A bunch of us are gathered here in Park Slope, Brooklyn to watch the debate.
Some comments as we go along: (first half hour)
"Is McCain storing up something for the winter in those cheeks?"
"Fannie Mae caused the entire mortgage crisis?"
"McCain just said not to spread the wealth around!"
Barack: "We spent $15 billion a year on insurance companies."
"Barack is so much clearer."
"What is McCain saying? Wasn't HE in Congress for the largest expansion of government in the history of the country?"
"Barack looks bored and slightly amused. For good reason."
"Barack says the word reform first."
"Barack also says Bush first."
"McCain says he isn't Bush. But didn't he support most of his policies?"
"I think Obama just won the debate by showing how McCain has supported all of Bush's core policies."
"Is McCain blaming Obama for the ridiculous ads he's created?"
"Score! Obama mentions that a poll shows that 2/3 of the American people think that McCain's ads have been attack ads."
"Obama is so on message! He just turned around the discussion on attack ads and started talking about the economic crisis."
"WHAT! McCain claims that Obama's ads attacking his health plan is actually an attack on him personally! Stop your whining! Poor you! -- and what's with Joe the Plumber already?"
"YAY! Obama mentions how the McCain campaign didn't repudiate anything when threats were made on him. But he is so cool about it. McCain has a dumb smile on his face."
----more later-----