Final Presidential Debate Liveblog
By SilentPatriot Wednesday Oct 15, 2008 5:00pm
(October 15, 2008
Hempstead, NY
Hofstra University
Focus on Economy and Domestic Issues
I gotta say, being from Long Island and having the final debate here at Hofstra is pretty exciting. Too bad it was virtually impossible to get tickets. According to all objective measurements, Obama/Biden are 3-0 so far, and I'm sure Senator Obama will be looking for the sweep tonight. John McCain finds himself in an unenviable predicament. On the one hand, he desperately needs to shake up the race and cut into Obama's lead while making him seem unacceptable. On the other hand, his relentless attacks have seemed to backfire, with Obama seeing consistent (albeit modest) gains in his already decent lead. John McCain has already promised to bring up Ayers, but will he actually do it? Will we see the mythical "honorable" McCain we've heard so much about? Or will we see an extension of the wingnut-fueled do-anything pol of the past few months? We're about to find out.
In the meantime, check out this hysterical McCain debate prep video.
***
9:00 pm: Are we're off.
9:00 pm: First question: Why is your economic proposal better than the others? McCain repeats the lie that Fannie and Freddie are the real culprits behind the economic collapse. For more on that, read Matt Taibbi's smackdown on Byron York.
9:07 pm: Obama goes right after the middle class.
9:08 pm: McCain is absolutely botching his response.
9:09 pm: Obama to McCain:" "Looks like you're watching some John McCain ads." Sets him straight on his tax policy.
9:11 pm: McCain: Obama's entire economic policy is based on "class warfare"
9:17 pm: McCain is pulling a Palin, answering questions that aren't asked. Undecided Ohio men are loving it.
9:20 pm: "I'm not President Bush. You should have ran in 2004 if you wanted to run against him."
9;22 pm: McCain gets aggressive. Ohio men love it, Ohio women not so much.
9:23 pm: Obama nails FOX News. "Even FOX News says that's not true."
9:25 pm: Scheiffer on attacks: Say it to his face!
9:27 pm: McCain avoids Ayers altogether. Gets all his jabs in pretty effectively.
9:31 pm: How can McCain say with a straight face that he's running a positive campaign?
9:33 pm: Did Obama really just bring up Ayers himself?
9:35 pm: McCain unloads his ACORN and Ayers clip.
9:36 pm: Obama: Let's get the record straight on Ayers and ACORN. Fingers crossed.
9:37 pm: "Mr Ayers has become the center piece of your campaign, Senator. Your attacks say more about about your campaign that they do about me."
9:40 pm: Obama is doing a poor job of calling out McCain's disgusting campaign tactics.
9:41 pm: Running mate question. Can McCain actually sell Palin?
9:42 pm: McCain adequately re-brands Palin. Is it really smart for Obama to avoid critiquing her completely?
9:46 pm: Obama is coming across pretty wonkish tonight.
9:52 pm: The dials love Obama talking about Detroit making the cars of the future. Obama really needs to run more positive, 21st century-themed ads. The one during the Olympics was great.
10:00 pm: Joe The Plumber is John McCain's new BFF.
10:04 pm: Obama savages the McCain health care "plan"
10:07 pm: McCain enters the minefields of "crazy base land" on the issue of judges and abortion.
10:10 pm: Obama impresses with his views on abortion despite McCain's disgusting attacks.
10:18 pm: "Professorial" Obama is incredibly articulate and effective.
10:24 pm: McCain has some serious contempt for Obama. The body language couldn't be clearer.
10:25 pm: Hysterical:
10:17 EDT: [Sean] Who's in charge of toweling off Roland Martin after this debate? He's hitting that button like he's fighting Mike Tyson at the end of Punch-Out.
10:27 pm: Damn, that McCain smirk is creepy.
10:30 pm: Strong closings from both. Off to spin alley.
Gergen: "It was like an exercise in anger management for McCain up there."
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1st
IS it me or does the sharpie make mcsame look like a second grader?
Only Scheiffer could make McCain look like a second grader - and did. Speaking of old B.S., did anyone count how many times he gave McCain the last word? It has to be at least 2/3 of the time. Lame.
From what I remember, only two times did Obama get the last word. One of them was the final prepared speech. The rest of the time Sheafer let McCain dominate the conversation.
McCain got seven final words to Obama's one during the body of the debate. You think that's fair? And how come Obama didn't bring up the Keating 5 or McCain's affair with Cindy before he was divorced from Carol. Is Obama too polite to be president? ;)
In response to you folks above that are worried about Obama not getting in the last word. Not for nothing but ... Didn't you see how many times Mc Cain went on aggressive with negative attacks towards Obama practically every time he opened his mouth?
I think all Obama was really doing was just letting Mc Cain show his true nature of just going around being P.O.d about everything ... using smear tactics & not really addressing the ISSUES directly. In other words ... he let Mc Cain keep on talking himself a great big line of rope ... & he pretty much hung himself with it by carrying on & on & on about things like "Joe the Plumber" (Who ... Sorry Joe, I have to agree. If you are making $250,000 a year YOU can afford to pay a little bit more in your tax's. There are a LOT of people who work 12- 24 hrs a day ... Myself included ... but, never get ahead. And, Quite basically you make as much in one year as what it takes many folks to make in TEN! GET OVER IT!) And negative words that were said by a few disrespectful individuals at Obama's Rallies (Lest he forgot though that there were people at his own rallies that saying "KILL HIM!!!" ... I mean come on)
So, I give Obama credit for staying so cool calm & collected throughout the whole barrage of attacks. Most folks would of snapped. I think both canidates are sincere in wanting to make a change. But views aside ... Just the fact that Obama hasn't been as committed as LONG to certain people in his party. Leaves him in a better position to do so.
Sorry Folks ... hit the send button twice!
In response to you folks above that are worried about Obama not getting in the last word. Not for nothing but ... Didn't you see how many times Mc Cain went on aggressive with negative attacks towards Obama practically every time he opened his mouth?
I think all Obama was really doing was just letting Mc Cain show his true nature of just going around being P.O.d about everything ... using smear tactics & not really addressing the ISSUES directly. In other words ... he let Mc Cain keep on talking himself a great big line of rope ... & he pretty much hung himself with it by carrying on & on & on about things like "Joe the Plumber" (Who ... Sorry Joe, I have to agree. If you are making $250,000 a year YOU can afford to pay a little bit more in your tax's. There are a LOT of people who work 12- 24 hrs a day ... Myself included ... but, never get ahead. And, Quite basically you make as much in one year as what it takes many folks to make in TEN! GET OVER IT!) And negative words that were said by a few disrespectful individuals at Obama's Rallies (Lest he forgot though that there were people at his own rallies that saying "KILL HIM!!!" ... I mean come on)
So, I give Obama credit for staying so cool calm & collected throughout the whole barrage of attacks. Most folks would of snapped. I think both canidates are sincere in wanting to make a change. But views aside ... Just the fact that Obama hasn't been as committed as LONG to certain people in his party. Leaves him in a better position to do so.
Interesting you say second grader. I thought McCain started out smart, however; toward the middle of the debate with the ACORN/AYERS/LEWIS regurgitation, he acted like a second grader!
He kept on and on and on about it, whereas Obama addressed the question, TRIED to move on, but McCain kept going back to it. I'm thinking, "now how does this help me with the economic issues I'm having right now?
He began to annoy me and I thought, is this how he would act when dealing with foreign officials? Is he going to get snarpy with them because they won't say "I'm sorry about your feelings about something I have nothing to do with?"
And the looks... scary.
Pizza on the way and xoites went for beer. Ready set go.
eom.
obama make it about mccain and bush.
He looked past Mr.Obama.
Simple. Take a drink when you hear "my friends" and "look". End of rules.
fight is another one that'll get you drunk...
btw... good one obama, people don't care about the hurt feelings of politicians.... let's call mcshame a waaaahbulance....
You idiots will regret the day if this socialist piece of crap gets elected. You should read where hes been and what hes fought for. He will take your money and with extreme prejudice give it to the undeserving. All for power and the marxist faith. I for one cannot believe the stupidity of young americans
There. I said it for you.
Lol
Thank you, Nobama. Your comments are dead-on. It's flat-out frightening where this country could be(is?)headed. I am concerned that those of us in the conservative camp may soon be severely disadvantaged by mere lack of numbers if not interest. Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but I wouldn't know. I appreciate your perspectives . . . I wish more would listen.
We see what conservatism has given us over the last 8 years and under GOP congressional rule for how many decades?
No thanks. Nothing to listen to. Failure doesn't need more time to completely bankrupt everything that was once America.
Don't blame conservatism for the last eight years. A true conservative would not have lied the US into a disastrous war, or used 9/11 as a pretense to seize more power. To my conservative friends who are singing the blues over Obama's pending election, I can only say you are to blame for not speaking out against Bush and Rove and the rest of the criminal enterprise. Where were you when Bush lies about torture? Or social security? Or energy? Conservatism's problem is lack of credibility, because the meaning of the word has been hijacked by the man you elected to office. You want you credibility back? Start showing some backbone.
You had your chance in the primaries to choose Pat Buchanan or John McCain in 2000, yet your party chose Bush. Reap what you sow, Nobama.
What's really frightening is that you can look past the last eight years of complete and utter failure and ask for more. Nobama, all of your lies about where Obama has been and who he associates with have been completely and thoroughly disproved. The only people still believing them are the ones who just don't want to hear the truth.
As Obama said in his convention speech, conservatives like you really need to own your failure. Fear has been Bush's main weapon in getting his way and now you want people to be afraid or Obama because of his name or the color of his skin. People just need to be afraid of an erratic old man trying to give us more of what we have gotten from Bush.
Unlike the brilliance of those who voted for Bush...TWICE!
All I want is the same coverage John McCain has had his whole adult life.
Oh, that's right - except for five years.
Oh, that's right - I haven't had coverage for twenty years.
And he's going to have NatAnon meetings for everybody who's suffering the agony of Nationalism. Germany will extend a hand and be our sponsor. Don't worry - recovery cannot be compelled and nobody will try. :-)
You should be so lucky to live like a German guy your age doing the work you do. That is unless you speculate in markets for a living. Americans make more.
Maybe we are not so stupid. Seems to me like the problems we have now are because of the greed wealthy corporations and executives have been getting away with for so long. Frankly, I'd rather my TAX dollars go to honest hard working people who are left out by the current policies and who AREN'T stealing from the government (Haliburton, AIG, etc).
Not to mention the 10 billion dollar a month war we had NO BUSINESS getting into in the first place.
I want McCain to accidentally use profanity, then stare into space for about 20 seconds, then start talking about what he had for breakfast on December 8th, 1981.
But Oh. My. God. His facial expressions were like something out of a Laurel and Hardy movie. Rolling his eyes. The maniac stare. The eyebrow shrug. The 'ah-ha!' smile. And always that nasty smirk.
Republicans panned Al Gore for sighing one time with impatience during a debate with Bush. Where do we even begin to describe the obnoxious disrespect John McCain was showing Barack Obama?
Dear god in heaven I cannot even describe how much that pissed me off. Eyerolling has always been for me one of the hugest signs of disrespect and really, just plain rude. McCain was disrespectful the Entire debate, and that really got my back up.
Yes McCain, we KNOW you don't agree with Obama. You don't have to act like a third grader getting lectured my his parents to get that point across, and you can be agressive without comming across as a complete asshole. TRUST me on this one.
I must say, even though I've never been a McCain supporter, I've always had respect for him. This debate made me lose a lot of that respect.
You thought he looked and behaved like an elementary school child too? It along with the repetition of "Joe the Plumber" and that CRAPPY description of Palin being a role model for women... NOT!!!
We played our debate drinking game in a rather noisy bar, and strained to hear, so the drinking rules changed a bit.
We drank whenever McCain made a ridiculous facial expression.
...We got smashed.
What kind of debate is he trying to have?
(Sorry for harping on this, but they're sitting at a table for goodness sakes.)
That image up top shows a bias toward depicting the obvious!
americans are.... ummm, errr..... angry?
and he's blinky, and nervous.... wow, rough start for mcsham
Fidgitty McBlinky.
McCain/McPain/McSame/McShame
I'm surprised that hulu was actually functional, since I had heard much talk about their streaming failing pretty badly during the last debate.
Sam Shepherd gave a quick load of bunk about how it's "all on the line" right now, but I can't see it being that big of a deal unless one of them knocks it completely out of the park tonight.
My friends... X is in the hospital tonight.
Is McCain an ambulance chaser now? Second debate he starts like that.
Every hear of respect?
Ever heard of pandering?
My very selective drinking game will be on the word terrorist (without naming Ayres).
Fanny and Freddy Mae.
LOL!
He probably figured that McCain would make worse blunders than that.
And he did.
Oh my gosh, did McCain look uncomfortable talking about Ayers?
Frickin' game over.
Obama explained the whole thing, AGAIN, and when he was done, what did McCain do?
Say that Obama has not yet answered the question about his association with Ayers.
WTF???
Couldn't have gone better.
A little more than 1/2 hour to go in this "debate". Every minute that goes by, McCain looks worse.
I'm glad this Ayers thing came up.
Now, will McCain bring up Wright?
That's the question. Maybe in his closing statement, just to TRY to throw Obama off (or if McCain is 2nd, in order to not allow a rebuttal).
Peace Ya'll.
Wait, one more time though. Just to set the record straight....
"Obama wants to raise your taxes".
How in the world are Dana Bash and Candy Crowley not in the partisan section?
Bash is an unashamed (and she should be very much ashamed) McCain apologist while Crowley always manages to turn a question about her time following Obama into what McCain can do to beat him. Sickening... and I don't even care for Obama.
OT... Trump saying Bush should be impeached and talking about Saddam having nothing to do with 9/11 was a shocker today in his interview with the beard. Crazy world...
FORGETTY McBlinky
Fannie and Freddie Mae?
Freddie Mae?
and mcfuckhead starts out just the way he did the last debate
with a pity-party of nancy reagan is in the hospital.
is there anything new with this shithead?
Is making more per hour than a cardiac transplant surgeon for God's sake!!!
The last time Joe came to my house to fix the pipe that blew under the freakin' driveway it cost me 10 grand!!!
Joe the Plumber must be Joe the Major Plumbing Contractor, 'cuz he'd have to be making more than $680,000 a year to pay higher taxes under Obama. And even then, oh gosh, 2% higher, dear me. Please!!
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Nancy hate this guy?
eom
talking to the moderator, not even remotely in the direction of Barry (who is turned right at him and ready to meet him head on)... ready to hit it outta the park, no fear, no angst... the body language of a winner. smooth, calm... a few 'uhhh's' and stutters, but not as bad as he can be
Will not be brought up by McCain.
It would keep him from raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes in that "who, me?" way. That alone would be a vast improvement. At least that way he would be merely blinking, not blinking like a deer in the headlights.
baby jesus will once again turn to adult beverages during the debate
This is really disrespectful
To whom?
Old people have no sense of humor.
So far: "middle class" mentioned
McCain - 0
Obama - 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63SRpGXBHE
... courtesy of Grumpy McFigits.
eom
he's actually looking at Barry.... looks pissed off, but is looking at him....... I'm stunned.
jeeez, he is blinking more than I've ever seen......
McStutter blinks a and stutters a lot when he's lying.
I'm getting hypnotised.
joe the plumber....joe worslaksdfjasdf
joe the plummer cousin of joe six pack and business owner making over 250k. i feel sorry for joe. he can't realize the american dream
Sounds like Gramps has been hittin' the sherry!
but, it's still a billion times better than mcsham's meandering rambling/blinking
Man, they say rapid blinking is a sign of lying. If McCain blinks any faster then he's doing now, he's going to have a seizure, or astroke, or something!
that's what I hear
He's blinking in POW code: Please, somebody kidnap Palin. I want to run with Joe the Plumber!
Slowwww start.
eom
10 minutes into this debate and McCain looks like he's about to explode. I don't think he's gong to make it.
Any relation to Joe SixPack?
and he said it again
his first wife was a close friend of the reagans and after mc threw her disfigured body to the curb the reagans took her in and never forgave mc.
but the moon on the stick. I want a kitty, please can I have one Mr McCain.
eom
McCain seems unsettled. Jumpy. Freaked out?
Frankly, you could tell he couldn't wait for the moment to say, "I'm not president Bush" (which would have been sufficient), but then goes on to say, "if you wanted to run ... in 2004". That extra made him look mean and nasty. Almost wanting to bite Obama's head off to satisfy his anger.
THEN he kept bringing the ACORN, Ayers, Lewis thing up even after Obama addressed it. Again, showing how cantankerous he can be. Gee...
Stay cool, Barry! Stay. Cool. Dammit!
But, McPow's not succeeding.
And there goes that condescension again. :(
His sleazy smile and cheap one-liners make him look like an idiot.
Yea, it really does. At one point, you could have put horns on his head and I declare I thought he looked like the devil, or at least, one of them.
I mean, he looked downright evil.
The SS McCain is going down already. Man the life boats!
But whom is she going down on is my question!?! I don't see how else she could have gotten a VP nomination, much less keep it once she opened her big, ignorant mouth!
eom
I'm drunk already.
ROFL
he can't get a fact straight.
what about Jane Hockymom?
for McLame
eom
hi!
:<[)
What's up?
McCain Tax lies.
He's lying...cutting taxes ??? He jsut said it, not spread the wealth around. WE know that McSame, you are selfish.
My wife actually swore at the T.V. when McCain mentioned Joe the Plumber for the 10th time . This is going to be fun !
Goddammit, I live a 45 minute flight away from it. It's getting fucked up in the Emerald Isle.
Arrgggghhhh he said Class Warfare!
The man has No Class!
Yeah, I like McCain's interpretation of Obama's tax plan. "HE'LL TAKE JOE PLUMMER'S MONEY. HE'LL DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. HE WANTS TO SPREAD IT AROUND. DON'T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND? THIS MEANS RICH PEOPLE WILL LOSE MONEY TO THE PIRTY POOR!"
But Obama WILL take your money, personally, and give it to overhead projectors. (The planetarium funding was to rebuild the entire planetarium in Chicago.) Earmarks in total account for only a small percentage of the federal budget.
AND THE REPUBLICANS WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE IT TO THE RICH, THE GREEDY AND THEIR CONTRACT BUDDIES!!!
McSame's policies WOULD NOT BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM BUSH'S!!!
cheesy old man's grin
here he goes insisting that government cuts are mandatory. where's the proof.
He'd want accountability of the billions of dollars being poured into Iraq..But McCain never wants us to leave Iraq
Ten billion a month actually. And we've been in this war how long now and the war is being fought for country that has how many billions in THEIR bank?
Just once, I want a Dem (Obama!) to smack the GOP down by saying, "It's the greatest country in the world, right? Isn't that worth paying for?"
Ohhh... great line!! I will have to steal that... thanks! ;-)
I think McCain took some sort of mild tranq. He is FAR too easily amused. This could get innerestin'.
That creepy figity grin was really really disturbing. Fox news just said Macain won the debate WTF?
The people at Foxnews are not too bright, especially that Hannity dude. He is really anal...
eom
Ooooh, I heart Obama!!!
Old farts is lying to our faces.
And stupid Bob Sniffer is starting to act up.
I live in Illinois,and Obama has not done one thing as a JUNIOR congressman. Why would I vote for him? I hear cut taxes and spend money.
Secured loose nukes, took on the corrupt Chicago police, brought serious ethics reform that WAPO called the "most sweeping since Watergate", gave people hope when the steel mills shut down on the South side, I could go on but you wouldn't listen anyway.
Listen closely... McCain, keep it the same and give our rich buddies and wealthy corporations the tax dollars. We'll just keep bailing them out and keep those trying to get somewhere in this country in the bottom percentile.
The same ole' "Hey we're broke now, surely you can't help the middle class" questions from Bob.
if shitter interupts McLame and keeps him in line.
"we've been living beyond our means"... a politician who is pro "pay as you go".... shocking! ;^_^
Yea, and bring back our jobs! No, wait, McCain wants to keep them over there, and there, and there.
He hasn't said "maverick" yet. WTF?
Someone showed him The Internets and he realized everyone is making fun of him for calling himself a maverick.
McCain wants to cut taxes for everyone, especially the most wealthy.
Pie in the sky bullshit to get elected
in many ways the RICH are supported and protected by they gov't
THATS CLASS WARFARE!
or the middle class- why else do they harbor such hatred for FDR?
This debate is improved by self-medication.
doses
I've got an Irish coffee at my desk with me. ;)
Can I have some of that medication so I can stomach it.
Homeownership..well he ought to know, that old fuck has how many houses?
Will get back to you.
Its all ACORNS fault, right McCain?
Well, at least now. A couple of years ago, when the repubs were winning, ACORN was "doing a good job". Video is out there...
align yourself with bilbo... that will really endear you to your base
Here we go with his reference to Clinton...since he has no real ideal about this subject. This is an extension of the last debate; the only difference is they are sitting.
... He didn't sound convinced of his own stance. Maybe it is because his tone of voice seems too meek compared to smarmy-ass McCain.
Yea, and can you see his pain-in-the-McBrain smarminess being like that trying to forge through international issues?
Along with the blinking, it's looking scary.
wait til his lizard tongue start dashing out...
nooculer!
eye twitch!
AND YOU HELPED CREATE THIS DEBT JACKASS.
Obama is so cool, calm and collected. i wish we had a Canadian clone of him.
McCain looks like he surprised, frightened, and confused. Definitely flying by the seat of his Depends.
Please tell me and the other dummies how you would cut spending since you stated you know how. ummm...save billions
so you know he's lying!!!
"we have presided".... he's admitted he's part of the problem... right there on tv, mcsham admits he's been in power while spending has gone crazy..... he is clueless....
Hatchet man! I'd worry about your elderly folks relying on Medicare and Medicaid!
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