VP Debate: 15 Random Things We Noticed About Sarah Palin

Last night’s Vice-Presidential debate was some good TV! The back-and-forths between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were perhaps a little more restrained than we expected or hoped for, but they both definitely made an impression. Palin especially, who had a series of bad interview clips with Katie Couric making the rounds in the days leading up to the debate. While she was clearly rehearsed and prepared, there were some great Palin moments that stuck out as especially memorable for this fanatic. Those, after the jump… [CNN Debate Transcript]

1. Palin paired her extremely expensive looking black suit (which contrasted nicely with the insanely distracting turquoise that moderator Gwen Ifill was wearing—yikes!) with a saucy French braid, fresh highlights, AND red heels! French braids are back, y’all!

2. Palin accidentally created her own nickname for the opposition, calling Biden “O’Biden” at one point. Top of the mornin’ to ya, eh?

3. Wink! Wink! Wink!

4. Palin used the word “maverick” six times, while Biden used it nine times (in reference to McCain). If I was a drinker (ha!) I would have been drunk last night.

5. There was some folksiness! Palin uttered two “darn rights”, two “heckuvas,” and a “doggone it”! No “rootin’ tootin’” though.

6. Biden got choked up while discussing the death of his wife and daughter and stated, “But the notion that somehow, because I’m a man, I don’t know what it’s like to raise two kids alone, I don’t know what it’s like to have a child you’re not sure is going to—is going to make it—I understand.” To which Palin responded, after thumbing through her notes and not listening, “People aren’t looking for more of the same.” Sensitive!

7. Biden consistently referred to his opponent as “Governor Palin” while she called him “Joe”. In fairness, before the debate started, you could hear Palin ask his permission to do so.

8. “Say it ain’t so Joe!” Tina Fey is already practicing that one!

9. Plenty of $3 (well, maybe $2) vocabulary words were in use: Espoused! Nonsensical! Cyclical! Hydrocarbons! Quasi!

10. Palin nailed the pronunciation of “Ahmadinejad” but is still working on her pronunciation of “nuclear”. That’s “new-clee-er” not “new-cue-ler”.

11. Palin repeatedly called the commanding general in Afganistan “McClellan”. His name is actually “McKiernan”. O’Biden, McClellan, and McKiernan sound like they should really go to a pub together and have a pint.

12. At one point, Palin called her own comment a “lame” joke, then called either Biden or Ifills comment lame too, but it was impossible to tell who she was talking about. But it felt a little awkward and rude, like two jokes felt flat, one after the other.

13. Cliche alert: “You walk the walk; you don’t just talk the talk.”

14. Palin: “I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I’m going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also.” Why debate then?

15. Also, Palin ended 14 sentences with the word “also”. She used the word “also” 49 times total. Also.