I wonder whether Obama is regretting his choice of running mate? McCain has increased his popularity since picking Palin.

I said when he picked Biden he had made a mistake. It was a boring and entirely predictable choice, not the man, but the type. Considering that Obama has been the front man, the boundary-pusher, the choice was lame and uninspiring. McCain has picked someone who could be a major asset, but she is also capable of being a massive liability... as some of the stories that are coming out about her are starting to show... but she is generating massive public interest. The key for the Democrats is to play on her weaknesses and perceived corruption and then marry that to McCain's age and how close that leaves her to being elected president - that should frighten a lot of people.

Look, it's all been done before. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/magazine/7616333.stm And, I think, if I remember correctly - the coloured guy won!

Well... Jimmy Smits isn't exactly coloured... and it was a TV programme so the only thing that will happen is what the scriptwriters say will happen.

Palin is in trouble. Not that this was unexpected. As I said before, she could turn out to be a millstone around McCain's neck and given that he looks as though he has trouble walking these days that could be enough to finish his bid for the White House: Full story Sarah Palin flunks CBS interview RIGHTLY enough, given that the world's largest economy could collapse imminently, Sarah Palin has been on the edge of the radar in the past few days. But in her third interview, broadcast over the past couple of days, with CBS News star anchor Katie Couric, she has showed that that is where she belongs. On at least two answers she appeared hesitant, ill-informed and simplistic; not ready for the top job. It has provided the vindication her opponents have at time over-zealously sought in other places, and should give her supporters pause for thought. We are way past the Palin-excites-the-base phase. The reasons for that are clear and fair: she is a likeable, everyday, gutsy, church-going mum with a gun. And nor is her performance defensible with the liberal-media-witchhunt argument. This is about readiness, and John McCain's incredible gamble on Mrs Palin. With six weeks to go before the election, it might be prudent to recall that if elected she will be a heartbeat away from the presidency. On this showing she simply isn't qualified for the job. True, she handled many questions with some competence, though often appearing a terrified student at an oral exam. True, the answers of many interviewees don't look too good verbatim; spontaneous sentences can be unfinished and awkwardly constructed; but consider this answer to Couric's question of whether or not America heading for another Great Depression: "Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this, as it's been proposed, has to pass or we're going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. But, there has got to be action - bipartisan effort - Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed." And on the relevance of Alaska's proximity to Russia to her foreign policy experience: "We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state."

Right out of her depth and showing it by talking rubbish. Oh dear.

I loved this comment from a Telegraph reader: We have gone from aspiring towards a moon landing to cheering an absolute idiot who can field dress a moose. She attended 6 colleges in 5 years - I guess she was searching for one where you didn't have to study. This is the best choice McCain could have made - for the Democrats. Seems like they'd make a great pair in the White House - one can't remember and the other just doesn't know her arse from a hole in the ground. She makes Bush look like a genius.

Very worrying. I get the feeling that she is being controlled. I read somewhere that McCain has a rare form of skin cancer that could kill him within 2 years - which could leave us with 'President Palin'... America would become a police state quite quickly under Palin, I believe.

There has been all sorts of stories about McCain's health, the skin cancer one, however, is true, he was diagnosed on 2000 but appears to have been arrested - certainly not cured as allopathic medicine cannot cure cancer, it only treats it. To my mind, McCaiin will not live to see out his term in office, he's too frail which WILL leave Palin in charge at some point. Scary.

So it is anyone but McCain then?

No Jack, we are talking about your average American voter here... so in spite of everything McCain/Palin could still get elected by people who have an IQ very little different from their shoe size.

Wonderful political satire here, larded with realism and truth, as all really good satire should be! http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin

The Guardian thinks McCain is on the slippery slope to defeat and even little Sarah's gutsy performance in the debate can't save him now. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/03/uselections2008.republicans

Is this a sign of desperation or what? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7653132.stm

Nawh, Jack! Just prototypical US election slagging off and posturing, that's all. Since neither candidate has anything much to offer other than hot air and sententious words, expect worse before November.