Gravitas.  One had it, one didn't.  Forgetting content (never forget the content, by the way!), Biden presented himself as a serious statesman.  Palin...well, Palin came across as that knowledgeable, but otherwise innefectual voice you hear at your local caucus.  She's got the chops for small-town discussions, but she'd be an embarrassment on the larger world stage.  I just can't see her sitting down with Ahmadinejad (count how many times she proved she could pronounce it?) saying, "Well there, Mr. Ahmadinejad, we soccer moms just don't like what we know you're doing."  I know its wrong, but just thought of the sound of her voice speaking from the White House would make me long for the grate of W's voice.  Biden, on the other hand, sounded like he knew what he was talking about.  She'd be viewed as a joke ...  they'd pay attention to him.

Those waiting to see Palin make a fool of herself were dissapointed.  Those waiting to see Biden put his foot in his mouth up to the knee-cap were dissapointed.

What were the Big Points to me?

The biggest was Biden pointing out that the McCain plan for health care has the feds taxing health benefits.  I run a small business and let me tell you... it isn't cheap getting health care.  For me at age 58 were talking around $1,000 a month for just me.  Twelve grand a year.  My company gives that to me as a benefit.  McCain would tax that.  He wants to give out a tax credit of $5,000 per family.  That's per family.  Let's see... chalk up another $12K for a spouse...a couple of thousand for kids... That $5,000 would be a drop in the bucket.  And, for those folks that got health care through their company you'd see that $5,000 whittled down to almost nothing by the taxes.  Great plan if you have lots of money...lousy plan if you are in the middle class.

The second was Palin's defense of McCain and "the bailout".  She was saying McCain's been on top of it.  Even the famous "Economy is fundamentally strong" flip-flop was explained away by saying that what McCain was referring to were "the workers", not the general economy.  Right.  When you can convince me that one his top advisors who was getting money from Frannie and Freddie until just a few weeks ago didn't push John to cozy up to those guys...well...I'll buy into the health plan.  He's self proclaimed that "economy isn't my strong point'.  And this is the man who is going to lead us out of an economic chrisis? 

Finally...  I just rolled my eyes every time Palin, when pressed on an issue she was uncomfortable with, would say "...but let me make one more point about energy". 

Let's see some more one-on-one with Palin and interviewers.  If the GOP has the guts...