ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Students attending a vice presidential debate watch party at Washington University approved Democrat Joe Biden's remarks on ending the war. They also liked what he had to say about climate change and supporting benefits for same-sex couples.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got a trickle of applause for her stand on Iran. But booing broke out when Palin said Republican presidential nominee John McCain supports women's rights, and there were lots of polite snickers.

In all, there were five watch parties around the university's St. Louis campus, where the debate was held.

Ashli Hessel, an 18-year-old political science major from Barrington, Ill., attended the party at the Danforth University Center and said Palin's answers only confirmed her fears of a McCain-Palin administration.

Hessel deemed Palin's responses rehearsed and "sugar-coated," while Biden's were strong and direct.

That was seconded by Vadim Goz, a 21-year-old pre-med student originally from Russia. He said Biden's demeanor and directness made him more confident in his vote for Barack Obama. He said Palin's inexperience came through.

But Yoni Dina, a 20-year-old accounting major from Los Angeles, thought Biden came off cocky and too confident. He also thought Biden was disrespectful of Palin.

Dina acknowledged Palin had some slip-ups, but he said he's voting for McCain anyway.

"She clearly was not as strong as her opponent," he said. "But she did as well as could be expected. She kept referring to energy and avoided questions. She should have answered the questions."

Stephanie Luo, 19, a business and political science major from Vancouver, Wash., had been undecided but said the debate persuaded her to back the Obama-Biden ticket.

"Joe Biden pretty much crushed Sarah Palin," Luo said.

"Sarah Palin speaks in generalizations and doesn't bring much substance," she added. "This shows McCain's error in choosing her for vice president. These debates are helping."

Luo said she also is tiring of the marketing of McCain and Palin as mavericks. "It's overworked," she said.

Kevin Cleland, 19, from Chico, Calif., an education major and independent voter, said Palin's attempt to connect with ordinary Americans failed.

"It was so blatant, like pandering, insincere," he said.

Palin had some eloquent moments, Cleland said, but he judged her too short on specifics.

Victoria Kerr, 19, a German major from Springfield, Ill., said she is still leaning toward McCain, even though Palin's "shout-out to third-graders was immature."

Philip Bierman, 20, a sophomore and Republican from Dallas, said Palin did better than he expected.

"She knew her issues and wasn't afraid to admit that she disagreed on some things with McCain," he said.

The debate hall held a little more than 1,000 spectators. Among them were several hundred Washington University students, who got tickets through a lottery drawing.

Freshman Eric Solzberg, 19, of Bethesda, Md., came into the debate undecided on how he will cast his first presidential vote. He called himself a fiscal conservative but social liberal -- afraid of McCain's potential appointments to the Supreme Court and fearful of Obama's tax policy.

The debate didn't settle things for Solzberg, but he said he was more impressed with Biden and a little disappointed with Palin.

"She's got the reputation of being a hockey mom. I sort of felt in parts of the debate that she was speaking to me as a mom would when she wants a child to do something," Solzberg said of how Palin described McCain. "It's the same thing over and over with no new information -- he's a maverick, he crosses party lines -- without offering any real clear evidence."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)