Liveblog! Obama and McCain Square Off in Nashville

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Huffington Post   |  Rachel Sklar   |   October 7, 2008 08:34 PM


Update: It's over! Our takeaway: Obama's still cool, McCain's still cranky, and Brokaw needs his teleprompter. Also, apparently McCain's known how to get Osama bin Laden this whole time. Aw jeez, NOW he tells us!

Our liveblog of the debate is below. Here's a video of the debate and here's some debate highlights and analysis.

Update: Here's a video of our debate livebloggers after the liveblog with our impressions of the debate. So maybe we can save you some reading!

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Debate! Townhall! No follow-up questions! It's the second Presidential Debate, and just in time for the campaign to turn really, really nasty! Does Obama pal around with terrorists? Is McCain "erratic?" Which one of them was responsible for the failure of the first bailout plan, and the success of the second? Who wants change and who puts country first? And what does Joe Sixpack think about it all? Tonight, on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennesse, the candidates will tell YOU their vision of America while Tom Brokaw watches quietly and tries not to do anything that will get the McCain campaign angry. That's Olbermann's job.

Our job, on the other hand, is to liveblog the heck out of this thing, doggone it, and you betcha we will! Check out the liveblog below - our list of awesome livebloggers is below that! Whooo, here we go!

Here they are, in alphabetical order because we couldn't possibly rank them by sheer awesomeness:

  • Henry Blodget, Wall Street maven, founder of Silicon Alley Insider, also he had experience in the stock market before that! He also hired our next liveblogger, who is...

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  • John Carney, fellow Wall Street maven, managing editor of ClusterStock and former editor Dealbreaker, former corporate lawyer, and person who understands exactly what this whole bailout thing actually means!

  • Ana Marie Cox, Time blogger, Radar Washington editor, crackerjack Twitterer and person with whom I have been in bed! I hope she doesn't hog the sheets during tonight's liveblog!

  • Peter Feld, former democratic strategist and pollster and TV talking head and contributor to numerous publications around town! We poached him from Gawker!

  • Keli Goff, author of Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence, BET contributor, frequent cable commentator and HuffPo blogger!

  • Melissa Lafsky, writer for Discover magazine's "Reality Base" blogger, former writer and editor of the NYT's Freakonomics blog, HuffPo contributor and self-blogger at Opinionistas.com!

  • Glynnis MacNicol, FishbowlNY co-editor and perennial HuffPo debate liveblogger, and person who has also been in bed with me and Ana! But we're not using that to sell this liveblog! We swear!

  • Kevin Madden, former spokesperson for Mitt Romney and current commentator on ABC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX and enough other networks to make up the entire alphabet, except maybe for Al Jazeera!

  • John Neffinger, also a perennial HuffPo debate liveblogger, communications and body language expert who has blogged and pundited extensively on the subject during this campaign!

  • Rachel Sklar, aka me, HuffPo's Senior Contributing Editor and writer/editor of "Eat The Press," which is where you are right now and which you immediately plan to bookmark! Also enjoys writing creative bios about people who may think twice about working with her again!

  • Rex Sorgatz, multi-faceted web guy who blogs at Fimoculous, was formerly the executive producer of MSNBC.com, contributes to a wide range of magazines like New York and Wired, reported from the RNC for Radar, and has great taste in women!

  • Maureen Tkacik, founding editor/writer of Jezebel editor and until very very recently a Gawker writer/editor, too! Until very, very recently! Also a former Wall Street Journal staffer and "30 Under 30" award recipient for something financial-ish!

Come join us! It's gonna be awesome!


Update: It's over! Our takeaway: Obama's still cool, McCain's still cranky, and Brokaw needs his teleprompter. Also, apparently McCain's known how to get Osama bin Laden this whole time. Aw jeez, NOW...
Update: It's over! Our takeaway: Obama's still cool, McCain's still cranky, and Brokaw needs his teleprompter. Also, apparently McCain's known how to get Osama bin Laden this whole time. Aw jeez, NOW...
 
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At 10:23- "I love that naked aggression, nailing jello, and carrying a big stick are all integral parts of this debate."

Sounds like you might be a little preoccupied Ms. Sklar. How inappropriate- when we have such a plethora of serious national issues being debated. (But by the way, if you're needing any jello nailed...)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:32 AM on 10/08/2008

Obama smoked McCain.
Johnny boy was wheezing and stuttering.
The Nation is looking for stability.
Obama delivered that, McCain did not.

The Independents are breaking towards the blue.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:54 PM on 10/07/2008

Did someone actually flag my post?

For pointing out that Fox News was more like FIX NOISE?

Wow people.. get a grip...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:46 PM on 10/07/2008

....I doubt anyone on here would have flagged that about Faux News....it was probably in error.

One time I was trying to hit "Reply" and the page was unloading or something, and I ended up accidently hitting someone's "Flag" thing instead. I immediately wrote them back, though.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:11 AM on 10/08/2008
- TLV I'm a Fan of TLV permalink

Each time McCain says, "I know how to get him. I will get him!", I wonder why he hasn't shared that vital information with Bush and the military.

I'd love to know what 9/11 victims' families think of that. It's been 7 long years. What's holding him up?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:42 PM on 10/07/2008

McCain can't even stand or move around without huffing and puffing as though he just finished a marathon. I doubt he can even find the bathroom.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:00 AM on 10/08/2008
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Are you kidding? McCain knows how to do everything. He can fix the economic problem, he can find, catch, and kill Bin Laden, he can get a marriage license to marry his mistress before he divorces his wife, he can bring Palin out of the brush in Alaska and make her Vice President of the U.S.A. He can do anything, and if you don't believe me, just ask him.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:12 AM on 10/08/2008

If he HAS a plan, isn't it treasonous NOT to share it NOW? This is the same lurid promise as Nixon's secret plan to end the war in Vietnam; this is the same false hope that was Reagan's secret plan to rescue the hostages in Iran.

If there really IS a plan, it needs to be given IMMEDIATELY to the military so that Bin Laden can be brought to justice.

Clearly if there IS a plan, McCain cares far more about himself than this nation.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:07 AM on 10/08/2008

FIX NOISE just had on their ticker that McCain won the debate 86%-12%(Obama), and 1% undecided.

Wow... guess the Republicans only watch one channel?

I've been flipping between all the channels. Haven't quite heard just yet, why McCain supposedly won..

Amazing!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:41 PM on 10/07/2008

I just heard Olberman stating a TIE... at least they gave some credit to McCain.. It was mercy credit though. :-)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:43 PM on 10/07/2008

No Olbermann said once again Obama won and in second place was a tie, inferring that McCain is in third place...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:44 PM on 10/07/2008
- TLV I'm a Fan of TLV permalink

They are alone in those numbers. No big surprise there. One hand clapping.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:45 PM on 10/07/2008

Well, now that the debate is over I gotta go back and look at some old SNL clips from the past few weeks. I can use a good Tina Fey laugh!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:37 PM on 10/07/2008

Oh man. I will give anything to see Sarah Palin give a concession speech on the night of Nov.4

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:36 PM on 10/07/2008

Oh hell - she'll NEVER conceed. When she loses, it will just be clear evidence of a terrorist plot against her and McCain. One involving Peggy Noonan and any other domestic terrorist/extremist who DARES to say Sarah Baby is less than qualified. They're all in cahoots with Obama!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:13 AM on 10/08/2008

I really liked Obama's example on what this bailout means to us. He basically said that companies borrow money to pay payroll so with credit being frozen right now employers cannot get a loan to pay their employees. Most companies have a line of credit to pay for payroll until their invoices are paid. This is the first response to the effects of this bailout that actually explains the consequences of the bailout to the average employee

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:23 PM on 10/07/2008

Thanks for remembering this - it was a really good moment, and helpful to the rest of us, too!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:15 AM on 10/08/2008

I thought Obama won hands down, but maybe I'm partisan and not objective. Let's see what the polls say.

One thing is certain: McCain needed a game changer tonight, a powerful TKO that would leave Obama on the mat bleeding, and he absolutely did not get it. In this case, even if it's a draw on points, Obama wins by not losing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:22 PM on 10/07/2008
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My wife and I thought that McCain basically did a t. rex impersonation while Obama had an adult conversation with the American people,.In our view it wasn't even close.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:31 PM on 10/07/2008
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ROFLMAO!
ROFL-M-A-O!!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:46 PM on 10/07/2008

I stepped out of the room briefly, and just listening McC. sounded like Golum (?) the little horrid gnome from Lord of the Rings. It was truly creepy listening to McCain but envisioning that creature!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:17 AM on 10/08/2008
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The polls on CNN, MSN, MSNBC,CBS all show Obama winning.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:39 PM on 10/07/2008

McCain says country first but it seems like its McCain first. If he is such a maverick why isn't he fighting for the middle class. It seems like he is trying to please his base and he has change on some of his previous position.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:22 PM on 10/07/2008

I have a question that is not really about the debate per se but someone please tell me how it is that the Obamas are the elitists and McCain is not? I mean, if worth is the barometer it's a no brainer. Is it because Obama is an African American and went to Harvard? I don't get it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:17 PM on 10/07/2008

Did you see the cuff links McCain's campaign gave away? Talk about elite. Do his supporters even wear collared shirts?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:25 PM on 10/07/2008
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I think it is partly the Harvard thing, but I also think they are trying to paint him as not one of the "regular American folks". But it is so stupid* it is hard to understand. I mean he has one house, one car, worked his way through school with p/t jobs and student loans...while JM has 7 houses, 13 cars, and didn't get kicked out of school because of who his father was.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:44 PM on 10/07/2008

McCain continues to lie about Somalia. He was firmly against the troops staying, now he is saying the troops leaving was a "defeat? I will be writing to Huffington about this issue! Why? Because I happen to be Somali (hence the username) and I was there when the Civil War occurred. America had a real chance of defeating the warlords and other criminals, because of John McCain's "giving up" strategy on Somalia, there have been enormous consequences (pirates, extremists) need I go on? Furthermore, McCain is a failure when it comes to foreign policy issues (and this is his specialty?). His foreign policy line of attack is based on military action instead of diplomacy. And let me tell you something my friends military ammunition doesn"t work all it does is cause animosity. I should know!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:14 PM on 10/07/2008
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You should write about it. I get sick of hearing how he is suppose to be this foreign policy expert. He is a w.a.r.m.o.n.g.e.r.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:18 PM on 10/07/2008
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I hear you with both ears, bro...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:19 PM on 10/07/2008

Thank you for your insights - they are powerful.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:20 AM on 10/08/2008

Man Oh Man that incoherence in our Granpa was just too much!!

Why is he such a nasty man???
Golden Hair Transplant?
"Not You Tom", "
That One",

Not addressing the issue, and as the debate went fwd-McCain kept twisting the words. He has become toxic...and then there is Ms. Folksy Joe Six Pack Ms. Foriegn Policy spreading the old hatred and fear to get elected. Sad very sad.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:12 PM on 10/07/2008
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The hair can't be it...did you catch when he mumbled he might need a hair transplant,or something similar?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:50 PM on 10/07/2008

KO is pointing out all the things we mentioned, like McCain wandering and getting in front of Tom Brokaw at the end.....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:11 PM on 10/07/2008

Culture War Score:

Democrats 3
Republican'ts 0

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:09 PM on 10/07/2008

Stooping-to-a-new-low Score:
Rethugs 3
Dems 0

Losing-all-credibility Score:
Rethugs 3
Dems 0

Putting your-party-first-and-the-country-last Score:
Rethugs 3
Dems 0

Rethugs are clearly winning on all of these points.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:19 PM on 10/07/2008
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