A historic night: The first presidential debate of 2008
Scroll down for updates and liveblogging…Obama hammers Bush-McCain theme, McCain emphasizes — sigh — fighting against “climate change…with Sen. Clinton”…McCain hits his stride on the war, foreign policy, Obama’s no-preconditions bungle…Gaffe of the debate so far: Obama trying to respond to McCain on his military/moral authority: “I’ve got a bracelet, too!”
What a week, huh? The high-stakes presidential debate at Ole Miss starts at 9pm Eastern. Hang out here and share your thoughts. I’ll liveblog for as long as my stomach can take it.
Expectations: Low.
Ole Miss has a debate site here.
The moderator will be PBS anchor Jim Lehrer. The debate format:
– Each debate will have a single moderator and last for 90 minutes…
– During the first and third presidential debates, and the vice presidential debate, the time will be divided into eight, ten-minute segments. The moderator will introduce each segment with an issue on which each candidate will comment, after which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of the issue, including direct exchange between the candidates for the balance of that segment…
– Time at the end of the final presidential debate will be reserved for closing statements.
***
A reader proposes the first drinking game suggestion:
Michelle, how about a college-style drinking game tonight – where everyone takes a drink whenever Obama says “Bush” – in his laughably ridiculous ongoing effort to link McCain to Bush.
If you’re looking to get inebriated quickly, start drinking every time Obama says “Uh.”
Or every time McCain touts bipartisanship.
***
9:08pm Eastern.
First question on the need for solvency and security: Where do you stand on the economic recovery plan?
Obama: He’s reciting his bailout talking points…Oversight, returns to taxpayers, no CEO golden parachutes, help homeowners. Failed economic policies by George Bush supported by McCain.
McCain-Bush! Take your first swig, people.
McCain: Mentions Ted Kennedy being hospitalized. I’m not feeling too great about things tonight, but tonight I’m feeling a little better…touts bipartisan efforts to forge a bailout deal…Republicans and Democrats sitting down and negotiating.
Bipartisanship! Take another swig, people.
More McCain: This is the end of the beginning of the crisis. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Eliminate dependence on foreign oil.
Lehrer: Do you favor the plan, Sen. Obama?
Obama: We haven’t seen the language yet. There is constructive work being done there.
The question is how did we get here? Obama takes credit for warning about the problem.
McCain: Reminds that he warned about it, too. Says he will vote for the bailout. I’ve been heavily criticized for calling for the resignation of the SEC chairman.
He’s going on an anti-greed screed.
Obama: Attacking McCain for claiming the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Lehrer tries to get them to talk to each other directly. They won’t.
I agree with a commenter below. Obama is wearing too much make-up.
9:19pm Eastern.
Still on the economy.
McCain: We need to control spending. He’s talking about earmarks as a gateway drug. Refers to his friend Tom Coburn (also cited as a friend of Barack Obama). Obama has asked for $932 million in earmarks. Points viewers to Citizens Against Government Waste for documentation. That’s one of the fundamental differences between Obama and me.
Obama: Earmarks account for $18 billion in the budget. McCain wants $300 billion in tax cuts to wealthiest corporations and individuals.
McCain-Bush, McCain-Bush!
Bottoms up. Take another gulp.
McCain goes after Obama for $800 billion he supports in new spending. Obama says he’ll close corporate loopholes. Expand health care.
9:25pm Eastern. McCain is defending his business tax proposals. He really should challenge Obama on the Bush talking point.
Side note: Obama’s got a shiny flag lapel pin.
9:34pm Eastern. Sorry, tuned out for a moment there while Obama was burbling about building broadband lines.
McCain turns to defense spending. He’s recounting all his pork barrel fights.
I wonder if this debate will ever get to the stated focus: Foreign policy.
9:36pm Eastern. Another “Bush’s failed policies” line from Obama. What’s that now? 10?
Lehrer keeps hectoring the candidates to answer his question about how the financial crisis would change how they govern.
McCain says he’d call for a spending freeze on everything except defense and entitlements.
Obama’s babbling about something or other.
McCain goes after Obama on nuclear power, dependence on foreign oil…and CLIMATE CHANGE, “an issue I’ve been involved in for many years along with Sen. Clinton.”
Gag.
9:42pm Eastern. McCain is repeating his lines about cutting spending. Okay, I think he’s got his message across on that.
Obama: Bush-McCain! Bush-McCain!
McCain: Repeats his “I was not elected Miss Congeniality…I’m a maverick and so’s my running mate.”
Lehrer moves to the war. What are the lessons of Iraq?
McCain talks strategy, surge, praises Petraeus, we will come home in victory.
Obama pats himself on the back for opposing the Iraqi invasion, rattles off body count, claims al Qaeda is resurgent, complains about military spending.
9:48pm Eastern. McCain does well, finally, in attacking Obama on his surge flip-flops and not visiting the battlefront.
Obama’s answer: “I’m proud of my vice presidential pick.”
Joe Biden: Obama’s human shield!
McCain says “Obama doesn’t know the difference between a tactic and a strategy.” McCain recounts his visit to Baghdad two Fourth of Julys ago and how troops told him, “Let us win.” McCain gives a counterinsurgency 101 lesson. McCain points out Obama voted to cut off funds for the troops.
Very good fusillade from McCain.
Obama getting antsy.
McCain engages Obama on setting specific dates for withdrawal.
9:55pm Eastern. Lehrer turns to Afghanistan. Do we need more troops?
Obama: “Yes. I’ve said that for over a year now.”
9:58pm Eastern. McCain is “not prepared to threaten Pakistan as Obama said he would do…You don’t say that out loud…I’ve been to Waziristan…need a strategy…”
Sidenote: Email from reader Rich…
MM,
Overall so far…McCain is not quick enough on the uptake. Obama is more focused and clearly more prepared with the details and populist counter-arguments. McCain needs to respond quickly from two perspectives….1) What he would do moving forward, and 2) What he has done over the last 25+ years, esp bipartisan efforts.
Q1: Why did McCain say he has “spoken out” about Fannie and Freddie instead of talking about his introduction of legislation in 2003 to provide further regulation/oversight of F & F.
Q2: Obama immed answers a question of what he plans to cut during this financial crisis with a laundry list of his proposals for new spending programs. McCain misses an easy opening to say just that…”Obama was asked what he would cut and answered how he would spend”.
More later..
Rich
USMC (Retired)
Obama comes back at McCain for singing “Bomb, bomb, Iran.”
McCain returns fire with his record on Lebanon, Somalia, Kosovo. “I have a record of being involved in these national security issues which involve the highest responsibilities you can have…”
McCain recounts his Matthew Stanley bracelet story. Talks about troops, families, refusing to come back with defeat and dishonor.
Obama: I’ve got a bracelet, too!
He has to look at it…uhhh…to remember whose bracelet it is.
10:06pm Eastern. Obama attacks McCain on Afghanistan. McCain responds: “You would think if he were so concerned, he would have gone to Afghanistan.”
McCain wants a “League of Democracies.”
10:14pm Eastern. McCain takes a dig at Obama’s presidential seal…”I don’t have a seal yet”…
should have probably explained the joke a little…
10:15pm Eastern. McCain attacks Obama’s pledge to meet tyrants without preconditions.
Obama blusters on his preconditions/preparations line.
10:18pm Eastern. McCain is strong on North Korea.
Obama cites Kissinger.
McCain comes back: He’s known Kissinger for 30 years. Obama is parsing words.
10:26pm Eastern. McCain sounds forceful on Russia/Georgia. Obama follows up meekly.
10:30pm Eastern. Last question. What’s the likelihood of another 9/11?
McCain: Less than it once was. Recounts teaming up with Joe Lieberman on formation of a 9/11 investigation commission…Bush opposed us…we reached across the aisle…long way to go on intelligence services…trained interrogators so we don’t ever torutre another prisoner ever again…America is safer today than it was on 9/11, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a long way to go…he really should tie the war on terror overseas — not just in Iraq, but worldwide — to homeland security…and what about border security…
Stop. Oh, my god, he just mentioned doing a better job on our borders.
Knock me over with a feather.
Obama: He’s talking missile defense. al Qaeda in 60 countries.
McCain should have covered that.
10:34pm Eastern. Obama credits McCain on the torture issue and then gives us his Big Idea for making America safer? “Restoring our standing in the world!” Making us more “respected!”
McCain: Obama doesn’t get it. If we fail in Iraq…it would lead to defeat…Americans will judge…right path or wrong path…this is the central issue of our time.
10:40pm Eastern. Wrapping up.
McCain: “I don’t need any on-the-job training. I’m ready to lead now.”
Obama is talking about his name. Filibustering about “investing,” “The Children,” etc.
McCain gets the last word: “I know how to heal the wounds of the war, I know how to deal.”
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blah blah America’s standing in the world blah blah
No, I know.
No preparation sounds even dumber than no preconditions. He isn’t even an educated idiot, just plain idiot.
Have to go after AQ everywhere, O. How do you do that? The best military in the world, that’s how.
In one more hour of this he’d be curled up under his podium in a fetal position covering his ears, well at least making an attempt at it.
I guess perception is everything.
Obama: Restore our standing in the world? We’re less respected?
Look, dude…respect comes from power, not from kissing up to make people like us.
Man, this guy loves to talk about nuclear proliferation. The same guy that’s planning to downsize our nuclear weapons supply because that will encourage all other countries (ahem Russia) to do likewise.
Ahhh… why am I not surprised that Obummer is bringing up the reputation thing?
First off, McCain was EXCELLENT on the Russia/Georgia issue. He knows his stuff and Obama doesn’t.
But did you catch the part where Obama said… “I called for a halt to violence because of the stress on Georgia…”
“Stress on Georgia”????
If Russia, invading with tanks and infantry, shooting and killing, capturing and destroying is just “stress”, I’d hate to see something really nasty… he might term it “really stressful“…
McCain is such a joke!
In 2000, McCain joked that he’d be too old to run for president in 2008.
On Aug. 1, 2000, McCain appeared on PBS’s Newshour with Jim Lehrer. When asked about the possibility that he might run for president in 2008, McCain said that he would probably be too old:
LEHRER: Finally for the record, you have not lost your desire to be President of the United States have you?
McCAIN: Certainly it’s been put in deep cold storage. haha..
LEHRER: You haven’t lost it?
McCAIN: Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there.
On September 26th, 2008 at 10:30 pm, katablog said:
Thank goodness The One got that spit off his lower lip – that was NASTY.
OMG, I was saying that to my husband! it was like a piece of left over dinner.
Obama insisted on this Debate, that is going to be reported on tomorrow right? because everyone was saying that McCain must be afraid to debate Obama.
Torture? Oh yeah those guys at Club Gitmo are really suffering.
“we are less respected now”
speak for yourself.
Great answer from McCain.
“Senator Obama doesn’t undertand…”
DRINK!
Oh Barry always have to return to bashing our country.
If Obama tried interrupting Putin the way he does McCain, I have a feeling that Putin would grab him by the ear and say “Сидите вниз”! (sit down!)
Next debate I’m going to drink Scotch instead of beer. I’m spending to much time away from the debate.
“Mr. Øbama still doesn’t understand, doesn’t get it…..”
WHACK, WHACK WHACK!!!!
That’s the inexperience. He’s giving more credibility and underscoring John McCain’s point by trying to stop him from making it.
I think we’re on the same page.
WE DON’T TORTURE PRISONERS!!!
That quote says nothing about preconditions, or lack thereof.
Obama just doesn’t get it… Thank you Senator McCain.
uh ohhh, Obambi isn’t finishing strong. And he keeps saying “John is right on this” “I agree with John on this.” This is too much. I predict an 8 point swing in the polls. McCain just looks like he is winning this job interview tonight. Obama is way overmatched here.
We need to clue McCain into the next debate to stare bambi down. That’s one of the things at the beginning that made the one appear in control and McCain uncomfortable.
McCain can evil eye him and make him sweat faster.
If that’s the worst you can come up with, you might as well put a fork in your candidate… he’s done!
Great debate and great time with you all. I love the liveblogging at MM.
BSR
“Solely focused on Iraq.”
That’s a lie, and Barry knows it.
Hey everybody:
It’s the resident swiss miss. Bringing up a totally unrelated attack on McCain. Why don’t you complain to Obummer’s truth squad, ‘kay?
I do like Obama’s eye shadow – any one know where I can get some so my eye lids will shine too?
Obama:
Hint: You are NOT running against George Bush. If I was drinking for each Bush reference (or to the current administration), I’d be blitzed.
OH yeah, I forgot it is Friday night.
Must be the stupper BO is putting me in.
DOWN GOES OBAMA…DOWN GOES OBAMA…DOWN GOES OBAMA!
Mookie…..he didn’t say for the President to negotiate with Iran. He said we should negotiate…..like send the Secretary of State. But good try in portraying it as a top level negotiation. You really should learn to interpret what you read.
BSR,
Ditto.
all i can hear is wa wa wa wa wa
Sorry if I’ve missed a comment, but does anyone else notice that when Obama is talking, he gets the screen to himself, but when McCain is speaking, about half the time it is a split screen?
The lamp was being thrown at Bill because he’s getting excited about the vp debate. He wants to look
at Gov Sarah.
I have ZERO confidence in ZERO regarding national security
He sits on the VA committee??? Has he ever been to a meeting?
I meet veteran all over the country (when there are cameras present)
If Obama sits on the Vet affairs commitee then why are’t we funding Vet Affairs properly?
Obama: Stop whining about the $10 billion per month in Iraq. You know, the spending programs would add more to our deficit than 6-7 years in Iraq. One will help secure out country. The other will just cause an even larger “Dependency class”
“I sit on a Veternas Committee…uh, I meet veterans all around the country”
What O, realized you haven’t done anything on the Veterans committee???
Remember Humprey Bogart and the Strawberries how he juggled those balls in his hand while he talked. Maybe someone should get Obama some of those BALLS.
Emphasis mine – flexibility on their part = preconditions…
WHEN is the last time BO sat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, or any committee other than his campaign committee??
Well the hell was that? EaEaaEEa. That’s like 8 shots right in a row. Damn Obama, You’re killing me Barry. (in the best sleep and sit commercial voice)
Go John. Finally tell him he’s wrong.
Perhaps the concepts of “joke” and wry humor escape you. This debate shows that McCain is more than ready, more so than Øbambi, to lead this country.
But hey, you keep misinterpreting those jokes. The laughter you hear is directed at you.
BO lecturing about veteran medical treatment is an insult to every veteran …
*McCain leaps from the ropes and pins Obama on the floor.*
oh, JM went there on judgement and experience
Putin, Putin, Putin. Boys, boys, boys… IT’S MEDVEDYEV! Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know where the power lies, but I doubt a sitting US President would degrade himself by meeting face to face with a foreign prime minister.
edelweiss
And yet I seem to remember a certain Dem presidential candidate who said he would not run for president this year. Selective memory?
I believe that makes you agist(discriminate against “old” people)
McCain just compared Obama’s stubbornness to Pres. Bush’s…
Ha.
+10!!
“We’ve nseen this stubborness before…”
ow, ow, ow, ouch!
They don’t have the cone of silence?
Obummer is just boring my husband. Obummer is like many private citizens who talk about the military but have never been a part of it and don’t know it too well.
I’m starting to tune Obummer out.
Obamah sat on veteran affairs committees? So what did he accomplish besides warming a chair? Do tell us Obummer.
AHAHAAHA I don’t need OJT!!!
I don’t think I need any on-the-job training!!! Slam!!!!!
I don’t need any on-the-job training!!!
BSR, back atcha.
Illegals cost more than the war in Iraq.
I wish someone would ask THAT question……regarding Illegals and what they plan to do about it.
Still waiting……..and waiting…..
On the job training – hahaha
Biden said it too!
Does that involve handing out more money? Oh no, that’s right, we already do that. Hmmm, just how do we gain their respect? Elect a guy that’s been senator for 3 years, 1.5 years while running for president? The guy that wants to talk with terrorists? The dude that thinks Iran is a tiny country of no consequence?
Oh gosh – here we go on Obama’s book again. Does he realize that anyone who actually reads it would be scared?
“My father was from Kenya, that is where I get my name.”
What kind of a dumbass statement is that?
No on the job training – strong for McCain.
“My family comes from Kenya – that’s where I get my name” (I am not a muslim)
So people from Kenya aren’t comming to America any more.
That’s just a stupid point.
On word from Vietnam defines this debate: ARCLIGHT
BO got carpet bombed.
Make it if we try; he just reminded me of the Mary Tyler Moore show theme song
OH, no he didn’t he bashed the USA again!
luuyhhh l8hhhh lemme just
children around the world look at the US the same way Michelle Obama does.
Reform, prosperity, peace…
Needs to be the new mantra
Good job, JSM
The Caine Mutiny, Where Humphrey Bogart was on the stand and he started losing it, I found it on you tube. My dad is from Kenya I don’t know the strawberries were missing…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9KlQPX1qiE
Yes, our country is great, but your wife has never been proud until you ran for President. Hmmmmmm.
Wow, 1170 comments and counting.
Who gives a sh*t how CHILDREN around the world view us?? Seriously…
Children around the world don’t think of us the same???? Why are we turning away immigrants?
Invest? Using whose moneyr?
Obama: “…you can make it if you try”
(He’s not going to break into a karaoke version of the Mary Tyler Moore show, is he?)
That Kenya thing was just stupid.
McCain:
I don’t need any on the job training…
SLAM DUNK !!
Obummer, bringing up his loser Dad who abandoned him? Weak.
You can literally feel the emotion when McCain talks about veterans.
“I saw vetrans being very badly treated…” BY OBAMA’S SUPPORTERS and ADVIORS!!!!!
And thus ends the longest 90 minutes of BHO’s life.
good finish mccain
JSMcCain swept the carpet w/BHO
We’re not seen by the children of the world like we were in the sixties. What the…
What about all the comparisons of Vietnam to Iraq?
haha I said the same thing # 1174
Who just got skooled?
Wow – my liver is begging for this election to be over
Obama’s going to be hungry after the debate.
McCain just ate his lunch!
Good God! Obama just said that because we’re spending x-number of dollars on the war that “we” can’t afford to provide health care to people – just where in the Constitution does it say that it is the job of the federal government to provide health care to the populace? If government would get its sticky paws out of my pockets, I could afford to pay for my own health care – and would much prefer to do so as then I would be in charge, not some bean-counter.
Aggh!
McCain mentioning about the POW/MIA matter. He cares about our Vets… Obummer’s just using them as props.
I bet Obama is glad to get off the stage.