think Biden comported himself very well, and better than I had expected. He did make some minor errors, but he was far and away the more competent debater--if you can even claim that Sarah Palin's comments qualified as debate material. I was more impressed with his performance than I was with Obama's.

Just as an aside: observe the name calling strategy of the Palin/McCain supporters.
Why is this such a consistent pattern? I am a High School teacher. We try to discourage this in children. We consider it important that they learn to engage in adult discourse. It is hard to accomplish when so many adults consider name calling to be the same as stating an opinion.

I'll just say what nobody wants to say. Obama is black.. Middle America doesn't have much of that. Palin will always be better in our eyes because we don't care who's smarter or more fit for that job. If she is Christian, anything she says we will take as truth until she does something wrong, even then i still wouldn't vote for a black guy, they are just dangerous... and black..
Palin won the debate because she showed up. Black guys don't show up for anything least of all to vote.

OMG! Mike M.A!
I can not believe you just said that. First of all, you are just too stupid to deserve a vote. Second - most of middle America is too stupid to deserve a vote. Since you can't focus on anything but his ethnicity, I will say the obvious as well; even when Hillary Clinton lied and clearly acted like a politician - I voted for her. Now I will vote for Obama because yes is he just plain smarter than McCain and yes Biden is just plain smarter than Palin. Biden won the debate because he doesn't have to memorize flash cards - he just has spent so much time working and learning from his time as a Senator that is literally on the pulse of everything that is going on politically. I don't care if he has someones special interests on the side because in the end he is smart enough to make the most educated decisions for the country if he has to. Hell he looks smart and Obama just looks cool and young and everything this country needs right now to change for freedom.