You've hit the nail on the head. My big fear is that when in doubt Sarah Palin will simply disregard the question completely & draw on a few potent symbols combined with a folksy shrug, smile, smirk, or whatever body language suits the moment.

My second biggest fear is that millions of viewers will think that's fine. She doesn't know the answer but she certainly knows what she stands for & what her values are.

Why get all nit picky over a question when she stands there ready to serve her country. Questions & answers are for eggheads.

It's all very scary really. I can't imagine waking up in a world where Rocky & Bullwinkle are in control of the White House.

Joe Biden might know as much about global warming as Al Gore, but Palin is going to say something like,"I just don't know anything about those fancy eastern liberal facts and figures. But, I do know that I love the flag and my family and I don't like those islamofacists." That's essentially what Bush did against Gore in 2000.

I live in Europe, so had to stay up until 5 AM to watch the Obama-McCain debate. It was worth it. I won't stay up this time, because I get the general picture. Palin will be instructed to go for the short-term, tactical gain. That probably means attacking with memorized soundbites criticizing something or other in Biden's rich past. Biden will be urged - I can just imagine Obama pleading with him, "Please, Joe, remember..." - to stay above the fray and go for the strategically more important image of a reasonable and informed Mr Nice Guy. Never mind the cheap hits which will excite pundits over the weekend and be forgotten by everyone come Election Day.

As for global warming, unfortunately, I think Obama-Biden do well to understate their concern over it. I hope they take it damn seriously in private. But I don't think the US electorate does. So putting this in the relatively unimportant, but popular, context of "energy independence" seems to be clever.

I hate to say, but I agree with one sentence from Sarah: It doesn't matter anymore who caused the climate change. It is time to stop discussions and get of our arses to do something.

I am living in the middle of the Pacific. There are plenty of atolls, some just 3 or 4 feet above (today's) water level. We are talking here about some 23 million additional fugitive in a not too far future.

Anyone concerned about global warming is probably already voting for Obama. Let her explain her abortion views on rape and incest and who they would appoint to the courts. Let her explain herself on bookbanning and loyalty oaths. Killing wolves, etc. The woman has a lot of baggage.

There is a vast difference between an interview and a debate. Sarah Palin isn't a newbie at political debate. Palin is a GOPAC graduate, and has been coached by some of the best. To dance on her grave this early is a mistake.

Her knowledge on most major issues is superficial, but then the American public hasn't particularly shown a great deal of depth and perspicacity. She will pull out some buzz words, and get ugly with her attacks. She will smirk and sneer, but should Biden reciprocated he will be bitch-slapped for "being mean".

The whole thing is stacked against Biden.

I wish I could believe it's as simple as irrefutable facts up against obfuscation. But the obfuscator in this case has shown herself to be more than ready to serve her country.

I too believe that anyone who underestimates her appeal does so at their peril. Also, why in the world would a few facts matter. This is a woman who believes that creationism should have equal school time with evolution in interests of putting all the 'facts' before students.

She never would have accepted the VP offer if she didn't believe she was able for it. Watching as an outsider I do believe she actually feels ready to be VP & believes her time has come. Probably with a little kick along from the man upstairs.

She believes she's safe from witches & I reckon she'll have very little fear of Joe. I believe she sees herself as a legitimate candidate & the intellectual equal of Biden. She has simply filled in the large space where thought & reason & reflecting should reside, with evangelical certainties.

First of all, the format of this debate will not lend itself to the recommended tactics.

Secondly, while Obama has announced an intention to free America from dependence on foreign oil (i.e. all oil) within ten years, he has not really explained in detail how this is possible, so Biden will not have an easy-to-understand comprehensive plan to roll out that will overwhelm the Palin Plan to drill, drill, and pump.

In any case, the economy is the thing and what the electorate wants to hear is how a future administration will adjust the playing field so that the likelihood of the entire economic system going bottom-up is greatly reduced. Palin probably has no plan for this.

Overall, Biden needs to stick to "When Senator Obama and myself are elected to the White House, this is what we are going to do for you..."

I doubt it given the state of the economy, the price of oil, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If I'm right, it might be really risky to spend the whole debate arguing about voters' 4th or 5h most important issue.

She debated back in 2006 and did pretty well. At least for the TV viewers. She goes into her little stories to avoid saying anything, but also to be folksy.

She has such low expectations for tonight's debate that if she doesn't end up claiming herself to be the spawn of Satan, she has "won". I almost think the previous interviews were done on purpose to generate low expectations, then claim victory if she doesn't completely fall flat on her face.

Remember how well Bush did, and he wasn't that much better that Palin. We're not scoring debating points. It's a matter of simple perception. Palin doesn't need to answer a damn question, just perceived to have answered it.