8:16 p.m. | Alan with the beige blazer asks the first question and Obama does his best to put off the man's question before diving in. First mention of "middle class," however. And here comes McCain with a dig.
8:19 p.m. | My first totally insignificant observation of the night: including Alan, four of the nine people in the section being addressed are bald or have shaved heads. Not sure if this weighs more in the favor of McCain or Obama.
8:22 p.m. | I like it when McCain talks about the "cronies" in Washington. It helps me to believe that we're in Gotham and Christian Bale is going to suddenly break through the wall and steal the election.
8:25 p.m. | "Oliver" asks about the bailout plan and Obama makes me go "ooooh" by kicking McCain on his historical inaccuracies. They're 1-1 on snippy comments.
Now on debate radio: Luther Vandross, with "Dance With My Father"
8:28 p.m. | Obama says "You're not interested in hearing politicians" after he's just finished pointing fingers. Meanwhile, McRestless has now paced, sat down, and stood back up in the last minute and a half.
8:32 p.m. | "Theresa" asks the first meaty question of the night, but her brashness is overshadowed by her giant pearl necklace. Obama delves deep into policy with his response, but I'm getting a little bored.
8:33 p.m. | The crowd concurs.
8:35 p.m. | McCain says "my friends," and follows by putting his hand on the arm of a woman's chair. The woman does not appear convinced as she noticeably moved away.
8:40 p.m. | I must say, I appreciate McCain taking notes when Tom Brokaw asks questions. I am, however, concerned about the well-being of his suit. I never noticed his little dino-arms before and every time he raises his arm it's putting a big strain on the fabric. The space between his collar and lapel is astounding.
HEYYY!
8:46 p.m. | Where's my generation at in this thing? In scans of the audience I've seen two people who appear to be under the age of 45. Somebody's gotta loosen up this studio.
8:50 p.m. | Points to Obama for expressing his intent to double the peace corps. I wasn't aware of that initiative before, but it sounds like a great way to get the national image back on track.
8:55 p.m. | Roughly half way home and I've begun watching the crowd more than the candidates. Impressive side-by-side moustaches in section 2 (number assigned randomly), and an absolute dead-on Bobby Hill look-a-like to their left.
8:57 p.m. | A dull debate and yet Brokaw still is losing control like a Spanish soccer referee. And now he's making up a rule. Not good for the moderator.
8:59 p.m. | A note on invoking Reagan: This may appeal to older voters, particularly Republicans, but it does nothing for people my age. Ronald Reagan to me was the president I don't remember who acted in some films. Sure he was a president before the current shitstorm, but pick someone we're more likely to respect (hint: our social studies teachers all really liked FDR).
9:01 p.m. | Brokaw just corrected me! It's section C.
9:05 p.m. | Nice art deco sweater in the back row. AND MCCAIN JUST CALLED OBAMA "THAT ONE!" And now he's spinning back some imaginary turntable with his right hand. The republican's on a roll.
9:09 p.m. | Now might be a good time to mention that the CNN broadcast I'm watching does not have a "voter enthusiasm/emotion/excitement" meter. Nevertheless, I've gotta think Obama mentioning McCain's plan to tax health care benefits struck a chord with the independents.
9:12 p.m. | Ouch. McCain just made a joke about needing a hair transplant and the crowd was stone silent. This is about as much fun as a funeral.
Wow, neat photo!
9:16 p.m. | Part 2 of my video has just ended and I'm calling a 5 minute snack break. Here's hoping I can stay awake through the rest of this thing.
9:21 p.m. | We're back and I'm suggesting a new rule (since Brokaw can't seem to keep the ones agreed upon before the debate). Once in the final third of the debate, each candidate may call upon an audience member to come down and attempt to "psych out" the opponent. All matters of conduct and language are fair as long as there is no physical contact.
9:26 p.m. | It's worth noting that I've now been watching this debate for well over an hour and I've not yet heard one new attack or argument from either candidate. Which leads me to think - why should I? Media saturation has made these debates completely redundant.
9:28 p.m. | McMaverick just said "my friends" for the 82nd time. If I was playing a drinking game I'd be hammered by now.
9:31 p.m. | Katie Hamm is now asking a question. I was starting to forget that this was a town hall debate. Not sure who's fault it is, but this format is a sham.
9:33 p.m. | Debunking two pre-election myths. Myth #1: McCain doesn't know what he's talking about. Sure, the guy's campaign is falling apart and his decision making has been questionable with regards to recent political maneuvers, but he still knows his stuff. Nice exchange on military strategy there. It's his running mate that's a complete idiot, not McCain.
Myth #2: Obama is too soft and is afraid to go to war. Afraid? No. Rational is more like it. But the guy just said "We will kill Bin Laden" and "We will crush Al Qaeda" in consecutive breaths. That's about as refreshing as anything I've heard all night.
9:42 p.m. | The crowd just laughed for the first time tonight. Must have been Brokaw's strong and disarming voice that drew it out of them.
9:46 p.m. | Yawwwn.
I'm swimming!
9:51 p.m. | It appears that a man in section D(?) and a woman in section A(?) are wearing the same print - the man's on his tie and the woman's on her skirt. If I can make another rule, I'm changing the seating chart to put these two together.
9:53 p.m. | Is Russia the new evil empire? Obama's evasive answer? Ok. McCain's "maybe?" Not so much.
9:58 p.m. | Who's writing these questions? The audience members selected to address the candidates look like they've been held against their will. I did, however, enjoy watching veteran "Terry" interact with John McCain - one of few truly sincere McCain moments of the past month.
10:00 p.m. - Last question! Thank God. I never thought I'd say this, but where's Sarah Palin when you need her??
10:02 p.m. - It's insignificant, but I've gotta say that Obama works the stage much better than his counterpart. His debate performance may not be as bracing as his speeches, but he still does an excellent job of connecting with the audience through his body language.
10:03 p.m. - Ok, so I've started reading the blogs in the last half hour. Here's what I have to say about the "that guy" thing: I've watched the clip again, and I don't think McCain had any intention of painting Obama as an "other," as some people have suggested. Was he being a prick? Yeah, probably. But racist? Doubtful.
10:05 p.m. | Well, it's over. Brokaw's just finished talking and now the candidates are joined by their families. I have to say at this time - John McCain is a lucky man. Michelle Obama is an attractive woman, but Cindy McCain is a stone cold fox. Nice choice with the blue jacket and skirt combo tonight.
Closing comments: An underwhelming debate on all fronts. McCain is the loser for not doing enough to change the game after a terrible week, but the real losers are Tom Brokaw and the debate committee. Whether or not it was their fault, the debate was stale and nothing but re-hashed questions from previous debates and interviews. I'm sure there'll be plenty to talk about in the days to come, but I'm headed to bed and calling it for Obama.
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