Liveblogging the town hall debate: Zzzzzzzz
I don’t have any prizes to give away, but you get Special MM.com Bonus Points if your insipid question suggestion gets asked tonight.
As for drinking game proposals, I recommend taking a swig every time Tom Brokaw inserts his two cents after the citizens ask their questions. Apparently, the two campaigns agreed that he wouldn’t be allowed to do so — but he has since balked and said he wasn’t privy to the memorandum of understanding.
Second drinking game variation: Drink when Obama ties Bush to McCain again.
Here we go…
9:01pm Eastern. Tom Brokaw is on. He is as orange as an Oompa Loompa. Sen. Obama won the coin toss.
First question: Alan Schaefer. “What’s the fastest way to bail these people out?”
Obama gives his standard blame Bush, blame greed screed.
Expands bailout for the middle-class, fix health care, energy, blahblahblah.
Sen. McCain: “Americans are angry, upset, a little fearful…I have a plan to fix this problem. It’s got to do with energy independence, keep Americans’ taxes low…packages of reforms.”
Will he or won’t he talk Fannie/Freddie?
Prepare to be disappointed.
“We’re going to have to do something about home values…for retirees…I would order Treasury Secretary to renegotiate home loans.”
Oh, dear.
HE WANTS TO EXPAND THE BAILOUT. He wants to do what ACORN wants to do.
We’re Screwed ‘08.
He wants to make housing unaffordable to responsible, careful people.
I think I’m going to throw up.
What did I tell you? Yes, I called it:
It would be wise to dramatically lower your expectations of this debate. The town hall format lends itself to the worst pander-style, personal sob story politicking.
McCain is yammering about “greed and excess.” Nothing about Obama/Fannie/Freddie.
9:10pm Eastern. Obama is free to bloviate about his bogus tax relief plans Obama says “McCain is right” again about the housing loan modification proposals. Great. They agree: ACORN rules!
Next questioner: Oliver Clark asks the same question about how the bailout is helping people out.
Here we go: McCain mentions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Mentions that Obama was second biggest recipient of Fannie/Freddie. Fannie and Freddie were the match that started this forest fire.
Goes back to his “stabilization” proposals.
Sorry, Mac, that’s not enough. He forgot to mention Jim Johnson, ACORN, etc., etc.
Obama attacks McCain as a “deregulator.” Obama puffs up his letter-writing “reform” efforts. Weak. “I never promoted Fannie Mae.”
McCain gets no follow-up.
Brokaw inserts his two cents. Take a swig. “Are you saying the economy is going to get much worse?”
Obama: “We’re going to have to coordinate with other countries” on further action.
CRIKEY.
Same question to McCain: “I believe it depends on what we’re going to do.”
He REPEATS his idea of buying up bad loans so people can renegotiate.
Next question: Teresa Finch. “How can we trust either of you when both parties are responsible” for this mess?
Take another drink. Obama’s just blamed Bush again.
9:21pm Eastern. McCain’s answer involves touting his work on “climate change” with Joe Lieberman.
Gag.
Next drinking game: When McCain says “reaching across the aisle.” Go. He’s saying a whole lot of nothing.
And another one: Take a swig every time he repeats Joe Lieberman’s name.
He keeps talking about earmarks — but, um, not about the ones he and Obama approved as part of the Crap Sandwich 2.0.
Obama’s talking about prioritizing spending. Blech.
Brokaw chastises both candidates about their time limits.
First Internet question: What sacrifices will Americans have to make?
McCain talks about eliminating government programs.
“We have to eliminate the earmarks.”
Except all the ones he just supported in the Crap Sandwich bailout!
9:30pm Eastern. Obama’s turn. He brings up 9/11. As a “tragedy.” Not as a murderous, evil attack by jihadists. But a tragedy.
I remind you of Obama’s compassion for the jihadists.
Drink up. He took another shot at Bush for telling people to shop and conduct business in the face of the 9/11 attacks.
Leadership from Obama: He recommends people weatherize their home.
No word about those tire gauges.
Brokaw: How would you break bad habits of too much debt and too much easy credit?
Obama: Yes, we’ll have to cut spending, but a scalpel, not a hatchet.
McCain: “Nailing down Obama’s tax proposals is like nailing Jello to a wall…likens Obama to Hoover…I am not in favor of reducing taxes for the wealthy…pitches $5,000 refundable tax credit for health care…”
9:37pm Eastern. Obama wants to break the rules he agreed to and respond to McCain. Brokaw stammers. He’s going to read the next question…no, he’s going to ask his own question: Will you give a date certain on reforming entitlements.
Obama won’t guarantee a date. Then segues back to his rejoinder to McCain on taxes. More anti-greed stuff from both candidates.
Back to citizen questions: Ingrid Jackson asks McCain about “climate change and green jobs.”
Prepare for more disappointment, people.
Drink, drink: “Joe Lieberman and I” kept on this issue.
At last, something I can support: McCain pushes nuclear energy, assails Obama for his opposition.
9:47pm Eastern. Brokaw is lecturing the candidates again about the time limits. Obama blames McCain.
9:48pm Eastern. McCain goes after Obama for his pork-laden energy bill vote. McCain says he’ll vote against the earmarks.
Except all the ones he just supported in the Crap Sandwich bailout!
Next question: Lindsey Trella. “Do you believe health care should be treated as commodity?”
Obama launches into his I Will Heal All stump speech.
McCain repeats his $5,000 tax credit idea. He made a hair transplant joke that no one laughed at. Cringe.
Brokaw question: Is health care a privilege, right, or responsibility?
McCain: “I think it’s a responsibility.”
Obama: “It’s a right.”
Well, finally, a stark, unequivocal difference between these two.
9:57pm Eastern. I feel like watching the Palin/Biden debate again. How about you?
Obama is rolling right over Brokaw. And Brokaw is letting him.
Question: Phil Elliott. “How will all the economic turmoil affect our ability to act as a peacemaker in the world?”
I am so sure this dude is “undecided.”
10:01pm Eastern. McCain lays into Obama’s failed judgement on foreign policy. “We don’t have time for on-the-job training, my friend.”
Obama is back to Bush-bashing. Drink. Now, we’re just rehashing last week’s debate.
Worthless.
McCain-Bush, McCain-Bush.
Sarah Palin was so much more effective at defusing this talking point in her debate.
McCain is doing…nothing.
Except: “My friends, my friends, my friends, my friends.”
McCain says he’ll bring home troops in victory and honor, Obama would bring them home in defeat.
Citizen questioner Katie Hamm asks about Pakistan.
McCain attacks on Obama’s invade Pakistan remarks.
Obama wants a follow up, in violation of the prior agreed-to rules.
Brokaw gets rolled again: “I’m just hired help here.:”
Obama: “You’re doing a good job, Tom.”
In. The. Tank.
Obama recycles “Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” and annihilation of North Korea talking points. Like I said: This is just a rehash of last week’s debate.
Next…
10:23pm Eastern. Brokaw wants a yes or no: Is Russia under Putin an evil empire.
Obama blabs for 45 seconds without a yes or no.
McCain: Maybe. It depends on their behavior.
Terry Shirey, retired Navy chief. Question is about support for Israel. Would you be willing to commit to troops if Iran attacks Israel or would you wait for UN Security Council?
McCain thanks Shirey for his service. “Obviously, we wouldn’t wait for UN Security Council.”
Obama promotes sanctions.
10:30pm Eastern. Brokaw saves the most insipid question of the night for last from “Peggy in Amherst:”
“What don’t you know and how will you learn it?”
Obama immediately launches into his Dreams of My Father biography spiel. Talking up his mom again. Food stamps. Mentions Bitter Half Michelle Obama and the American Dream.
The stupid-meter is broken.
McCain ignores the question and gives his same wrap-up statement as last week: Country first.
10:34pm Eastern. Obama and McCain step in the way of Brokaw’s teleprompter.
One last whine from Tom: “You’re in the way of my script.”
Crikey. Thank goodness, this torture is now over.
11:16pm Eastern. I’m forcing myself to watch some of the post-debate commentary.
Disaster: Mitt Romney apparently wasn’t made aware of McCain’s new $300 billion housing entitlement plan. And Fred Thompson could barely muster up enthusiasm for McCain.
No mention of Ayers. No mention of ACORN. Not even the feeblest attempt to expose Obama’s radical roots.
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They are both lying!!!!
McCain is pandering to the left!!! Obozo is doing what he always does.
This is a sad day.
McCain’s housing buy-out proposal is about as Marxist as you can get, dj.
One billion in earmarks…BO has a spending problem.
bipartisanship…who cares? That’s worked so well the last 8 years…
Agreed. Both are socialistic globalists. I love the one lady’s question: why should we vote for either of these guys?
I’m turning the sound off. McCain’s got ADD tonight. WTF is he talking about?
There we go calling people to look at the record.
That should be easy since Obama’s could fit on about two front and back pages.
Obummer has no clue about this economy. None. Man, the voters really don’t get it. They want to feel good about themselves without the nasty aftertaste of reality.
The woman that asked the last question is the former CFO of a hospital in TX. Googling keeps me sober.
stupid question!
MY FRIENDS……ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cringe moment – he said it again! My friends!
Did Brokaw just ask a pitfall question to Sen. McCain?
Every time they bring up the economic crisis. John McCain can bring up the cause when he brings up the cure. Every time I would be repeating Obama’s name in the sentence with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Don’t make people reach for the relationship, lay that pipe
Stop with the my friends crap already, McCain. Ugggghhhhh….
all three at once…my friends..because we can walk and chew gum at the same time…
Well, there goes the senior citizen vote!
That’s IT.
I am not voting.
Good pull!
Fixed it for you.
eGad – He just slapped himself on the back for working with Kennedy on his Amnesty program, Feingold on that horrid piece of legislation… I have a special place in my heart for Joe, so I won’t go there.
Wow… where did America go?
Good question.
McCain loves this bipartisan angle. i agree it can appear helpful, ohhh, news flash…clean coal mentioned, wonder if Obama if knock it off the table, or follow Biden.
Stop with the bipartisanship stuff. This economy is a result of bipartisanship and not enough leadership from anybody.
“Entitlement programs”? How about calling them what they are? A gift. A gift to those who can’t/won’t work for themselves.
I have a great solution to “entitlement programs”: push the “delete” button.
In Fact if I were John McCain I would be saying ACORN Obama Fannie Mae Obama Freddie Mac Obama. Barney Franks you get the idea.
wait a minute … BO gets to set his own list … Mac gets handed 3 items … what’s with that? …
“My friends”, I have had enough for one evening. Ciao.
Can they not swap Palin for McCain? Wow… he is doing badly tonight..
in some cases countries like iran are benefiting? some cases, huh? way to downplay iran
“some cases,like Iran, are benefiting from high oil prices”…..where’s he been?
Who in the heck is advising McCain……?????
This debate sucks. Really, do we need any debates this year? This is a referendum on BO, and unless you want an America hating, racist, domestic terrorist loving, defense spending cutter, tax raiser, control freak Marxist, then you should vote for McCain, even though he sucks too. At least he would fund the military and loves the country.
We don’t have a broken healthcare system..
Obama’s list of what is important:
spend,
spend,
spend.
er I mean:
“invest”
“invest”
“invest”
O and BTW Mr. Obama: You sir are not JFK!
Oh now it’s free of Middle Eastern oil in 10 years. I thought we were going to be free of all oil in 10 years Barack??
Obama just paraphrased JFK. He was 1 year-old when JFK was President. ONE!!!
Off oil in 10 years. Ridiculous. Nothing like going to the moon. More like a colony on the moon.
On October 7th, 2008 at 9:25 pm,
This part isn’t for you this part is for the Independents and the Swing Voters we vote in 30 days. What works on a Conservative doesn’t work say on Reagan Democrats.
How is Obummer going to pay for healthcare? Or education? Where will the money come from? God, this man is just a freaking liar!!!
Nothing on O’s Senate website about regulating Freddie and Fannie in 2005 – 2007.
Here we go again…class warfare.
Obama knows gas prices? $3.46 at a Mapco in Nashville
http://www.nashvillegasprices.com/
Oh good, Axelrod game Obama an answer for “what would you cut from the Budget?” nice
Barak Obama: Slick as Willy.
I grew up in New Orleans. This is worse than watching the Saints through the 70’s and 80’s.
Someone PLEASE put some kind of remote-control system in McCain’s head and get him to stop saying “my friends.”
If you’re going to be an automaton, get someone to speak for you that’s more eloquent and knows how to fight, instead of a morose bipartisan senatorial automaton!
“…eliminate programs that don’t work”…like GSE’s?
Obama, what is wrong with tax cuts?
Really?? Does that mean that ACORN money goes away?
Obozo is nuts… he doesn’t understand basic macro-economics.
In Section A, first row… the bald guy in the green shirt who is sitting next to the guy (also bald) who asked the first question is the lead singer from the group Selah. More here.
This is by far the most boring debate I’ve ever heard.. It’s all rehash, & neither of them is getting their points across very effectively so far..
I feel like I’m listening to Charlie Brown’s parents! Wuhn Wohn Wohnn!
Obama wants to go through the federal budget line by line. I wonder if he knows the president doesn’t have line item veto.
What should we sacrifice. That’s a good question. We may have to eliminate programs. That’s a good answer.
Good 4th question! Here’s a solution- stop overspending on your freaking credit cards.
I have to go too so that I can focus on the debate. bye gang
The debate is 1/3 over and the most tangible suggestion I’ve heard is McCain’s terrible-sounding one about buying up houses.
I’m about ready to start my own drinking game with the tv turned off.
personal responsibility….not buying houses you can’t afford will be a big help.
We need Palin at the TOP of the ticket.
Fiora from Chicago- 78 years old-
Is it me or does McCain sound as if he’s on Lithium?
He needs to display some drama.
How much did it cost the communist billionaires to buy off McCain????
This is a sacrifice? What programs does he have in mind?
I concur.
FilmLadd … breaking out your paper bag are you? …
I’m cutting myself from this debate.
McCain: “we have to eliminate the earmarks.”
Right.. so why did you just vote for $105billion worth of them?
McCain the Moderate versus Obama the Liberal, that is the theme tonight.
I still think there is plenty of red meat he has time constraints. They should be beating the drum on Cause of the financial crisis. Money for nothing, and your houses for Free.
Good response from McCain about freezing the federal budget. I bet Obummer’s little heart just cringed over that.
Who CARES if it’s Congress and not the President that appropriates the money?? Do you people on this forum actually think any more than 15% of the American public KNOWS that?? I hate to tell you, but the typical person under 30 can just barely find their own state on a map.
Folks, our only hope is to have Obama get in the White House and then have a conservative revolution in 2010.
I vote we cut the Dept. of Education and the IRS.
Probably Obama’s aunt.
Creating new energy is just like creating NASA!!! We just throw more and more money down a rat hole and we will have new energy!! NASA is flawless.
Where was OBAMA on 9/11?
haha.
A lot of you???????? What?
Obama just let out a sigh I am being so patient but it’s really difficult. didn’t his handlers warn him?
Please remind me! What was 9/11 again?
Please remind me! What was 9/11 again?
spending freeze…that’s what I like to hear..I think he sounds good right now…oh no, Obama is talking again..I get seasick when he talks.
Bush again?
I’m really offended by him talking about 9/11.. It’s his kind of policies that will lead to another 9/11..
LOL Obama is answering the question by bashing Bush in 2001.
On October 7th, 2008 at 9:27 pm, Laree said:
Reagan was conservative, which is why the “Reagan Democrats” came to him! Why on earth would a Reagan Democrat be interested in this bipartisan socialist mush?
Can someone please punch McCain’s advisers? Or is McCain such a jerk to work with that no one can tell him that his bipartisan cr*p is so VERY 2000?
No one but the dumbest of the dumb swoons over that retarded word!
hey BO … this country did come together after 9-11 … you must have had your head in the sand …
Obama bringing up 9/11? Won’t that make him worst person in the world on Olbermann’s show?
McCain needs to provoke the messiah fannie mae fannie mae fannie mae.
Somebody tell me… is this a re-run?
Thank you, cntryjoe, thank you. You are spot on target with that analysis. McCain is a disaster.
The two years are going to suck something awful.
Now you know even if you’re not interested as to why I refuse to watch the damned debates. McCain is totally incompetent when it comes to engaging in “Straight Talk” when he needs it the most.
I am preparing myself for an Obama presidency with a veto proof congress to work with.
Normally, I don’t get upset over these things and take them in stride but I want to scream at the top of my lungs, WTF are you trying to do to us McCain. No, I’m sorry, freaking McLame. I guess all of his fuel has been either spent or ejected after Obama has set his ass on fire.
Sarah Palin is the only real “man” on the ticket. Nothing sexist intended because all of you know what I mean. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tells McCain to sit the rest of the campaign out and she will bring home the bacon. Right now, I truly wish she was at the top of the ticket.
timeis up.
Now Osama is FOR off-shore drilling?
After 9/11, Bush told us to continue living our lives as usual without fear, you jackass. He was not saying just to “go out and shop”.
Ummm, Obama, we already have a TON of energy tax incentives…
Where has he been?
On October 7th, 2008 at 9:30 pm, cntryjoe said:
Sure, if the country lasts that long and we still have a two-party system.
Ok, Obama’s an idiot. Most of the “foriegn” cars ARE made here in the U.S.
What the hell does 9/11 have to do with this? Why is Obummer mentioning Pres. Bush? C’mon! Why can’t this man talk about himself instead of pilloring the President. This guy is deflecting the question.
There isn’t readily accessibile gas/oil on those federal lands either, Obummer.
This guy’s all full of wish.
Oh boy, now Obama’s mentioned 9/11. Pays a few compliments, but criticizes the President on leadership. Now he’s lecturing us on energy. Good grief!
Maybe more than you think, since Congress’ approval rating now stands at 13%
Did the big O check out his energy answer with Al Gore? New drinking game, a swig everytime O says and…..