Amy Holmes: 10:40p ET - Palin: A+. The plus is for wildly exceeding expectations. She more than held her own. She was polished, direct, folksy, and on message. She stressed her personal experience both as a mom and as a governor, from the kitchen table to the executive branch, her record as a reformer and bipartisan deal maker. She even got Biden to agree with her. Read more…

Roland Martin: Expectations are high for Palin AND Biden. Many of you read my commentary this week on CNN.com and I haven’t changed my opinion.

I’m tired of Washington journalists continuing to say that the expectations are low, and the bar even lower, for Gov. Sarah Palin.

And the same goes for Sen. Joe Biden. Read more…

Amy Holmes: 9:40p ET - Were those Katie Couric interviews a devious head fake? I’ve heard Biden say at least twice now that he agrees with Palin. First on the issue of windfall profits, and then on the issue of gay marriage. Regarding the first, he actually said he and Obama would like to do what the Governor did in Alaska. Economic conservatives won’t like it. But for debate purposes: advantage Palin.

Candy Crowley: 9:35p ET - Palin veers off course — the question is about helping consumers with crushing debt, and she’s responding with energy policy. Politicians frequently change the subject, but this was a pretty obvious 180.

Read more

Program Note:
It’s the showdown everyone’s been waiting for.
Sarah Palin and Joe Biden face off on the issues.
Join the best political team on television for your front row seat!

Debate Night in America: Vice Presidential Debate
Tonight, beginning 8p ET

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Suzanne Malveaux | BIO
CNN White House Correspondent

I talked to Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass who just arrived at debate site. Nothing surprising regarding Joe Biden, just some points:

- Biden is feeling “pretty relaxed.”

- He has lots of family members coming to the debate (he’s got famously big family.)

- “Biden will make a clear convincing case that the Obama-Biden ticket will bring change from the last 8 years of the failed Bush policies.”

- “Will provide a sharp contrast to the McCain-Palin ticket, and argue that the opposing candidate is more of the same.”

- They “expect Palin will deliver strong sharp, pointed attacks.”

- Biden will respond by “trying to stay connected to voters. He’ll do his best to avoid getting drawn into game-playing.”

Keep reading

Ed Henry
White House Correspondent

Seeking to head off an ugly confrontation with conservatives, John McCain’s campaign has decided to invite Vice President Dick Cheney to give a speech at the Republican National Convention after all.

Conservatives had been grumbling about a potential Cheney snub ever since word leaked Monday about the rare possibility of the sitting Vice President not attending his own party’s convention.

A Republican official had told CNN there was a “mutual understanding” between the White House and the convention planners that Cheney was “unlikely” to attend because the McCain camp wants to turn the page on the Bush years.

Allies of the Vice President were trying to soften any talk of embarrassment by noting Cheney’s schedule is pretty packed with potential travel anyway, so he might not be able to make the trek to St. Paul anyway. Keep reading

Interest in the “Veepstakes” is heating up as we approach the political conventions. Weigh the pros and cons of some possible running mates for Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

CHECK IT OUT

David M. Reisner
360° Digital Producer

Bloggers,

News broke this morning that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is quietly beginning his search for a running mate. A veteran Democratic activist in Washington told CNN the process is “at a very early point but that within the campaign itself they have been informally thinking about it for a while.”

Meanwhile the presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain is also going to be busy this weekend… some say, with the search for a running mate, though the campaign flatly denies that. Three politicians viewed as possible VP contenders will head out to Arizona, to the home of the senator (although campaign officials said the gather is purely social.’) In total 18 guests are expected at the McCain ranch in Sedona.

Among the guests said to be possible running mates: Charlie Christ, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and former Massachusetts Governor (and former presidential rival) Mitt Romney. Where is Mike Huckabee you ask? The Former Arkansas Governor (and former presidential rival) was invited to attend, but he and his wife already had plans to go on vacation and will skip the event, says a source close to Huckabee.

A senior McCain adviser Charlie Black told CNN, “He is definitely not interviewing anyone, and this weekend is not about that process… I know you all want it to be about the vice presidential process, but that is not what it is about… This is a social weekend, as the senator and Cindy very much enjoy having when they can get a break from campaigning.”

Well while they relax and have a social weekend, I wanted to let YOU think about it –
Whom would you like to see as Vice President to any of the three candidates running for the White House?

Sen. Hillary Clinton & ___________________ (and why?)

Sen. John McCain & _____________________ (and why?)

Sen. Barack Obama & ___________________ (and why?)