Debate Deblogging

9:07. Question 1, the bailout. Barry looks rushed. John looks cool. John scores with props to Teddy Kennedy. Barry saying we gotta intervene. McSame, I warned about all that too, Ike story. Both seem to be agreeing on voting for it. Johnny doubling down on Chris Cox.

Obama hits back. Responsibility not just during a crisis. Jim trying to get them to talk to EACH OTHER. McSame counter, American worker is best.

Wash.

9:14 Question 2, how do you fix this. McSame: fix spending. HELLO, $700 BILLION BAILOUT YOU TWIT. Obama. 18 billion in earmarks, McSame wants $300 billion in tax cuts for Wall Street. Nice. Very nice.

McSame throwing out spending numbers. Now they are going after each other FINALLY on tax cuts versus spending. Go Jim.

Obama hits back on loopholes and healthcare. McSame saying HAHAH ENERGY BILL PWNED FAIR TAX FAIR TAX FAIR TAX

Ugh. This is kinda boring so far, but Obama wins this one.

9:26 Question 3: What are you giving up to pay for this bailout? Obama first...not energy plan and health care, or infrastructure or college costs. Obama's not answering this question. McSame is winning this question with specific examples of what needs to be cut: ethanol subsidies and defense pork.

Lehrer points out neither are cutting stuff as a result of the bailout or neither one is answering the question. McSame proposes spending freeze on everything but defense. Barry brings up Iraq.

Lehrer tries another tack. Obama finally admits to having to make tough decisions. McSame brings up HillaryCare. Spending blah blah.

Obama FINALLY sticks McSame on voting for Bush budgets. McSame NOPE I FOUGHT BUSH ON EVERYTHING MAVERICK SARAH PALIN.

McSame wins.

9:39 Question 4 What are the lessons on Iraq? McSame: Well, Petraeus means we won. SURGE VICTORY YEAH TEAM. Obama: Umm...Afghanistan? Osama? Remember them? $1 trillion dollar spent there? 4,000 dead? 30,000 wounded? Eye off the ball? Sound familiar?

McSame SURGE SURGE SURGE FLIP FLOP I CAN'T HEAR YOU PETRAEUS. Obama: Yeah, well...okay. But 2003-2007 YOU WERE WRONG JOHN ON EVERYTHING ELSE. McSame: I went to Iraq! We're winning there!

Obama: And we're not in Afghanistan, and we're losing there. Obama wins.

9:50 Question 5 More troops to Afghanistan? Obama: Hell yes. Here's my specifics. 2 brigades. Iraq was a strategic mistake. Afghanistan is the real deal oh yeah and Pakistan too, how's that money we spent there? McSame: I won't leave Afghanistan hanging like Reagan did. Boy I can't believe Obama wants to go into Pakistan, you can't say that out loud.

Obama: Yeah, mr bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran. Oh and we're already repeated the mistakes in Pakistan since we made in Iraq.

McSame Pakistan's a failed state. Oh, REAGAN STORY I STOPPED REAGAN IN LEBANON. Umm...but I voted for Bosnia and Gulf War I and Kosovo and Somalia. I have a record of voting for wars, so you can count on me. We gotta win in Iraq now I DON'T WANT DEFEAT VIETNAM I WAS A POW.

Obama Fighting bracelet stories now. OK but shut it, Afghanistan remember that? Osama? Hello? Taliban? Take it seriously? McSame: I've been there, so I win.

Another wash.

10:03 Question 6. Iran. McSame, Iran is existential threat to Israel. Screw the UN and Russia. League of Democracies. THEY WILL NOOK EVERYBODY IEDs IN IRAQ SECRET TERRORISTS. Obama: Iraq war made Iran stronger. We're not containing them, also threat to Israel. Tougher sanctions, must cooperate with Russia and China and UN. Diplomacy with Iran.

McSame butchers Ahmedinejad. Pre-conditions. Nope, won't talk to them unless they agree with everything we want first. Nixon and Reagan, statesmen.

Obama: Let's talk about this. We have to talk to people. We cut off talks with North Korea and they went crazy. SPAIN! ZAPPO.

McSame: I don't have a seal yet. Heh. Nope. Can't legitimize evil. Can't talk to evil. "Oh please." Nice zinger. McSame does win this one.

10:16 Question 7 Russia. Obama: We have to confirm and support NATO members and stop Russia. McSame: He doesn't understand like I do. But I'll say the same thing. I went there, I win, here's a story about Putin.

Neither side is brining up Georgia attacked first. Obama says we have get more energy, clean energy, solar, nuclear. McSame is snickering. Obama hammers him on his clean energy. McSame's response is dumb. Obama wins.

Last question. Another 9/11? McSame: Much less, we're safer but not safe I HAVE A LONG RECORD HERE'S ANOTHER STORY Better intel agencies we won't "torture ever again." WAIT WHAT? Wait ever AGAIN? BARRY HIT HIM ON THAT! I made government bigger long way to go.

Obama: Safer in some ways. Not hitting him on that. AQ is still out there. How we are viewed helps us. We are less respected. That needs to change. Praising him on torture issue?

McSame: WE CAN'T FAIL IN IRAQ OBAMA DEFEAT WE'LL LOSE DEFEAT DEFEAT

Obama: No Bin Laden. China has $1 trillion of our debt, we've been ignoring China and stuff, busy in Iraq, back to Iraq's effect on economy. Economy is a national security issue, VERY GOOD.

McSame: Gosh Obama is stubborn and wrong, unlike me. Obama is Bush. I love veterans. I have background.

Obama: My dad was an immigrant! But now he wouldn't want to come here.

McSame POW POW POW POW POW God Bless America.

Obama wins.

Final score Obama 4, McSame 2, 2 ties. Obama wins.