Obama v. McCain, Act I

Before we get rolling in tonight's debate, I've gotta say I'm not impressed with John McCain's call to postpone. In my mind, his retreat to participate was inevitable, and Obama's argument that a president needs to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time had merit. I also agree that there may actually be no better time to hear the two talk about the issues.

Now, after it's all over and I've had to listen to them both for 90 minutes, I reserve the right to follow McCain's lead, reverse course and say the debate never should have happened.

1. 10 minutes till the debate. VT and ice in a glass, and I can't tell you how excited I am to watch this.
2. Here we go.
3. Good opening question --- Obama looks stiffer than I've seen him --- McCain looks relaxed, at least on question #1. He gives a real time answer; Obama gives an opening statement.
4. Senior centers? Politically, is that really the best example of an ear mark you stopped?
5. 20 minutes in - and I'm biased - but McCain looks like he's lived it, and Obama looks like he's read it.
   
6. 30 minutes in - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... oh sorry, I'm awake.
7. This is really meandering: financial crisis to climate change. Guh.
   
8. Another subject: THANK YOU!
9. Obama is getting relaxed and settling in.
   
10. What are those words on the background? What's the point of putting them there if you can't read them.
11. A question for Obama: When is it ok to listen to commanders on the ground, and when is ok to ignore them?
12. Does McCain have a record? Just wondering.
13. 28 minutes to go... woohooo.
14. This is the problem with two Senators running for President, they both slip into Senate speak --- subcommittees, other Senators and bills. No wonder it's been 40 plus years since we've elected one of these "statesman."
15. On a side note, I happen to be sitting next to a WMD... in the form of the gastrointestinal system of a large dog. She's gassin' her own people!
    
16. "I don't even have a seal yet." Ha! Not sure anyone gets that, but I think it's funny.
    
17. There is something very odd about the sentence: "Russia, 2 minutes."
18. The convential wisdom was that this would be McCain's topic of advantage - foreign policy. I think Obama has held his own, as far as his performance.
19. My clock says 10:32... now 10:35... shouldn't this thing be over.
20. McCain advantage with the final word, and he made the most of it. Good closing statement.

McCain started strong; Obama settled in and came back.

Initial reaction: A draw... maybe a slight edge to McCain.

UPDATE: 11:00 p.m.

McCain ad up fast.



Question for McCain's camp. If Obama thinks McCain is right about all these things, shouldn't that make him ready to lead?