Debate liveblogging
Sarah Palin already seems like she needs to take a breath. She's trying to cram too many rehearsed talking points into her answer.

Does anyone buy that "the fundamentals of our economy" referred to the American worker when McCain said it?

She thinks she's on the stump.

Obama raised taxes, she says. It's the specter of the tax-and-spend liberal. Biden disputes this handily, but I question the effectiveness of tossing numbers back and forth.

"I may not answer the questions" but instead drown you in a sea of words that are completely unrelated to the question.

Ifill takes control.

"Gwen, I don't know where to start." No kidding, Joe. McCain's health care plan is a disaster.

The cat is on my lap now.

"The ultimate bridge to nowhere." Good one, Joe.

THE cat is Allie. Allie is on my lap. Not one of the other five.

What question is Palin even answering now? Not the one on the bottom of the screen on C-SPAN.

Sarah Palin can't think of any promises she can't keep because she's only been at this a few weeks and hasn't been allowed to talk to anyone.

McCain did not put his campaign aside. What a joke.

The headlines are going to say that Palin performed better than expected. She's lowered the bar with those interviews. It's the soft bigotry of low expectations.

She's rambling about energy. In generalities.

"I don't want to argue about the causes" of climate change. OK, then just admit that most of the causes are human in nature. How do we fix the problem without dealing with the causes?

It's hard to type with a cat in the way.

Good, straightforward answer to the question of granting benefits to same-sex couples. Go Joe.

Palin says being gay is a choice. She's also afraid of changing the "traditional definition of marriage."

Obama and Biden do not support gay marriage. They're wrong. So are McCain and Palin.

"We will end this war. For John McCain, there's no end in sight to this war," Joe says. Palin doesn't know how to answer this. She's thinking of her talking points.

Maybe I'm biased (I sure am), but I can follow Biden's answers, while Palin's answers are scattered all over the place.

"Nukular," she says. Repeatedly. Ugh.

Sarah Palin reminds us that she has actually spoken to Henry Kissinger recently. She says other countries hate us for our freedoms. She sounds a lot like Bush.

Lola has joined us on the chair. Allie is still on my lap. Allie hisses, but Lola just stays on the arm of the chair. We seem to be OK. We're coexisting better.

"We both love Israel."

McCain as maverick is a myth, but Palin keeps repeating it. Biden is making the case that McCain's policies are the same as George Bush's. Good rhetorical use of repetition.

"Nukular" again. Ugh!

Bye, Lola.

Joe Biden can say "nuclear." Yay!

I am temporarily cat-free now.

It's Bob's turn to climb on me now. The problem is that he rarely sits still, unlike the other cats. He wants to crawl all over me.

John McCain = Dick Cheney. On the war anyway. Good point to make.

"John McCain knows how to win a war." He does? How so?

Palin sure likes that word "maverick."

Palin keeps claiming she's middle-class, but the Palins are worth over $1 million. That's not rich by Washington standards, but it's not middle-class. It's wealthy.

Now Bob is calmly resting on my lap and Lola is back on the arm of the chair.

"John McCain has tapped me . . . ". Sounds a little dirty.

Oh, now she's touting her vast executive experience as a part-time mayor.

VP Cheney has been probably the most dangerous VP in American history, says Joe. I'll say.

Palin invokes St. Reagan.

Joe gets emotional talking about wondering whether or not your kid is going to make it.

"Maverick" again. I hope nobody had a drinking game going on that word. They are trashed by now.

She's babbling again.

"Let's talk about the maverick." Yes, let's! He has not been a maverick! Joe gives plenty of examples.

Last question.

Sarah is all over the place again. I can't follow her. Blizzard of words.

Final statements. Sarah whines about the mainstream media that she hasn't even spoken to. Biden says this is the most important election we've ever voted in and makes a pitch to the middle class.

The end. The talking heads will take over on other channels. Palin gets away without any major gaffes but a lot of babble and talking points. She has exceeded the soft bigotry of low expectations.

But Biden did well. Biden wins. My humble opinion.