I’ll be tap-tap-tapping away on the typer, live blogging the VP debate from my working man’s castle in North East Baltimore beginning at 9 p.m. EST.  Drink ‘em if you’ve got ‘em.  The rules are simple:

1. Every time Palin gives a response that sounds like it was run though a free online language translator, I’m going to have myself a sip of a crisp, refreshing adult beverage (from the Land of Pleasant Living).

2. Every time Biden harps on the Alaska governor’s lack of experience, I will also take a nip.

It’s a good old-fashioned debate party, friends, and you’re invited. But remember: the first rule of Debate Party is, you do not talk about Debate Party…without a beer in your hand.  Let the bloodletting begin.

Post Mortem:

A much friendlier debate than the presidential duel.  Biden and Palin had a surprising chemistry, jabbing at each other at times, but remaining relatively light–like George Burns and Gracie Allen.  I was impressed with Palin.  She managed to avoid the head-scratching Miss South Carolina style answers she tumbled out to Gibson and Couric.  She turned the homey persona up a notch to appeal to everyday Americans, and at times, it made her seem bumpkinish.  But she did what she needed to do: not embarrass herself and the McCain campaign.

Biden was poised, but trended a bit wonky for the average viewer. When he rambled on about the minutae of specific bills, the focus group approval graph dropped like a rock.  Biden did an excellent job of connecting McCain to the Bush administration at every turn.  And he made a noble effort to chip away at the maverick mantra Palin chanted throughout.

Overall, I walked away with a sense that questions were actually answered in this debate.  Deflection was kept to a minimum, and there was a degree of candor that was missing from the presidential debate.  Neither candidate really hurt their cause, and I present my sobriety as proof.

 

Debate Time:

10:31  Biden: In the last few years, “we’ve been dug into a very deep hole.” And then lots of God-blessing.

10:30 Palin: “We’re going to fight for America.”  Oh Lord, then the obligatory Reagan quote.

10:30 Closing statements…

10:28  Biden: I don’t question Senators’ motives.  And that, ladies and gentleman, is the biggest problem with the legislative process.

10:26  According to the approval graph, women are loving Biden while the men have apparently gotten up to get another beer.

10:24   Biden: I know mavericks, and John McCain is no MAVERICK ™!

10:23  Palin: “We have not got to allow the partisanship…”  DRINK!

10:22  Palin: McCain’s been a MAVERICK ™!

10:21  I’m surprised Biden didn’t soil himself forcing those tears.

10:18  Biden: Cheney is the most dangerous VP in history.

10:15  Palin: “John McCain has tapped me…”  Somewhere there’s a “Daily Show” writer who’s going to have to change his underpants.

10:14  Palin, on admitting she doesn’t know what a VP does: SIKE!

10:11  Palin: “Say it ain’t so, Joe…doggonnit…” Altering rules of the drinking game:  Drink when she’s adorable.

10:10  Palin: McCain and I don’t always agree because we’re MAVERICKS!(tm)

10:08  Biden: Something (God forbid) happens to Obama, I’ll continue his policy.  Can I have his baseball card collection, too?

10:06  Biden: McCain and Dick Cheney, BFFs when it comes to gettin’ their war on.

10:03  Palin: “It’s so obvious I’m a Washington outsider…”  Dimples ACTIVATE!

10:00  Biden’s rambling again.  Somebody shoot him with a Coherency Dart.

9:56  Palin: Nuclear weaponry would be the “be-all, end-all of just too many people and parts of our planet”. What about “the Iraq, such as maps?”

9:52  Palin getting a little shaky with her diplomacy talk.  DRINK!

9:50 The focus group approval graph is liking what Biden’s serving up regarding diplomacy.

9:49  Palin droppin’ names: yeah, I was chillin’ with Henry Kissinger.  And?

9:45  Question:  Greatest threat to America: Pakistan or a nuclear Iran.  Or…a world without Jack Bauer.

9:43  Surge talk from Palin.  We were right.  In your face, JoBi!  Biden laughs pleasantly when she starts attacking his record, like a Grandpa watching his grandkids play in the backyard.

9:40  What a difference in this debate from the presidential - both candidates giving props to each other.  Markedly more congenial.  Almost as if they were friends talking politics over a couple of Molsons.

9:39  Neither supports redefining marriage.  Shout out to the Bible Belt, homies.  Holla.

9:36  Question: same sex benefits to couples?  Trouble ahead for Palin here?

9:33  Biden: China burns dirty coal.  Dirty, filthy, pervy coal.

9:32  Biden on global warming: Oh, it’s definitely man-made.  My bad, planet.

9:30  Palin on global warming: I’m not going to attribute every activity of man to it–God should get a co-starring role?

9:28  Biden: “John McCain said, quote, I’m paraphrasing…”  Does that mean I have to spit my sip back up because it cancels Palin’s nonsense out?

9:27  Palin: “…more revelations made aware…” DRINK!

9:24 Disappointed.  Haven’t had the chance to play the drinking game yet.  Palin’s lucid.  Biden’s affable.  Damn.

9:22  Biden really stares down Palin.  Like the creepy guy with the van who scopes the playground.

9:20  The Audience Approval graph goes down when Biden rambles.  It’s more like an Audience Understanding graph. But he did get a good Bridge to Nowhere dig in.  You ol’ codger, you.

9:19  Palin: Let the private sector grow without government intervention.  Just like it’s been doing over the past few—DOH!

9:17  Biden: Under Obama’s plan wealthy will pay no more in taxes than they did under Reagan.

9:16 Whenever Biden says “middle class”, the focus group approval graph goes through the roof.

9:14  Biden to Palin: Liar, and you didn’t answer questions about oversight and regulation.  Palin doesn’t want to talk about that: she wants to talk about taxes, and said she’s going to answer questions during this debate the way she feels like.

9:12  Palin gives Biden an uppercut: you and Obama tax the heck out of us, dontcha know.

9:09  Biden challenges McCain’s claim that he’s been keeping an eye on those money guys.  New glasses?

9:08  American workforce the best in the world according to Palin.  Shhh.  Don’t tell India.  She said “maverick.”  Only took 9 minutes.  And “Darn right, it’s the predatory lenders” to blame for the mess we’re in.

9:07  Biden has friends?  On both sides of the aisle?  Color me surprised.

9:05  Palin: Go to a soccer game and ask people what they think of the economy.  She said “betcha.”  Cute points skyrocket.

9:04  Biden: Bush Administration economic policy awful.  Reiterating Obama’s must-have tenets of a decent bail-out plan–let’s give love to the middle class.

9:03  “Can I call you Joe.”  Oh, Sarah!  You!

 

Pre-Game on CNN:

8:17  CNN wonks are cautioning Biden to go gentle with Palin because she’s a woman.  And so it begins.  Should we leave chocolate and an Erma Bombeck book under her podium, too?

8:28  The touch screen TV they use on CNN is “Minority Report” meets Microsoft Paint.

8:31  CNN is flashing fun facts on the screen periodically: Biden had a brain aneurysm in 1980.  Hoping they tell us what his favorite food is–fingers crossed for apple pie.

8:34  Ed Rollins just praised Palin’s communication skills.  Was he watching the same Couric interview the rest of us were?

8:40  Fact check the candidates’ responses here.  Watch video of a guy falling off a ladder here.

8:46  Jeffrey Toobin says “forget the economy…[Palin] has to prove she can speak in a normal English sentence.”

8:51  Questions about Gwen Iffil’s impartiality from the CNN panel: They all agree her book/views won’t impact her job tonight.

8:53  Soledad O’Brien reporting from Ohio at a focus group.  That’s about what it would take to get me to visit Ohio.

8:57  Interesting.  The focus group will provide real-time feedback charting the participants’ reaction to the candidates.

 

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