If any of you out there were hoping for a debate that would be entertaining, whether through Joe Biden's trademark gaffe-prone sense of humor, or Sarah Palin's seeming inability to form a complete thought, you were severely disappointed. Biden stayed clear of any possible gaffes, and Palin turned in a surprisingly strong performance. Though there were few surprises or laughs, what we did get was an honest-to-god debate that highlighted the differences between the two campaigns, shed light on important issues of the election, and gave us insight into the two vice presidential candidates.

So, the vice presidentional debate has come and gone, and the pundits seem to have declared Joe Biden as the winner. However, I'm not so sure that that debate was a clear victory for either campaign. Yes, Biden came off as confident, knowledgeable, and trustworthy, and defended the Obama campaign well against the talking points that Palin so skillfully attacked him with, but is that enough to woo reluctant voters into the Obama camp?

Similarly, Palin came on and did everything the pundits said she needed to do. She avoided looking like a total political newcomer, stayed relentlessly on message (so much so that she often ignored the questions of moderator Gwen Ifill), and brought up every possible talking point the McCain campaign could have possibly wanted. But was that enough to sway voters who are on the verge of losing their houses and jobs (if they haven't already faced that humiliation)?

My answer is no. Neither of those performances was good enough to bring independents and undecideds into the fold. While both candidates gave gutsy and skilled performances, I didn't see anything that would sway me to either side. Sure, Joe Biden highlighted the differences between Obama and McCain well enough, but where was the vigor and passion behind those attacks? Why should people believe that the facts and ideas that he highlighted will help them in the long run? Palin towed the campaign line and performed admirably, but I didn't get any sense that her performance was anything other than a political calculation designed to tear down Obama and get voters to relate to the McCain campaign based on gut feelings, and not the issues that are important to them.

My point is this: despite the passing of the bailout, American faces an uphill battle to get its economy back on track. Meanwhile, while the candidates are out there playing at politics, Americans are suffering everyday. Not only should the candidates do the right thing and talk to people about how they will make our lives better, but they should recognize that it is in their best political interests to focus on the issues rather than the fluff that McCain-Palin is peddling, or trying to continually paint McCain as out of touch.

These are tough times, and we need real leaders. If Thursday night's debate was any indication, Biden and Palin are not the leaders we are searching for.