UPDATE (aka the morning after):
McCain fought for his life. Fought. He had some pretty good jabs, especially early on. And he certainly put Obama on the offensive more than Obama put McCain on the offensive.
But looking at the polling, it appears that people are simply relating more to Barack Obama. Which is astounding if you think about it. As scrutin said, calm and steady trumped feisty and angry AGAIN.
McCain did everything he needed to do, and it was a much more convincing and specific performance from him. But it appears that people had already made up their minds.
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9:10 EST: So, already the cocktails got the best of me. I am starting the debate 10 minutes late. Thanks goodness for DVR
So, dressedtogo Live Blogging with Cocktails -10.
Bob Scheefer scares me. Barack looks hot.
9:15 EST: Angry. John McCain is angry. At least, he said it 4 times. You know what, I’m angry too, John McCain. At your hateful campaigning of late.
Barack jumps right in. Looks directly at the camera. Sounds more logical. McCain was wrong when he said homeowners and citizens are “innocent.”" We are not innocent. We bit off more than we could chew. He is talking quite fast, though.
9:19 EST: Plumber?
9:24 EST: The tax conversation is so surface level. “Raise taxes” or “Lower taxes.” Give us more credit. Stop talking circles around yourselves.
9:23 EST: Joe the Plumber? Really? McCain is wearing so much makeup.
9:29 EST: Spending = hatchets and scalpels. And enough with the overhead projector! (my buddy babyjonr dealt with this awhile ago)
9:36 EST: this is by far McCain’s best debate. I tend to think that it is because they are sitting down. We are not seeing their physical differences.
McCain equates Obama’s refusal to do the Town Hall debates to the anger and hatred of his campaign? Are you kidding?! Obama responds. He is talking issues more than mccain. McCain is talking politics. “I don’t mind being attacked for the next 3 weeks…” I just wish Obama could say “People are shouting “Kill ME” at your rallies, and you are not condemning it!” But he can’t…. HE DID! ! ooohhh snap!
9:45EST: McCain is given the opportunity to tell all of America “I am not responsible for those fringe comments at my rallies. They are not expressive of my view.” But he didn’t. HE played the victim. And as a result, he is now a completely dishonorable man. Shame on him. Shame on him.
9:51EST: This Ayers / ACORN discussion is repulsive. And it made McCain look dirty. Let’s move on. Oh, great. To running mates.
Obama on Biden – boring and biographical. but could resonate. core values, energy, regular guys, experience, american families…
McCain on Palin – insane. role model to women? reformers? mavericks? took on? what? money to the taxpayers? cut the size of gov’t – do we need that now? “reformer through and through”. “breath of fresh air”. “old boy network” = YOU, john mccain! reformer. special needs. “autism on the rise”?? united OUR party? proud of her? husband? tough? DOES SHE KNOW ANYTHING!? FOREIGN POLICY?
10 EST: mccain: “we dont tell countries that we unilaterally renegotiate with them.” re: canadian oil. yeah, but we unilaterally invade them.
10:03 EST: i think the cocktails beat obama and mccain. i can not stay objective anymore. im in too deep. columbia…. healthcare…. booooooorrrring. they are both boring.
10:11EST: mccain is so… uppity. JOE THE PLUMBER AGAIN!? mccain just attacks obama (“canada!” “england!”) but never describes his own plans. zzzzzz……..
10:18 EST: supreme court justices – FINALLY! mccain is SO CONDESCENDING. mccain says “breyer” instead of “alito.” pay attention, mr. potential president. obama +1 for saying “hypocratic oath”. obama says “abortion is a oral issue.” different for a dem.
10:33 EST: andrew sullivan says what i can not, because i like both wine and obama too much:
At no point have we seen a grace note from McCain. When dealing with the negativism of the campaign, it would not have killed him to seem genuinely horrified at calls for violence rather than offended that anyone dare criticize him or some of his supporters. Or to wish Obama well. It’s this lack of generosity of spirit that he lacks and that people want in a president. Obama still manages to say when he agrees with or admires McCain. In this whole dynamic, Obama seems more secure, more self-controlled, more mature. He is the Alpha Male on this stage, and McCain the bristling teen – aged 72. No wonder women seem to be so disproportionately pro-Obama.
10:35 EST: mccain was more convincing on education. more authoritative. but soooo condescending… again.
10:39 EST: a close draw. but mccain loses because he is a) condescending and b) he can not repudiate the tactics of his running mate and his supporters. he can not same obama’s name. he can not stand up for what is right by denouncing those that say “kill him!” at HIS rallies. shame on him. he had the chance. and he blew it. and people will remember.
and now on the project runway finale…
Posted by dressedtogo 
Posted by dressedtogo 
Posted by scrutin 
Live Debate Blogging… With Cocktails by Dressedtogo
October 7, 2008UPDATE: CNN poll Obama 54, McCain 30
Yep. That’s right.
8:51 EST: im ready. here with my white wine and my liberal sensibilities. let’s play ball!
8:52 EST: T Boone Pickens is the only logical, old white man in this campaign. and thats sayin’ somethin’
8:56 EST: ive been removed from the internet and the tv all day today. just tuning in now, im even MORE disgusted by what the mccain is up to. obama… ayers… terrorists. disgusting. cheap. and the tactics of losers. obama needs to stay steady, and be call mccain on his shit at the same time.
8:58 EST: wait, how do i blog live and eat ice cream at the same time?
9:02 EST: tom brokow’s verbal inflection is astounding.
9:03 EST: both mccain and obama are left handed. rock on.
9:03 EST: mccain looks old. torn and tattered. obama seems calm….. but he needs a bill clinton moment… he needs to feel our pain.
9:06 EST: mccain mentiones “energy independence”? really? is good in this setting. for the same reason bush was… he plays to our lowest common denominator… not our best. “my friends.”
9:10 EST: i know im biased… but obama seems much more in command… more focused…. much more so than in the last debate.
9:18 EST: mccain has mentioned “cronyism” and “special interests” twice. whatever, john. we all know that rick david is your campaign manager. and the cronyism = chicago hint. and meg whitman?
9:19 EST: did liza minelli just ask a question?
9:21 EST: you know, mccain makes some legit points… but you know, this guy decided to pick SARAH PALIN to be his running mate… every time he says something that is valid, i think of sarah palin. and it undermines everything.
9:30: i can not even follow mccain’s logic.
9:31: obama’s 9/11 / sacrifice spiel was emotional and effective. a few dudes in the audience turned their heads…. “young people in america”…. calling upon our generation to sacrifice…. holla back.
9:34: obama is ON tonight! clear, crisp, effective… presidential. i strongly recommend him for president, and i strongly recommend haagan dazs chocolate chip cookie dough.
9:42: mccain has been learin’ from sarah palin’. he is dropping g’s all over the place! obama got a little off path on taxes, but maintained the authority.
9:48: obama’s energy answer was muddled…
9:49; mccain just referred to obama as “that one.” whoa. dude. “sit down, boy”?
9:54: mccan is wandering aimlessly (even when obama talks) and is making no sense. this is weird. gold cadillacs? hair plugs?
9:58: im worried obama is attacking mccain too much. especially considering that the polls from the last debate reflected his conciliatory nature.
10:01: there mccain goes again with the “he does not understand.” obama hits back! “there are some things i dont understand… i dont understand why we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11…” BOOM!
10:06: obama gives a lucid answer on human rights intervention. but i think he missed the chance to say, “how can we protect human rights abroad if we can not protect them at home? our country has legalized TORTURE. and john mccain voted for that bill.” missed opportunity if you ask me.
andrew sullivan: “It would have been a strong moment for McCain when he cited “no on the job training” in the White House. And then he picked Palin! She can’t even hold a press conference and he thinks she can be trusted with national security at a moment’s notice. It makes no sense.”
obama said he would “kill bin laden.” damn.
10:13: “carry a big stick.” i am really sick of men using this expression. come on, we NEED a woman up in here! no more stick carrying. shut up, dudes.
ta-nehisi coates is my hero: ‘Man, everytime Obama talks the bar for women just shoot up. I don’t want to be sexist, but come on ladies, you ain’t heard a word he said! Admit it! Your just thinking “He’s soooooo dreammmyyyy…” ‘
10:21: mccain is getting more comfortable. national security is his zone. but he is just so aggressive.
10:26: again with the “sit down without preconditions.” stylistically, mccain is AWKWARD.
10:30: there she is – michelle in the house! holla girl!
obama’s closer: i may have had too much vino, but obama’s story gets me every time. yeah, such an elitist. john mccain and his 7 houses should eat his words.
mccain’s closer: john mccain co-opting the message of “Hope.” good luck, johnny.
10:35: 60-40 obama. obama was in total control. crisp, fluid, youthful, smart, quick. authoritative. calm. presidential. sullivan thinks its a wipe-out. seriously though, “that one”?? and why was he picking on tom brokow? and “country first” when he picked palin? poppycock. and buy up bad mortgages?