The sad but true truth is that the only people who watch these debates are those who already know who they are voting for.
ODH, I couldn't disagree more with your statement about Palin costing McCain votes. True conservatives didn't vote for him in the primary and a lot of them probably wouldn't have bothered going to the ballot if he selected a lesser conservative. I don't think it ignited the party enough but it certainly didn't hurt. Heck, anyone who can win with a walking gaffe like Biden should know that VPs won't cost you an election.