OK, I've seen a bunch of mocking diaries of Sarah Palin, and I don't agree with them, so I thought I'd write down my thoughts on the subject.
The fact is, Sarah Palin lost a debate with Joe Biden. Think about what that means. She didn't run off the stage in tears, she didn't become so incoherent that she generated another round of viral youtube videos. She debated Joe Biden, and she lost.
I love the Sarah Palin flowchart that was on the rec list all day. It captures exactly what people who had seen her previous debates in Alaska understood that she must do, and she did it. The main idea is that (1) do not worry about answering the questions, (2) stick to the talking points, (3) attack Obama, (4) flutter your eyelashes and mention Alaska or Trig. She did all that perfectly adequately, and as a result, I think there will be a small but noticeable improvement in McCain's standing in the polls.
First, the vice presidential debate is now over, so Palin incoherence isn't anywhere near as newsworthy, especially without any new viral videos to fan the flames. This means that the narrative can start to be rewritten. This is already happening.
Second, McCain's mean-old-cuss demeanor that cost him dearly in the first presidential debate is softened by Palin's performance. That is, when people think about McCain-Palin, it's no longer the old meany or the unbelievably air-headed ditz, it's now the old meany and a young, arguably attractive woman who debated Joe Biden and lost. This is a significant difference in the warmth factor as well as in the credibility of the ticket.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, it is now possible for Republicans and warmongers to rally around McCain-Palin in a way that was simply too embarrassing even for them before the debate. You can see this happening all over. The old embarrassment over the Couric interviews, etc., is being ignored, replaced by the young debater who lost to the seasoned warhorse.
I guess what I'm saying is that as a result of the Biden-Palin debate, there has been a small but, I think, noticeable improvement in the McCain team's spirits and credibility. Therefore, I think it is not a good idea to keep harping on how badly she did against Biden. Who won or lost was never the issue in this debate. Just as fact-checking has been largely ignored in the popular media, debater's points have been too.
Greg Shenaut
PS. I just want to add that I think Joe Biden did an excellent job in the debate. Not only did he win, an outcome that was never in doubt for me, but he did it with charm, passion, and class. This is also very important, since it served to reinforce the overall Obama-Biden narrative, and gave us several excellent one-liners (such as past is prologue and facts matter).