Headbutts in Hempstead!!!

3BP is back for another round! We're blogging from a hotel bar in Denver tonight. The view, or lack thereof, is the pic to your right. Yep. It sucks. I have a 60 year old woman to my right who claims to be part of "the media" and decided to cover the debate from this establishment. I'm pretty sure she's insane.

So what are we in for tonight? Great question. The first 3 debates went pretty much as we predicted. Some fireworks...and a lot of boring.

Sarah did well. Obama did enough. McCain never really attacked.

Well 3BP is ready to see what happens tonight. The state polls are closer than the media seems to want to discuss and pessimism is rampant. If McCain doesn't effectively bring up BAIPA, Ayers and Fannie Mae tonight I think I may have to join those ranks of the depressed.

As you saw before, the most recent updates will come at the top of this post. Keep hitting refresh as we'll be moving pretty fast....provided the beer flows, my internet connection survives and I don't get beat up by a Colorado hippie.

Let's get it on.
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Conclusion: Focus groups will say Obama won. They'd be right. He was more eloquent and knocked down enough of McCain's hits. But what's important out of this debate is not the debate itself, it's what the mainstream media will now be forced to discuss...namely, BAIPA, Acorn, Ayers and Joe "Spread the Wealth" the Plumber. These are ALL good issues for McCain. If these issues can maintain a presence in the media it will benefit McCain. The question is how these issues play against the issue of Obama inevitability.

Either way, I really hope we see Joe the Plumber in a campaign commercial DAMN soon. Thanks to everyone who followed along. This was the most widely viewed liveblog yet....and I'm glad I don't have to do it again.

10:30 - Nothing unexpected from Obama. I'm going to spend a lot of your cash and cut the budget. We know only half of that is true.

10:29 - Great final words by McCain....if you read them. His eloquence is, as we all know, severely lacking.

10:25 - Obama just lied. The DC Super supports vouchers.

10:24 - Addressing autism speaks to a lot more people than many think.

10:23 - McCain is right about NCLB. But that is a debate for another time...on this blog, at least.

10:21 - Obama doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois? As a State Senator? Seriously?

10:20 - The problem with NCLB is NOT the money. Money went through the roof.

10:19 - Time for McCain to nail Obama on Ayers again. Show the connection is more than just an association. Show how he worked with someone we all now know is a terrorist on extreme education issues.

10:16 - Hey. Education. Obama wants more money. Spread the wealth! Woo hoo!

10:15 - Damn. Awful retort. The good news is that this will finally get BAIPA into the news. The MSM will HAVE to discuss it for the first time in this campaign.

10:13 - Let's see what the CNN factcheckers have to say about Obama's answer. If there is any justice left in the world they will tear it apart.

10:12 - McCain knocked BAIPA out of the park. Obama is ready to retort. I hope John can respond and has some ammo left.

10:11 - Obama trying to change the debate. Don't let it distract you, John.

10:10 - Obama just said abortion is a moral issue. PERFECT opening for BAIPA. Nail it, John. Please.

10:09 - "Fairness" is important for SC Justices? No. It's about interpreting the US Constitution.

10:08 - Don't blow this, John. It's ok to save BAIPA for the retort. Gives Obama less time to respond. But it has to be effective.

10:06 - WOO HOO!!!!

10:04 - Can we talk about abortion now, please? Supreme Court judges? I know I'm just beating the drum but this just sucks.

10:02 - Obama nailed McCain on health care. Pwned. Destroyed. Obliterated.

10:00 - Obama is happy to talk to Joe? Um. You did. And you announced your preference for socialism.

9:59 - Joe the Plumber! Atta boy.

9:58 - McCain: "Translation. He wants to turn your health care system into the US Postal Service."

Or not.

9:56 - Health care. Another possible winning issue. Let's see how McCain blows it!

9:55 - No really. Smack the grin off his face. Seriously.

9:54 - Come on, Bob. You're putting the audience to sleep by letting them focus on this crap. ABORTION! SUPREME COURT JUDGES! These are major issues that have yet to be discussed in ANY of the debates.

9:52 - Oh snap. Great way to call him out on drilling, John. Props. Sadly no one gives a rat's ass about free trade agreements unless you refer to jobs.

9:50 - LOL! Obama is for offshore drilling. Come on. Is anyone buying this?

9:48 - Zzzzzzzzzzz. Anyone need a beer?

9:47 - Energy. Ok, fine. Winning issue. If Palin was debating.

9:46 - [banging head against desk]

9:45 - "Is she qualified to be President?" What...the...hell? Ok, at least it gives John another opening to hit his missed opportunity.

9:44 - He isn't going to compare her to Obama. Crap. Crap. Crap.

9:43 - The gender card? Come on, John. We already know she's a chick. I don't know many dudes named Sarah.

9:42 - Opening for McCain at least. He can use Palin in one of the ways I hoped she would be used. To highlight Obama's inexperience.

9:41 - A running mate question? Seriously? That isn't what this debate is about!

9:40 - Obama is going to get destroyed in the MSM for his Ayers denials if the MSM is at least moderately fair. But McCain missed a HUGE opportunity to nail him on ACORN. Fuck.

9:38 - Obama using his already known talking points to defend the Ayers relationship and Acorn. Let's hope John is ready. He can NAIL Obama on Acorn using what we saw in Johnny Utah's post from yesterday. Glad he has a followup.

9:36 - THERE IT IS. Props to John. Acorn. Clinton on Ayers(not that way, sickos). Let's hope that's not all he has in his gun.

9:35 - McCain isn't going to hit him on Ayers. Unfortunate.

9:34 - Props to McCain for calling Obama out on painting with a broad brush. Could have been a little more harsh, but his base will appreciate it.

9:33 - Obama brings up Ayers first. Odd.

9:32 - Obama is taking advantage of the average voter's ignorance on what Lewis said. Smart move. Unprincipled move.

9:31 - Will someone PLEASE knock that shiteating grin off Obama's face? Please. Seriously.

9:30 - Obama turning negative campaigning around to talk about "the issues". That will score well.

9:29 - 100% of his ads are negative? WTF? The shit this guy gets away with....

9:27 - John Lewis, John? Seriously? No undecided people knew about this story. But now they know someone McCain respects said negative things about him. Not smart.

9:26 - HA! Great way to start the mudslinging, Mr. Schafer.

9:25 - The first part of this debate is quickly becoming a story about Bush. That's not good for McCain.

9:23 - Good comeback by Obama on challenging his Party. Except "Clean coal". Come on, Barack. Seriously?

9:21 - Nice way to defuse the Bush comparison. Seperates him from the Administration and is a subtle knock on Obama's inexperience.

9:19 - I know the economy is important, but enough questions on it already. The moderators should realize we're not going to hear nothing new. Let's hear about abortion, supreme court judges....anything other than overhead projectors.

9:18 - Sen. McCain, I said WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO CUT?!?!

9:16 - Obama the deficit hawk. Sadly, people are buying that crap.

9:14 - Round 1 for McCain by a sigh, as judged by my friend Aaron.

9:13 - Strong finish on "spreading the wealth."

9:12 - Nice Barack. Defending being Robin Hood? Fine. Count on the poor vote. That's always worked.

9:11 - AND we're back. WHAT I MISS? Joe the plumber? Wow that was poorly communicated.

9:02 - Yeah. Totally cant hear the candidates. Be back in 5.

9:00 - Wow. Way to cut off the applause.

8:58 - Prediction time: The "gloves will come off" tonight. McCain will hit Obama on BAIPA and Ayers...likely not on Wright. The question will be whether he communicates it effectively. McCain will have to time the attacks well. He'll need to work it into answers where he'll get the last word. It will take some finesse...let's hope he can handle it.

8:55 - Guy next to me: "Aw hell, what is this shit?"

8:52 - I don't think there is more than one person in this bar that wants to see the debate. I look forward to the boos that are forthcoming.