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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Categories: Barack Obama, John McCain
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» Quote of the Day [Darleen Click]
McCain reminds me a lot of the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz tonight.
If I only had a brain!
Honorably = air raiding villages and killing innocent civilians.
NO terrorist attacks since 9/11, Barack.
The health care program with mandates that McCain is against is the one that Mitt Romney signed into law here in MA.
O still doesn’t see the Iraq/Afganistan/al Qaida link, does he….is that the white flag of surrender I see?
Obama finally got the memo to praise the troops.
No, I thought maybe it was the beer or something.
omg not again, the Iraq / Al Queda non link.. how many times do these idiots have to be shown the proof..
SCHMUCK!!! We WERE greeted as liberators, dammit. And he’d lying about why we went in. A**hole.
I think cable TV, 2 cars, air conditioning, and an IPOD are a right. When is the Government going to give them to me for free.
Here we go: Obummer- I was right about Iraq! Love me! I have judgement because I never had to put it on record in the Senate.
I don’t believe you believe the US is a force of good.
Laree he understands he just do not want to show he supports it
I wonder how many times he practiced that line, “This is the greatest country in the world”. You know he doesn’t believe that….
When was the last attack on American soil, Sen. Obama?
You keep mentioning these Al Qaeda camps being built… for what are they waiting if they are as powerful as you suggest?
On October 7th, 2008 at 9:56 pm, securitymom said:
Congratulations on beating it.
Lol!
I’d rather send every dime of my taxes to pay my nephew to defend this country than to send it to Washington and let them waste it…there is no place better for my money than with the United States military.
hey BO … how many jobs that are war related will go away if we gut the military again like Clinton did? … way more than the numbers the Dems like to throw around …
Say it John – “I would spend $5 trillion to prevent another 9/11 from happening. I will chase them to the four corners of the earth if I have to to protect America.”
*George Bush* – *drink*
He’s using that F word again.
Getting old. I need to send him a thesaurus or something.
Obummer isn’t even answering the freaking question. Jeezzzz
I have heard about 8 more “my friends” than I can take. He must think a little Spanish speaking angel gets it’s wings every time he says it.
fundamental
Bush
fundamental
Bush
fundamental
Bush
OMG what a tool.
Darfur? Great. I guess I know where I’ll be deployed in another year or two.
Surrender… Leave Iraq in shambles… Let Iran take over… Buh bye Isreal.
Brokaw asking another question… was this part of the rules?
damn this is a boring debate it isn’t going to change any minds
Obama doctrine..this should be good.
His brain is gonna fry.
Didn’t we go in and STOP THE HOLOCAUST????
O shows his socialist side, by stating we can use the $10 B a month back home to create jobs….gov’t doesn’t need to make jobs, just create the environment that allows jobs to be made
Um WE did intervene in the Holocost!
WE STOPPED!
Learn History.
The Obama doctrine – Roll over for the Islamists and the Socialists
Obama wants to stop spending money on the war and use it at home. Democrats love to cut the military and spend the “peace dividend” but this idiot wants to do it when we’re not at peace. Let’s wipe out terrorism before you even start talking that BS.
Is it me, or is Obama rather eloquent tonight without the teleprompter?
I thought he wasn’t supposed to do that.
If we’ve been focused on a war that should never have been started against an enemy that doesn’t exist in Iraq, why has there not been an attack on American soil since 9/11?
Obama Doctrine use of force for humanitarian intervention?
Uh who gassed Kurds in Iraq and Slaughtered Shites…And if we stand idly by that diminishes us.
Umm.. If we “could have” intervened in the holocaust?? Did I hear Obama right? Is he saying we didn’t?
I think that the Fox News feed online is behind live TV again. Its like I’m getting mini spoilers from all of you.
Can someone please ask Tom Brokaw to say “Massapequa”.
All these questions are flaming liberal including Brokaw’s.
McCain is blowing it.
BHO wants us to police the world and surrender in Iraq.
What a stupid horses ass!
Yawn.
McCain could argue that ethnic cleansings was going on in Iraq.
Its over. Obama is going to win this election. I have never seen a candidate or party so rich in targets to be called out on and McCain is ignoring almost all of them. Between his stilted performance and lack of aggression he has just handed this one over to the democrats. Sad and pathetic.
Watch the people in the audience.
People are tapping their feet impatiently as Obama speaks.
Gotta stop that Sudanese Air Force with some No Fly Zones.
No fly zone… yeah, that worked wonders for Saddam.
no fly zone? they have fighter jets killing people in Darfur?
On October 7th, 2008 at 10:03 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:
Maybe the next debate should be in a bar. Get both of these collectivists good and drunk and hear them really go at it over how much they’re going to stick it to the man and give it all to the little guy.
A little Robin Hood veritas in vino.
Oh, I’m right there with you. Drinking my Americ…Belgian lager. At least McCain’s family is part of the distributor network.
Osama is going to turn the U.S. Military back into Meals-on-Wheels!
It’s you. He ain’t that good. Empty answers.
He sees it. His objectives are different. Different from an objective of American victory that is.
TO be fair we didn’t invade Europe because of the Holocaust but we sure did something about it when we found out about it!
What a dope.. Jews will really vote for him now.. NOT
i wanna see the timing lites…the Zero reminds me of the Energizer Bunny…going and going…and Tom let’s him go.
Darfur….the African nations who have had their own interests in the conflict, or the looting/raping/pillagin UN sponsored troops?
So we should abandon Iraq, where the terrorists have said is their battleground – and go to Darfur? SERIOUSLY?
It’s a mess there, but let Obama’s celebrity supporters put their millions into helping the situation in Darfur. A much better use of their money.
is it the Glenlivet or has the Messiah not given a straight answer to any question so far?
He’s good at talking a lot, but saying nothing!
New Castle Brown Ale here. Sorry, English beer.
So, according to Obummer, the military is supposed to mop up genocide when it crops up? I guess that will be most of Africa, right? Okey dokey. We did nothing like the rest of the world because there was nothing to do.
“My friends”, I am so bored. This debate is horrible.
Well said, Sen. McCain. Well said.
On October 7th, 2008 at 10:05 pm, Dan Lee said:
Umm.. If we “could have” intervened in the holocaust?? Did I hear Obama right? Is he saying we didn’t?
Yeah, that’s what he said….
I think I am going to send McCain a copy of Alice Cooper … No More Mister Nice Guy … and people wonder why we Marines get so upset at Navy officers … sorry … but it is true …
Obama: I wear an American flag on my shoulder, not a “world” flag.
A “no-fly” zone in Darfur? He can’t be serious. The people there are using AK-47s and machetes, not Tu-160 bombers.
“My friends” again.
WAKE UP, McCain, this is a battle for the country!
Interesting we all have to resort to drinking to get through this debate.
Keystone, I will drink to that
This is a complete and total snorefest.
There’s no need for a teleprompter when you have a Moveon.borg chip implanted in your brain..
No fly zone over Darfore? What does that mean?
If Adolf Hitler ran on the Democratic ticket, the Jews would vote for him.
ajmontana, why the “yawn”?
Well, now we know what was served for dessert after a Crap sandwich…. A Brokaw debate.
Wow, worst question ever.
terrific question?? you’ve got to be kidding me…it was a stupid question.
Viet-nam. Hmph.
Anything online lags behind a live TV feed. The online coverage has a much longer electronic route to cover. TV is almost direct. Online zig-zags to computers in widely scattered locations before going to you.
BO is going to flail on vietnam war…oh no, it’s bush again…
Pockiston again. LOL
why the yawn, are you kidding? this is a bore fest.
Katie Hamm did NOT write that question. She read it like she was in front of her class in the 3rd grade.
On October 7th, 2008 at 10:08 pm, 30 pcs of silver said:
What? When? I missed it… sigh.
it’s bushies fault – sheesh give it a rest O
Do your research Osama, that’s not why UBL got away!
Someone poke McCain with a stick or something.. maybe some catnip would help?
I am drinking Jack Daniels straight… tell you how bored i am..
OMG, BHO is still questioning Iraq and “not finishing the job in Afghanistan”. Duffas!
Damnit Marine_NCO… making me jealous with that talk of Glenlivet! Now my liquor cabinet feels empty.
Yeah, glad you mention that. I didn’t know there was an air war going on there.
I was thinking more along the lines of Welcome To My Nightmare.
Obama is really big on blaming others and really small on his own positions. His lack of a record makes this doubly funny.
Can someone please tell me what invading/not invading Pakistan borders has to do with Iraq? Can this guy give any answer that is not a talking point? Oh wait, I know that answer. Nevermind.
If we were only in Afghanistan, Obama would be saying “Why is Saddam still in power?”
If he says “Pockeestan”, why doesn’t he say “Afgoneestan”?
She’s in front of a national audience. Cut her some slack.
Is Obummer talking about Afghanistan or Pakistan? I made sure I pronounced it right too!