my take...

I just finished watching the VP debate and I'm sure you won't be surprised that I would like to offer my opinion for whatever it's worth. I didn't comment on the presidential debate because I didn't catch most of it and what I did catch was pretty boring. This debate, however, was extremely interesting!

Overall, I think we'll hear both sides claiming victory as usual. Republicans will be glad Palin held her own and had a few shining moments. Democrats will appreciate Biden's presidential-ness and the fact that he didn't say anything gaffe-like.

I must say that I am now a huge fan of Biden. I didn't know much about him before, but man, is that guy impressive. He has such an amazing background and experience. He speaks with such passion and he has the ability to connect with real . I was certainly impressed with his desire to work towards an end to the genocide in Darfur. He effectively cut the "Maverick legs" out from under Palin which I was glad to see because that whole Maverick stance rubs me the wrong way anyway. I now firmly believe he would be an amazing legislative connection for the administration as well as a solid negotiator in foreign affairs. I think he would command respect from foreign powers and effectively and comfortably communicate with our allies and enemies.

I also think Palin pulled through just fine and won't make any major headlines, which had to be a major goal. She was obviously out of her league and steered away from some foreign policy questions. At times, she appeared to me to be rehearsing lines and trying to cram as much as possible into 90 seconds. By the end of the night, I was quite tired of hearing about the connection between raising taxes and job losses. I don't feel like that point really connected with much of anything, but she was determined to drive it home.

In my opinion, I'd certainly chalk the victory up to Biden, but I think Palin did well enough to keep her relevant and in the game.