CNN has a countdown to the VP debate

just so you know that you have EXACTLY two hours, 46 minutes and a handful of seconds to grab a bowl of popcorn, a group of politically-minded buddies and plop in front of a screen before the most highly talked about VP debate ever (at least in recent memory- maybe the 1976 debate between Walter Mondale and Bob Dole was highly talked about, but that’s because it was the first) commences.

Image from ABC.com

Tonight’s debate is going to pull massive ratings, but not because viewers are so interested in the policy stances of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin that they will devote 90 minutes of their Thursday night to watching the hopefuls dupe it out.

It’s safe to say that people watching are doing so to see who wins, who makes gaffs, who comes away with the most ridiculously quote-worthy statements that SNL will be parodying.

Some will be watching for normal reasons people watch debates, but it’s the hysteria of this political season, the jaw-dropping “you’ve got to be kidding me”-ness of Palin’s recent interviews and speeches, and Biden’s penchant to look like the smartest guy in the library that’s really pulling the masses in this time around.

Will Palin win because she’s a woman and Biden looked like a bully? Will Biden win because he knows what he’s talking about and can verbaize it? My guess is the later.

Happy watching.