Get your bowl of popcorn and invite your friends over on Thursday night to watch the Biden/Palin debate.

The outcome of the Biden/Palin debate is already decided if you watch CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC or read many of the major newspapers. It’s over for Palin because the mainstream media (MSM) told us it was. They think Joe Biden will destroy her!

Why?

Joe Biden has 35 years of preparation! He’s a senator! He’s an attorney! He’s been to more foreign countries! He’s from the lower 48 states! My gosh, he even rides a train to work! He “knows” Washington! He has friends everywhere! Even the debate moderator (Gwen Ifill) appears to have a reason for Obama to win the election! To some, the biggest thing is that he’s a he.

How can a former mayor of a small town and governor of a sparsely populated state even be on the same stage with the “remarkable” Joe Biden, United States Senator from Delaware?

The MSM is agitated because Sarah Palin did not run to them as soon as she was selected with open arms. They wanted her NOW, not when the McCain campaign said they could have her. The MSM has spent millions of dollars traveling to and around Alaska to find dirt. When they have gotten their chance for an interview, their frustration showed. They want a gotcha moment that can be played over and over on YouTube and used by their main man, Barack Obama. Katie Couric of CBS got her shot this week. Her MSM friends cheered. Fortunately for McCain/Palin, hardly anyone watches perky Katie these days.

When Sarah Palin was first introduced as McCain’s running mate, I was pleased he had brought someone in from the outside, but I was nervous about her performance. After the first speech, I was relieved. After her speech at the convention, I was more relieved. Sure this debate is a big test, but it’s also a big test for the “remarkable” Joe Biden. This is not Palin’s first rodeo, although it is her biggest.

If I had been advising the McCain campaign I would have told them to let Sarah Palin be Sarah Palin. Having McCain and Palin campaign together for a week or so was a smart move, but then they should have let her go out and about. Give her a briefing book on the history of John McCain, his views, his votes, and the campaign strategy and send her out alone across the fruited plains to campaign. It’s not too late.

So yes, the MSM already decided that Sarah Palin won’t win the debate with Joe Biden. The fact is if the MSM spent about half the time watching and publicizing Joe Biden’s gaffes, Obama would have dropped him like a hot potato several weeks ago. He’s made more mistakes than Palin, but they were lightly reported because Biden is a good old boy they like.

During the debate we’ll probably hear some wild story from Joe Biden telling us that he saw combat for the first time in his life when his chopper was forced down by a Russian-made rocket in Afghanistan. He’ll hold the audience in the palm of his hand when he tells us how he picked up an M-16, clicked it to auto, and low-crawled to the perimeter to protect John Kerry. He may tell us how he used his $200 designer necktie as a tourniquet. Of course, the MSM will eat this up. MSNBC will do a reenactment of Biden’s brave actions over the weekend. We surely won’t hear a question about how Biden got out of serving in the Vietnam War or his plagiarism, will we?

Yes, the debate on Thursday night will be darned exciting. There will be some tall tales. There will be some mistakes. There’s just as much riding on this for Joe Biden as there is for Sarah Palin.

I wouldn’t count her out.