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.”
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
- Presidental Debate, Round One- Maverick vs. Mushmouth? « Above My Pay Grade!
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- McCain Rapid Response Debate Ad - Obama Not Ready To Lead | BigMouthFrog
- Democrat=Socialist
- Presidential Debate Liveblog! « WitSnapper | The Blog
- Michelle Malkin » Debate video: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet
- Michelle Malkin » Debate video: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet
- MishMashZone » Debate, Who Won?
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- First Presidential Debate. « The Pink Elephant
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- Obama, “Hate Bush, Kill Bin Laden!” « Riggword Weblog
- ¿Quién ganó el debate?
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- Election 2008–Presidential Debate I Recap | THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS
- Presidential debate drinking game. | I'm Surrounded By Idiots
- The College Politico » Blog Archive » The Debate… Who cares?
- Full Video & Transcript Of The First Presidential Debate - 26 Sept 2008 | BigMouthFrog
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This is an economic debate because the libs are afraid of a foreign policy debate.
who’s Tom?
uhhhh
Planet Utopia
Lame, BHO, laaaaame.
Amen!!
McCain needs to point out that effective technologies cannot be legislated into existence. It’s stupid to invest in crap that doesn’t work, Obozo!!
We are going to have to change the Culture? Git out of here, that is what I have been telling everyone, he wants Politically Correct Culture.
BayState, pass the bottle, man.
Listening to Barry is like Yellow Beard.
stagger, stagger, crawl crawl crawl….stagger..
“Tom urrrrh John”
lol.
c-span keeps cutting out…
this lehrer is a tool!
Tom is the little voice in his head.
Obama has tactily admitted that raising taxes is negative for the economy.
Are they live blogging on the internet? I’m not sure.
On my side, I’m watching it on my HD. My husband thinks I’m torturing him.
But kill off those kiddies and fast as you can.
OOPS! BO thought he was going to be president in 40
days and now Lehrer has told him that it won’t be until
January. B-u-m-m-e-r.
He tried with the Sub Prime Lending Culture house for everyone even if you can’t afford one. Go ahead get your HOPES up.
Spending Freeze is a hachet..WTF
I’ve got one window with CNN up (no talking heads) and the other window with this thread.
McCain is taking Obama to the woodshed. If I knew that Johnny Mac would be able to handle Obama this handily, this cooly…I might have even supported him in the primaries!
Yeah Obama! Tell them you want to spend spend spend!!
I don’t think this is helping Michelle Obama’s kids.
What part of of spending freeze does Obummer not understand? Gimme me a break!
early childhood education=daycare
Foreign aid cuts. yay!!!
NUKES!!!! yes…AMEN
Offshore Drilling! yes
Nuclear! yay
Yeah – terrorists are swarming around the country and we should cut spending for Iraq but raise money for early childhood education so the government can muck that up even more. Sheesh.
NO INCREASE IN EDUCATION SPENDING!! Talk about throwing money at a loser…
it will never get to foreign policy
I’m sure you would like to increase spending taking preschoolers out of the home to indoctrinate them. Whatever, kiss my buns.
Am I the only one who think McCain appears to be winning, and Obama is completely on the defensive? And sounds like he doesn’t know much?
Aloha, I thought it was just me. Damn.
Spending freeze should be like a chain-saw. Feeze, baby, Freeze!
Jim Lehrer SUCKS as a moderator. This is supposed to be a foreign policy debate. He is allowing UhUhUhbama keep interrupting. Obama gets to go first, and Lehrer lets him have the last word as well.
Obama’s stuttering is giving me a headache. Part of the Obama game plan was to get under McCain’s skin and make him flash his famous temper. From the look of the One, it is the One who is having a problem keeping his temper in check. He really really really can’t handle anyone implying he is less than the “one”.
He’s wiping the floor with Obama now!! He really is!! YES!
Freeze the entitlements!!
Use the hachett Obama, not the scalpel.
Idiot wants to have early childhood blah blah blah. then you pay for it!
Did he say ‘rule the country’?
is lehrer running for pres?
TXrose,
Good one!
#
Red said:
Obama has tactily admitted that raising taxes is negative for the economy.
#
#412
I seriously laugh everytime I hear the michelle obama’s kid’s joke
Why is the same question asked repeatedly? Neither side has said anything.
If Obama is elected, the next bail out will be the medical community. And you can take that to the bank.
If we’re lucky??? This guy is off his nut!
TWO MORE
hic
Lehrer is a terrible moderator. Russert must be rolling over in his grave.
Is it just me or is Lehrer snubbing McCain?
He gives short glances to McCain while asking questions, but his gaze is mostly fixed on The One.
I love how O is willing to gamble with my money. maybe we’ll make money on the bailout, maybe we won’t
Big ditto there.
I’m sure the MSM will say Odumbo won the debate. Just you wait.
…and here I thought Obama wasn’t going to be able to use the “I agree with Hillary” line he used in the primaries. Now he’s just putting in John’s name instead.
What is he talking about?
We have to ask for tax cuts?
But, but, but they promised that I could be president and that I wouldn’t
have to work hard to get the job…what happened?
and by the way…homemade limeade and Polish tater squeezins is GOOD STUFF
Totally agree!
No Stacy, he’s got Obama talking in circles & spewing fluff, & chasing his tail. McCain is basting him.. Obama is all over the place, from cable TV/broadband to Healthcare.. hahaha
I guess I could never be President because unlike Obummer I have trouble doing more that two things at once…I can’t keep up here and listen and watch the debate all at once.
dont hand over healthcare to the federal government. Yeah John
Early Childhood
EducationIndoctrination … had to fix that for several of you …Dems always think tax cuts are “spending”
Yea John, do not turn over all health care to fed governmnent.
No Government Heathcare…YES
Crush nationalized healthcare!
YEAH school em on BHO’s health plan YEAH
McCain is eating Obozo’s lunch on healthcare and energy. Go John Go!!!!
Cancel some of those programs! Hear, hear.
doesn’t want to hand the health care industry to the Gov. Yay
Healthcare – nice John
I’m proud of my wife! When Obama said that even in the middle of the financial crisis, he still wants to increase spending on early childhood education…
My wife actually shouted at the TV… THAT’S GLORIFIED BABYSITTING!!!!
(And she should know… she taught it for several years.)
800 Billion in new spending programs! Obama isn’t denying?
tell it like it is Mac! No national healthcare!!
BO doesn’t do nearly as well without Grecian pillars behind him.
BHO looks like OJ at the Defense Table…eyes blinking…grimace…he’s pi$$ed
OMG this is a freaking bloviating boondoggle for Obummer. He’s not even answering the questions.
Long term priorities? With lack of money? C’MON MAN. GET REAL.
My husband wanted to pass along, dear blog buddies, that he thinks that the HD makes Obummer’s ear extra dumbo strength and it’s increasing his torture. Make it stop!!!
Does McCain sound more coherent than the Obamessiah?
he’s strong on cutting spending – sounds smart on it.
you go John
Spending out of control – is the conservative trying to get out?
still waiting to hear about foreign policy…
Does he think that he has to have a petition in hand,
saying that people actually want tax cuts, 30? Well, if
he didn’t sign the petition, he could give his back. I’ll
even clap for him while he does it.
Here he goes with the naughty words! Orgy!
He’s trying so hard to do the Bush/McCain thing every chance he gets. It ain’t flyin’
My PopPop used to make limeade. I like it with a little cherrie juice. Are you eating pierogies?
Here comes the 90% of the time agreement crap. Another lie.
More lame-o “you’re like Bush” blather.
And YOU, BO, agree with nut job Reid and Scary Pelosi 95% of the time. IDIOT.
paying the proper reverence, doubtless.
“If anyone here think there are agencies whose budgets cannot be cut”
YES
Orgy of spending… HA!! Like McCain is going to vote against a troop funding appropriation the way Obozo does.
90% oh now here comes the Bush is McCain attack John pin his ears back with his buddies selling us down the river right now.
McCain = Bush
he’s bumbling now……..
Not Miss Congenality – AWESOME!
Amnesty. Add that john
Long record of apposing Bush, indeed. Good point!
Dude, quit sounding like a bloody Democrat!
(At least we’ll have a real conservative with Sarah next week…)
Lehr sounds tired. He’s lost control of this one.
Lessons of Iraq? I smell a swig coming on…
hell to the yeah.