3rd (and Final) Presidential Debate '08: Enlivening Commentary

The last debate of '08. Join me tonight, 9pm for some pre-debate chatter, some intermittent liveblogging, and some post-debate "analysis." Remember, this is not the end, but just the beginning of intensified mudslinging, pandering, truth-stretching, hoping, changing, reforming, mavericking, etc.

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Pre Debate Chatter

8:08

Sister T: So it's our last debate night.
SeaBean: It is indeed.
Sister T: Are you sad?
SeaBean: I wonder what else we will have to live blog. Christmas? Ooh, we could do the Macy Day's Parade!!
Sister T: I won't be here.
SeaBean: I won't be here either.
Sister T: I'll be cooking.
SeaBean: So will I.
Sister T:   But because I'll be cooking....
SeaBean:   You won't be able to blog, I know.
Sister T:  I never watch the parade anymore, I'm usually helping mom at the stove.
SeaBean:  My favorite part of the parade is the giant Snoopy balloon.
Sister T:   I like Charlie Browm balloon.
SeaBean:   Heh, he has a huge head.

Sister T: Are we still calling StichtWiggler StitchWiggler?
SeaBean: Sure.
Sister T: But she doesn't have stiches anymore.
SeaBean: But she did, and she still has a very soft shaved bottom from the stitch/surgery incident. Do you wan't to call her fuzz butt?
Sister T: No, that would be cruel.

Sister T: Okay last time I'll ask: what are you expecting or looking forward to tonight?
SeaBean: Scintillating oratory. But we won't get that because, being educated and erudite is looked down on. When did that happen? When did the Republicans switch from being Lincoln-esque educated and eloquent? How did it happen?
Sister T: The Great Depression?
SeaBean: That's just depressing.
Sister T: Well, we might have another one soon.

SeaBean: Why is being smart a bad thing?
Sister T: Why don't you ask Sarah Palin?
SeaBean: I can't. She wouldn't understand the multi-syllable words coming out of my mouth.
Sister T: First of all, she wouldn't even talk to you because you don't work for Fox or conservative talk radio.
SeaBean: It's this school yard crap of mocking the smart people.
Sister T: I think you're projecting.
SeaBean: Probably.


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Live Blogging

9:00 We are on. The last debate starts soon. The candidates will be sitting at a table and the moderator is Bob Schieffer from CBS news. (Hah. ABC news got cut-out of the debate moderating duties)

SeaBean: What part of Alabama is he [Bob Schieffer] from?
Sister T: He's from Austin and Ft. Worth, Texas.
SeaBean: I was close enough.

9:02 First Question: Why is your economic survival plan better than his?

9:04 McCain blames the financial crisis on Fannie and Freddie and home ownership issues. He wants to buy up home mortgages.

SeaBean: You call yourself a Republican, McCain?

9:05 Obama answers and says middle class. Drink!

Sister T: SeaBean, you can't drink tonight.
[SeaBean is recovering from shoulder surgery and is presently easing into the pain-free haze of bliss thanks to the Vicodin pill she just took]
SeaBean: No, but I can snuggle with my puppy StitchWiggler.
StitchWiggler: [grunts in agreement]

9:07 Obama wants to buy up mortgages too but he will renegotiate them first.

9:07 McCain goes on the attack using some dude named Joe Wurzelburger (fact checkers working on that as we speak) and the "higher tax argument" for small business owners like Joe who is a plumber.

9:09 Obama defends and explains his tax plan AGAIN but thankfully for my ears, for the last time.

Sister T: Strange that no matter how many times Obama explains his tax plan, McCain and the American public never seem to "get it."

9:11 Still talking about Joe the Plumber.

Sister T: Joe the Plumber should be our new drinking game.
SeaBean: Umm-hmm
Sister T: Dude, if we were actually drinking to Joe the Plumber, we'd be soooo drunk. Actually, you'd be drunk and high.
SeaBean: Oh, man I'd be catonic. I'd need my stomach pumped.
Sister T: I think you're safe now. They seem to be done talking about Joe the Plumber. I bet Joe the Plumber shows up on SNL.
SeaBean: Heh. He probably will.

9:13 Deficit question from Schieffer: "Aren't you ignoring reality...what will you [specifically] cut back?"

Sister T: Betcha they won't mention anything specific.

9:15 Obama will eliminate programs that "don't work" but doesn't mention which specific programs "don't work." He thinks he's so smart, I'm onto him.

Sister T: Obama just used a three syllable word.
SeaBean: My God, how will the American people understand him?

9:16 McCain attempts to pull a Sarah Palin and not answer the question by returning to his home mortgage talking point. Schieffer calls him on it and won't let him get away with it. AWESOME SHCIEFFER. But then McCain starts talking about energy. Seriously, has he been practicing with Palin?

9:19 McCain talks about an earmark for that "overhead projector" in a Chicago planetarium. Shut up about the overhead projector already. I like planetariums.

9:20 Schieffer: "Can you balance the budget in three years?" McCain: "Sure I can." McCain must have magical powers. And he talks directly to Obama with a great shot: "If you wanted to run against Bush, you should have run four years ago."

9:22 Obama has a pretty good comeback to McCain, parrying the Bush shot, deflecting it to the accusation that on the economy McCain's policies are the same as Bush. He must have practiced that for each debate and been holding it in his back pocket.

9:24 Schieffer asks about the negative tone of their campaigns. He challenges each candidate to repeat the negative attacks to each other's face.

9:25 McCain blames Obama for the negative tone because he refused to do town halls with him........he DOES NOT mention Ayers. Chicken!!! (Smart chicken).

9:27 McCain gets in some good and justifiable digs at Obama for not following through on his Campaign Finance promises.

9:28 Obama's response so far is kind of weak. Though he does shoot down the town hall argument as being ridiculous. Mostly he talks about how they should be talking about the economy (effectively not answering Schieffer's question).

9:30 "Joe the Plumber" rears his head again. Drink!

9:31 Is Obama intentionally not saying Sarah Palin's name? He only refers to her as "your running mate."

9:33 McCain is trapped into defending the people at his rallies. He's speaking to his base, not the independents and soft Obama supporters he needs to reach tonight.

9:35 McCain alludes to Ayers, mentions ACORN and voter fraud in the same sentence (which is MISLEADING. ACORN is charged with voter registration fraud not voter fraud, there is a HUGE difference).

9:37 Obama gives a direct answer about Ayers. I suspect conservative Republicans will still be dissatisfied and claim to "not know who Obama is."

9:38 Obama lists his good associates. It's a decent come-back.

9:39 McCain's still talking about Ayers and ACORN. (stupid! independent voters don't care.)

9:40 Schieffer, thankfully, moves on to a new question: "Why will the country be better off if your running mate becomes vice president?"

9:41 I could tell you what Obama says about Biden, but I know you only want to hear what each of them say about Sarah Palin.

9:44 Schieffer asks Obama if he thinks Palin is qualified to be VP. Obama diplomatically says it's up to the American people. (smooth and safe).

9:46 Schieffer asks about energy. He asks for a specific number of how much the country will reduce foreign oil imports during their first term.

9:47 McCain does not give him a number. He mis-answers the question by saying in 10 years we will be less dependent on foreign oil.

9:49 Obama also mis-answers the question by saying 10 years. Schieffer lets it go.

Sister T: Obama's still doing better with speaking directly to the camera.
SeaBean: [Does not answer, she went to bed, Vicodin fully kicked in].
Sister T: I miss my debate buddy. sniff. sniff.

9:52 McCain accuses Obama of not understanding relations between the U.S. and Columbia because he's never travelled south of the border. Would it help if Obama lived near the border? I hear that works well for Sarah Palin.

9:54 Obama says "actually I do understand Columbia" and then talks about some miniscule Columbia-relations detail. It comes off as effective.

9:56 Schieffer is bored with the trade topic. He switches to Health Care. This is in Obama's wheelhouse, so he is off and running, explaining his health care plan AGAIN. Are you listening America? He's repeating this for like the 10th time.

9:58 This is not in McCain's wheelhouse, he's off to a slow start...building steam...rattling off needed programs...then "Joe the Plumber" comes back. DRINK!

10:00 Heh. Obama speaks into the camera directly to "Joe" telling him he will pay Zero? "Zero, really?" says McCain, sounding like an infomercial. "Yes, really John, Joe pays zero," I imagine Obama retorting "for just three low installments of $9.99, Joe can pay zero."

10:03 Now, McCain talks directly to the camera and "Joe." Boy, I picked the right drinking game tonight.

10:05 Heh. McCain has a nice Freudian slip. He calls Obama "Senator Government." :-)

10:06 Schieffer asks about SCOTUS [SCOTUS = my shorthand for Supreme Court of the United States] appointments and Roe v. Wade. McCain thinks Roe v. Wade is a bad decision, it should be left to the states (a position I just don't understand. legislating abortion affects Constitutional rights and thus challenges to state laws are appealable to SCOTUS, so it will always have a chance of coming to SCOTUS). McCain will not apply a litmus test to judges, but will only appoint strict contructionists...not that that's a litmus test...and then he talks about voting for Ginsberg and Breyer who are definitely NOT strict constructionists.

10:08 Obama also doesn't like litmus tests. He also makes my point about how abortion is simply not an issue that can be confined on a state by state basis. He also pulls out the Ledbetter case (suing for women's equal pay under Title VII). Obama's trying to rope in and solidify his female supporters.

10:11 McCain attacks Obama's Illinois voting record on abortion.

10:12 Obama defends the attacks. Obama segues into the "common ground" language from his convention speech on preventing unintended pregnancies. He said it prettier in his speech, but I still appreciate and applaud the sentiment.

10:15 McCain insults Obama's eloquence again. McCain evidently doesn't like three syllable words.

10:16 Schieffer asks the last question. It's on education.

10:17 Obama talks about spending more money and reforming education. Gee, I'd like to have his optimistic bottomless pockets.

10:18 McCain says education "is the civil rights issue of the this century." This is also language swiped from his convention speech, and I still don't get what he's talking about.

10:19 McCain talks about charter schools and having uncertified military teachers. Seriously, he advocates having uncertified teachers. I'll have to look into this "troops to teachers" program.

10:24 McCain keeps mentioning Sarah Palin and autism. Does baby Trig have autism too?

10:27 McCain gives a closing statement. Will he mention his good friend "Joe the Plumber." I don't think he did. What up? No love for "Joe" in your closing, Senator?

10:29 Obama closing statement: "Our brighter days are still ahead, but..." Yeah, yeah, we've heard this before. Will you say good night to "Joe"? No? No free plumbing for you.

10:31 Schieffer signs off with something his mama always said: "Go vote now, it'll make you feel big and strong." Heh.

10:32 It's over. Done. Stick forks in it. No more debates in '08. Like Schieffer just said. GO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Thank you, thank you, all who have read this far. Debate commentary and live blogging is over for 2008. Hope you enjoyed it. Once again, thanks to SeaBean and StitchWiggler. I wish them the best in their respective surgical recoveries. Each are in a blissful sleep right now, and that's where I'll be headed shortly as well. Thanks again for reading. Comments of any type are always welcome.