The vice presidential debate (live blogging)

6:08pm - OMG, Palin just winked.

6:09 - The word I least want to here after November 4th: "maverick."

6:10 - Palin calling for oversight and regulation. I guess she hasn't looked into McCain's record.

6:13 - Palin is much more coherent talkative when she gets to stick to her soundbites. :-)

6:15 - Palin's fiscal record as mayor of Wasilla.

6:26 - Biden turns Palin's windfall profits tax on oil companies on its head... "that's what we want to do for Americans just as Palin did for Alaskans, but McCain will never support that."

6:27 - When Palin talks about John McCain, she sounds like a robot and gets a flatline from the CNN focus group. I don't know how many people buy the idea that McCain was out there warning America about the mortgage crisis...

6:31 - "... how we are going to positively affect the impacts..." Palin is become more incomprehensible as she goes.

6:37 - Biden states clear support for benefits for same-sex couples. Palin talks about "tolerance."

6:40 - Palin thinks the surge is part of an exit strategy for Iraq. Hmm. And she repeats the nonsense that Obama voted for not funding the troops in Iraq. Biden points out that McCain voted the same way on that particular bill, which called for a specific timetable for withdrawal. (The bill failed.)

6:42 - Palin just appeared stumped for a moment and then she pulled out a "white flag of surrender" response about Obama's plan to end the war. She is so prepared with specific things to say to specific questions... she's not drawing on any of her own knowledge except when talking about her experience in Alaska.

6:46 - Biden seems to catching his stride. Palin is reading from her notes! Is that allowed, lol?

6:55 - Palin is spouting gibberish about nuclear weapons. CNN just posted an update on Palin's daughter's wedding plans on their political blog. (Along with an observation that many of Palin's answers sound like slogans rather than actual answers. You think?)

6:59 - Biden just noted that we spend more in three weeks than we've spent in seven years in Afghanistan. Jesus.

7:04 - The McCain campaign was smart to negotiate for debate rules that prevent most follow-ups on the candidates answers because Palin rarely gives any...

7:07 - Palin: "McCain knows how to win a war." Excuse me, but which war has John McCain won?

7:09 - The debate format is a joke. Palin is blithely blathering along. Jim Lehrer would never have put up with her crap.

7:12 - OMG... a "shout out to those third graders" in Wasilla?

7:14 - Palin claims McCain wants her to lead reform of our entire government. Should I shoot myself now?

7:15 - Sadly, Biden hasn't been a great debater tonight except when talking about foreign policy. Palin is a train wreck but she's steaming along so fast that you don't know even know that you're being run over until it's too late.

7:18 - Is Palin evading the question about her Achilles heel or did she simply not know what an Achilles heel is?

7:20 - Biden's answer to the Achilles heel question was superb. We saw his humanity there, especially when he got choked up talking about being a single father and his son in Iraq.

7:23 - Biden takes Palin to task for calling McCain a maverick and enumerates the ways that he has failed to do anything to benefit people's everyday lives.

7:26 - I'm on my third barf bag.

7:29 - Palin: "I like answer these tough questions." Well, first the questions would have to be tough and second you'd have to answer them!

7:31 - Thank heavens it's over. Someone please buy Palin a drink. Of hemlock.

HERE IS ANDREW SULLIVAN'S liveblogging post; I agree with him that Gwen Ifill was practically non-existent as a moderator.