Biden-Palin Debate

How did they do? Depends on what metric is important to you I'd say. With me the metric is honesty. Biden had a biased message but came across as being straight with the audience--Palin's message was pure propaganda. She was honest about it saying she was not going to follow the mediator's wishes about what she was going to say--cardstacking in other words. Cardstacking is a propaganda ploy that slants the message by only giving one side of an issue and ignoring any facts that would tend to disprove the propagandist's argument. Sticking to "talking points" in other words.
Another propaganda ploy she used is the "I am just one of the folks" ploy, just one of you so you can trust me to do what you'd do. Her "darn" and "shucks" add to the image of "I'm just one of you, just an ordinary "six-pack" person.
She uses her being from Alaska as a "transfer symbol" propaganda ploy. Like being a "hockey Mom", a hunter etc. Transfer symbols are ploys used to transfer emotional symbols to a person or issue. Bush and others use the flag effectively--called wrapping themselves in the flag.
She continually uses slogans and labels effectively like "McCain is a Maverick", or I'm a Washington "Outsider". The words "Maverick" and "Washington Outsider" have emotional connotations in some quarters.
McCain's and Palin's campaign tactics are very similar to G.W. Bush's--pure propaganda.

Economic Bail Out--Haven't We Been Here Before?

It seems we don't learn much from past experience; such as the Savings and Loan fiasco of the 1980's. It isn't an example that is exactly the same but it is close enough to illustrate where "out of control Capitalism" leads to; which this administration has been embracing wholeheartedly during its reign.
Now it seems we are trying to add insult to injury, by making a bail-out of an undisclosed number of banks and other lending institutions with the hope that money will trickle down to the people and save us from a great depression.
The Administration's belief that Iraq had WMD's should illustrate what "beliefs" and bad leadership bring us.
A great majority of the people apparently don't want this proposed bail-out but apparently the people, as usual, are being ignored in favor of the "Fat Cats" wishes. Government by the People, for the People? Not likely.