Plot Summary

The only vice presidential debate between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden took place on Thursday, October 3, 2008, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The debate was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS. It was the first such debate to feature a female candidate since the 1984 vice presidential debate. The debate was watched by about 70 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the most-watched vice presidential debate in history. It was only the second presidential or vice presidential debate to surpass 70 million viewers, the first being the 1980 presidential debate between Governor Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter, which drew nearly 81 million viewers.