Presidential Debate – LIVE

Editor’s Note: Feel free to add your own observations in the comments section before, during and after tonight’s second presidential debate tonight between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama …

Our moderator tonight is Mande Wilkes, who will not only be updating us with her observations on the debate, but incorporating your comments and e-mails into her “live-blogging” as well. Remember to e-mail Mande directly if you’ve got a question or comment you want her to insert into the post … her e-mail is mande@fitsnews.com …

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11:09 p.m. – So enthralled was I in this live-blogging business – and in sorting through you people’s genius musings – that I missed McCain’s handful of Lieberman references. Perchance he regrets his veep pick?

11:02 p.m. – The TV pundits seem to disagree with FITS readers – and with me. MSNBC people are being way gracious to McCain, though most admit tonight wasn’t a game-changer. Judging from our comments and our poll results, it’s almost unanimous among readers that Obama stole the floor. And he totally did. I don’t know what these pundits are talking about.

10:43 p.m. – At the moment, I’m struck by this: McCain’s a maverick, alright…a maverick against everything he once stood for. He’s a maverick of his former self. I’m not sure how “mavericky” that is.

10:38 p.m. – Keep it up with your emails and comments, and stay with me through the postmortem.

10:36 p.m. – Before it’s even over, people are anxious to know who I think won the night.

My first thoughts: Obama’s endearing. McCain’s not. They’re both substantially insubstantial.

Endearing wins.

10:29 p.m. – Israel is a veritable “runaround Sue” of politics these days. It can’t stay off the candidates’ lips, and it gets passed around…and around.

10:26 p.m. – The new metric by which to measure the success of a debate is its SNL-ability. This debate weighs in as a zero on that front.

10:21 p.m. – Obama’s demonstrating, if not a facility with foreign policy, then certainly an affinity for it. He’s not “speaking softly” at all, and is in fact pretty hard-assed tonight. And strong words are that much stronger when they come from someone like Obama, an intellectual who professes noblesse oblige and oozes temperance.

10:15 p.m. – I never thought that it would be McCain who would be advising to “talk softly.” This election has, as of tonight, completely reversed itself.

10:12 p.m. – Obama’s stance on Pakistan is certainly not pussified tonight.

10:09 p.m. – Where’s McCain’s trigger-happy irascibility? Many commentors, including Natasha and Harry, want to see him “raise McCain.” So not happening. Whatever the equivalent is of personality Viagra, McCain needs some of that.

10:03 p.m. – McCain’s surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) not hitting his stride on the subject of national sovereignty. He’s falling back on hackneyed declarations about there being no time for “on-the-job training.”

10:02 p.m. – McCain is getting mired in the semantics of mandates. Call it socialized healthcare, or call it anything else. The point is that it’s inefficient and unwise. That’s what McCain should focus on, and ignore the trap of “mandate” technicalities. Of course, McCain’s a government guy, and like I just said below: Government people just aren’t intelligent.

9:56 p.m. – While McCain’s preaching about his tax credit proposals, I’m struck by the probability that most Americans don’t understand the difference between tax credits and tax deductions. The government could totally exploit this ignorance…deductions are much cheaper than credits, after all. Of course, the government is just not that smart.

9:53 p.m. – So, Obama…is healthcare a commodity, or is it not? This debate is quickly devolving into a stump speech – not that it’s been much more than that up to this point.

9:50 p.m. – McCain’s found his footing on the subject of energy independence. He’s reiterating his “mavericky” record, and he’s looking good doing it.

9:46 p.m. – McCain still thinks there are people out there who haven’t heard about his military history. Old news, old man. Besides, he’s just so obvious when he exploits his past, whereas Obama is smooth as butter when alluding to his time as a community organizer.

9:45 p.m. – I was sure that McCain’s consultants had broken him of his “my friends” habit. I bet he brought that gem back out as an answer to Obama’s classist pandering.

9:42 p.m. – Commentor Sticky has correctly noted that Obama’s preaching about class warfare. This is America, people, getting rich is supposed to be, like, okay.

9:40 p.m. – What’s with all the metaphors? Throwing jelly on a wall? Using a scalpel instead of a hatchet? They’re speaking like I write – which, I’m assured, is not a compliment.

9:36 p.m. – Commentor Natasha is curious about who I think is winning. Hands down, it’s Obama. I don’t like one word he says, but he says it far better than McCain. McCain’s just an epic letdown. Wholly unremarkable.

9:34 p.m. – Obama’s energy-saving liturgy is, I fear, a prelude to socialist mandates that he would promulgate as president. The government already dictates what kind of light bulbs we can buy; Obama will have us live-blogging by candlelight.

9:31 p.m. – I’m looking for FactCheck.org to be all over that “$6.8 billion” McCain savings on defense. It just reeks of mistruth.

He’s pandering hard on the healthcare issue. Did he defect to the Democrats?

9:27 p.m. – Again, McCain’s a total liberal. He punked out on the question of presidential priorities. Quite clearly, entitlement reform takes priority over healthcare. At least, it does to a conservative.

9:23 p.m. – A Democrat boasting spending cuts? I don’t believe Obama for a second, but the fact that he’s going there – while McCain’s defending his reputation as a deregulator – is emblematic of the fading distinction between Democrat and Republican.

9:20 p.m. – Prescient letter-writing is apparently the name of the game…both guys want you to know that they wrote letters to the Treasury Department. Missives notwithstanding, they’re paid to cast votes to prevent economic disasters, not dictate letters to their secretaries.

9:16 p.m. – Obama is doing a better job drawing clear-cut distinctions between he and McCain. He’s taking my advice and KISSing the audience. Respect!

McCain’s just completely unremarkable.

9:09 p.m. – The government should purchase worthless securities…See? Left-leaning, indeed.

9:07 p.m. – Harry has observed that both candidates are left-handed. That’s fitting, since they’re both left-leaning as well. Don’t believe me? Stay tuned for McCain’s forthcoming response to the economy questions…

9:04 p.m. – See that comment down there from the FITS gals? Even they don’t know where Sic is. When Sic’s away…pillow fights ensue!

9:02 p.m. – Judging from a steady slew of emails, this bears repeating: Like last week’s VP event, Sic hasn’t advised me one way or the other. He says he doesn’t care anymore, since the difference between “red” and “blue” is quickly waning. But I know the real reason for his apathy is that tonight’s debate involves no chance of cleavage.

8:44 p.m. – I’m looking for McCain to strike the offensive against Obama’s character, especially considering the news that the campaign will soon launch a media blitz about just that. But McCain will be making a phenomenal mistake if he attacks Obama’s character tonight.

Like his inexperience, Americans love love love Obama the man. To attack him personally is to attack Jesus. Or, more aptly, the Messiah. Trust us, Mr. Maverick…it’s claptrap, and it’s a trap.

8:35 p.m. – In at least one respect, the debate’s a draw before it’s even begun. Both candidates voted for the “mother of all bailouts” against the wishes of most of their constituents. Since the bailout has not helped the economy – has, in fact, hurt it- they’ve both got some ‘splainin to do about the sword with which they slayed capitalism.

Normally McCain would draw the short end of the stick on the topic of the economy, but tonight they’re both screwed in that regard. This precludes Obama from grandstanding about his ability to heal the economy.

8:23 p.m. – McCain is almost certain to argue that Obama’s inexperience renders him unprepared for the presidency. Time will soon tell just how much of a maverick McCain is…he’d do well to ignore his consultants’ demands that he attack Obama’s readiness. That’s a most predictable path, and a prep-ready one as well. Obama surely has canned responses for such an attack, and regardless, America just doesn’t seem to care about his inexperience. Incredibly, his freshness has become Obama’s strongest point.

8:14 p.m. – Our first commentor has touched on a feeling that’s become the undercurrent of the election season – one that’s starting to drown McCain in the whirlpooling sentiment that Republicans are desperate for a transformative figure like Reagan. McCain’s just not cutting it, and it’s showing each day as poll after poll sears his chances.

8:02 p.m. – Come to think of it, the town hall format may work to Obama’s advantage. Counterintuitive, considering McCain’s facility with the format? Certainly. But the truth is that unless Obama supremely screws up in the weeks between now and November, he’s sure to win the election. Tonight’s format, with its lack of opportunity for follow-up, minimizes the chance that Obama will veer from his stump speech into unfamiliar territory.

7:46 p.m. – McCain’s “leg up” notwithstanding, Obama can’t easily lose. He’s way up there in the polls, particularly those that account for the electoral college. Even if he loses tonight’s battle, he’s poised to win the war.

7:36 p.m. – The debate’s “town hall” format is a natural fit for McCain. His staccato style should play much better than Obama’s nuanced intellectualism. Though Tom Brokaw will moderate, it’s the audience who will drive the debate forward.

People will pose the questions, people, and let’s face it…people aren’t very smart. McCain’s got a leg up right off the bat, and Obama’s got to remember to KISS the audience if he’s got a shot tonight.

7:26 p.m. – What’s said at the debate is likely to be eclipsed by what’s not said.

Obama, having recently gone at McCain hard about his involvement in “The Keating Five,” will probably steer clear of that topic – it would surely segue into the issue of Obama’s connection to cop-killer Bill Ayers. In a heterodox quid pro quo, McCain’s likely to leave Ayers out of it, lest he force Obama’s hand on the Keating scandal.

Though I doubt there will be explicit references to either Keating or Ayers, I’ll be looking for subtle allusions to both. After all, both candidates have way too much hubris to “take the high road” completely.

7:15 p.m. – Believe it or not, I’ve managed to wrangle the site from Sic’s grasp again. I’m flying this thing solo, so hold on tight…it’s going to be a bumpy ride.