Post-Debate First Thoughts.

Well, THE debate is over, and I'm not exactly all smiles. Yes, Sarah Palin held her own against a consumate Washington pol, which is saying something, but she only really shined the few times she ditched her handler's script and answered for herself. While I think Biden won on points (and only just), Palin came across as most like "the rest of us." We will have to wait until tomorrow, when those more knowledgeable than me have a look, to see how many times Biden may have "gaffed."

Predictably, The Mainstream Media is already declaring Biden the hands down winner. No surprise there.

Gwen Ifill was well behaved, partisan-wise, but after her little conflict-of-interest kerfuffle she really had to be.

I came away with two main thoughts out of tonight:

The first was Biden's repeated harping that both he and Obama, in 2003 and 2004, had accurately predicted the future in Iraq with such stunning precision. Really? If these two are so bloody clairvoyant, how come they didn't see the Fannie Mae / Freddy Mac disaster coming?

And second, if McCain wants to get any long lasting traction out of the Palin pick, he needs to turn her loose from her handlers. He has already squandered the surge in Palin excitement by trying to keep too tight a leash on her. If McCain ever wants a chance to live at the White House, he needs to let Sarah be Sarah. Yes, the Mainstream Media loathes her and will come after her. But so what? They already do that, so McCain really has nothing to loose. Governor Palin can handle herself. Besides, I think Katie Couric is just intimidated by strong, powerful, successful women.

UPDATE 03OCT08: Some "Bidenisms" I noticed that others have as well:

He called Bosnians, "Bosniacks," though some are saying that that term is OK. But Cokie Roberts is right - if Palin had said it...

Biden said that the US and France kicked Hezbullah out of Lebanon (it's about 5:40 into t he vid). And that he and Obama advocated that NATO troops be moved in but Bush wouldn't go along. Two things - the US and France were in Lebanon in 1982. Obama was either in high school or college then, not in the Senate. And while NATO didn't send troops in, but the EU did - 7,000 of them to augment a UN peacekeeping force that has been there for 30 years - and it has made no difference. This guy is the Democrat's "Mr. Foreign Policy??"

Biden should brush up on the Constitution as well. Article I concerns the powers of the Legislative branch (Article II covers the powers of the Executive), and does grant the Vice-President certain powers (Article I, Section III). The Vice-President can only vote in one case (a tie), but the Article clearly says he is the President of the Senate.