Topic: Television Staging

The hosts simulate a production meeting to determine the optimal stage placement for candidates in the next debate. They discuss positioning Mitt Romney in the center, flanked by Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich to maximize conflict. The strategy involves marginalizing Ron Paul and Rick Perry on the ends of the stage while debating whether to include Jon Huntsman.

Sarah Palin is described as delivering a stunning acting performance that broke the traditional mold of politics as "show business for ugly people." Observation via a ten-foot HD projection screen revealed that Palin was visibly shaking for the first ten minutes of the broadcast due to nerves. Despite this initial tension, she is noted for relaxing approximately twenty minutes into the debate.