Palin's Winning Strategy: Ignore the Question

Moderator did nothing to keep debate from being an infomercial

(NEWSER) - Last night's debate will provide "no fundamental change" in the race, writes James Fallows in the Atlantic, which is much better news for Obama than McCain. Here are some other quick takes from Fallows:

• Moderator Gwen Ifill was "terrible." She seemed not to care at all about "looking for ways to follow up the unanswered questions or self contradictory answers."

Shatters the 56.9M for Ferraro-Bush in 1984, and well above McCain-Obama I

(NEWSER) - Last night’s vice presidential debate drew 69.9 million viewers, shattering the record for such an event, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The 1984 encounter between VP candidates Geraldine Ferraro and George H.W. Bush drew 56.9 million; the record for a campaign debate is 80.6 million for the 1980 showdown between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. More»

Palin didn't lose, didn't win

(NEWSER) - Think Sarah Palin's performance was folksy and colorful last night? Pundits reached to do it justice:

• "I always wondered what a wolverine would sound like chewing through plywood," writes Howard Fineman of Newsweek. "Now I know: like Sarah Palin 'debating' Joe Biden."
• “Somewhere in heaven, Norman Rockwell is smiling,” writes David Brooks in the New York Times.

Noonan: She's a little transparent but still very effective

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin starred in her own political "infomercial" last night and once again revived John McCain's flagging campaign, writes Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. Palin looked "not petrified but peppy," her style far more suited to a debate than a cerebral interview. Biden seemed to be waiting for her to make a fool of herself. She didn’t. Instead, she talked straight to the people in a baldly populist, if transparent, pitch to “soccer moms” and “Joe Six-Pack.” More»

Viewers say Biden better-prepared, Palin more likeable

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden won last night’s debate, polls from CNN and CBS show, but Sarah Palin held her own, improving her image with many responders. Some 51% of viewers polled told CNN that Biden did “the best job,” compared to 36% who preferred Palin. In the CBS poll, uncommitted voters—who may have a preference but aren’t settled on a candidate—said Biden performed better by more than two-to-one. More»