The V.P. Debate: What to Watch for

By Katharine Q. Seelye
The New York Times

"We were mistaken and reported earlier in this space that the debate would be a sit-down affair, which is something the McCain camp wanted because the more intimate setting might have made it harder for Mr. Biden to attack Ms. Palin. But it turns out the two will be standing at separate lecturns. One change in the format from the presidential debate last week is that the candidates will have shorter time periods in which to speak. They will have 90 seconds each in which to answer questions from the moderator, Gwen Ifill, who will then guide a two-minute discussion on each topic. The 90 minutes is seen as a benefit to Ms. Palin, who tends to give short answers anyway, and the two minutes gives Mr. Biden room to run. "