Salon.com's DudeSlab blog ;-)

I've been a Biden groupie since I attended a Washington DC event just out of college--over twenty years ago.

On a stage along side many powerful, smart, entertaining men, Biden was the MAN.

I think it's his eyes.

but it just makes Biden romantic

My status: I have a crush on Joe Biden.

I do think that he, for one night at least, embodied What Women Want. He was strong, knowledgeable, sensitive, caring, and humorous without being condescending.

I want Joe Biden to embrace me a little. Like, he'd hold his raincoat over me on the sidewalk on a rainy day and usher me closely into a warm, dry coffee shop somewhere in DC. (This is similar to, and yet different from, how I want a big bear hug from Ted Kennedy.)

Joe was definitely looking pretty attractive up there last night. However my lust gets checked when I remember what a warrior on the war on drugs Joe has been. Marijuana is more expensive per ounce than gold. Way to harsh the high Joe. And that's just one of his more questionable positions.

But I still want him to win!!!!!!

Watching Joe last night, I wondered why he didn't do better in the nominating race.

It strikes me that last night he had a frame; he was constrained by the fact that his opponent had both a certain charm and a certain sense of vulnerability. If he beat on her--as he could have, a number of times--she'd just blink and smile and look terrified. So Joe took the best advice he was given--don't focus on SP, focus on the John in the campaign. Don't beat her up, don't be condescending, don't be too much of a modern guy, for whom girls are accessories rather than people.

He had a frame he never had when he was running for himself. Or even now, out on the campaign trail, where, as one commentator said, he comes off as a crazy uncle on occasion.

Joe self-disciplined is an awesome thing. I'm an optimist, and a humanist: I believe people can change. I'm hoping that Joe can learn from his great performance last night, and change.

"But to what extent is it the euphoria of watching a man with real command of facts, details and history? The gratification of agreeing with the person at the microphone when you feel as though you have been robbed of a voice? The satisfaction of watching Biden knock Palin down -- not like an animal, but like a gentleman and a scholar?"

All of the above.

I had the same reaction, especially when he refused to let Her Winkiness get under his skin in any way.

Elegant. Really elegant.

Glad to hear it wasn't just me!

My heart was racing throughout the whole debate. Obama's debating left me pretty cold... But yeah, Joe Fucking Biden. What a political superstar.

And I had no idea until last night. Wow.

I like the guy. I thought he was a good choice for Obama. But how can you be surprised at his performance? This guy has debating policy in the Senate and grilling Supreme Court justices for decades. Memo to the world, regardless of his prior gaffes, Biden is a very smart guy, and would make a great VP for Obama. He's not content to sit back there and be a yes-man.

If he *couldn't* deflect the likes of Sarah Palin, and run rhetorical circles around her, I'd be very worried.

After Sarah's pathetic performance last night I guess we should assume that this will be the first thing out of her mouth when she meets the Vice President "Can I call ya Dick"/

"Talabani", I pledge allegiance to Israel.

Every time Sarah opens her mouth she makes us feel smart

he was her first choice. i've always like biden, but he didn't make my top three: edwards, obama, clinton. i guess she was on to something i wasn't. she's thrilled to be able to vote for him.

Nice balanced, thoughtful response to the debate. Earlier in the evening I feared Palin was winning because she did not look or act the fool, and because I felt the public would find her likable. But her tricks wore thin and Biden didn't wear out his welcome. By the end of the evening I wanted Palin and her husband to go home, and I was ready to make up the guest room so Joe and his wife could stay and not have to drive home late.

I think people initially had qualms with Obama's choice of Biden as his running mate, but like so much Obama does, it was an inspired choice that shows him thinking a few moves ahead of the conventional wisdom.

Biden's a great choice, and proved it last night -- he owned the stage; Palin was just renting it in the moments she had. He rope-a-doped her with finesse and grace, did a great, great job.

As ever, the decisions a candidate makes in their campaign tells you everything about what kind of president they'll be, and with Obama's pick of Biden, and Biden's wonderful performance, I thought it spoke very well of the whole ticket.

Similarly, McCain's pick of Palin is also character-revealing, but it's McCain's cynical, desperate recklessness that's revealed in his picking her, while Biden showed Obama to be really on it. Biden will make a fantastic vice president, and compared to Shadow President Cheney, Biden will look even better.

I don't know about you, but I found Joe Biden super sexy last night. He's as old as my dad and yet I think if he rattled of facts like that to me in a dimly lit bar, he would have gotten lucky. His command of world affairs and policy was just soooooo smoothe. All I can say is YUMMY! What can I say? I'm a policy geek at heart, and he was singing my sirens song. He was just so certain. Pailin was getting visibly pissed. It was clear she was sticking to talking points. He just dominated. I love him.