Because it would be sexist not to make special debate rules for Palin

Oh, here we go -- the Vice-Presidential debates. The Democrats and Republicans have agreed on the format for the VP debate on October 2. Not surprisingly, the Rethugs want to protect their dainty candidate from having to do too much actual talking:

"Under the plan agreed to yesterday, Palin and Biden will have less time than McCain and Obama to reply to moderators' questions and discuss each other's answers." [...]

"In the negotiations, Republicans wanted to limit the amount of time available for their neophyte candidate, Palin, to be questioned on a single topic. Democrats, meanwhile, wanted to be sure Biden and Palin spoke from lecterns rather than sitting at a table the way Vice President Cheney and his rivals in 2000 (Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut) and 2004 (Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina) did. Both sides got what they wanted. Palin and Biden will each have 90 seconds to respond to questions, followed by a two-minute period for discussion between the candidates." (emphasis mine)

Well, you had to know that was coming. And who can blame them? When she gets on a roll, the results are... curious. Here's SaWah on something to do with energy policy (I think -- though I can't be sure):

“Oil and coal? Of course, it’s a fungible commodity and they don’t flag, you know, the molecules, where it’s going and where it’s not. But in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there are very, very hungry domestic markets that need that oil first,” Palin said. “So, I believe that what Congress is going to do, also, is not to allow the export bans to such a degree that it’s Americans that get stuck to holding the bag without the energy source that is produced here, pumped here. It’s got to flow into our domestic markets first.”

SHRIEEEEEEK!!!

I'll be watching to see if she wears her hair up or down, to hide the earpiece.

UPDATE: Andrew doesn't like it. Wow, in 6-odd years of reading him, this is the first time I can recall ever seeing him use the F-word. But he's right -- all Americans should be using the F-word about this, it's ridiculous.

UPDATE II: Heh.