9:29 EDT: [Sean] McCain wussed out. Didn't say it to his face. Wonder what kind of man Sarah Palin thinks McCain is now. She laid down the gauntlet before the debate.
9:27 EDT: [Sean] Re-maverickize? Now who needs to lay off the sauce?
9:26 EDT: [Nate] I think Obama needed to get a response in there to McCain's trying to re-maverickize hismelf.
9:25 EDT: [Sean] McCain was strong with his line about Obama should have run four years ago if he wanted to run against Bush. Obama gave a strong answer in reply, citing issues like clean coal, merit pay for teachers, and tort reform. McCain: "unconvincing."
9:21 EDT: [Sean] Major tongue jut after McCain lied on the $42,000 a year income he claims Obama taxes.
9:18 EDT: [Nate] Big gender gap in the dial tests tonight.
9:17 EDT: [Sean] Tongue jut! But seriously, this is a good strong answer for McCain, even if he continues to lose Iowans.
9:16 EDT: [Nate] ..and I think McCain sold his corporate taxes message pretty well, given that it's inherently a pretty tough message to sell.
9:14 EDT: [Nate] I'd somewhat disagree. I think McCain seems more even-keeled tonight than the last couple of times around.
9:13 EDT: [Sean] McCain looks like he's struggling to contain his rage. Maybe it's the hi-def.
9:12 EDT: [Sean] Joe the plumber is getting a really big ego right now.
9:11 EDT: [Sean] I'm not drunk, just kinda dumb.
9:10 EDT: [Nate] "Confrontative"? Lay off the beer, dude.
9:09 EDT: [Sean] This is gonna be a confrontative debate, you can feel it in McCain's whole bearing. Eyes blinking like crazy.
9:07 EDT: [Nate] Much stronger start for McCain tonally than in the last couple of debates. But he still didn't mention "jobs" or "middle class".
9:00 EDT: [Nate] I'm going to be watching the debate with a number of national security experts. This should be interesting. You get the sense that both sides are quite a bit more tense than in the first couple of engagements.
250 comments
Passing up on HD is kind of foolish if you ask me.
This is actually my first chance to watch on CNN. I'm interested in the trackers - could care less about the positive and negative thing on the sides.
first
damn you kyle b...we can't be friends
Freddie Mae?
wtf? CNN HD is messing up..anyone else having problems?
What? National security experts? What do they know about polling?
So why is your plan better than your opponent's, Senator?
Quick! Drink every time McCain says "angry."
We must be angry -- McCain says so repeatedly
Not a good answer from McCain....not one mention of Obama's plan.
Mc Cain is sounding old and out of touch
Worst ties for all debates award goes to McCain.
My first time watching w/ trackers. A bit distracting, but a little fun.
I'm drinking, too. Still no 'my friends'...
Let's hear if for Fannie Mac!
John McCain looks like lumpy mashed potatoes.
Wow McCain really hit the snooze button right outta the gate.
-Mix-mastah Mixed-Metaphor
McAin, owned on question one.
its going ok
So the fundamentals of the economy were weak... *ZING!
Wow I am nervous.
are we angry?
Obama goes right into specifics. McCain... not so much.
But WTF is up with that tie Obama? Lorda mercy.
Another late night Brit here :o)
Obama looking at camera, McCain at moderator...
Didn't McCain both blame laz lending standards and say he'd have the gov't back all the mortgages up? Well, don't you think backing up everyone's mortgages leadfs to the same moral hazard problem, Johnnie? Or did you sleep through moral hazard day in Econ 101?
ugh no i dont wanna ask him a question
Just...not enough vodka in the world for me to stand this anymore.
Tonight's debate is great news!!! For John MCCAIN!!!!!!
Note that Obama looks at camera, McCain at the moderator.
Obama looks in the camera, McCain doesn't.
McCain with plumber crack out of nowhere? What's the point of that? And he's kinda stumbling on it, too.
NO, I don't want to ask him a GD question, I want to snipe at him.
Intrades?
And here comes the attack! W00t!
McCain "Understands" Segment
HAHAHA @ed!
Great now every time I see or hear McCain I'm gonna run for the kitchen. Maybe that will be my new drinking game.
McCain on the attack
I am too nervous to watch the debate. I am just going to sit here and read these comments.
Keep them comments comin' guys!
There Obama goes again - raising those taxes on hard working plumbers. Poor Joe!
Joe the Plumber!!!
Welcome Macavity! 2am and WORTH IT.
hahahaha
SHOCK NEWS! Raising taxes means you pay more tax (copyright Sen. McCain)
Does Joe the plumber drink a six pack before heading to work?
why is mccain always taking notes? it's distracting.
Real Joe -
PLEASE tell me you are a plumber.
Being in class while the debate is on sucks. I knew I should have not come to class tonight. :(
Hmmm, one guy knows his sh*t on his tax issues. The other guy knows Joe....
NC Moderate
Too scared? Just gonna watch the comments...OMG McCain just slapped Obama right across the face...this is looking bad
95%... 95%... 95%... 95%... 95%... 95%... 95%...
argh what is going on with McCain's blinking??
Joe the Plumber will appear in ___ political cartoons by the end of the week.
My God. McCain no longer sounds old, he sounds positively elderly. Quick! Someone call a doc - I think he's having a stroke.
Ok so I'm learning that some guy named Joe has plumber crack and a beer gut.
+1 McCain.
The whole "small business" thing is a real gray area in these discussions, mostly because the term is totally undefined.
Class warfare? That was not a good term.
@ Justin,
:)
"Does Joe the plumber drink a six pack before heading to work?"
No, he HAS a six pack!
BowchickaBowWow!
McCain on the attack
Is is going good or bad for Obama so far?
@ Jake formerly:
SNORK.
I, for one, welcome our new plumber overlords.
Who the FARK is Joe the Plumber?
I'm ready to shoot Joe the plumber. And the class warfare drop? Poor Johnny boy.
Defend the wealthy, John. Someone has to do it.
McCain should never smile... it's just creepy all blinky and shit.
McCain wants to keep all the money up there for the rich 2%...
nc moderate said...
I am too nervous to watch the debate. I am just going to sit here and read these comments.
Keep them comments comin' guys!
Me, too. I just can't take the stress.
Bex:
Hell yeah!
They're still talking about Joe the Plumber! I was watching the youtube segment not twenty minutes ago. I hope he's ready for his new celebrity. :o)
I'm right with you Chris, I'm in class right now too. Almost skipped as well.
Joe is my drink word
you know who's angry? John the old man. He's just got a perpetual grin frozen on his face to hide it.
quit interrupting McCreep
Who win?
"Why would we want to increase taxes?" You seen our deficit, Sen. McCain? You see how much your wars cost? You want us to be owned by China?
And why is Shieffer just letting this happen? Step in!
Is "Joe the plumber" the new "my friends"?
Also - since when does anyone think raising NO ONE'S taxes is plausible?
McCain started off strong with some populist stuff, but now he's ranting about taxes for the rich, something that few Americans probably care about.
If McCain is scoring points but his smugness will cost him.
It's good when McCain makes little snarky quips and Obama just ignores him and keeps looking cool as ice.
HOW ARE THE DIALS?!
Sorry, can't help it.
I feel sick for all the plumbers who are going to have to put up with this shit tomorrow.
hey, john... quit pissing on me and telling me it's raining
I'm tired of tinkle-down economics
How many times has McCain unnecessarily repeated a phrase? He's oozing talking points.
wow...the GOP watch party on CNN is all white. I don't believe it--shocking.
I don't know if this will resonate, but the whole "cut everyone's taxes! cut! cut! cut!" argument seems bad considering all the attention to the federal deficit right now.
I like this next question.
Aaron said...
nc moderate said...
I am too nervous to watch the debate. I am just going to sit here and read these comments.
Keep them comments comin' guys!
Me, too. I just can't take the stress.
I just care more about the Los Angeles Dodgers and the USMNT. I can't flip between three channels. It's too much work.
Give me a break joe the plumber?
And why does Mac BLINK so damn hard and so much? Does he have a tic or something... Damn
What I'm getting from this debate at the moment:
BlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlink
And then more blinking.
A small error from McCain - Ireland's corporation tax rate is 12.5%, not 11.
spend now on alternative energy to create JOBS -- in manufacturing, in development, in software, in management... jobs that stay right here in America!
Jeremy said...
Who the FARK is Joe the Plumber?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA
McCain is smirking. What up with that?
@ Alyssa
Lord I hope you don't have an early day tomorrow...between Joe SixPacks and Joe the Plumber..not to mention all the other Joe's out there...you is gonna be drunk here in about 10 mins. lol
cut out war.
I think McCain is going to go fist-a-cuffs all up on Obama... It's stressful.
My nine-year-old just asked me if McCain is going to be interrupting Obama all night.
Great now every time I see or hear McCain I'm gonna run for the kitchen. Maybe that will be my new drinking game.
In vino veritos.
In less good news, Obama just endorsed paygo, which if he's serious makes him Herbert Hoover.
Good to hear Shieffer bring up the deficit. Obama's more solid on this, but neither are good here. Drink if McCain says "earmarks!"
drink anyway! Obama is winning! Drink to that!
ManAboutCouch said...
A small error from McCain - Ireland's corporation tax rate is 12.5%, not 11.
We also have a tanking economy and have just had the most savage budget since the 1980s. BAD EXAMPLE JOHN!!!
McCain has the look of someone whose handlers said, "Look at him!" He's looking at him so hard this time that he's looks bug-eyed and not blinking.
high ratings for Obama
Who is this "Martin" on CNN, wildly scoring points for nothing?
Real Joe, you´re an open book.
Tell me, Obama win?
Oh no. I'm crunk at 9:17
Spending freeze! Ugh....it makes even less sense now than it did three weeks ago. He seems really upset.
McCain is now channeling FDR with New Deal policies? AND tax cuts? He really doesn't know his lines on question to the next!
And now he says "Spending freeze". Hey genius, new programs can't freeze spending unless you cut everything else!
mccain's actually doing better on the dials today
We've spent more than the Great Society?! That makes us the Greater Society!!!
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Whoa. McCain is going to pull out a hatchet, and THEN a scaple?
That didn't sound too angry or anything...
OMG, McCain pulled a Palin by answering a questioning by raising a different topic.
McCain hitting the Way Back Machine.
Obana's been pretty crisp so far. McCain already unleashed his creepy laugh. Not good.
just started
McCain cutting defense spending...wow
About time Real Joe
Obama is sounding more scripted, which seems like it may make him seem less personal. McCain seems more informal, which may make him seem less prepared... Not sure how these each will affect them.
Ha. McCain just stole Obama's scalpel analogy. Way to be original.
I actuall laughed, cause McCain was Arguing with Obama, about whether Obama was going to raise taxes or not,and Obama told him, "You're watching too many McCain commercials, John." Ha.
Personally,I donot believe a thing McCain says.
By the way, the game is on Channel fox 4, so I am having to endure it on ABC.
Mac is getting his heart rate up on this cut spending qestion.
Bless his heart
Obama is hitting it our of the park on the throbometer. Occasionally John McCain does the same. But, he is also John McPalin because he's decided not to answer the questions being asked. (No note cards, however.)
McPalin is also his usual glowering self who won't look at Obama.
Sweet.
McCain's blinking is wigging me out.
McCaon has said little
McCaon has said little
He wants a spending freeze.. wait... across the board cuts
except on the things he wants to spend on.
Did you hear Palin say they would balance the budget in their four years?
drink! heard 2x earmarks!
McCain doing great
McCain is going wonkish, something he's definitely not good at. He's looking bug-eyed and the nation's weary eyes are glazing over.
And he really is going to bring up the stupid overhead projector again???
He is a lot stupider than I thought.
PLANETARIUM
Drink!
I can't believe he's hitting the overhead projector again.
OH MY HELL
MORE FUCKING PORK!!!!
NEEEEEXT PLEASE
I like this format so far
You know, blinking rapidly is typically the main body language that lets you know when someone is lying like a.... rabid Republican.
"I know" Drink!
Schieffer asks about spending cuts and McCain calls for an ethanol tariff cut...a revenue cut!
(ps: bye-bye Iowa)
Moderator is stopping McCain, telling him time's up... much better than the last guy, who let them both ramble on for hours
"Hatchet and scalpel" from Obama. Drink!
McCain looks smug. His face looks like he has a bit of a stick up his ass.
Anyone note mccain writinf out his memorized answers in sharpie?
Well, like other debates, when you look at them, Obama is calm, and McCain looks angry. But also, McCain SOUNDS angry and halting, to me, more than last time.
And McCain can't help himself from going back to the same "I know how to" silliness from last week, and goes back to Obama's overhead projector for the planetarium. Which allows Obama to point out that it's a tiny percentage of the problem.
Obama realizes he can't go wrong by focusing on what's happened over the last eight years. McCain can't differentiate himself.
earmarks tank the tracking line, you notice?
Why did I just see McCain as Johnny from the shining?
I hope obama says no he cant balance it because bush has driven the budget into the ground
Someone took their Geritol tonight!
OH! "If you wanted to run against Bush, you should've run 4 years ago." That didn't sound bitter.
I can't believe McCain is still hanging his hat on opposition to a Planetarium star projector that educates thousands of kids every year. Why Obama didn't pivot that to anti-science and anti-education (which is exactly what he is) is beyond me.
Did he really just steal Obama's 'scalpel'?
I don't have a drink in the house but just found an old valium in the bottom of a make up bag... Took half and hope it kicks in. God this is stressful. Mc Cain is coming right out there and is actually doing quite well for those who perhaps were undecided... unlike me
he just did.
But he cannot spend $10B a month in Iraq and balance the budget.
Saying it don't make it so, John.
McCain finally said "I am not Bush"...sounded good.
Watch for the comeback I'm not Pres Bush---something along the lines I can't tell
"Senator McCain, can you balance the budget?"
"Yes."
At least he answered the question.
mccains head is up his ass, no stick
angry was a word mccain wanted to bring up
drink to angry
Ohio men are loving McCain.
Man, Ohio women are NOT liking McCain tonight.
the difference
You know, blinking rapidly is typically the main body language that lets you know when someone is lying like a.... rabid Republican
Or it means he's got a half-dozen Fresnels focused at his head.
Fuck you, McCock. That's 3.
OH SNAP! SHOULD HAVE RUN FOUR YEARS AGO!
Bet that hits home hard.
this thing's bouncing off into an odd direction, in a good way. "Even Fox News disputes" OH SNAP!
The CNN Ohio voters are not resonating with McCain's "people are angry" ... Americans are not angry ... they are concerned, but not angry the way McCain is angry!
women are smarter
McCain: I know how to cut spending!
Moderator: Okay, how? Specifically?
McCain: ugh, ugh, ugh, farm subsidies? Oh, and I shot down the $23billion tanker deal.
He just lost Iowa, and 130,000 Boeing employees with that answer.
Oh, and the replacement tanker deal to replace that $23billion "wasteful" deal? $40Billion to EADS (foreign manufacturer), which got shot down by the GOA for being completely broken.
I can't believe McCain is still hanging his hat on opposition to a Planetarium star projector that educates thousands of kids every year.
That's the Adler Planetarium that I begged to go to over and over and again as a kid, and I'd personally like to kick him in the teeth over it.
The perfect summary of the electoral environment:
They're racing to say how many people they've pissed off in the government.
ooh, I can't stand mccain. He creeps me out like he's some kind of pervert
McCain just snorted when Obama said "on the core economic policies. that matter the american people"
Not a good moment
leave the Adler Planetarium alone!!! McCain has it out for science.
Shieffer you prick. Letting him get the last word, like Lehrer.
Matt, Iowa is not in play.
OH! "If you wanted to run against Bush, you should've run 4 years ago." That didn't sound bitter.
Yeah, where was John McCain four years ago?
Yes, fred, women are much smarter than you.
Glad to see you admit it. Then again, who isn't?
Alright, drink up, every time McCain says "earmarks" pass the bottle! lol
Oh awesome! High road question!
here it COMES!
since when did mccain oppose the iraq war? what the hell was that?
@Matt B
I wish the KS media would tell people that McCain is responsible for losing the Tanker Deal for Boeing...something which would have created 2500+ jobs in the Wichita area with an average pay of $65+k see how red this state is after that
Uh oh... here we go...
Campaign strategies up!
"to each others face"
let's get ready to rumble!!!!
I LOVE the moderator...he's the best so far.
bob is the best moderator yet of this cycle! He takes it at them both.
Taking off the gloves time
here it is
Say to each other's face moment...
Uh oh, here we go. Who the hell would want to sit with Mccain for 10 meetings?
Lazy Obama don't do them town hall meetings.
now he's going to blame his low road on Obama not doing town halls!
that's like a rapist saying if you hadn't worn that dress..
WOw! Bob is opening it up early -- say it to his face (both of you)! This is going to be lively. McCain is unable to look at Obama, however ... and Obama is looking straight at McCain.
He answers with whining about freaking town halls????
This is all Obama's fault because he didn't attend McCain's town halls!
Oh God John Lewis...this is going to get Fin Ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Intrades?
Good question here by Shieffer on negative ads.
OH GOD! McCain now going with the "ducked debates" garbage? And here I thought McCain was going to crack the racism and hate at his rallies, and he goes on John Lewis :(. Disappointing.
YOU HAVE NOT REPUDIATED THEM YOU LIAR! If so, you just had your chance, and you attacked an honorable Dem instead.
McCain wins no points by bringing up George Wallace. People don't feel sorry for you, John. And way to not answer questions about your own campaign. Do people buy this??
he just put the blame of negativity on Obama!!! OMG - seriously?@!@?!
C'mon John you pussy, call him out on Ayers...
Question was would you say it to his face---not what the other has said.
McCain is lying his face off ... he has NOT repudiated any Republican negative BS ... and Obama did critique Lewis's remark.
WE WANT AYERS WE WANT AYERS!!!
McCain is a whiny baby.
no moron... what Lewis said is that your actions to incite crowds was like Wallace's
I said the same thing in a email a couple of days before to a list I belong to...
McCain did great with that.
argh mccain is saying he's repudiated every remark his campaign has made - he LIES. why didnt he tell Palin to cut that crap out?
yeah it's true you a hole
For those who aren't watching the moderator just basically said you both pledged to have a high road campaign - what's happened? What would you say to one another's faces?
McCain: blah blah you should have had my town halls
His feelings are hurt, O.! Go give him a big hug!
I don't believe it! No Ayers, no ACORN.
Pah. Time for more scotch.
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