[rabbitproof]

I thought Palin played to her strengths and held her own, doing it her way. It was definitely an unconventional style but it will work better than her interview character.

Biden also did well but as others have said, just hit par. I really think he'll be a great VP now though. He knows his stuff, his own strengths and his weaknesses and looks like a great pick - both from an electability and interview POV.

So with an even performance, that's a win for Palin. The debate did well to assuage fears about Palin being "smart/ready/experienced" enough to be VP, not unlike the dynamics of the first debate which helped answer questions about Obama's "American-ness".

So, I would also expect a 1-2 point shift towards McCain in the polls - depending on how the bailout bill goes.