Debate so far ...

9:45pm: While Palin is uneasy, filibustering, ineffective, unbelievably dishonest, Biden is not capitalizing at all ...

9:48pm: Spoke too soon; Biden is off on Pakistan, al Qaeda & Afghanistan ... much better ...

9:49pm: My fear is that I can see what Palin's saying is either false, or dishonest, or wrong, or simply sticking to talking-points, but maybe the folks can't or won't see that ...

9:52pm: Biden got in a great point, reminding Palin that Ahmedinejad isn't "in charge of the security apparatus" of Iran ...

9:54pm: Biden is getting stronger, I think, which isn't really a surprise since we're on foreign policy ... Palin keeps returning to this populist message of "re-form" & scrumping Obama's "change" meme (adding "positive" to it), which is really annoying. Also, there's no substance to what she's saying ... & she's going way too fast.

9:59pm: Palin is trying to paint Obama as some 60s-era anti-Viet Nam war protester, suggesting he said we're killing civilians willy-nilly in Afghanistan, which is erroneous & offensive. Biden didn't hit back hard enough, but did emphasize Obama's bi-partisanship with the Obama-Lugar (or Lugar-Obama) which sought to tie down loose nukes ... Wish he tied that to the McCain-Palin rhetoric which alienates Russia, making them less apt to help us with that!

10:04pm: This woman has no self-awareness ... "It's obvious I'm a Washington outsider ..." It's obvious you're f'n crazy, & cannot go "off-the-cuff" ...

10:07pm: I'm waiting for something substantive, & just one KO moment from Biden ... Andrew Sullivan asked if Palin's reading notes. I think he may be right ...

10:10pm: The "Maverick" (or, as I like to put it, "Mavrick [sic]") drinking-game has been in effect ...

10:12pm: Call me a out of touch, Northeastern, East Coast, latte-drinking liberal but her folksy expressions smack of insincerity ... DoGonIt?!

10:16pm: Palin's answer about the Legislative vs. Executive powers of the Vice-president was baffling & she obviously knows nothing, viz. the U.S. Constitution, about what the Vice-president's role is, which she did admit once ... Biden hit back hard, & awesomely, giving Palin (& the rest of us) a little lesson on the fact that the powers of the VP reside in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines Federal Executive powers ...

10:25pm: Biden finally got his KO in ... "A Maverick John McCain is not ..." That rebuttal, to Palin's constant refrain, was very powerful ... "John McCain is not a Maverick with regard to health care for children, the Bush agenda, tax breaks for working families, middle class families trying to put their kids through college, etc. ..." He took away her most common refrain, that dumb "Maverick" label, & sat her down ...

Wrap: Biden won, duh, but not just on issues & substance ... A lot of people thought Palin was winning, or at least holding her ground, with her poise, folksiness & confidence, but that became tedious & came off as obviously scripted about 45 minutes into it, & Biden came alive, rhetorically after that, hitting her effectively. Right-wingers, by lowering expectations so much over the last week, are all over the place saying she won this debate by not being as atrocious as she was, for instance, with Katie Couric. But aside from perception, & image, Biden won by simply forming whole sentences, & laying out his authority & policy positions, & landing serious hits by the end.

Some other perspectives:

Andrew Sullivan:

Biden's sobriety and authority and call for fundamental change is both reasonable and solid. It will resonate, I think. As you can read, I began this debate feeling that she was steam-rolling him. She was. But it was a steam-roller coming at you on fumes, not real fuel. She doesn't have it. Maybe one day she might. But not now. Biden's peroration was very, very strong. There is no contest here. There was only one loser: Gewn Ifill. She was intimidated, peripheral, neutered. The rules didn't help. But Ifill put in a dreadful performance ...

... Biden didn't put the boot in; he didn't come off as sexist; he didn't make any obvious gaffes. Palin didn't collapse and pushed through the debate with enough speed not to wobble. But it felt as if she needed the speed in order not to wobble. Her inexperience showed; her tone worked best at first and then began to grate. I don't think this debate changed the direction of this election campaign, and I think Palin's performance will buck up base Republicans but actually unnerve some independents.

The campaign's trajectory remains unaltered. Palin's inability to answer real questions, her capacity to avoid follow-ups, her slightly manic quality, and her inability to relate to working class voters came across. Biden did not talk too much; he made no sexist gaffes; he didn't appear to be overweening; he seemed like a nice guy. I think she managed to avoid a tailspin; he reassured. It will stem the GOP collapse a little. But it won't change the race.

What we need now is a press conference with Palin. She needs to be forced to answer follow-ups. She needs to be made accessible to the press and thereby the American people.

Dailykos contributor georgia10:

Tonight, Americans were treated to a stark contrast.

On the right, Republicans offered up a candidate who performed like a diligent understudy eager to perfectly recite the lines on a page. Sarah Palin spent the night doing what she does best--palinizing, avoiding answering questions and instead providing canned generalities and stock "zingers." She performed her choreographed debate dance well, down to how often she looked at Joe Biden and how often she looked in the camera. She studied for this debate. It showed.

On the left, Democrats offered up a candidate who didn't just perform. He certainly executed what he needed to execute properly--in a forceful and earnest manner. But Joe Biden did more than just "perform well" on stage. Unlike his opponent, he didn't just recite what was on notecards. He recited what was in his heart. Indeed, at one point, he spoke so earnestly that he became emotional as he talked about his dedication to his family. And when he spoke of his dedication to this country, and Obama's as well, he spoke just as earnestly and authentically.

The mantra going into the debate was that if "Palin could be Palin," she would shine. She shined, all right. She beamed as a neophyte does when they tremble with excitement about finally being on the national stage. She glowed when she delivered the scripted lines she studied, even giving a little nod to herself as she successfully delivered the words meticulously drafted by someone else. But when it came to convincing Americans (and especially independents) that she is an authentic candidate and a qualified candidate, it doesn't appear that she did anything to keep her star from fading.