• 11:45 PM This is silly, as there is no way I’m staying up for this.
• 12:03 AM I am limited to online viewing options for tonight. CNN or CSPAN?
• 12:07 AM I’m tuning into CNN later I think – they have all sorts of widgetry on screen with audience monitors etc.
• 12:09 AM Is MSNBC covering it online also? Keith versus Tweetie with boring David Gregory in the middle…?
• 12:10 AM Their website says its available online…Not sure if we get the pundits too though.
• 1:29 AM Feministe has a Debate Drinking Game – ^[1] I won’t be partaking in alcoholic beverages but hope to have my own responses to certain points!
• 2:02 AM Tuned into CNN – Jim Lehrer from PBS is the moderator. Minnesota’s Centre for Performing Arts hosts the performance – sorry debate.
• 2:03 AM Coins have been tossed. Audience will remain silent throughout. But now they are getting up to applaud.
• 2:04 AM Lead Question – at this very moment – where do you stand on the financial recovery plan – Obama goes first – He does a load of thanks.
• 2:05 AM helping homos? or homeowners?
• 2:06 AM McCain plays the Kennedy Card.
• 2:07 AM McCain is feeling better – he has not been feeling too good about the politics that is. His make up looks better today then it has been the last few days.
• 2:10 AM McCain hopes to vote for the plan but he glosses over that bit and says he saw the train wreck coming
• 2:13 AM joke moment number 1 – well ironic laughter
• 2:14 AM American worker is most productive and innovative according to McCain – best days are ahed – ah he nearly said that the economy was sound again
• 2:15 AM He’s got a pen and he’s going to use it to veto…
• 2:16 AM Earmark and pork barrel spending – 932 million that Obama has requested seemingly according to McCain – need a drink for that first mention.
• 2:19 AM McCain was called the Sherriff – he was not Ms Congeniality – that’s what he got Palin in so?
• 2:19 AM LOL.. McCain digs on Obama. “Maybe that’s not a lot of money to him”. How about Cindy? Bloody rich.
• 2:21 AM McCain mentions Ireland’s Corp tax rate..
• 2:21 AM Irish Corporate Tax rate gets a mention – 11 percent? That’s wrong isn’t it?
• 2:21 AM I think it is, Suzy
• 2:22 AM According to the IDA ^[2] It’s 12.5%
• 2:22 AM Wiki says There are three rates of Corporation Tax in the Republic of Ireland:

  * 12.5% for trading income

  * 25% for non-trading income

  * The rate for Manufacturing, IFSC and Shannon Free Zone companies at 10% ended on 31 December 2005.

• 2:23 AM And according to the IDA site, the USA tax rate is 39.5%. Different from his quote of 35%
• 2:24 AM But he is correct..
• 2:26 AM McCain is squirming on Obama stamping on his $4bn tax break plan for big oil
• 2:27 AM John can’t call Barack by his first name.
• 2:28 AM CNN audience like Obama a lot on this.
• 2:28 AM KPMG confirm out tax rates as being more than McCain said ^[3]
• 2:30 AM Been around the world a long long time…
• 2:31 AM McCain harping on the Sheriff theme again. He, alone, saved the tax-payer $6bn in dodgy Boeing/DoD contracts
• 2:32 AM ooops Obama called him Tom by mistake – whilst searching for a fiscal conservative that he agreed with.
• 2:33 AM 30 Minutes into the debate and not a foreign affairs question in sight.
• 2:33 AM Ding, ding.. McCain mentions the veterans
• 2:33 AM And Defence! Both safe from cuts/freeze etc.
• 2:34 AM Overseas development to countries who don’t like ‘us’ very much should be cut
• 2:36 AM Obama sounding presidential – Says no doubt as president he is going to have to make cuts.
• 2:37 AM McCain just gave President Obama spending advice I think?
• 2:37 AM Ding number 2 – second mention for the Veterans in minutes…
• 2:37 AM McCain is stumbling over his words in stark contrast to a Presidential Obama
• 2:38 AM Obama does a link McCain to Bush tactic
• 2:38 AM Miss Congeniality again. Does he own the dvd?
• 2:39 AM Ok here we go on Iraq.
• 2:39 AM Re: Iraq “War was very badly handled”
• 2:40 AM That was McCain, btw
• 2:42 AM the audience monitor on CNN – the line representing the Independent Vote goes up everytime Obama speaks.
• 2:43 AM Obama lists the costs of Iraq. Spent $600bn already. 4000 lives lost. $10bn a month is being spent on Iraq.
• 2:44 AM that evil smile from McCain again thinking he has landed a punch.
• 2:45 AM Obama has a better handle using off-the-cuff comments
• 2:45 AM McCain is blinking and smiling to fend his corner
• 2:47 AM what’s that eagle doing over their heads? Laying an egg?
• 2:48 AM Oh dear God.. McCain lauds Iraqi strategy as it involved “Holding, clearing the place. People aligning to you.” The same plan will be used in Afghanistan.
• 2:49 AM Bin Laden reference number 1.
• 2:50 AM The GOP Watch party looks like a rave
• 2:51 AM Or maybe not
• 2:51 AM a blue rinse rave
• 2:52 AM McCain keeps on looking down every time he thinks the camera is off him. Is reading notes written on the back of his hand?
• 2:54 AM I bet McCain remembers the rule of Alexander the Great
• 2:55 AM More sons and daughters going to be sent to war by McCain
• 2:57 AM Obama has the Presedential pointy finger gestures down
• 2:58 AM McCain mentions Reagan. Ding!
• 2:58 AM Stumble, stumble. McCain is sounding more and more like a confused Bush
• 3:00 AM and the point of the rambling rambling story of the mothers is?
• 3:00 AM McCain mentions a town hall setting and getting a bracelet from the mom of a dead service man. Small town Americana. Watch the Rep reaction love jump
• 3:01 AM Everyone has a bracelet! WTF?
• 3:01 AM Obama has a bracelet too but his story is shorter and he doesn’t get the dates mixed up.
• 3:01 AM Bet MSM find the moms with the bracelets within 24 hours…
• 3:02 AM McCain’s makeup is terribly apricot. You’d think Cindy could recommend a better artist.
• 3:03 AM I think that McCain’s eye is less droopier than yesterday
• 3:04 AM Both candidates are equal on the amount of time taken in the debate. One hour gone…
• 3:04 AM McCain proposes harsh sanctions on Iran
• 3:05 AM And then attempts to talk olive-branch-esque cooperation with Britain, France and other countries
• 3:08 AM Obama does that ‘when I’m President of the United States’ thing again and it sounds real.
• 3:08 AM Obama proposes to work with China and Russia, instead of sanctions
• 3:09 AM Oh dear, McCain’s stumbles over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s name were embarrassing
• 3:10 AM Obama makes eye contact with McCain during comments. McCain’s stiff neck act looks tré awkward
• 3:13 AM Obama brings up the spanish pm snub. McCain does not deny the snub – or indeed getting his PM’s/Countries mixed up earlier in the week.
• 3:14 AM McCain dings on Israel.
• 3:14 AM ding ding Reagan….
• 3:15 AM Audience are breaking the rules by laughing!
• 3:16 AM Invocation of Kissinger by Obama – at least only to confirm what Palin got wrong – negotiations without pre-conditions.
• 3:16 AM Next, the candidates debate Russia
• 3:16 AM Will they confirm that one can see Russia from Alaska?
• 3:19 AM Obama mentions that he doesn’t want to return to a Cold War, but wants to fast track plan to allow Ukraine and other former Soviet states join Nato if they meet eligibility requirements.
• 3:19 AM McCain mentions Naivité – or a version of it’s pronunciation.
• 3:19 AM McCain: “I looked into Mr Putin’s eyes and saw three letters, the K, the G, the B”
• 3:21 AM Far too long waffly answer again from McCain.
• 3:22 AM For the first time tonight, a candidate recognises that he agrees with his adversary. Obama agrees with many of McCain’s comments on Russia.
• 3:24 AM Obama is off on a tangent pushing alternative energy to wean the USA off Russian oil
• 3:24 AM ok – my eyes are closing here. The gents will have to go on without me
• 3:25 AM Almost finished, Suzy..
• 3:25 AM Ding A bridge but is it the Bridge to Nowhere?
• 3:26 AM Q:” What is the likelihood that another 9/11 attack could take place in the USA”
• 3:26 AM McCain mentions that he has a long record
• 3:27 AM And that he pushed a lot of reforms to prevent another attack. Bipartisanship.
• 3:29 AM Obama: “The biggest threat to the USA is a terrorist getting his hands on nuclear weapons”
• 3:31 AM Obama finishes on a high and pushes the fact that the USA’s reputation has been damaged over the past 8 and 4 yrs. And that a lot of work needs to be done here to prevent future terrorism
• 3:32 AM McCain goes back to a tired old argument that Obama is misunderstanding the situation. “Misunderstanding” is the bonus word in McCain’s bullshit bingo game!
• 3:34 AM Obama harps back that the spending on war is taking from the health of the domestic economy. Even the veterans (ding) are looking for better benefits. And this won’t happen if Iraq spending and the like continues.
• 3:35 AM Service. Veterans. “I love them. I’ll take care of them. They know I’ll take care of them.” What John? Like a teddy bear?
• 3:37 AM McCain leaves the top scoring points for the end. Prison. Veterans. I know how to heal the wounds of war.
• 3:37 AM Mega handshakes exchanged.
• 3:38 AM Cue the wifey kisses. RoboCindy is looking well in shocking red.
• 3:38 AM Crowd standing and clapping.
• 3:39 AM CNN are going to fact-check the numbers quoted over the next hour I wonder will they find the Corp Tax Rate inaccuracy and how fast will it be?
• 3:42 AM Okay, debate over. Thanks for the invite Suzy!
• 3:44 AM Next debate is the VP to-be debate on next Thursday night in Washington University
• 3:47 AM And the second Presidential debate is set for Tuesday, October 7th in Belmont University, Nashville.
• 3:55 AM Consensus is that McCain did not perform well * on his best * subject. His harping about Obama “misunderstanding” the situation could come across as an old man lecturing, as opposed to Obama’s tack of agreeing w/him.
• 3:56 AM This agreement was clearly a play for floating voters.
• 3:56 AM Alright, night all.

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