"First of all, Sarah Palin exceeded expectations and Joe Biden met expectations. So on that score, Governor Palin came out ahead. On the issues, Biden was clearly more knowledgeable, but it's all about voters feeling confident and comfortable with the candidate. Barack Obama has demonstrated that he is a tremendous campaigner and he could win the presidency, but right now Sarah Palin is getting a massive amount of attention and is once again a plus for John McCain. With the bailout bill passing, things may calm down in America, but the folks will still be angry on election day. It is on John McCain to turn that anger to his advantage. He has to say exactly how he will clean up Wall Street and Washington and point out that the Obama-Biden ticket will just make government bigger. Talking Points is fascinated by this election cycle. Every week something new happens, and nobody knows how it will all turn out."

Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham entered the No Spin Zone with her review of Palin's performance. "I think we felt a little bit of Hurricane Sarah last night," Ingraham said. "It was a Category 6 and she blew a lot of the pundits right out of the room. She was confident and she has this ability to connect with the average person. She hasn't been around as long as Ronald Reagan, but the word 'Reaganesque' has come up a lot. Now McCain has to be tough and he has to paint Barack Obama as very far left on most issues." The Factor described Palin as an extraordinary communicator. "I studied that JFK-Nixon debate and there was no question that Nixon had much more knowledge. But Kennedy wowed 'em, and that's what I saw last night. She has charisma, and now she has to go on some shows and answer questions."

News Link: Palin-Biden debate was ratings smash

For a view from the other side, The Factor welcomed former Hillary Clinton strategist Howard Wolfson. "I think Sarah Palin did a good job of resuscitating herself," Wolfson averred, "because she was in danger of becoming a national joke. But in the end, I don't think the vice presidential choice matters very much to people when they vote for president." The Factor disagreed with that notion. "No matter what you think of her politics, I as an Americans admire someone who is under tremendous pressure and steps up to the plate and hits a triple. I think some people will vote for her because she's on the McCain ticket, and I'm going to predict that the McCain-Palin team will have a pop in the polls on Tuesday." Wolfson also weighed in on The Factor's verbal brawl with Congressman Barney Frank over Frank's role in the subprime mortgage debacle. "I give him credit for coming on the show," Wolfson said. "He is somebody who enjoys the joust and is not going to back down from a fight. It was good television, but you were a little tough on him."

Pollster Frank Luntz, who wired up 28 undecided voters as they watched the Biden-Palin debate, reported that Sarah Palin struck a chord when she talked about personal responsibility. "The reaction was almost off the charts," Luntz said. "What's interesting is that she was not talking policy, she was talking about how people react in their day-to-day lives." Luntz moved to Biden, who received high marks when he movingly spoke about his family situation. "It was a very emotional moment and the voters who watched it felt very moved for Senator Biden. The challenge for him and John McCain is whether they sound like politicians or like they lead everyday lives." Luntz laid out what he sees as the biggest challenge facing McCain: "Either you amp up the volume and demonstrate passion or you're not going to be successful."

Now that the $700 billion rescue package has been enacted into law, The Factor asked Fox Business News anchor Dagen McDowell what it means for the folks. "It's not a quick fix," McDowell responded, "and it's not going to solve everybody's problems immediately. We are going to wind up in a recession, the damage is done. Companies are having a difficult time borrowing and banks are unwilling to lend to one another." Financial planner Patricia Powell advised middle-class Americans to be prudent. "Keep your money in the bank and if you can get 2% interest, yippee! In your 401k, I would be a little conservative - if I used to think that 50% was a good allocation for stocks, I'd now have 30%. I'd ratchet it down because we're going through a tough time. And people also have to pay their debts. There are 50-million households that have an average of $17,000 in credit card debt. They've got to work on that."

News Link: Americans eye bailout, and continue cutting back

For an analysis of Sarah Palin's appeal to voters, The Factor welcomed Republican FNC analyst Linda Chavez and Democratic strategist Jami Floyd. "She reminds me of Ronald Reagan," Chavez began. "Both Reagan and Sarah Palin understand the core principles that we should have a smaller government, lower taxes, and that people should take personal responsibility. She is one of those people who has an intuitive grasp of politics, and she has a world view that is going to guide her." Democratic strategist Jami Floyd argued that Palin's skills won't translate into votes. "The election is far from over and we may have a roller coaster ride for Sarah Palin. This campaign is about the middle and the undecideds, and I don't think she won those women over. I do not have confidence in Palin's substantive ability." But The Factor maintained that Palin's personality could sway some voters: "The independent mindset is that 'I want somebody elected that I like.' Of the four of them in the race, the person who engenders the most emotion is Sarah Palin."

"An American Carol," billed as the first comedy to ridicule the far left, mocks a film maker not-so-loosely based on Michael Moore. The Factor, who appears in the film, welcomed two of its stars into the No Spin Zone. "We're making fun of people who have no sense of humor," Kelsey Grammer explained. "We've done a film that is really kind of an homage to American spirit, and one of the best things we do is make fun of the terrorists. I think the film will inspire either ire or adoration." Kevin Farley, who plays a rotund, gluttonous, anti-American documentarian, expressed no doubt about why he landed the role: "I get disturbed because my mom says I look exactly like Michael Moore. Exactly? I'm a little thinner, I think. And Bill, I was surprised what a great actor you are." *

News Link: 'An American Carol' hits theatres

* For a more objective critique, here is what The Hollywood Reporter has to say: "Bill O'Reilly shows up briefly as himself, somehow managing to be more dignified and restrained among these farcical proceedings than he is on his own television show."

Friday's Patriots: Actress Salma Hayek and Proctor & Gamble, who have teamed up to help poor babies in Africa obtain vaccines. And the Pinhead: P. Diddy, who made a video about his deep fear of Sarah Palin. Nominate a Pinhead or a Patriot by sending an email to pnp@billoreilly.com.

News Link: Salma Hayek leads Tetanus campaign

News Link: Video: Diddy 'scared' of Palin

Todd Conormon, Fayetteville, NC: "Bill, that was not your best moment on the Factor. You owe Frank an apology."

Carol Trainor, Marlboro, NJ: "O'Reilly, you had the guts to do to Frank what he did to the country."

Hope Hawksworth, Phoenix, AZ: "When you interviewed Barney Frank you spoke for me."

Pete Vanderhaak, Costa Rica: "Bill, you did not serve us well the way you interviewed Barney Frank."

John Reid, Dublin, Ireland: "Bill, you were brilliant with Congressman Frank. You held him to account."