Liveblogging the Debate

Why not?

The candidates seem to be sitting at a table, perhaps, like newscasters, not wearing pants.

Nope, pants are there.

McCain plants a naysayer. "Now I know the criticism of this."

Bob Schieffer (henceforth, BS) asked for new information not talking points. So far, no go.

Joe Six Pack seems to have become Joe the Plumber.

Obama really does stick with his talking points.

Oh my god, I hope Joe the Plumber gets a book deal out of this. Someone certainly needs to be interviewing him right now.

I love that Obama is talking about education.

McCain smirks and interrupts. He just seems creepy.

(This is kind of hard.)

I love that Obama brings up education so often.

McCain takes a strong stand on pronouncing it nu-clee-ar.

The overhead projector is back!

This is just like the last debate only they are closer together. Someone should do a performance art piece where the candidates repeat the same talking points but in increasing physical proximity until they crash into each other. It would be interesting, no?

Is there any activity in which one would simultaneously use both a hatchet and a scalpel?

**Guest joke from LRR via text: "Forget this sharp shit! We should take a plunger to the budget."**

Obama really is preternaturally calm, yet energetic. It's weird.

Obama "commends" McCain. Very condescending.

BS baits McCain to talk about Ayers.

McCain: The campaign wouldn't have become negative "if only Obama had agreed to my urgent request to sit down."

Segregation is the worst chapter in our history??!? Uh, slavery?

Education reference #3!

I think Obama needs to answer that accusation that he lied about campaign finance.

Hi Joe the Plumber! We didn't forget you.

Obama isn't even referring to Palin by name, just "your running mate."

McCain=Interrupting cow. ("Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Interrupting cow." "Interrupting c--" "MOOOOOOOO!")

McCain is just drowning.

Obama hearts Joe Biden. Joe "the Plumber" Biden. Weird--this morphed into a stump speech. He doesn't mention Palin at all--good job.

Education #4!

Why would your running mate be a good president? Impossible question for McCain! He starts lisping: Sarah Palin is a breath of freth air who will thweep away the old boy network. Special needs kids. Huh?

BS to Obama: Is she qualified? Obviously he won't take the bait. He turns the special needs things back on McCain as an example of a program that shouldn't be cut in a blanket spending freeze. He is good!

McCain: Why do we have to spend more? Why can't we just pick money off the money trees?

In the other debates I haven't felt this as much, but here it just seems like it's not an even match, like Obama is just a much better debater. I wonder if the talking heads and polls are seeing it the same way.

McCain advocates more poetry classes: "You have to pay more attention to words!"

Trade, oddly, is the one subject on which McCain sounds like he has real expertise. I've noticed this in all three debates.

Obama: "We have to stand for human rights." I wonder what Jane and Katie (my human rights gurus) think of that. Is it a big deal that he said that?

McCain: health clubs for all! Yes!

Hi again, Joe the Plumber!

The stuff about health care is just too confusing. I don't think either candidate is explaining things clearly.

Gold-plated Cadillac health plans for cosmetic surgery and . . . transplants? How are those the same??!!

McCain calls Obama "Senator Government." Nice.

I wonder when the spell-checker will start recognizing "Obama."

Obama is better at looking at the camera. McCain is looking off to the side. Also, he is only smiling fake smiles. Obama's mouth doesn't smile as much, but his smiles seem more genuine.

I hope Sharpie is paying McCain for this moment of visibly twirling his . . . marker? Who takes debate notes with a permanent marker? What does this say?

Obama seems to be using a humble ballpoint. Well, actually I have no idea. It just looks like a regular pen. A Joe the Plumber type pen.

Obama makes the instrumental case for education (economy, national security). Stanley Fish would disagree.

An army of new teachers! Wow. Terrifying.

McCain: Education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Huh. Oh I get it, he means school choice. He's referring to that NYT magazine article about New Orleans school. "We find bad teachers another line of work." He's talking about raising standards by removing teacher certification and testing rules? Huh?

Autism is getting a lot of play in the debate. Weird.

McCain ends the debate with incomprehensible sarcasm and sinister chuckles.

Now he "My friends" us. First time of the night!

Well. I'm smitten. (With Bob Schieffer's mother.)