ThinkProgress and other liberal entities analyzed the tape from last night's vice presidential debate and seem to believe that Gov. Sarah Palin brought a sheaf of talking points to her lectern and simply read them.
That's not what happened.
Debate rules prohibited candidates from bringing any pre-prepared material with them.
Only blank paper and writing utensils were provided.
So to the extent that Palin seemed to be reading, it was because she had, during the course of the debate or during Joe Biden's answers, written down some notes. Clearly, she had memorized talking points and wrote them down when she got to the podium. But that's not what's being alleged.
Biden did the same thing -- you can see him jotting down some notes and then referring to them before speaking.
No conspiracy here.
BTW: the debate organizers placed the paper on the lecturns, not the campaigns.
Unless Steve Schmidt and Mark Wallace schooled Palin in some David Blaine-esque slight-of-hand tricks, she couldn't have hidden notes on her body either.
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