Palin vs. Biden Debate: Was this a Debate?

Debating can be viewed as a formal discussion or argument regarding a specific topic. The moderator introduces the question the debaters are to discuss. Throughout the debate I found it interesting that Governor Palin seemed to purposely get off topic. She would be asked a question and her answer would be about an entirely different idea. This did not happen on every question, but it occurred frequently during Palin’s portion of the debate. It seemed like Palin had a number of pre-rehearsed speeches that she was determined to give. It also appeared as if the questions were irrelevant and not important as long as she could cover another one of the topics on her list.
I vividly remember watching the portion of the debate where Palin was asked to say what promises her party has made that cannot be kept. Her response had nothing to do with the question; she spoke about energy instead. Gwen Ifill, debate moderator, had to ask the question again after hearing the response. You can see this in the short video clip below. The event I am describing takes place between 3:10 and 3:40.
What other examples have you noticed where Sarah Palin swayed to a different topic when answering a question?
What other interesting things did you notice occurring in the debate?
Did you consider this hour and a half to be a debate for both candidates?