Debate wrap-up: Senator Government vs. Johnny Mac and Joe the Plumber
No, there weren’t any knockout punches.
But John McCain was still standing at the end of the night — doubts about his fortitude adequately quelled — and Barack Obama ought to be wiping the smirk he borrowed from Joe Biden off his face.
Joe Wurzelbacher the Plumber was a heaven-sent gift for the McCain campaign, and for once, McCain didn’t flub the opportunity to rub the infamous “spread the wealth around” line in Obama’s smug face. Obama’s tin-ear response? Citing his billionaire “friend” Warren Buffett!
Alas, Ayers and ACORN receded into the background. But McCain brought the education debate to the present and spotlighted Obama’s anti-school choice policies that render him woefully out of touch with increasing numbers of minority families.
The best line of the night may have been unplanned (or maybe not)? In jabbing Obama’s spend-spend-spend plans, McCain called him “Senator Government.”
“Senator Government.”
It’s a fitting moniker for the Democrat candidate who spent the whole night talking about “investing” other people’s money. Perfect.
McCain ought to call him that from now until Nov. 4.
And someone from the McCain camp better have Joe’s phone number and arrange a joint appearance pronto.
Joe made Senator Government squirm.
Let’s see more. Better late than never.
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
- Michelle Malkin » Liveblogging the last presidential debate of 2008
- Joe The Plumber Won! « Mcnorman’s Weblog
- McCain Hits the Nail but Fails to Finish the Job | The Daily Conservative
- Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Reactions To Tonight’s Debate
- Poll Question: Who Won The Final Presidential Debate? | Jeffrey A. Setaro
- Stop The ACLU
- Rove: Obama Has Not Closed The Deal : Stop The ACLU
- One Fine Jay » Third presidential debate post-mortem
- The Other McCain: Senator Government
- The College Politico » Blog Archive » McCain in the debate, good or bad? What do you think?
- Health Care BS - SENATOR GOVERNMENT REPEATS “20 MILLION” LIE
- Neocon News » The truest words spoken at the last presidential debate
- McCain Did A GREAT Job: I AM NOT GEORGE BUSH IF YOU WANTED TO RUN AGAINST HIM YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE SO 4 YEARS AGO « Dianej’s Weblog
- The Third And Final Presidential Debate: Open Thread…JOE THE PLUMBER’S ELECTION | Right Voices
- A Small Corner of Sanity - An Online Oasis for Conservative Thought
- Final Debate Reactions | The Anchoress
- Presidential Debate Liveblog! v3.0 UPDATE: He DID! He DID! He DID say “Sen. Government!” « WitSnapper | The Blog
- Joe The Plumber, Small Business, And The Debate | Bitter Knitter
- There's My Two Cents
- Reactions on the third and final Presidential Debate | Mofo Politics | Everything McCain, Obama, Palin, and that other guy-related
- McCain Pummels Smirking Obama « Quipster
- skewred.com » The Last One — Finally!
- Right Wing News
- Penultimate Debate in Review | Constant Conservative
- Obama smirks, lies, stammers; Nobody Cares! « Riggword Weblog
- What some Christians are saying about the 3rd Presidential Debate | blogs4God
- Debate reax: Closing the sale… or not. | BitsBlog
- The Irascible Chef » Senator Government!
- killrighty.net » Blog Archive » Obama declared winner in debate by default
- Joe The Plumber’s Chat With Couric After The Debate | BigMouthFrog
- sisu
- Debate Reax: Closing the Sale… Or Not. : The Conservative Reader
- Domestic Divapalooza
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Totally agree.
Well if this John McCain had showed up at the previous 2 debates we may have had a completely different race.
Thank you, President McCain.
The PBS commentators are knocking on Sarah Palin now.
WHAT THE HECK WERE THE TALKING HEADS WATCHING?
Bring on the “Joe the Plumber” ads!
I agree with thefoundingfathers.
Krauthammer is being his usual, nose-in-the-air stuff.
He says “Obama won resoundingly tonight”.
Exactly how far up my butt must my head be for me to land so differently on this??
Fox pundits gave it to O?
Did we watch the same debate????
I thought McCain gave it a valiant effort, but it seemed like every time he had a pitch down the middle, he fouled it off like he did not want to offend anyone.
He could have hammered the one on many points and didn’t
Just my opinion.
By the way, it may now be time to pull your money out of any public business and put it in a coffee can before the new government of either one of these guys takes over and takes control of all business in the country.
Welcome to the United Socialist State of Amerika.
The elites, stunned by Palin’s popularity with the base, are now beside themselves that a plumber might sway several million votes…
Krauthammer is wrong
Got to admit, McCain was better than last time. I would love to personally remove that smirk from bo’s mug. If John Boy was like this last time maybe he would have been more warmed up this time. Three weeks to go. Lots can happen between now and then. We all know the libs have tons of underhanded dirty tricks they have been saving for the last minute. Goooooooo Palin/McCain!!!
Tomorrow if you are wondering why the MSM are reporting that Obama crushed McCain, even though you watched McCain own Obama, ponder the Kos-tards with alot of free time on their hands. For your entertainment only (as adults don’t have time to partake in this “freep” foolishness):
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/15/192634/88/920/631664
Krauthammer…what a tool. He’s gushing so much over Obama that he’s making Matthews look like a McCain supporter!
Lars, don’t worry about what the pundits saw. The American people relate more to Joe, the Plumber, than they do, Barack, the Community Activist.
I’m so sorry that I’m going to have to stop liking Krauthammer….he’s usually so great – but man he’s lost his mind recently!
This debate settles it for me. I’m voting for Joe the Plumber.
I agree. I usually respect his opinions, happy_mama… I’m with you.
I am Joe the plumber!…but i’m not really a plumber.
Crikey! Now Fox is bringing Hillary Clinton in to comment?
I’m off to watch almost any other channel.
Krauthammer is off of my reading list.
I have a feeling the conservative movement, like the GOP itself, needs an enema. Give me the Sarah Palins, Ted Nugents, and Rush Limbaughs over the effete snobs who stab us in the back.
How about “I’m Joe the Plumber and I approved this message.”?
This election ended tonight. I was hoping McCain would take the gloves off but he didn’t. We will have four very miserable years with a neo-Communist and his America hating wife inhabiting the WH.
Too little too late…
(
Thanks for the positive take Michelle; it’s why you get the big bucks. I still feel like Joe Pesci has my head in a vice though with the thought of a Brobama Administration.
If the debate is based on who told the most lies, Obama won hands down. Did anyone keep up with the number of lies he told?
McCain did indeed kick Obama’s a§§, as promised.
I appreciate a man who keeps his promises.
The only thing McCain perhaps could have done better was to articulate more the billions upon billions which Obama’s programs would cost…but that’s a detail.
This was simply beautiful; thanks John.
Maybe Fox is just sandbagging trying to get libs not to vote….BO is so far ahead there is no need for them to vote. It is inevitable…?
Over on C-Span, we’ve got callers sharing their thoughts. Kinda interesting.
I’m being reminded, by a clip from the debate, that Barack Obama has no plan for health insurance if you don’t have a job and have no money.
Pretty much mine. We needed a brawl, not a sparring match. Hope I am wrong. Perhaps I am overly dramatic but when I look at Obama, hear him or otherwise I get a chill. There is something evil there; this is no ordinary marxist.
Don’t Feed The Trolls-ignore them.
—
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
Should be a convenience store
NOT a Government Agency
God Bless America except for the blue states.
Krauthammer is proving that nobody’s perfect.
Better late than never? NOW is when people are actually paying attention.
I don’t think it’s too late.
Bring on JOE!
I do not know what the talking heads were watching. It is amazing. I know Barry didn’t completely lose, but Mac brought his A game tonight. I saw Obama stammer, stutter, give half answers and out right lies and then smirk and giggle when he didn’t like what Mac was saying. It was rude and arrogant. My clothespin just came off the nose, i will vote with pride for McCain.
Obama is not a leader, period. He lost this one tonight and like I said before, he’s nothing more than a televangelist on steriods.
I wasn’t even going to watch but caved in….
Senator Government, take a hike. America doesnt need your lame ideas.
I bet Joe’s business is doing really well now…but unfortunately, Obama will probably tax him even more now.
Doesn’t he still live with his mom? Lol.
Luntz had a focus group that said by a slight majority that Obama edged McCain (sympathy vote), but only 4 out of 23 said they changed their vote based on this debate for Obama. McCain didn’t knock him out, but he may have hurt him on some mainstream issues. Barack definitely did not close the deal with those people. There is hope, still hope.
The talking heads keep talking about Barry’s “even temperment”. Maybe he’s not so deep, ya’ll. Maybe he’s REALLY shallow.
Some caller on C-Span, “Put your hand over your heart, and repeat after me: ‘Use your heart use your brain, vote Palin, vote McCain’.”
*giggle*
I am glad some agree with me on Charles Krauthammer. He was the one I wanted to see on Fox but no more. He dislikes Sarah Palin for what reasons? He likes Obama for what reasons? Obama is NOT a good speaker. Do they not teach public speaking at Krauthammer’s schools? The Obama I saw stammered and stuttered and could not give clear concise answers. I guess if you are an elite, you are just automatically given an A+. Dingbats.
I think it will come down to the old…when people get in that voting booth, reality will sink in, and they’ll do the right thing.
If Obama wins this election, its because people rather have the government give to them instead of tightening up the purse strings.
Even the CNN “focus gang” gave the 1st 30 minutes to McCain. The Ayers connection fell a little flat though. It seemed to me the camera angles were choreographed to favor Obama and he used it to his advantage. He seemed to have the full screen much more time than it gave McCAin. Subtle but there. Also it seemed the moderator gave Obama more time to ramble.
“even temperament” equates to apathy to me.
One thing we don’t need is apathy in the WH!
Is Kristol now on Obama’s payroll?
No talk of illegal immigration or border security. None.
Obama can’t close the deal. Period.
Keep praying that people see through his slick exterior.
On October 15th, 2008 at 11:07 pm, Lars said:
Is Kristol now on Obama’s payroll?
Obama has enough money to do it. I especially like how McCain hit Obama on the campaign finance trick.
Hillary time.
I have respected Krauthammer’s views of the Iraq war, and of course he hates the Clintons(which is a plus). But, lately Krauthammer is showing he is just another beltway Republican. He is in love with the political theater. He seems to be infatuated with Obama’s presence. I have lost a lot of respect for him these last few weeks.
Sarah on the trail needs to get the Annenberg Challenge details in the news. Just what were those reforms in Chicago schools they were working on?
I want to hear the All-American PTA mom get down into that on the trail. It will make news, they have no choice but to cover anything she does.
Sarah is the way to knock him on these things. She’s got the chance.
Obviously, Hillary owes Obama big for bailing out her campaign debt.
Indeed MM. Senator Government from now until the election.
The “Senator Government” slip of the tongue was hilarious! I trust McCain to be a fiscal hawk, that is his record. And Obama, what has he ever done? I mean, a single thing? I just can’t believe we’re electing someone with such a complete lack of record. It’s astonishing.
A little background on Krauthammer:
and began contributing to The New Republic magazine. During the presidential campaign of 1980, Krauthammer served as a speech writer to Vice President Walter Mondale.
In 1981, following the defeat of the Carter/Mondale ticket, Krauthammer began his journalistic career, joining The New Republic as a writer and editor. His New Republic writings won the 1984 “National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism.” In 1983, he began writing essays for Time magazine. In 1985, he began a weekly column for the Washington Post for which he won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
Joe the Plummer needs a cabinet appointment after all the crap that he’s been thru the last 24 hours!
I guess we’ll have to get used to this for four years.
Hillary and her cackle…uhg
Obama is probably going to offer Joe money to buy his business.
Fox News. sickening.
Well, that explains a lot. As long as he was going to look down his nose at everyone, I was going to be sick.
Did Krauthammer suffer some facial injuries in an accident sometime in his past?
Holy cow, I just fell off my couch. AP claims McCain won!!!!!
Not just the pundits (on FOX and EVERY news channel), but all of the groups of “undecided” (I call them idiots, but whatever) voters each of the stations hosted. Personally, I would’ve liked Obama to throw harder punches, but he didn’t, and apparently, that’s precisely why more people think he won. I guess O’s campaign (in advising him to remain so even toned) knows more about what less passionate voters than I want — a candidate that seems perpetually cool-headed, unflappable and calm.
Finally …. some actual back-n-forth in a “debate”.
I thought McCain’s eye-blinkers were in hyper mode. Kinda distracting. Barry was fairly cool. McCain looked like he was was gonna explode because he had so much to say. He did miss several ops to drive in more nails.
“I was NOT in Ayers’ living room”. Hummm, first time I heard that rebuttal.
Overall … McCain was pretty strong. Must have heard some of the talk radio shows today.
Now it is up to the campaign leadership to do their part.
Sarah ‘n Joe in 2012.
That was pretty good, but it should have come with a content warning for the language.
Same thing with Kristol. He was a flaming liberal in his hey day too…
I have been telling all of my friends and family to get to the sheriff’s off and get the permit to buy. In my state if you do that the gun stores can not document when and where you buy a gun. But, if you live in AZ, what is it like out in the AZ frontier, I may be looking to relocate.
McCain won hands down…..BUT…all pedigree claims that Obama was born opn August 4, 1961. Now I was born July 4, 1961 and 40 years ago I was 7 (seven) years old. Obama has said over and over again refering to Ayers that 40 years ago he was 8. Which is it? Where was your mother 40 years ago versus 41 years ago? Where were you born? where is your birth certificate?
Agree about FOX News. Turncoats. Very, very disappointed in FOX this election.
Very happy about John McCain this debate, however, no matter what the pundits say. He did well, looked like a leader with experience, and had Senator Government playing a weak defense all night. McCain scored a lot of points, I think. I hope voters think so as well.
Good night all. Keep fighting. It is not over until it is over. Never, ever give up.
Na; he was born that way. Just homely and gangly lookin’.
Bill Kristol:
Althought Moynihan wasn’t as flaming by today’s standards. But Kristol wisened up quicker than Krauthammer (very close in age too).
Both attended Harvard, so that’s where the elitism comes from. Makes sense now, doesn’t it?
Those FOX idiots Barnes, Krauthammer, Crystal and others have lost me as a viewer. I think they want McCain to lose and do everything in their power to diminish his performance. FOX used to be a breath of fresh but now it’s just a bad case of halitosis.
I have no respect for Kristol, he all but conceded a Kerry victory in 2004 about 2 weeks before the election. He has absolutely no clue. And Barnes’ ‘observations’ are usually about an inch deep, if that. I miss Tony Snow.
Funny you should mention that. He is about my age I would guess.
New T-Shirt:
Flush the Crap out of DC
Vote for Joe the Plumber!
They told him to “play it safe”.
I wonder if that’s what they’ll tell him to do when he’s up against Putin or the kook from Iran.
“Senator Government” was a nice slip-up by McCain but I was shouting
SOCIALISM- SAY IT! I also thought that the ACORN affiliation lies of Obama and his lies on infanticide left Obama stuttering and stammering!
Joe the plumber won,
McCain placed,
and Obama showed
This may even out race however as Obama lies are exposed and trust issues resurface.
still in the photoshop!!
I miss Tony Snow as well. I loved listening to him on Sat mornings. God bless him…what a great guy he was.
Michelle, great coverage tonight.
I wish I could be more excited though. McCain lost me a long time ago with his hispandering. Since I live in Texas, I have a strong opinion about illegal immigration. I still think its a major issue that should be addressed. Will we get four more years of looking the other way? I’ll vote for him only with the hope that Palin will be the future of our party.
What a joy to live blog the debate here, a fine performance by McCain.
Hope it’s something to build on, lest, 4 years from now; Debates, elections, and free speech on blogs be obsolete.
Palin and Joe the Plumber may just drag McCain kicking and screaming into the White House.
On October 15th, 2008 at 11:18 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:
On October 15th, 2008 at 11:14 pm, committed #61 said:
Did Krauthammer suffer some facial injuries in an accident sometime in his past?
Funny you should mention that. He is about my age I would guess.
I was referencing his features, not his age. And I was sincere in my question.
I feel weird….talking heads saying the night belongs to O? I saw a squirming and uncomfortable Obama and a decisive McCain with actionable PLANS. So Obama thinks those kids “who need to put down those video games” will opt to get college credit to the measly tune of 4K a year by volunteering in military service or the peace corps? Hahahahahaha
Joe the plumber won,
McCain placed,
and Obama
showedvoted “present”Didn’t McCain ask why then did Obama have “commercials” on the video games?
Rush gave a list of what is considered small businesses this week and it was a huge list. The entire list made more than $250,000.
I’ll have to say, Obama looked horrible. He was a kid caught stealing out of his momma’s purse. He had that nervous Hillary laugh that means “Ooops, they caught me on that” running all night.
It’s so embarrassing that a country as wide and wonderful as the United States can only find a Chicago machine meat puppet like this clown to run against John McCain.
Bush lost all his debates to the “suave, elite, presidential, Kerry. And was behind in the polls up to the election. And……….
Kristol & Barnes are secretly accepting of either Obama or McCain winning because they are both illegal immigrant advocates; Joe the plumber knows the score better than these pundits.
This was by far McCain’s best debate performance… I’d score it as a win for him but I don’t think it’s going to matter.
I remember that well.
I do not agree with Krauthammer (sp?)this election, but you should know he was injured in a diving accident as a young man. He is a paraplegic.
I respect him but have not agreed with him since Sarah Palin’s nomination for VP.
McCain finally decided to fight tonight…good…he needs to meet up with Joe the Plumber and take advantage of Obama’s obvious overconfidence on several issues.
No more Mr. nice guy (cross your fingers)
On October 15th, 2008 at 11:29 pm, Lindsay said:
I do not agree with Krauthammer (sp?)this election, but you should know he was injured in a diving accident as a young man. He is a paraplegic.
I respect him but have not agreed with him since Sarah Palin’s nomination for VP.