Gaffes; expectations, high and low; likeability. That's what some conventional wisdom would have us use as metrics for Thursday's vice presidential debate between Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

No, the accurate measure is simply whose performance revealed that person as commander-in-chief material in case tragedy strikes.

There were, to be sure, misleading and false statements aplenty. They ranged from the false assertion by Palin that Biden had long suppor ...

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