A couple posts ago, just before the debate started, I wrote this:

The candidate with the hardest job tonight, unfortunately, isn't Sarah Palin.  It's Joe Biden.

He has to showcase his extensive experience, without discussing it extensively.  He has to restrain himself from responding too harshly to the inevitable attacks from Palin, while at the same time aggressively defending both his own reputation and Sen. Obama's.  He has to ignore Palin as much as humanly possible, without coming off like John McCain did last week in refusing to look at his opponent.  He has to avoid at all cost any remark about her femininity, no matter how complimentary or innocent he might think it is. 

There is no question that the Delaware Senator accomplished all of these unbelievably daunting tasks swimmingly tonight, and then some.  Snap polling of independents is showing Biden winning, BTW.