Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin start their debate with a discussion of the economy.

(CNN) – Sen. Joe Biden gave a knowledgeable but restrained performance in Thursday night's debate, while Gov. Sarah Palin sought to show that her accomplishments as governor and mayor prove she is qualified to be vice president.

Biden slammed John McCain, saying that "he has been no maverick on the issues that matter to people lives," but his only challenge to Palin was asking her to articulate a policy on the Iraq war.

Palin pushed her "track record of reform" and said she and McCain are a " team of mavericks."

"We're known for putting partisan politics aside to just get the job done," she said.

Palin tried to paint Barack Obama as "dangerous" for being open to meeting with rogue leaders without preconditions.

"An issue like that taken up by a presidential candidate goes beyond naivete and goes beyond poor judgment," Palin said.

"A statement that he made like that is downright dangerous because leaders like [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, who would seek to acquire nuclear weapons and wipe off the face of the earth an ally like we have in Israel should not be met with without preconditions and diplomatic efforts being undertaken first."

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