Meet me in St. Louis

Voter interest in Thursday night's vice-presidential debate between Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden is sky-high, partly because of the political significance and partly because of theatrics. Both candidates' gaffes in speaking candidly have been the subject of media attention the last several weeks-and for Biden, who has been in the Senate and the national spotlight for over 30 years, longer.

Biden commented during his presidential campaign last year that you need an Indian accent to walk into any 7-11 or Dunkin' Donuts in Delaware. A more recent slip was his comment in September that "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America."

Palin has put her foot in her mouth, too. In her recent interview with CBS's Katie Couric, she cited Russia's proximity to Alaska as giving her foreign policy experience.

Recent polls from various newspapers show that fewer people think she is qualified to be vice president than did so a month ago. For Palin, the debate will be a proving ground.

On Thursday Republican presidential candidate John McCain wasn't concerned about his vice-president pick letting him down.

"We let Sarah be Sarah. She's smart, she's tough, she's been in debates before," McCain told "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel. "The American people ... the more they see of her, the more they love her, and I'm confident of that at the end."

Palin has a fierce reputation as a debater from her campaign to become Alaska's governor two years ago. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a prominent supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign, argued that Palin has sharper skills than she's being given credit for. The Democratic National Committee has emailed news stories to reporters describing Palin's able performances in the 2006 gubernatorial debates, part of the party's effort to dispel the notion that Palin is a sub-par debater.

"I think Joe obviously has a challenge tonight," McCaskill told CBS. "The expectations are so low for Sarah Palin and it's difficult for him, I think. No matter what he does he's going to be criticized. Sarah Palin will be tough tonight. She's a good debater, she's an effective communicator, and she knows how to throw a punch with a velvet glove and a smile on her face."

In a conference call Wednesday with reporters, McCaskill was blunt about Biden's potential for error: "My friend Joe Biden has a tendency to talk forever and sometimes say stuff that's kind of stupid." Asked to clarify her remarks, McCaskill said she meant them "affectionately."

This is the first vice presidential debate between a man and a woman since Democrat Geraldine Ferraro debated Republican George H.W. Bush in 1984.

Palin has been preparing for Thursday's debate at McCain's retreat in Sedona, Ariz. Biden has been undertaking his own intensive preparation near his home in Wilmington, Del., though he went to Washington for Wednesday night's vote on the economic rescue package.

The 90-minute televised debate will take place at Washington University in St. Louis at 9 p.m. Eastern time, with PBS anchor Gwen Ifill serving as moderator. Ifill herself has come under criticism because she is writing a book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, on how politics in the black community have changed since the civil rights era. The Associated Press contributed to this report.