Over/Under on use of the word 'earmarks'

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS - "EARMARKS" SHUTUOUT -

OFFICIAL RESULTS: UNDER

(PERHAPS THE O/U SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE NUMBER OF TIMES PALIN WINKED AT THE CAMERA. BY PUNDITTY'S UNOFFICIAL ACCOUNT, THAT WOULD BE THREE (3) TIMES.

Disclaimer: This report is for entertainment purposes only and is NOT an inducement to wager.

The much-anticipated debate showdown between Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah PalinSarah Palin and her Democratic counterpart, Sen. Joe BidenJoe Biden of Delaware, starts in less than an hour. While most of America and all of Punditry will be focused on who “wins” and who “loses,” Punditty will be focused on one word: earmark (and the plural, “earmarks").

Given the political storm the issue of earmarks has caused this campaign season, Punditty believes the word will be uttered between 14 and 15 times tonight. That total includes utterances by Palin, Biden and moderator Gwen IfillGwen Ifill.

The O/U is 14½.

Punditty arrived at the number with the following estimates of how many times each of the three aforementioned individuals will say the word:

Ifill – No doubt she will have to say the word at least once in asking a question, but Punditty expects her to say the word at least three times through the course of the evening.

Palin – It doesn’t serve her to keep repeating the word, but she will have to say it at least a couple times, maybe more. She could adopt an offense of repeating the word with an accusatory inflection by way of trying to use it against Biden, but look for her to shy away from saying it.

Biden – If ever there was a word to hammer home for Biden, it’s “earmarks." No doubt he will get in at least a couple references to the “Bridge to Nowhere,” but Punditty expects him to ask Palin how she expects to cut spending based on her experience as Governor when Alaska receives such a disproportionate amount of federal largesse, unleashing a stream of "earmarks" usage. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Biden will say the word eight times or more. He has to be careful to not come across like a mischievous kid in the classroom shouting "Earmarks! Earmarks! Nanner-nanner boo-boo, earmarks!" while still repeating the word enough to implant a negative association with the word and Palin's relationship to it.

Thus the following estimates:

Ifill 3-4 times

Palin 2-3 times

Biden 6-9 times

Combined total (not necessarily as the above person-by-person breakdown predicts): 14 to 15

O/U on use of the word "earmarks" or "earmark" by Ifill, Palin, and Biden combined – 14 ½

Check back within 24 hours of the official debate transcript release for official results.

NOTE: Any usage of the phrase "mark of the ear(s)" is subject to Punditty's interpretation and debate context.