How can he continuously say "he wants to raise taxes" when that's not true AND no one can know what is going to happen since neither one is in office. IMO it goes back to trusting that 'my' candidate means what he says while the other guys doesn't mean what he says even if it's as good if not better than what my guy said. If you cant believe the plan than what the hell are we talking about....we might as well just go vote today.

McCain is looking angry. Not confident, not presidential. Old and angry.

Ooh..more payola! Doubling child exemptions. Umm...McCain, what about single people?

Our first unscripted moment, where Obama asks to rebut what McCain said. Brokaw admonishes them to follow the rules set by both teams.

There is no right to record windfall profits. (yeah. I know, communist! Socialism! whatever)

*laughs* Man, McCain's showing his age.. "like trying to nail Jello to a wall"?

I thought that was funny. Does that make me old? :)

Obama takes the question about enititlement spending and works his way back to tax policy, so that he can answer McCain's last comment. Barry is learning how to fight back!

you know what though: old and angry mccain scores low with voters.

i said earlier tonight to my folks that i feel like mccain is very close to cracking in terms of his temper - and if he goes over the edge he's totally lost it.

mccain also walks around looking like a monkey with his arms very stiff and jerky

McCain thinks solving Social Security is easy...

Damnit. if it wasn't for the fact Doc Sak would call me on it, I'd post a giant picture of the ORLY owl, right about now :)

Bad news is - we lost :D

Uh, it is easy. Put it in a lockbox.

McCain is big on teh nukes! He has served on nuclear-powered ships and suffered no ill effects.

Obama is also down with teh nukes, but we also must have windmills.

Yeah, even when he's not speaking he's still holding the microphone in the same spot.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if he's got an arm brace holding his arm in that spot as he probably couldn't hold it on his own the whole hour and a half.

Yeah, that was a bad move.

I agree that it looks bad, but I wonder if that is in some way related to the injuries that he suffered as a POW.

But his eyes glow green in the dark :)

McCain: we must drill offshore now. Must drill now! Right after this debate is over!

fuck you mccain - you lying sack of shit

there is no drilling that can be done offshore that would result in any oil finding its way to our refineries within 10 years. we don't even have enough oil rigs to increase offshore drilling right now.

the only oil that we have on us soil that we can access within 10 years to decrease our dependence on foreign oil is in ANWR.

And that's from industry experts, not something i made up.

so talking about drilling as something that will ease oil prices tomorrow is flat-out lying to the public. and that pisses me off.

If there was a concrete plan on SSI so that I wouldn't be burdened too much in the future(I'm 26), I'd vote for that candidate. I would venture to guess that we're a ways a way before we get a plan that could really work for everyone.

McCain.. easy to fix it?

You got my vote!!

Not.

Why don't you tell us how you really feel :)

Holy crap. I thought you were just joking when you said that(I'm five minutes behind... DVR'd). I just realized that he ACTUALLY said that. LOL

Im surprised by tonight as I thought McCain's strong suit was townhall.

Hair transplants?

Gold plated health care plans. Ugh. Why is he repeating that Bush line?! It flopped then and it's flopping now.

Did he not see the red light? I did...

Was that a self-deprecating bald joke that McCain just tried to make?

Ok, no more bon mots from me. I think that the "Fixing Social Security is Easy" is a gaffe that could be up to the level of "The economy is strong", but we shall see.

Go Home Time!

"One last point I want to make....."

the drilling thing pisses me off. because the evidence is right there, and it's irrefutable.

WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH OIL RIGS IN ORDER TO INCREASE OFFSHORE DRILLING TO A DEGREE THAT WILL MATERIALLY AFFECT GAS PRICES IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS.

It's a concrete goddamn fact. The only thing we can do is drill in ANWR. It's non-negotiable.

So saying "we can drill tomorrow and your gas prices will go down" is BULLSHIT. It's straight-up lying, no doubt about it.

Pisses me off when either of them does it.

Obama: going with "Senator McCain" rather than "John." Smart move--it makes Obama look more presidential. (I'm serious.)

i think the woman line just broke on obama there on CNN.

Another joke bombed. McCain's no stand-up comic is he? :)

Ok, one more.

Wow. Very nice tie in by Obama.

Reminding folks that his mother died of cancer at 53, and spent her last days arguing with the insurance companies.

And whoever posted above that Obama is stressing the differences much more tonight is spot on--it's a striking change of strategy. Is Obama trying to finish McCain off tonight?

After he concludes his statement, McCain turns and glances at Obama with utter contempt and scorn.

The only part of the reaction line on CNN I find interesting is how much more negative men are than women on everything. Except when McCain says "America is #1!!"

As Balboa did to Drago.

I sometimes wonder what the women are on :)

Have you noticed they're also several seconds behind the men in returning to 50?

This debate is over....

Obama won this one

McCain won the first one, second one was a draw with Palin perhaps being a split decision winner based on expectations, and this has been an Obama knock out (thus far).

i might disagree on the first debate results (i thought AT worst it was a draw for Obama), but everything else I agree on.

McCain did not win the first debate.

Obama: stumbling a bit on Pakistan here--he is starting to get tired.

McCain: announcing his heroes at a furious clip: Reagan a minute ago, now Teddy Roosevelt.

This is going nowhere. (carry a big stick)

Can we get a count on the number of times that McCain has said Petraeus?

lol you noticed that too?

New rule in image politics - Town Hall debates can never ever be the strength of the candidate who will look old and uncomfortable with the added element of movement. Did no one in the McCain campaign consider this? Did no one on the campaign trail watch McCain move around and think "You know, he is going to look stiff and old next to Obama... Maybe we should stick to regular podiums..."

I agree--the debate is stuck right now.

I want to see McCain punch Obama so the right wing can call him a fighter and he can win the election. Plus it would be funny.

This thing is hilarious.

McCain: "Oh...bomb bomb bomb Iran was a joke with an old veteran friend"

--- eyeahhhh that ain't gonna fly. and now he's talking about how he is the responsible one? and yet he cracks jokes like that? that just doesn't compute

I'd like to see Palin walk across the stage screaming "GO MAVERICKS!"