Presidental Debate #3: Open Thread/Live Blogging

Open Thread/Live Blogging.

Looking forward to your comments below.

Both of them sitting at a table. And here we go...

McCain: Let's buy the home loan mortgages.

Obama: Worst financial crisis since great depression.

1. Focus on jobs.

2. Help families right away with middle class tax cut.

3. Fix energy policy. Fix health. Fix education.

McCain: Obama met plumber in Ohio named Joe. Sen. Obama's tax plan would raise taxes on your small business, raise taxes on Joe the Plumber.

Obama: He's been watching taxes of Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain's centerpiece is to give tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations in America. My plan gives a tax break to 95% of Americans. If you make less than $200,000 a year, your taxes will not go up one cent.

McCain: How Sen. Obama ended his converation with Joe the Plumber was, "We need to spread the wealth around." That's class warfare. Why would we want to increase anyone's taxes right now?

(Ed note: McCain is attacking STRONGLY. Doing very well. Obama needs to hit back hard.)

Obama: I have been a strong proponent of pay-as-you-go. If we invest now in health care that will make a difference in Medicare and Medicaid. If we invest now in energy we will be able to save money in the long run sent overseas.

McCain: First, I would have an across the board spending cut, and then I would get out a scalpel. I know how to save billions of dollars in defense spending. I believe in nuclear power.

Obama: An across the board spending freeze is a hatchet. Sen. McCain talks a lot about earmarks. They account for one-half of one percent. They're not going to solve the problem. Finally, let's talk about history. When President Bush came into office we had a surplus. Now we have a 10 TRILLION dollar deficit. Sen. McCain voted for President Bush's budget four out of five times.

McCain: Of course I can balance the budget in four years. If Sen. Obama wants to run against President Bush, he should have run four years ago.

Obama: You've stood clear of the Bush administration on torture and I admire that. However on

McCain: I've strongly disagreed with the Bush administration including the economy and the Iraq war.

Moderator: Will you say the tough things your campaigns have been saying, right here, right now, to each other?

McCain: If we had done the Townhall meetings then the entire tone of this campaign would have been different. I haven't lied in any of these ads. We are running a truthful campaign.

Obama: There's nothing wrong with a tough campaign. 100% of your ads are attack ads. But I think people are a lot less interested in our hurt feelings and in the issues.

McCain: I still don't hear a reputation of Congressman Lewis.

Obama: John, what's missing...


Ed note.... I'm having too much fun with this debate.... I'm just enjoying watching this. Going to stop trying to get every single word. It's just too damn good watching the future President of the United States be, well, Presidential. So I'll get some, most of it. Part of it. Probably. *smiles*

McCain simply looked like a CRANKY OLD MAN, whining and complaining about how the world isn't treating him fairly. Obama kept -- gently, carefully, as if McCain is an ill patient who is disturbed -- coming back to how important it is to take care of people, to treat everyone with respect, to shift the culture of politics.

****

Interesting. In the first part of the debate, McCain was on the attack. After the Ayers portion, when Obama so carefully handled McCain, and the moderator gave Obama as much time as he needed to deal with McCain's attacks, now McCain just sits there as Obama deals. Instead of what was going on at the start -- a slashing, full out back and forth, we're back to a more or less respectful question and answer. With McCain being slow on his answers.

Obama is clearly winning.

Roe v. Wade... Supreme Court conversation

Here's the difference between the two candidates.

Obama gives thoughtful, careful, nuanced, answers. McCain instead of dealing with the issue, goes for Obama's knees. He tries to slander, tear down, rip apart, destroy.

In short, McCain is lying. He KNOWS what Obama did, what happened. That is not sufficient. Instead, McCain attacks with clear lies.

Education is the final question.

Final Statements:

McCain: Difficult times and challenges. Need new direction. Can't be satisfied with the last eight years. I have a record of reform. I have been a careful steward of your tax dollars. All the promises I and Sen. Obama made to you tonight, will be based on if you can trust us. I've spent my entire life in the service of this country. There's been a long line of McCain's in the service of this country. I hope you'll give me the honor of serving you. Thank you.

Obama: This is the worst economic crisis since the great depression. That's why the worst risk we could take would be to take the same policies and same politics we've had for the last eight years and expect them to do anything else. I promise you if you give me the extrodinary honor of serving you, I'll (video/audio breakup...)

SUMMARY

OBAMA WINS.
Being Presidential: Obama
Character: Obama (by a lot)
Taking care of people: Obama (by a lot)
Trust: Obama
Knowing what he was doing: Obama (by a lot)
Defending against Attacks without hitting an old man needlessly: Obama
Being on the Attack: McCain
Lying: McCain (negative points)
Cranky Old Man: McCain (negative points)
Having to keep attacking and lying even though it's obvious he's lying:
McCain (forfit ALL points; lose the election)

Bottom line: Obama Wins

McCain came out swinging but lost when Obama treated him like the crazy old coot he is.

It's over.

I won't have the Snap Polls till tomorrow as my tonight is full.

My prediction: Obama wins with 370 electoral votes, maybe 400.

That's it for our debates.

LIVE from the GNB News Desk for 2008 Presidential Debate #3, this is Jesse Wendel. Remember...

YARD SIGNS DON'T VOTE. Go call someone.

Goodnight.