Last Debate Liveblog!

11:08 pm
One more note - for those commentators on CNN who are saying that Obama's performance was "flat" - what do you want from the guy - should he run laps around the table flailing his arms in the air, or would McCainian scowls and snorts suffice? Far from being "flat", he was serious, even toned and behaved like an adult, nay - like a President.

I love how these pundits have to back up and change their tune when the snap polls come out, after they have been spewing "informed" opinions for 30 minutes.

Anyway - goodnight and thanks for joining me one last time.

10:27: pm
McCain's closing remarks:

Change, last 8 years bad, reform, long record. Spending. Trust, tax dollars. Institutions of government. Long line of McCains have served.

Obama's closing remarks:
Tough times, tough problems economic crisis. Failed policies, same failed politics. Fundamental change. Brighter days ahead. Middle class, businesses, lift wages, grow our middle class. Not easy, not quick, dems, reps, indies come together.

Like I said, Obama wins!


10:23 pm
Now - will there be closing statements?

10:19 pm
Halfway through McCain's answer on the education thing. This debate has followed the same pattern, overall as the last two: McCain comes out swinging, gets worn down trying to score a knockout punch against an superior opponent, who bides his time and whips McCain in the second half with a tsunami of details and and soaring vision. McCain once again comes off as embittered and desperate to attack, although not quite as bad as last time, and Obama comes off as calm, collected and affable.

Obama wins again!

10:16 pm

Last question? This one has gone fast!

10:15 pm

McCain gets into Obama's record on votes pertaining to partial birth abortion. Obama swats the criticism down.

Obama is our best hope for turning our backs on the bullshit of the culture wars and I hope that he makes a point of helping us do so as President.

McCain is full of trite attacks and cannot equal Obama's vision on this or any other issue tonight.

10:12 pm
McCain says he will never and has never applied a litmus test to a Supreme Court nominee. Crazy baseland is not happy right now...
Obama pivots after delivering a great Judicial Nominee response to the equal pay issue and puts the fight to John Sidney McCain.

10:06 pm
"Senator Government" I love it!

10:03 pm
"Joe - you're rich. Congratulations."

How weird that McCain would make light of this issue which is so fucking hard for so many of us to contend with. Because our jobs don't offer benefits. Or because our insurance agency screwed us over. Or because we have suffered catastrophic illness. What a jackass.

10:00 pm

Joe the plumber is the most courted voter in America right now. And his job? Clearing turds from clogged johns. I love this country! Only in America!

9:57 pm
I want Obama's healthcare system. Now. Do we really have to wait till he is in office?

9:56 pm
McCain raises the specter of Herbert Hoover, thereby raising memory of his history obsessed performance from debate number one.


9:54 pm
I have given up on trying to interpret what about Obama's statements please/displease the men in CNN's focus group who are driving the line meter thing. It sometimes seems random.

9:52 pm

Obama speaks capably on international trade agreements. McCain compliments him on his eloquence and goes on to attack him for not traveling to Columbia. After having attacked him earlier in the year for traveling to Europe and the Middle East. After having suggested that he travel to the Middle East. Erratic indeed.


9:46 pm

"why does he always want to spend more?"

Well John, if you want to solve problems YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN PROBLEM SOLVING. Cutting taxes won't solve everything always.

9:45 pm
McCain wastes his time attacking Biden.


9:44 pm
A coy sidestep from Obama on whether or not Pallin would be able to capably step in as A number 1.

9:42 pm
According to McCain, Pallin is "a role model to women"

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!


9:36 pm
Obama confronts the Ayers thing head on as well as addressing ACORN. I wish he had mentioned McCain's prior affiliation with ACORN.

I think McCain started this debate strongly, but has wallowed here too long. This topic will mark a turning point in the debate, as it shows that the McCain we have seen recently is the McCain we will have in our memory for the next three weeks, due to this debate.

9:35 pm

The CNN people line meter thing seems more volatile tonight and generally more sympathetic to McCain (whereas in the last debate it seemed more sympathetic to Obama).

9:33 pm

Obama brought up the "palling around" phrase. So much for McCain's vaunted fighting spirit. And McCain goes on to defend the people who come to his rallies. Thereby missing Obama's ultimate point, that we need to be discussing the issues.

9:29 pm
Obama pivots back to the issues, as everyone said he would and puts the townhall thing away.

9:28 pm
Unless I missed something, McCain did not directly confront the Ayers thing.

9:26 pm
McCain feels hurt Rep. Lewis.
And then proceeds to whine about a number of other things.


9:25 pm

McCAIN - GIVE UP ON THE TOWNHALL BULLSHIT. THAT WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED YOUR VITRIOLIC LIES, STOP KIDDING US.


9:24 pm
This is the most spirited debate yet.

Now we get the question about mud-hurling - Schieffer even mentions Ayrers. Let's see what happens...

9:20 pm
"If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago" - McCain. Let's see what Obama comes back with on this...

9:19 pm

McCain brought up the planetarium again! He really does hate science.

Obama: "Earmarks consist of one half of one percent of the budget." Bravo!!!

9:17 pm

McCain brings up Hillary first.

9:14 pm
McCain is clearly on the offensive, yet again tonight.
This format is far better than last week's.
The moderator asks about what the candidates expect to cut and McCain will doubtless launch into the old "porkbarrel earmarks" routine.


9:12 pm
McCain comes back with by quoting Obama as having said to Joe the Plumber that he wants to "spread the wealth around".
Obama's rebuttal is clear and calm.


9:10 pm

Obama remarks that Joe the plumber had probabaly seen McCain ads and makes clear that McCain and him have major differences on taxes. Clearly he was ready for this.

9:07 pm

Wow! Did you see McCain STARING with huge, blinky eyes at Obama? It was like someone trying to stare at the sun!

McCain brings up the plumber in Ohio. And addresses him directly. Not bad!
Let's see how Obama addresses this smart little ploy...

9:06 pm
So McCain starts by trying to peg the economic swan dive on Fannie May and Freddie Mack - in other words, the Democrats, if you follow the logic of wingnut "thought".

Interestingly, he did not clariify, so that one was coded for the base.

Obama starts by addressing the concerns of the middle class, and by getting very, very specific.



8:20 pm

So. Here we are awaiting the last of these debates and I am overjoyed that I won't have to go through another one of these for the next four years, but a bit saddened as well, since I have had such a good time opining in real time up here.

One note - I know a guy who is doing TV work up at the debates and I told him he ought to dial in a narrow Q peak at 2kHz on the feed coming from McCain's mic, in order to induce auditory fatigue in the listeners.

On second thought though, McCain's content and style of address do enough to turn off the public - he doesn't need any help from a creative application of EQ.

So here is the question we have all been wasting our time with: will McCain bring up Ayers and if so how will Obama handle it?

The correct answer: who cares!

Subanswer: if he does, he is toast.

I look forward to hearing their respective closing statements most of all and hope that we don't have a repeat of last week's god-awful moderation.

See you at 9:00...