HuffPost's OffTheBus will be monitoring local media reaction to the Palin-Biden debate tonight and we're asking readers to jump into the talking heads maelstrom and send us your reviews as soon as the debate ends. With an estimated 60 million viewers tuning into the historic and singular vice presidential debate being held in St. Louis, Mo., between Gov. Sarah Palin, a charismatic newcomer on the national stage, and Sen. Joe Biden, the wizened foreign policy wonk and Beltway hand, we want to take the media temperature across the country by sharing your reviews of local television coverage.
This is your chance to give the the country -- and HuffPost -- a peek at how your local media reacts to what is being billed as the most greatly anticipated debate in our nation's history. Beverly Davis, an OffTheBus member, will be writing a story for tomorrow morning based on your accounts.
All we need is 15 minutes of your time and a quick report from you before 2am Eastern time tomorrow (Friday, October 3).
Here's what to do --
Tune in to your local broadcast media after the debate.
Listen carefully to your local television reporters, taking down quotes whenever possible. What do the television reporters choose to tell you about the debate? Where do they place their focus... On how the two candidates greeted each other? On whether Biden pulled out Palin's chair? Do they talk about who looked 'presidential' and who looked like a deer-in-headlights? Do they say Palin threw her hands around, smiled, and landed a belly punch? Or that she answered questions thoughtfully and with authority, proving she deserves to be a 'heartbeat away from the presidency'? Do they remind that Biden acted respectfully to his younger female challenger? Do they say we witnessed a major gaffe? That Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for PBS, should be trashed for being tough on Palin or should receive an "A+" score for her performance as moderator? Who won? Who lost?
File a report with us - HuffPost's OffTheBus - before 2am. Here's exactly what we want to know:
* Media outlet's name by call letters (eg. New York's WCBS)
* Name of broadcast journalist(s) who commented on the Biden-Palin debate
* 3-4 sentence description of your local media outlet's take on tonight's vice presidential debate between Biden and Palin. Include AT LEAST ONE QUOTE to support your conclusion. We may quote you, so write well! For example -- "Both broadcast journalists, Sam Jones and Melinda Rogers, described the debate as 'a draw.' They pointed out that neither candidate won hands-down and that, while 'Palin exceeded expectations' (Jones) and Biden 'demonstrated his foreign policy expertise' (Rogers) neither candidate emerged victorious."
* Whether the network replayed footage of the debate. And, if so, which clips? Please provide direct quotes whenever possible and note the broadcasters' comments. For example: "The network showed McCain smirking next to the podium. Rogers said, 'He looks a bit angry, doesn't he?''"
All that's left after that is to look for our story tomorrow morning here on HuffPost. All last names and reviewer information will be kept confidential! And, of course, we're hoping to hear what you made of the debates, too.
If you can't help out this time but want to join us in the future, sign up for OffTheBus.