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1:25 AM ET, October 3, 2008

Top Items:

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:

CBS Poll: More Uncommitted Voters Saw Biden As Winner — UPDATED CBS News and Knowledge Networks have conducted a nationally representative poll of 473 uncommitted voters to get their immediate reaction to tonight's vice presidential debate. — After the first presidential debate …

Discussion: Hot Air, TalkLeft, Eunomia, The Nation, Washington Post, The E&P Pub and The Anchoress

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Live-Blogging The Veeps — 10.30 pm. 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.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Reaction, Riehl World View, At-Largely, Lonewacko and Obsidian Wings

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Palin's new plan: Go after Biden — ST. LOUIS — Sarah Palin plans to go on the attack in tonight's debate, hitting Joe Biden for what she will call his foreign policy blunders and penchant for adopting liberal positions on taxes and other issues, according to campaign officials involved in prepping her for tonight's showdown.

CNN:

Poll: Biden wins debate, Palin exceeds expectations — (CNN) - A national poll of people who watched the vice presidential debate suggests that Democratic Sen. Joe Biden won but also hints that Republican Gov. Sarah Palin exceeded expectations. — The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Ben Smith's Blogs and DownWithTyranny!

Michelle Malkin:

SARAH ROCKS! — First, I would like to see all the Sarah doubters and detractors in the Beltway/Manhattan corridor eat their words. — Eat them. — Sarah Palin is the real deal. Five weeks on the campaign trail, thrust onto the national stage, she rocked tonight's debate.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Pajamas Media, Gateway Pundit and The Other McCain

Kos / Daily Kos:

Post-debate thoughts — Sarah Palin won! Actually, she survived, since she had no “deer in headlight” moments. Of course, it's easy to do that when you say, straight up, that you won't answer any questions you don't like. And in true to her word, she tossed aside any question …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Huffington Post and The Daily Dish

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Palin v Biden: Debate of the season — by Mark Silva and updated at 11:00 pm EDT — Joe Biden did very well in debate tonight. — He was supposed to. — Sarah Palin did very well in debate tonight. — She had to. — So it would seem that both candidates for vice president fulfilled …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Washington Wire:
Who Won the Vice-Presidential Debate?

Discussion: Los Angeles Times

Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
DEBATE LIVEBLOGGING.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder and Taegan Goddard's …

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Early Snap Polls: Biden Won Handily

Discussion: Newshoggers.com and skippy the bush kangaroo

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
BIG DIG — The McCain camp tells Mike Allen that Palin …

Discussion: The New Republic and The Moderate Voice

Sean Quinn / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Vice-Presidential Debate Liveblog #2: Live From Wash U.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Alas, a blog and No More Mister Nice Blog

Marc Ambinder:
Other Takes: Polls Give It To Biden; Luntz Focus Group Likes Palin

Discussion: Ross Douthat

Michelle Malkin:
Sarah vs. Smirky: Vice presidential debate thread

Discussion: Hot Air, Stop The ACLU, www.redstate.com, Jules Crittenden, Pajamas Media and The Sundries Shack

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:
Palin stands her ground in VP debate with Biden

Discussion: CNN

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs: Plouffe protests — David Plouffe spoke to reporters just now …

Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Palin and Biden Are Cordial but Pointed

Discussion: Guardian and NY Daily News

Will Wilkinson: Veep Liveblog

Glenn Reynolds / Pajamas Media:
STEPHEN GREEN WILL BE drunkblogging the debate.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Althouse, TalkLeft, Midwest Voices, Sister Toldjah, The Swamp, TigerHawk, Gateway Pundit, FishBowlDC, The Sundries Shack and Classical Values

Victor Davis Hanson / National Review:
Sarah Biden — Journalists continue to ask, “What was John …

Discussion: Macsmind

Peter Hamby / CNN:
Palin's foreign policy adviser stood in for Biden in mock debates

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

McCain pulling out of Michigan — John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play. — McCain will go off TV in Michigan …

Mike Allen / The Politico:

McCain fate hangs on three states — ST. LOUIS — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) now must win Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Minnesota in order to get enough electoral votes to win the presidency, his campaign says. — Those were considered swing states in 2000 and 2004, but George W. Bush lost them both times.

Discussion: Open Left, MyDD, The New Republic and Donklephant

Marc Ambinder:
McCain's Now Playing Defense; Obama Bracing For Counterattacks

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Political Radar and Crooks and Liars

CNN:

Transcript of Palin, Biden debate — WASHINGTON (CNN) — The vice presidential candidates, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, debated in St. Louis, Missouri, Thursday night. Gwen Ifill of PBS was the debate moderator. Here is a transcript of that debate:

Discussion: TalkLeft, Firedoglake, Tales from the Trail, Sadly, No!, GetReligion and Pam's House Blend

New York Times:

Transcript: The Vice-Presidential Debate — October 2, 2008 Following is a transcript of the vice-presidential debate between Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Gov. Sarah Palin in St. Louis, as recorded by CQ Transcriptions: — View the video of this debate

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Little Green Footballs, The Caucus and Gothamist

Jack Shafer / Slate:
Don't Blame Gwen Ifill If the Veep Debate Sucks

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, The Huffington Post, Brave New Films blog and TPM Election Central

Megan McArdle:
Three . . . two . . . one . . . . liveblog

Discussion: Washington Wire, Wonkette, The Next Right and The Debatable Land

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

GEN. MCCLELLAN — Needless to say, getting the name of the top general in Afghanistan wrong just shows that Palin is new to the subject matter. But lying about what he said is a much bigger deal.

Discussion: Michael Bérubé and Liberty Street

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
LIVE BIDEN-PALIN BLOGGING PART II

Discussion: Raising Kaine

Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:
General: Iraq-style surge won't work in Afghanistan

Discussion: Washington Wire, New York Times, democracyarsenal.org, TPM Election Central, VetVoice, Raising Kaine and Donklephant

Susie Bright / 10 Zen Monkeys:

Why Sarah's Sex Life Matters — A lot of people have said “I don't know if it's fair to look at Sarah Palin's sexuality the way people are — I just don't know if it's sexist or appropriate. Why can't we just treat her like a human being?” Okay, I'm going to tell you why it's appropriate for us to gloat and delve into every detail.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Bottom Line — 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.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Daily Mail:

Sarah Palin blunders over talks with British ambassador that never took place as her first TV debate looms … Sarah Palin has committed yet another political blunder after claiming she had held talks with a British ambassador - talks that never actually took place.

Discussion: unbossed.com

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

Biden's Best Answer: John McCain is No Maverick — Share This: Digg! … More...

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

CBS News:

VP Candidates Assess Dick Cheney — CBS Evening News: Biden And Palin Answer Katie Couric's Vice-Presidential Questions … Katie Couric: What do you think is the best and worst thing that Dick Cheney has done as vice president? — Joe Biden: I'm not being a wise guy here ... that I don't know what he's done.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs and Emptywheel